Edward Dolan said:All uprights are basically the same given a few degrees of difference here
and there. A $75. Holiday Huffy is not all that different from a $2000.
Cinelli road bike as far as the basic design goes.
This is one odd point about upright bicycles--the biggest complaint that
LBS's probably hear is riding discomfort, yet spending more for an
upright bicycle doesn't get you anything more comfortable, it only gets
you something that weighs less--which is not usually a major complaint.
Bicycle companies have known this for a long time, they've pretty much
given up on claiming that any of their upper-end bikes are comfortable.
They emphasize low weights and "racing heritage".
Quoted message said:Trikes are a special
breed and can be designed as crazily as anyone desires. Deltas are more
bike-like and tadpoles are more go-cart-like.
I contend that tadpole trikes are inferior to deltas, for the simple
reason that the steering mechanisms of tadpoles is more-susceptible to
flexing and misalignment, and therefore more likely to suffer scrub
losses. The only advantage a typical (low-set) tadpole can claim is that
it can sustain higher cornering forces than a typical delta--but most of
the time when one rides any kind of bicycle, one is riding in basically
straight lines. It doesn't make any sense to choose a trike that
sacrifices straight-line riding riding efficiency for extra cornering
ability, when most of the time you're going to be riding in straight lines.
Quoted message said:Surely there is an ideal recumbent that is best suited for the general
population.
I would opine that the standard LWB would be it. Most everyone who has
tried test-riding my LWB could do it fairly quickly, but many of the
same group of people could not ride the 20/26" SWB I owned previously.
......
In that respect--we might view anything shorter than a standard LWB as a
bike that is trying to maintain the LWB comfort, while trying to avoid
all the LWB weight. The weight is not usually a problem however, if the
local terrain is even moderately flat then comfort is typically a much
larger issue.
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Overwhelmingly the impression I get from other cyclists is that they are
more concerned with looking odd than they are with being physically
uncomfortable.
I doubt I'll live to see recumbents become mainstream. To recognize the
advantages, one must ride a lot of miles on them often. The conditions
necessary to force a lot of US drivers onto bicycles would be drastic,
to put it mildly.
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