Recumbent Bike

About

• Recumbents are banned from bike racing competitions because they outperform the rest [1]
• World record in human-powered speed - 87 mph - is held by a recumbent [2]
  • 257W at 100 km/h!

• History of recumbent bikes [3] and its politics [4].
  • Fascinating story of a faster and more comfortable bike languishing behind industry standards - for 100 years and remaining fringe today.
• Terms - bent bike is 'bent bike - or recumbent bike.

Types

• Lowracer
• Highracer
• High Bottom Bracket
• Low Bottom Bracket

Ergonomics

• High BB v low - [5]

Sourcing

• Craigslist - Vision $500 - [6]
• New - $2650 - [7]
• Bike Barn - [8]. Rans Force 5. Rans X-Stream. Volae Club
• Liberty - [9]
• Terratrike - [10]
• Sunseeker - [11]
• Trident TWIG - [12]. Azub and HP Velotechnik.

How to Design

• Ergonomics - [13]. Note: images are available, need to 'copy image URL' and view in a different window.
• 12 steps for great handling - [14]
• Bottom bracket (BB) height - if high, less wind resistance - [80% of riders effort is used to overcome wind resistance at 32 kph (20 mph.) To reduce the frontal area, you want the riders body to present as small an area from the front as possible. By having the BB and therefore the legs, above the riders butt, you achieve that.]

Plans

• Lowracer recumbent - [15]