Are recumbents slow and how are they on hills?
Generally speaking recumbents are much more aerodynamic than a conventional bike. Recumbents of one form or another hold almost all human powered speed records. The latest top speed recorded over a mile was on the “Wind Cheetah” , a specially built, fully enclosed recumbent. In 1992 Chris Huber powered the bike to a record of 68.7 miles per hour. In the real world a recumbent designed for speed can easily be faster than a conventional bike designed for speed. Most riders become faster simply because they can train longer as the bike isn’t causing them pain. To be fast and efficient on a recumbent does take some time as your muscles have to adjust and you get your “recumbent legs”. Recumbents utilize muscles differently than conventional bikes so it is difficult for a fast rider to just jump on a recumbent and be fast, but with a little training the payoff is fantastic. As for hill climbing you learn to “sit and spin” while climbing rather than standing and pulling the bike side to side
