Recumbents vs. uprights, a comparison of two different style bicycles. by Mark Archibald
There are two major design styles in bicycles, they are the recumbent style and the upright or diamond frame style. All bicycles, whether mountain bikes, crossovers, comfort bikes, criterium… are all variations on these two designs.
The word ‘bent is short for recumbent. According to Wikipedia, the definition of a ‘bent is: “a bicycle which places the rider in a seated or supine position”. These bicycles make the rider appear as though he is in an easy chair, or in some extreme cases lying in bed watching television!
I’ve placed a few pictures to the left to show the difference in styles between a recumbent and an upright or diamond framed bicycle.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a ‘bent?
Advantages:
The most obvious advantage to a recumbent bicycle is comfort. Sitting on a comfortable padded seat in a semi-reclined or supine position is easier on the body and much more comfortable. So if you’re more comfortable, in my opinion, you will ride farther.
Another advantage is the seating position on a ‘bent eliminates the pressure on the wrists and hands normally occurring on an upright as they support the upper body on the handlebar. This pressure can sometimes result in discomfort or pain. So eliminating this issue, means more comfort, and more comfort means riding farther.
Also, when on an upright, especially a touring or racing frame, the neck can be tipped back at an awkward angle to have a good line of sight to what is a head on the road. Again, on most recumbents while seated at a semi-reclining position, the neck is much closer to being at a natural angle.
Recumbents can be a bit more aerodynamic unless aero-equipment is added to an upright bicycle. However, one must bend forward and assume the aero position. With a ‘bent, the reclining position is naturally a little more aerodynamic .
These are the major advantages of riding a recumbent bicycle. Most of these advantages are comfort and pain reduction related.
Disadvantages:
For me the most notable disadvantage is pedaling uphill. When I first bought my ‘bent, there didn’t seem to be a significant difference from pedaling uphill on an upright. So, as I was planning a trip to Virginia anyway, I took both my Cannondale upright, and my Trek recumbent to ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Now I had some real hills to test out this theory, and sure enough, pedaling up mountains was more difficult on a ‘bent. How much difference? I can only speculate, but to me it was about 15% harder in the mountains.
Recumbent bicycles are inherently heavier by design. With the longer wheelbases, more steel or titanium is needed to support the rider’s weight. Also, there is considerable weight added because of the seat styles on ‘bents, which is like sitting on a chair. Therefore, it must be wider and more cushioned, plus some type of back is needed to support the rider in this semi-reclined position. There are a few variations of this seat style, and with some, there is limited weight reduction, but there is only so much that can be done when a wider seat with a back is required. The key to climbing on a recumbent is ‘spinning’. For those who don’t know what this is, it’s turning the crank (pedals) at a relatively high number of turns per minute or RPM. Normally, the average occasional bicycle rider only turns the pedals at between 20-40 times per minute on a leisurely ride. Most enthusiast cyclists turn the pedals at 70-80 times per minute. The most serious cyclists, those who train regularly will ‘spin’ at 90-110 revolutions per minute. To be effective on a recumbent climbing a hill, you must be at or near 90 rpm. It takes a little practice to teach the muscles to constantly move this fast, but eventually it becomes second nature. Spinning at 90 rpm on a recumbent makes life a bit easier!
Depending on the style of recumbent, some can be a bit difficult to turn. The long wheelbase bikes need a much wider arc to turn around, much more so than an upright. Some of the shorter wheelbase bikes turn in a shorter arc, but some of these have the pedals out front of the front wheel, and your heel will hit the front wheel when making sharp turns. The rider can learn to adapt to this issue, but it is an issue of which to be aware.
Generally, a decent quality recumbent bicycle will cost you more than a comparably equipped upright bicycle. How much more varies, but 15% - 40% or more. So cost can be a disadvantage.
Cycling a recumbent uses different muscles, so you must develop those leg muscles specific to riding a ‘bent. Not a big deal, and not really a disadvantage, but a change from an upright bicycle.
Conclusion:
Now with the major advantages and disadvantages listed, do the disadvantages rule out buying a recumbent? This is a decision only you the reader can make. To me, after more than 20 years and thousands of miles on an upright, I just became very weary of the pains of riding in the upright position. Even as a younger cyclist, I always had trouble with my neck in the ‘heads up’ position. I even went as far as to go to the gym and use a weight machine which worked the neck muscles. I did this for several months, it did not help. It may be that my scoliosis was the culprit, but knowing that did not stop the pain. In addition, it seemed every year it took more of the riding season to get my wrists and hands toughened up to the pressures on the handlebars. So that being said, the move to a recumbent was an easy decision. Riding my recumbent eliminated my neck pain, my wrist/hand pain, and I no longer had to break my butt in on a saddle each spring. And as I have mentioned, less pain equals more comfort, and more comfort means I ride longer, building strength and endurance more quickly, and I enjoy my rides even more that I did on an upright.
A ‘bent isn’t for everyone, but for touring or casual riding, they can’t be beat. But, even with club rides and upright riders pushing the pace at 16, 18, 20 mph, I have no trouble keeping up with them. I’m slower going up the hills, and I’m as fast or faster going down the hills.
The advantages more than outweigh the disadvantages in my opinion. A good quality recumbent is well worth the investment, especially if you ride quite a bit.
