I've found that I can ride much further on my recumbent. I also don't come home exhausted and dripping sweat. I feel more like I was walking at a moderate pace for a long time. I'm not up for 55 miles, and probably never will be. But I can go 2-3 times the distance that I used to, without any shoulder pain. I also haven't experienced so much of the leg muscle development pain that I have read about. I can "feel it" after a long ride, but it's not really sore or anything. Hard to explain.
I have, however, been complaining about a sore butt, and working on seat adjustments to correct this.