10. You can put "My other car is a trike" on your license plate!
Why Recumbents?
The many reasons recumbent cycles are preferred over traditional uprights include the following:
· Spreading your body weight over a much larger area than on a conventional bike explains "recumbent comfort". · A much more comfortable seat means less back, neck, shoulder, and posterior pain and none of those unnecessary trips to the urologist. · No wrist pain from bearing your weight. · Smaller frontal area means better aerodynamics which have allowed recumbents to set every bicycle speed record. · The heads up position lets you enjoy the scenery instead of the grit on the road. · In the event of an accident, there is a shorter distance to fall and the rider will fall feet first instead of head first. · The high seat back allows you to leverage more pedal power by pushing with your back against the seat. Human power is maximized under these conditions. · The feet up position is more physiologically efficient because the body can circulate blood more effectively, providing more oxygen to the muscles. · They are virtually impossible to flip forward (endo). · They attract attention.
Why Trikes?
We prefer trikes because they have all of the recumbent advantages mentioned above plus the following three-wheeled benefits:
· Stability - loose gravel, sand, ice, tire blowouts, etc. will not send a trike crashing to the ground. · Ride during the winter - hitting a patch of ice is fun on a trike. · Do you have trouble balancing? No problem with a trike. · No need to drop a foot off the pedal in tight turns to protect against wipeouts · Leaning into the turns makes cornering on a trike fun. They handle like a sports car or go-cart - you can even brake-steer on most models. · Pull up to a stop and never unclip your feet from the pedals. · No wasted energy balancing the trike on those slow steep climbs - this is the reason that trikes are believed to be better climbers than two-wheeled recumbents. · More respect from motorists, they slow down and give you a wider berth when passing - primarily out of sheer curiosity. · Easier to track a straight line on the side of a road - no need for wobble room during a steep climb in traffic. · No need for a kickstand or leaning post. · Less road friction/tire scrub from a rider's side to side balance shift (wobble). · Instant celebrity status - you may be the first person in your neighborhood with a trike - people will know who you are. · Great platform for attaching fairings and accessories. · They attract a ton of attention.