Originally Posted by
BobL
Thanks, tcs. I went to the recumbent forum to see if there was a "recumbents for beginners" thread (or "for dummies") and didn't see a sticky like that. That's a very cool looking bike.
I had a bad fall about a month ago - kept me off the bike for a while. I was stopped at a stop sign coming out of a neighborhood I go through to warm up and ended up on my left hip and shoulder on the ground. I really don't know why to this day. I unclipped my left foot and put it down to stand and then went to unclip my right when I saw traffic would be a while. Next thing I know I'm on the ground with my right foot still stuck in the pedal.
Got pretty bruised up. The idea that a trike can't fall over has more appeal than it used to. OTOH, I looked up "carbontrike 2.0" and a $6000 trike just ain't happening.
(Edit - the last part of the last sentence got lost? I replaced it)
The recumbent bikes that I ride are easier and more comfortable to deal with while stopped compared to upright bikes. No more balancing on the saddle with one foot tip-toeing the pavement. Can't do a track stand on my bents but can sit comfortably with one or both feet on the ground while stopped. Moving away from a standing stop does take some getting used to but old dogs can learn new tricks.
Agree that you can't just fall over at a stop on a trike, but I've been lucky to never have done that on a recumbent bike. (Knock on wood) Can't remember my ever falling over on an upright bike, either, but of course I'm dealing with an older man's memory!
And, I have read accounts on this forum and on Bentrideronline of trikes flipping over on downhill tight turns. It's a dangerous world!