There are some pretty lightweight highracers out there that approach reasonable road bike weights (Carbent Sea Dragon is around 17 pounds). I rode a 200 in the Sierras this year where for most of the ride I was accompanied by a buddy on one of those 17pound Carbents. Even at 17 pounds he lost the pack on the long climbs (this guy is fit, Furnace Creek 508 solo rider etc) but on the descents the aero advantage was incredible. On one long mountain descent on 395 there was me, him and a tandem. We were well above speeds where pedalling was possible and I managed to lose the draft of the tandem and it started to pull away. The guy on the high racer overtook me and started accelerating away like he had an engine (without pedalling) and proceeded to catch and drop the tandem.
He would probably have been faster still on a low racer recumbent.
Efficient drive train, stiff frame, aerodynamics and lightness makes some recumbents faster than others.
Last edited by rumbutter; 07-23-08 at 02:51 PM.