Questions tagged [recumbent]
A recumbent is a bicycle (or tricycle) that places the rider in a laid-back reclining position.
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GreenMachine by Flevobike (recumbent) - Clicking Noise When Pedaling
The clicking is most noticeable when in lower gears and just starting off on a ride. After about 5 minutes it is still there but not as loud.
There are two chains, one from the pedals to the mid-...
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Renting a velomobile outside the Netherlands [closed]
I have seen a few questions on this site and a few more answers which are about Velomobiles.
Several of them show that the asker or answerer has clearly no experience whatsoever with velomobiles and ...
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Is it possible to use a disc front brake and a regenerative rear brake system for electric Catrike recumbent?
I have a Catrike Villager tadpole recumbent with a single lever to operate the two disc brakes on the front wheels.
I want to put a direct-drive hub motor on the rear and utilize regenerative braking. ...
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DIY cargo bikes and recumbent bikes seem to use rod end bearings with an axial load. Is that ok?
I have been looking into possibly building my own cargo bike (inspired by the xyz cargo bike). That said, I am interested in possibly modifying the design - including how the steerable wheels are ...
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Are there recumbent-specific pedals with reflectors on the top and bottom instead of front and back?
At least in Germany, amber reflectors on bicycle pedals are a legally required. All my recumbents have them, but neither of these reflectors is any useful, because they usually point upwards or ...
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What are the (dis)advantages of a tadpole vs. a delta trike?
On a recumbent trike, what are the advantages (and disadvantages) of two wheels in the front and one wheel in the back (a "tadpole" in recumbent terminology), vs. two wheels in the back and ...
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Are there special heavy-duty front derailleurs for recumbent trikes or recumbent bicycles?
I have a "normal" short wheelbase highracer recumbent bicycle (Radius Hornet I) for about 20 years now, so I'm generally used to recumbent-specific things. But since recently I also own an ...
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Where can I find a Dual tire front disc brake kit for a recumbent trike
I am accumulating parts to construct a recumbent trike with independent front suspension. I need to use disc brakes based on the framework I intend to use. I am looking for a dual set of front disc ...
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Easy racer tour easy frame seat?
New on this site,I would like to know where to go for replace seat frame on a tour easy recumbent ! Many Thanks!
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Do recumbent bicycles cause knee pain?
I've been thinking about the way the body is positioned on a recumbent bicycle and it seems like knee pain might result. Even if you use a low gearing I think the force direction will always be in a ...
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What can I do to pedals to help kids or smaller riders use the bike
We recently bought a recumbent tricycle second-hand for our special needs daughter (catrike pocket). The bikes pedals are a little bit out of reach for her (~4 inches). These bikes are expesive and we ...
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Best setup for long distance?
I’m looking to get a recumbent bike for travelling long weekends around Europe. I don’t know much about bikes and I’m looking at recumbent mainly for comfort reasons; I tried biking long trips on a ...
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how to remove broken grommet from recumbent seat (without damaging mesh)?
summary: Note this question
is not about installing a new grommet: I know how to do that
is about removing a grommet, so that I can install a new grommet in the already-existing hole
details:
I ...
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Improving turning radius on an under-seat steering recumbent?
This under-seat steering tadpole has a pretty large turning radius. The limitation seems to be that the handlebars will bump into the seat. When this happens the actual steering linkage seems like it ...
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Where can I get a fork that will fit a 7 speed gear and a disc brake? Or how could I make one for said specification?
Im trying to insert a 7 speed gear and disc brake on the front wheel of a recumbent cycle that I'm trying to make. However its difficult to find or almost impossible to get forks with widths that ...
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Is there a reason that velomobiles aren't made in a prone design?
So I just recently began looking at making my own velomobile and I designed a prone position reverse trike. I was having trouble converting my design into real dimensions and decided to look and see ...
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Tire selection for winter trike riding?
I'm thinking of trying out some winter riding on a recumbent tadpole trike. (ie the single drive wheel is in the rear).
With regular tires it slips all over the place; of course you can't really wipe ...
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Should I rotate the tires on a (grown-up) trike?
I have a recumbent tadpole trike (though maybe this would apply to any style). Its two front wheels have a few degrees of inwards lean. The rear is of course perfectly vertical.
I've read in another ...
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Help me find model of recumbent bike?
I am new to the community but used to ride pretty heavily for 2-3 years back in college (2015-2018) and am hoping to get back into the hobby, and am hoping to track down my old bike make/model.
I ...
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DIY "recumbent" trainer
I have some back issues and my doctor recommended to use a bike with a chair instead of a seat post. I have a old bike that I used for a trainer. I plan to cut the front part of it, turn the ...
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Are high racers safer due to enhanced visibility compared to low racers or classic recumbents?
Naively, I would expect that a high racer is safer in traffic than a low racer. With the rider higher up, she or he should be more visible compared to being closer to the ground. Considering that ...
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Are ultra high racers available commercially?
In the Hessian woods today I saw a recumbent where the rider was positioned very high; his entire body was higher than any of the wheels. In this position, he was at least as visible as an rider on ...
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Calculate suspension oil needed for a fork?
I've got a non-standard 20" air fork (Mekkem SASO) that could use some maintenance, but there's zero info I can find from either the manufacturer or OEM on oil viscosity, volume, or anything else. I'...
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How to secure the fork when there is no stem
On my half recumbent tandem, there is no stem on the front steerer tube. I would like to change the upper cup of the headset (related question Play in headset with no upper bearings on a tandem ...
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Trainer for recumbent bikes
I've been thinking about getting a trainer for my M5 CHR. Wahoo Kickr seemms nice, but they do not recommend it for use with recumbent bikes.
Is it just because they lack the experience or would it be ...
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Why are recumbent bicycles and velomobiles illegal in UCI bicycle racing?
As stated in the title. However, the "superman" position is also illegal, and the question applies to that as well.
Motor racing will often lean on safety to explain why there are so many limitations ...
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What is the drag / power lost to a safety flag?
I have a recumbent bike that has a safety flag on the top of a thin pole, so it flutters around higher than and after my head.
How much power am I losing to this flag that could be used to power my ...
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Tadpole Recumbent Bike Correct Fairing Position
What is the correct fairing position for a tadpole recumbent trike? I have a HP Gekko 26 with a Streamer fairing. Should the fairing be as far forward or as close to my pedal range as possible? ...
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Are coarse 3D mesh seat pads effective at keeping your butt cool on a recumbent?
The seat of my recumbent has a taut 2D mesh back which is quite good at letting sweat through. That can't be said about the ordinary foam pad supporting the ass. There are special "foam" pads which ...
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How to fix ripped out ball joint in indirect under seat steering recumbent
There are two ball joints involved in the steering mechanism of my under seat steering recumbent.
One of them ripped out of its socket:
The dirty grey-green part inside the end of the bar is made of ...
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Would a recumbent bike be allowed at an ultra endurance event? & Why is no one using one?
When I look at ultra-endurance races, for example, https://www.transcontinental.cc/ I always think two things:
Wow! I want to do this
This is ideal for a recumbent bike!
So, I wonder: Would this be ...
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Are recumbents more fatal in an accident than a regular bicycle?
I noticed a bunch of people riding recumbents a few days ago, as well as upright bikes, for an event happening in my town. What struck me was the low ride height and poor visibility (by others) of ...
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How to start riding a recumbent bike?
I want to try riding a recumbent two-wheel bike to see if its easier. So I borrowed one and I just cannot get it to work right.
When the owner demonstrates it looks so easy and really fast. We are ...
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of different pedal formats for a recumbent?
We're reasonably familiar with pedals on conventional bikes.
Flats are convenient for normal shoes
Clips and Clipless provide foot retention and option of pulling up
A recumbent has additional ...
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What are the benefits and drawbacks of different recumbent seat styles?
I've just bought a project recumbent. It has no seat yet. There are many different types - why would I choose a mesh one over a solid one?
Mesh style - a HPVelotechnik "ergomesh"
"...
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"Right" way to store energy from 2 dynamo hubs
I just bought a recumbent trike, and plan to do a fair amount of long-distance traveling on it, to the point that a dynamo hub seems like a really good idea.
I was going to put a dynamo hub on one ...
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How many miles to repack bearings or replace on recumbent
I have a Sun EZ-1 Super Cruzer recumbent. It is the low end bike. It is beginning to be harder to pedal. Got at least 5,000 miles on it and never bearings have never been repacked or replaced. ...
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Ackermann compensation for tadpole trikes- how to work Peter Eland's spreadsheets
I am building tadpoles trike with "dual crossed drag link" type steering, and having been using the spreadsheets below to get the Ackermann compensation right. I am however not really sure how to get ...
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How to keep my testicles from freezing on a recumbent
I wonder how to keep my testicles (plus part of the perineum) from freezing. I ride a recumbent, which is making it worse because it exposes those parts to the wind much more and I use unpadded tights ...
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On recumbent trikes, vs road bikes which is safer down hill?
Tadpole, vs delta have different tipping modes. Does the three wheel configuration give a false sense of stability? Are rocks on the road more or less of a risk on a Tadpole vs Delta vs Road/Mountain ...
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Why are recumbents so slow uphill?
I've ridden a recumbent a few times and noticed that going uphill is very, very slow. Given that recumbents are supposed to be more efficient than diamond frame bicycles, why are they so darn slow ...
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Shimano Hydraulic brake 90-degree angle hack
Does anybody know of a way to get Shimano Hydraulic brake hoses to exit the levers at a 90-degree angle?
I ride a recumbent and at the moment I have to put up with a huge loop in front of my eyeline ...
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How to determine what kind of front derailleur can be used on my recumbent trike?
I need to replace the front derailleur on my tadpole trike. Unfortunately, I cannot find a brand name or other numbers anywhere on the derailleur, so I cannot just replace it with an identical product....
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Does riding high gear up a hill damage a recumbent bike?
I have a recumbent trike with 26 gears. While normally I would shift to a low gear when going up a hill, I found that I can go up hills in the highest gear, the configuration that gives me the fastest ...
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Are recumbents good for your back?
I am in my late 40s and yes I have a sore lower back. Most likely from too many bicycle rides on incorrectly sized / fitted bicycles.
I am thinking of getting a recumbent for my daily commute to work. ...
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Recumbent with a shaft or other non-chain drive?
One of the problems of a recumbent is the super-super long chain, often twice or three times as long as a standard chain. It's heavy, it's hard to adjust, it's dirty.
Are there any commercial ...
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What defines a recumbent?
Is there a clear technical definition for a recumbent? Is it the position of the knee in relation to the crank? The presence or absence of a back rest?
There seems to be a fine line between, for ...
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Is there a site which has a good collection of recumbent bikes, still for sale new, to compare?
I am ready for a new recumbent bike and I know what I want, I also know that I will not be able to get all features in one bike as they are contradictory.
Searching internet shows me a lot of sites ...
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What is the optimum location / offset of a derailleur hanger vs axle?
In my particular case, I would quite likely be using something like a GoatLink so I can use an 11-40t or 11-42t cassette on a home-built recumbent tadpole trike (so, single rear wheel). I'd like to ...
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EZ-1 Super Cruiser Weight limit
I am trying to find out what the weight limit is on the EZ-1 Super Cruiser. I have found a used one in great condition, but I am 319 pounds, so do not know if it would be a good option or not.
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