Editing Recumbent bicycle (section)

==Compared to uprights==
There are striking differences between recumbents and upright bikes. Since recumbents vary widely, the advantages and disadvantages listed below may apply to different types to different degrees or not at all. (For example, balance is not a concern with tricycles.)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Issue
!Recumbent Bike
!Recumbent Trike
!Upright Bicycle
!Description
|-
! style="background: #E0E0E0" colspan=5 | Safety/Comfort
|-
|Falls
| {{yes|Safe}}
| {{yes|Safe}}
| {{no|Risk}}
| In a fall, the rider's shorter distance from the ground reduces the vertical component of the impact velocity. Unless complete somersaulting or rolling occurs, impacts are primarily to the lower body rather than to the head, due to the feet-first orientation. Riders in recumbents with fairings are protected from direct road contact when sliding after a fall.<ref>
{{Cite book
|title = Safety and Design – Proceedings of the second European Seminar on Velomibiles / HPV
|url = http://www.gbv.de/dms/tib-ub-hannover/189160691.pdf
|publisher = Future Bike Switzerland
|isbn = 3-9520694-0-X
|date = 25 August 1994
|access-date= 1 April 2015
}}</ref> In slippery road conditions, a skilled upright rider can use a sliding foot to avoid a fall, a [[Motorcycle speedway|speedway]] technique.
|-
|Braking
| {{yes|Safe}}
| {{no|Risk}}
| {{no|Risk}}
| The [[center of gravity]] is lower and in the case of long-wheelbase recumbents further back than with upright bicycles. This theoretically gives shorter possible stopping distances and the possibility of heavy braking with no rear-wheel lift.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.hupi.org/HPeJ/0019/Closed-form-braking-bike-2.pdf
| title = Closed-form Method to Evaluate Bike Braking Performance | last = Lieh | first =  Junghsen
| year = 2012| access-date = 1 April 2015}}</ref>  With tadpole trikes it can be possible to lift the back wheel under heavy braking.
|-
|Back/neck/joint pain
| {{yes|Safe}}
| {{yes|Safe}}
| {{no|Risk}}
| Many riders switch to recumbents to alleviate chronic back or neck pain from riding upright bikes. On tricycles, the inherent stability of three wheels allows very low gearing to be used, so hills can be climbed without strain on joints. Also, on some recumbents, the rider's legs are nearly at the same height as the heart. This reduces the rider's [[hydrostatic pressure]], thus allowing [[venous]] [[blood]] to more easily return to the [[heart]]. This physiological effect of improved [[Circulatory system|circulation]] suggests an increase in rider endurance and/or increased power output on long rides. Recumbent riders are not bent over as are conventional bike riders, and this makes breathing easier.

The recumbent riding position reduces strain on the body, making it particularly suitable for long rides and touring.<ref name="med">{{cite web
|title = Medical Benefits of Recumbent Bicycles
|last = Nolan, M.D.
|first = Paul
|url= http://www.bikeroute.com/Recumbents/BentMedBenefits.php
|access-date= 5 July 2008
}}
</ref> Depending on the angle of the seat, it can be very easy on the neck,<ref name="med"/><ref name="dot">
{{Cite journal
|title = Characteristics of emerging road users and their safety
|publisher = US Department of Transportation <!--|url = http://www.tfhrc.gov/safety/pubs/04103/04103.pdf old, dead link-->
|url = http://www.segway.com/media/1263/04103.pdf
|year=2004
|id=Publication No. FHWA-HRT-04-103
|last1 = Landis |first1=Bruce
|last2 = Petritsch |first2=Theodore
|last3 = Huang |first3=Herman
}}
</ref><ref name="Brown">{{cite web
| url = http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_ra-e.html#recumbent
| title = Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Glossary: Recumbent
| access-date = 12 September 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| first = Gretchen
| last = Konrady
| publisher = Gretchen Konrady (originally Group Health Cooperative)
| title = Is the Recumbent Bicycle an Option?
| url = http://www.gkonrady.com/content/writing-samples
| access-date = 13 September 2009}}</ref><ref name="wilson">{{cite book
| title = Bicycling Science
| edition = Third
| last = Wilson
| first = David Gordon
| year = 2004
| publisher = Massachusetts Institute of Technology
| isbn = 0-262-73154-1
| pages = [https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780262731546/page/72 72,86,446]
| url = https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780262731546/page/72
}}</ref> wrists,<ref name="dot"/><ref name="Brown"/> hands,<ref name="Brown"/> arms, shoulders, lower back, and [[ischial tuberosity|ischial tuberosities]] ("sit bones"). 
|-
|Seat pain/impotence
| {{yes|Safe}}
| {{yes|Safe}}
| {{no|Risk}}
|Studies indicate that upright bicycle riding may be a cause of male [[impotence]] due to pressure placed on the [[perineal nerve]] by the seat;<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/04/health/nutrition/04bike.html?pagewanted=all Serious Riders, Your Bicycle Seat May Affect Your Love Life] New York Times 4 October 2005</ref><ref>Breda, G. Development of a new geometric bicycle saddle for the maintenance of genital-perineal vascular perfusion. J Sex Med 2(5) Sept. 2005: 605–611</ref><ref>Huang, V., et al. Bicycle riding and erectile dysfunction: an increase in interest (and concern). J Sex Med 2(5) Sept. 2005: 596–604</ref><ref>Jeong, S. J. Bicycle saddle shape affects penile blood flow. Int J Impot Res 14(6) Dec. 2002: 513–517</ref><ref>Lowe, B. D. Effect of bicycle saddle designs on the pressure to the perineum of the bicyclist. Med Sci Sports Exerc 36(6) June 2004: 1055–1062</ref> recumbent seats do not present the same issue.<ref name="med" />

Riders who suffer back pain or genito-urinary trouble often find that recumbents allow them to make significant rides without pain. Urogenital trouble is less because the pedals are not under the seat, thus the seat can be larger so weight can be distributed to a larger area and to the seat back. Shorts made for recumbent riders have no need for padding.
|-
| "Leg suck"
| {{yes|Safe}}
| {{no|Risk}}
| {{yes|Safe}}
| A type of injury characteristic of recumbents trikes called "leg suck" occurs when a foot touches the ground while at speed and the trike runs forward over the foot, causing ligament damage and, in some cases, ankle fractures.{{Citation needed|date=May 2008}} The use of clipless pedals reduces this possibility by preventing the foot from slipping off the pedal. But with clipless pedals, remaining clipped in during a front tire or wheel failure at high speeds can result in a bicycle rolling over the rider and taking a clipped in leg or legs with it.{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}} This scenario, although very rare, can create severe spiral fractures of the [[femur]] rarely seen with upright bicycles.{{Citation needed|date=May 2008}}
|-
|Constant position
| {{no|Risk}}
| {{no|Risk}}
| {{yes|Safe}}
| While the riding position is comfortable and removes stress from the arms, it cannot easily be varied during a ride (as upright riders might stand for a hill), and some find that bottom brackets at or near hip level produces problems with cold or numb feet. Some riders suffer "recumbent butt," a pain in the [[gluteal]] muscles caused by their increased effort while being compressed. This can usually be addressed by adjusting the seat angle and pedal position. In a more reclined position, the weight is spread evenly between the back and buttocks. The rider of a conventional bike can stand up on the pedals to allow his legs to take up the shock of a severe bump in the road. The recumbent rider cannot (although bracing against the back rest can reduce the shock of a bump).
|-
|Visibility of traffic
| {{no|Risk}}
| {{no|Risk}}
| {{yes|Safe}}
|In some designs{{Mdash}}notably low-racers and most trikes{{Mdash}}the rider is significantly lower than on a conventional bicycle and so visibility can often be obscured by fences, parked cars, etc. It is also a bit more difficult to glance back, which can be addressed by adding mirrors to helmet, handlebars or eyeglasses.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.icebike.org/what-you-need-to-know-about-cycling-mirrors/ |title=What You Need to Know About Cycling Mirrors |first=John |last=Andersen |website=icebike.org |date=June 2015 |access-date=24 April 2018}}</ref>
|-
|Visibility of the cyclist
| {{no|Risk}}
| {{no|Risk}}
| {{yes|Safe}}
|In urban traffic, many recumbent bikes and trikes are below the eye level of many automobile drivers, although proponents{{who|date=December 2012}} have experienced that the relative novelty of the design helps make drivers more conscious of them. Recumbent commuters often add flags, lighting, and reflective material to their bikes and gear to enhance visibility, and many refer to being able to see eye-to-eye with the automobile drivers as an advantage.<ref name="Comparison Table">{{cite web
| url = http://www.biketcba.org/TRICORR/compare.html
| title = Upright vs Recumbent Comparison Table
| access-date = 21 April 2007}}</ref>
|-
! style="background: #E0E0E0" colspan=5 | Riding Experience
|-
|View Angles
| {{yes|Wide}}
| {{yes|Wide}}
| {{no|Limited}}
| The recumbent riding position, if not too aggressively reclined, can enable the rider to face straight ahead comfortably and view the passing scenery. Many upright bikes, particularly those used in [[Bicycle racing|competition]], on the other hand, have a riding position in which the natural position is to face more downwards towards the pavement; in order to face straight ahead, the neck must be craned upward.
|-
|Balance
| {{no|Low}}
| {{yes|High}}
| {{no|Low}}
| Compared with riders of conventional bikes, two-wheeled recumbent riders may have less scope for shifting their weight to steer or help balance the bicycle. As a consequence, riding at low speed and tight maneuvers can be more challenging on a recumbent.  At a minimum, it will require some retraining. Recumbent tricycles, having three wheels, are inherently stable.
|-
|Uphills
| {{no|Slow}}
| {{no|Slow}}
| {{no|Slow}}
| A much debated disadvantage of the recumbent position is the effort required to ride up hills. This is most noticeable during the initial period of riding a recumbent when the legs are not yet trained for the different muscle requirements. On a traditional bicycle, the rider can stand on the pedals and pull against the handlebars, although on a recumbent the rider can push against the seat. On either style, higher [[cadence (cycling)|cadence]] reduces leg strain and fatigue when climbing. Recumbent tricycles are a special case, as riders can climb almost any gradient of hill (subject to tire traction) with appropriate gearing since balance (and hence speed) is not a consideration. A few designers have attempted to build bikes which convert from recumbent to upright for climbs.<ref>{{Cite patent
| inventor-last = van Pelt
| inventor-first = James L
| issue-date = 2002-12-24
| title = Convertible bicycle
| country-code = US
| description = ... a bicycle that can be quickly and easily configured in an upright position, a recumbent position, and a tandem position.
| patent-number = 6497426
| postscript = <!--None-->
}}</ref> In practice, the biggest difference is probably the additional weight of the recumbent layout combined with the difficulty of balancing a bike with a low center of mass at speeds below about {{convert|5|mi/h|km/h|0|abbr=on}}.
|-
|Turns
| {{no|Slow}}
| {{no|Slow}}
| {{no|Slow}}
| Long wheelbase recumbents have a larger turning radius and combined with the greater difficulties of balance, tight and low-speed maneuvers can be difficult. Overlap of heels with the front wheel during tight turns with some short-wheelbase (SWB) and some compact long-wheelbase (CLWB) design is known as "heel strike". This is only evident during tight turns and can be avoided by lifting the heel or pausing pedaling. It is similar in many respects to "toe strike" in upright designs, which is similarly dependent upon design, implementation, size of feet and their position on the pedal, and the presence or otherwise of fenders/mudguards. Nevertheless, in both trikes and two-wheeled recumbents it is unlikely to drag the pedals onto the street while cornering thereby allowing to pedal while performing a turn even while leaning into a turn.
|-
|Obstacles
| {{no|Risk}}
| {{no|Risk}}
| {{yes|Safe}}
|It is difficult to jerk the front wheel(s) of recumbents onto curbs or over other obstacles. Since the front wheel of a recumbent bike is often small, driving up onto full height curbs can be very risky even with suspension.
|-
|Speed
| {{yes|Fast}}
| {{no|Slow}}
| {{no|Slow}}
| On declines, on the flat, or on shallow inclines, the more horizontal recumbent bicycle designs are generally faster than upright bicycles for the same level of effort because the [[aerodynamic]] profile of the rider reduces [[wind resistance]].<ref>Gross, A.C. Kyle, C.R. Malewicki, D.J. [http://www.zzipper.com/documents/HPV_Paper.pdf "The Aerodynamics of Human-powered Land Vehicles"], Scientific American 1983, 142–152, Retrieved 19 February 2012</ref> It is this feature which led to the [[Union Cycliste Internationale|Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)]] banning them in the 1930s (see [[#History|History]]). The world speed record for human-powered vehicles was set in a fully faired recumbent.<ref name="wired">"[http://www.wisil.recumbents.com/wisil/whpsc2013/results.htm The Recumbent Bicycle and Human Powered Vehicle Information Center 2013 Main Racing Results] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131024080830/http://www.wisil.recumbents.com/wisil/whpsc2013/results.htm |date=24 October 2013 }}"&nbsp;. Wisil.recumbents.com. Retrieved 16 September 2013.</ref>
|-
|Stopping
| {{yes|Fast}}
| {{yes|Fast}}
| {{no|Slow}}
| With many recumbent seats quite low it is often easier to get a foot down onto the ground on stopping than is the case from a conventional bike with the saddle set high for optimum pedaling.  On a trike there is no reason to even unclip the pedals at a stop.
|- style="background: #E0E0E0" 
! style="background: #E0E0E0" colspan=5 | Practicality
|-
|Price
| {{no|High}}
| {{no|High}}
| {{yes|Low}}
| Recumbents are generally 50–100% more expensive than upright bikes of equivalent quality.<ref>{{cite web|title=Recumbent Primer (pp.15-16)|url=http://www.adventurecycling.org/default/assets/resources/20130701_RecumbentPrimer_Ball.pdf|publisher=Adventure Cycling|access-date=15 October 2016}}</ref> Virtually all are hand-built in relatively small runs by independent manufacturers, require at least a few specialized parts, and sell in far fewer numbers as compared to regular bicycles. At the low end, the vast majority of upright bikes retail for less than the cost of the cheapest new recumbent.
|-
|Length/width of frame
| {{no|Long}}
| {{no|Long}}
| {{yes|Short}}
|Some recumbent bicycle designs use longer frames than conventional bicycles.  This generally results in a weight penalty and in more flexing of the frame, which causes a loss of power.{{Citation needed|date=July 2008}}  The chain (on rear wheel drive models) is two to three times as long as an upright and usually requires one or more idler pulleys.  There is a small amount of friction in such pulleys, which also reduces power slightly.  Longer or wider frame designs are more difficult to transport if the bikes are shipped, or put on racks on automobiles.  Trikes may be difficult to fit through doorways.  Some manufacturers offer folding or break-apart designs, but these tend to be expensive.  The longer distance from the handlebars to the wheels can be problematic for speedometers and cyclocomputers, including both wireless and hard-wired models.  The distance from the handlebars to the crankset is likewise longer than a conventional bike and can give problems for cadence sensors.
|-
|Design
| {{no|Unusual}}
| {{no|Unusual}}
| {{yes|Standard}}
|Recumbents often have radically different shapes from diamond-frame bikes, so conventional bike racks, automobile carriers, accessories, and locks do not fit in the usual ways. Additionally, the designs are difficult to mount in traditional bicycle work stands and often require a second person during derailleur adjustments to spin cranks that are too far from the shift controls and derailleur locations. Some bicycle mechanics may be reluctant to work on "nonstandard" bicycle designs.
|}