Recumbent bicycle

A recumbent bicycle is a bicycle with a reclined sitting or lying position. It has in contrast to a conventional bicycle saddle, instead of a net or bucket seat. The bottom bracket and the pedals are fitted at the front. Most recumbents are not difficult to drive than ordinary bicycles; depending on the Liegeradtyp and the handlebar shape, however, a short settling-in period may be required.

The rule of the International Cycling Federation ( UCI), which only diamond frame bicycles are allowed to competitions, excludes the use of recumbent bikes in most competitions.

• 3.1 Steering

History

After the popularization of the chain drive in bicycle in the 80s and 90s of the 19th century, several inventors continued to numerous variations of this concept. Including the first precursor of the recumbent, the French fauteuil velocipede (1893 ) and the Swiss manufacturer Challand the Sesselrad were (1895 ). In the following years, the present basic types of bicycle design have already been designed, such as the Bauchliegerad Mr. Darling (1896) and the Brown - recumbent, the forerunner of the Chopper / scooter wheel, which was developed around the turn of the century in the USA. However, other concepts, such as recumbents thruster came not extend beyond the prototype stage. In the first models, it was all about long mooring.

1914 Peugeot offered to the first mass-produced recumbent bike, which was based on the Brown - recumbent. In the 1920s, the aviation pioneer Paul Jaray built the J- wheel, which was also produced in series and was successful. A decade later, Charles Mochet and his son George developed the Velocar, the first recumbent bike that has been used sporting success - the cycling organization UCI allowed at that time such vehicles on the official competition use. It was in 1933 with 45,056 km of one hour record on. This speed was only five years later achieved by a conventional ( unclad ) Road.

On April 1, 1934, however, the UCI decided to exclude recumbent bikes from the competition mode. This marked a turning point in the development of this bicycle type. Even experienced by recumbents between about 1950 and 1980 a low point in popularity. During this time, only small series models of individual manufacturers were available.

The recumbents were still evolving, and after the exclusion of the UCI is an independent scene began to form. Already Mochet experimented in the 1930s with interconnect vehicles where the modern versions are known as velomobiles. The Mochet vehicles based on conventional recumbent bikes, and are currently the fastest, driven by human propulsion vehicle type. 1939 passed such a mobile for the first time in hours rating the 50-km/h-Marke. In parallel, the first recumbent (The Cyclo Ratio, 1935) were built, who would later ascend mainly through their development by the German engineer Paul Rinkowski from 1947 to the dominant Liegeradtyp.

Until the post-war years, the demand remained stable after recumbents also in the consumer sector, as many people who could not afford their own car, instead bought a recumbent bike. Thereafter, the interest leveled off until 1976, the founding of the International Human Powered Vehicle Association ( IHPVA ) ushered in a renaissance. This association promotes ever since the development of muscle- powered vehicles of all kinds and organized again this regular competitions, in which even recumbents were allowed.

At the same time gained in sport mode the 200- m sprint discipline as more and more popularity. 1977 75-km/h-Marke was exceeded in 1979 the most important in the United States 50 miles per hour in 1986 was the 100-km/h-Marke. At this time dominated the competition fully clad tricycles as the Vector, which could set numerous records in the 1970s and 80s. The late 1980s and early 90s single track wheels, especially the new lowracer ( Cutting Edge, 1990) sat down because of the weight advantage over again by the three wheels.

The sporting performance and also more modern vehicle engineering studies led to a resurgence of public interest at the recumbent so that offered since the 1990s, large-scale models. Win since about 2000 both velomobiles as well as non- turn lawn tricycles slowly in popularity. Since 2007, more and more so-called trikes come into fashion, which similarly can be driven as with the BMX bike that can also thanks to today's technology to be very quick tour vehicles but.

Currently in Germany are likely to be traveling about 30,000 recumbents, which are compared with approx. 50 million wheels with diamond frame.

Comparison with other bikes

The main advantages

The main disadvantages

Depending on the mounting features

Liegeradtypen

Recumbent bikes are available in numerous variants. Directly or indirectly steered example, with front - or rear-wheel drive, with and without Tretlagerüberhöhung, with handlebar front of the body or under the seat

Recumbents are structurally divided roughly into the following categories, with many models in more than one category fall and an exact classification is often impossible.

• Recumbent have a short wheelbase. They are suitable for everyday wear as well as for traveling and by far the most common design. Lowriders are recumbent for racing or decidedly sporty driving style.
• Knicklenker are recumbent with front wheel drive. They have, instead of a link of a hinge in the frame and are directed by weight shift.

• Chair or scooter wheels are long mooring with a high seating position. They are suitable both for the city and for travel.

• Velocity Mobile are fully enclosed heavy deck three wheels with good weather resistance and good aerodynamics.

Steering

There are various types of steering. Rough distinction is made between:

• Above the handlebar, wherein the handles are disposed above the seat and before the driver's chest. In Kurzliegern and lowracers widespread forms of the above link are: Tiller, a mostly T-shaped handlebar in which the handles are relatively close to the chest. Tiller is also available as folding tiller, in which the whole arm can be folded by a joint on the steering head forward, to facilitate getting on and off.
• UDK ( " To the knee " ) or aero bars, in which the handle bar is arranged in an arc around the knee. The handles are thereby usually at the level of the knees.

DIY

Especially in the 1980s, when commercially available recumbents were even lower than today, DIY projects were often found in the scene. Often called " bicycle corpses " were recycled when recumbent, some with adventurous designs. Many plans from this period are still available today, for example, in the book " chopper bikes " out of line " ideas instead of waste " by Christian Kuhtz, ISBN 3-924038 -66 X A similar concept is the Hobbythek recumbent underlying which also uses parts of old bikes were utilized.

But since just recumbents must be especially designed and manufactured exactly when they should have good handling characteristics, self-made professional wheels are almost always inferior. The same applies to cheap imported wheels from the Far East, which have been prepared in accordance with quality standards of normal wheels.

Speed ​​and distance records

Recumbent bikes are almost always used because of their aerodynamic potential for record attempts, which would not be possible with normal racing wheels. Controlling organs outside the UCI are the WHPVA and IHPVA.

A selection of records:

Almost all records listed here were achieved with fully clad, not fit for road transport vehicles. ( Exception: Christian ash mountain with Bülk Einspurer and Milan SL)