What does “Recumbent” mean?
Recumbent is a clumsy word that was given to these wonderful bikes in the early 1900’s. It means to “seat back in a relaxed position”. Why should I ride a Recumbent? Lots of reasons, but the main reason is comfort. There is really nothing like it. I have talked to long distance touring riders who feel their gel, Brooks, etc. saddle is comfortable. They may be more comfortable than a racing saddle but cannot compare to a recumbent. If conventional bike seats were so great we would furnish our homes with them, cars would come with them, and we would take them along to sit on at the beach or picnics. Of course this is silly, we sit on chairs and chairs are what you sit on when you ride a recumbent bike. On conventional bikes 20-40% of your weight is supported by your hands, but on a recumbent 100% of your weight is supported over your bottom and back. On a recumbent you sit on your buns, not your groin. Weight is more evenly distributed over a much larger area and you do not support yours
