Recumbent E-bikes

I found some videos,..






Check this one out !!,..
He gets it going from a stop !!

That looks stupid easy !!!
I'm sure you can pull it off, especially with a throttle for hill starts,..


 
PCeBiker said:
What about lifting each leg up in front of you to get on to the pedals?

View attachment 199146


Maybe try sitting on the edge of a chair and try lifting your legs up in front of you to get an idea?
It may not be as easy as lifting your legs straight up like on a regular ebike?

Even with a throttle to get you going, it may be difficult to lift your legs up in front of you?


And as you and I have told many others,..
Is there any way you can take one for a test ride ??


Maybe the company is willing to send you a video of someone actually getting the thing launched and going ??
Click to expand...
Honestly, that video idea seems like a reasonable request , especially if there is no test ride available. Even if they have to make one on the spot, they should want to address the mount and dismount question for other potential customers , and post it somewhere people can see it. And loading and unloading to a van or truck as well.
 
Very interesting. I wonder, how much do these contraptions weigh?
6zfshdb said:
There have been a few threads here on recumbent e-bikes but not much discussion on logistics, such as starting and stopping.

As I get older, my back and butt are becoming limiting factors in my ability to do the long distance rides I like so much. With some success, I've explored every bike seat you can imagine trying to increase riding comfort. Many help with butt fatigue but none offer any back support. Seats with a backrest don't allow proper pedaling for bikes with an upright riding position.

Lately, I've been seeing more recumbent e-bikes on the trail, and I'd like to explore the possibility of getting one. The low models are too close to the ground and would be an issue for me getting on and off. I'm seeing higher built bikes now, such as this one:

View attachment 199083
I've never seen anyone mount or dismount one though and I'm not sure how difficult it would be to stop or get started without tipping over. Has anyone here had any experience with these bikes, and if so, how easy would they be to handle for an old guy like me?

I also see a lot of e-trikes on the trail and I considered one for a time. The problem is the width. Many trails I ride have vehicle barriers with bollards that are too close together for a trike to get through without folding up or dismantling. On several occasions, I've seen riders on trikes forced to turn back when encountering barriers like these:

View attachment 199084 View attachment 199085 View attachment 199086

Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

There are a few gates in the Verdugos-- and elsewhere, I think-- that are even narrower than that, the posts or bollards or whatever are much closer together. I had to lift Seeker (46 pounds) to get through. If there was no rear mudguard, you might be able to stand a recumbent on its hind wheel and walk it through?

I don't do much actual riding on gnarly trails, but I've been on a few where the trail itself is a solid intermediate with one advanced segment that you just can't read... and on power line, which is kinda the north side of Griffith Park, I hit a spot I couldn't passwhere I had to pick up the bike and turn it around while standing on a boulder...

For that reason, recumbent would be tough for me (and I decided that ride I'd never have a bike over 45 pounds.) But for bombing around Mt. Hollywood drive or scrambling to my weekend AA meeting... looks awesome, if you could resolve the visibility issue!
 
Catalyzt said:
Very interesting. I wonder, how much do these contraptions weigh?


There are a few gates in the Verdugos-- and elsewhere, I think-- that are even narrower than that, the posts or bollards or whatever are much closer together. I had to lift Seeker (46 pounds) to get through. If there was no rear mudguard, you might be able to stand a recumbent on its hind wheel and walk it through?

I don't do much actual riding on gnarly trails, but I've been on a few where the trail itself is a solid intermediate with one advanced segment that you just can't read... and on power line, which is kinda the north side of Griffith Park, I hit a spot I couldn't passwhere I had to pick up the bike and turn it around while standing on a boulder...

For that reason, recumbent would be tough for me (and I decided that ride I'd never have a bike over 45 pounds.) But for bombing around Mt. Hollywood drive or scrambling to my weekend AA meeting... looks awesome, if you could resolve the visibility issue!
Click to expand...
That comment on bollards reflects on all the crap infrastructure that bikers have to deal with, so I won't comment on it here. But weight should certainly be listed.
There is only one recumbent that I see occasionally around town ... not electric and a young fit rider, but it looks big and heavy. A nice feature of that bike is a big windscreen that seems to actually work since the rider's head is lower than the windscreen, and he claimed that it cuts the air resistance enough that he goes faster on it than his old regular bike, FWIW.
 
Catalyzt said:
Very interesting. I wonder, how much do these contraptions weigh?


There are a few gates in the Verdugos-- and elsewhere, I think-- that are even narrower than that, the posts or bollards or whatever are much closer together. I had to lift Seeker (46 pounds) to get through. If there was no rear mudguard, you might be able to stand a recumbent on its hind wheel and walk it through?

I don't do much actual riding on gnarly trails, but I've been on a few where the trail itself is a solid intermediate with one advanced segment that you just can't read... and on power line, which is kinda the north side of Griffith Park, I hit a spot I couldn't passwhere I had to pick up the bike and turn it around while standing on a boulder...

For that reason, recumbent would be tough for me (and I decided that ride I'd never have a bike over 45 pounds.) But for bombing around Mt. Hollywood drive or scrambling to my weekend AA meeting... looks awesome, if you could resolve the visibility issue!
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, there are several vehicle barriers on one of my favorite local trails like this:

1757245214111.jpeg


The opening is so narrow that my OEM handlebars wouldn't fit through. It was one of the reasons I replaced them with the Jones H bars shown above.
It is quite apparent that the designers of these barriers are not cyclists.
 
Gionnirocket said:
Do you wear padded biking shorts?
They're irreplaceable on long rides.
Click to expand...
In addition to padded shorts, I use another trick to ease butt discomfort. On some trails I ride, when possible, I select a trailhead near the middle and ride in both directions. On my way back on the first leg, I stop at the truck and change saddles. I keep one with a different design mounted on a spare seat post and just swap them. The feel of a different saddle eases butt pain considerably. Unfortunately, this isn't always possible, especially on long point to point rides.
 
6zfshdb said:
In addition to padded shorts, I use another trick to ease butt discomfort. On some trails I ride, when possible, I select a trailhead near the middle and ride in both directions. On my way back on the first leg, I stop at the truck and change saddles. I keep one with a different design mounted on a spare seat post and just swap them. The feel of a different saddle eases butt pain considerably. Unfortunately, this isn't always possible, especially on long point to point rides.
Click to expand...
I totally agree.... and just positioning yourself slightly different on the same saddle helps too. I do similarly with my hands by moving them to a pair of horns on the end of my bars. I also try not to ride like a statue in perfect form but will try and stay loose and shift weight by doing an imaginary slalom with anything on the path like shadows.
I don't change out on a ride but no matter how comfortable I find a saddle, after a few months it's not the same. So I rotate to a slightly different saddle and that's good for a similar time period.
My a$$ prefers variety 🙃
 
6zfshdb said:
There have been a few threads here on recumbent e-bikes but not much discussion on logistics, such as starting and stopping.

As I get older, my back and butt are becoming limiting factors in my ability to do the long distance rides I like so much. With some success, I've explored every bike seat you can imagine trying to increase riding comfort. Many help with butt fatigue but none offer any back support. Seats with a backrest don't allow proper pedaling for bikes with an upright riding position.

Lately, I've been seeing more recumbent e-bikes on the trail, and I'd like to explore the possibility of getting one. The low models are too close to the ground and would be an issue for me getting on and off. I'm seeing higher built bikes now, such as this one:

View attachment 199083
I've never seen anyone mount or dismount one though and I'm not sure how difficult it would be to stop or get started without tipping over. Has anyone here had any experience with these bikes, and if so, how easy would they be to handle for an old guy like me?

I also see a lot of e-trikes on the trail and I considered one for a time. The problem is the width. Many trails I ride have vehicle barriers with bollards that are too close together for a trike to get through without folding up or dismantling. On several occasions, I've seen riders on trikes forced to turn back when encountering barriers like these:

View attachment 199084 View attachment 199085 View attachment 199086

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Click to expand...
Higher recumbent e-bikes are generally easier to mount and dismount than low models. You can hold the brakes, swing your leg over, and settle slowly into the seat. Once stationary, their low center of gravity makes them quite stable, so tipping over is uncommon. Starting and stopping takes a bit of practice, but on flat ground it’s usually straightforward. Compared to e-trikes, they’re narrower and more maneuverable, making them better for trails with tight barriers. Overall, a higher recumbent e-bike is a good compromise between comfort, stability, and trail accessibility.
 
Someone on Facebook posted a video showing a unique way to mount a recumbent. With the bike on it's kickstand, the rider simply walked backward with a leg on each side of the bike as the pedals and handlebar passed between his legs. Once over the seat, he just sat down. He folded up the kickstand with his hand and started pedaling. He reversed the process to dismount.

Seems simple enough as long as you have long legs and the bike isn't too tall. I'll post a link to the video if I can find it.
 
CanNik said:
I would be MORE worried not being seen on normal roads let alone country lanes, so low down no thanks
Click to expand...
Same seat/head height as a mini van or SUV. I have ridden them for years, get noticed more than an upright bike. Then there is the issue of car drivers who intentionally TRY to hit you. I have no problem out braking and out turning them. The bike stops in 15 feet from 20 mph.
 
Chazmo said:
6, I hope you figure it out and give us some clues, particularly the two-wheeled versions. I’m curious!

I’m not sure how you can ride anything but road or totally groomed, flat trail on a recumbent bike. I’m sure people do ride trails, but even with full suspension… I’m so used to getting out of the seat and using my legs for trail riding. And forget about a trike on rails. Funny, though, I’ve seen some recumbent fat-tire trikes (very low, not raised)… They look like they be fun to cruise around on, but not on anything that has a narrow gate or anything moderately challenging.
Click to expand...
High seat off road MTB recumbent.
 
Nice article & video about Soup Dragon, the Mike Burrows RIP designed HPV hoping to break the bicycle land speed record and get to 90mph.

Mike died sadly in 2022 from cancer, a giant of HPV design and the designer of Chris Boardman's Lotus Olympic Winning TT bike as well as the revolutionary Giant TCR.

I wish gombeens like Elon Musk would chuck some of their ill gotten trillions into helping designs like this instead of fascism...


I first came across Mike Burrows recumbent/HPV designs in an article in bike racing magazines in the 80s. I never knew that the UCI had banned outright his designs, terrified that the speed of HPVs might change the shape of road racing as we know it. Since then Ive often wondered where bikes would have gone with this riding position (pros and cons obviously) with even a fraction of industry support that traditional racing bikes get. Potentially 90mph on the flat in perfect conditions by an average cyclist as shown here. Fascinating.
 
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