Recumbents look low. Are they visible in traffic?
Most people have to really ride a recumbent in traffic to believe the advantage. A recumbent rider is at about the same height and position as a car driver. On a recumbent you are looking out at the road scanning for problems and getting eye contact with drivers. On a conventional bike you have to crane your head up to see past the front wheel. Eye contact with a car driver is very important, as this causes the driver to acknowledge you as a person and not an obstacle. Also recumbents are still a bit unusual and often drivers are watching you just to understand the bike.
