If Recumbents are so great, why aren they more popular?
Their popularity is growing greatly, particularly over the last five years. Of all types of bicycles, recumbents are showing the greatest growth by far. To understand better it is important to look at the history of recumbents. The most noted took place in the 1930s when a second category track cyclist named Francois Faure, racing a recumbent, shattered the mile and kilometer speed records. This caused a storm of controversy and in response the U.C.I (governing body over European bicycle racing) banned recumbents from racing due to their unfair aerodynamic advantage. This set the tone for bicycle racing organizations worldwide. This move, coupled with the onslaught of World War II virtually froze the development of recumbents for many years. The practicality of recumbents was rediscovered in the 1980’s and the recumbent movement has been growing since.
