be faster on a recumbent?
The answer is: “maybe”. There are so many factors involved; how long you’ve been riding, how long you’ve trained on the recumbent, style and weight of the bike, topography – hilly, mountainous, flat. Since the biggest factor limiting speed is aerodynamic drag, if you want to go really fast, use a recumbent with a well-designed fairing or a full body. In this case, the answer is YES, they are faster.
