Big shout out to Barney. What a great teacher ‘It’s been crashed, it’s been raleighed and we don’t want you to do either...’ What a welcoming and wonderful character. A tribute to cycling.
I love when instructors are like that. Experts, but make you feel good about yourself and support you all the way through the learning curve. Great to see this.
A buddy of mine made a bike like this then made a shell for it out of plastic political signs. He put one of those bicycle motor kits on it and he races around town with it
I ride about 5000 miles a year on recumbents. I looked into them, initially, because I was very overweight and remembered that I liked bicycle riding as a child. But *everything* hurt on an upright bicycle, particularly my wrists and butt. Then I bought a recumbent trike, lost 170 pounds, and now I ride a high racer bent at an average speed of over 20 mph. I am by no means an elite rider - my FTP is about 220 watts and I'll never be svelte - but the outstanding comfort of recumbents has allowed me to do something that I would not have otherwise been able to do, ride for hours at a time. I don't think they're for everyone. Two-wheeled recumbents, in particular, aren't the best at low-speed maneuvering, and sometimes visibility is an issue. Starting on a hill is a little trickier than with an upright bicycle because of the issues of low-speed maneuvering. I'm a fairly strong rider, and at grades of about 5 percent, I start to get wobbly if I need to start. Of course, that's not much of a problem, I don't do a lot of stopping on steep hills, but it is an issue. Experience mitigates these issues but doesn't eliminate them. While three-wheeled recumbents don't have that problem, they're heavier than even 2-wheeled bents (my wife's weights about 26 pounds and is a pretty light trike; a friend's trike weighs about 50 pounds and it is not a cheap bike) and have greater rolling resistance. Not to mention they can be trickier to transport. If you do a lot of riding in a city without good bicycle infrastructure, riding a recumbent can be even more daunting than riding an upright bicycle in the same conditions. It might be worth it if comfort on an upright bicycle is an issue - it is for me. And because there are still things that are unknown about recumbents, it is possible future designs will further minimize these issues. On the other hand, I think the UCI's rules that forbid recumbents are preposterous. They would and I argue *should* dominate track and time trial racing. I suspect that even in flat and hilly stages of road races that a paceline of recumbents would simply pull away from the peloton and never see it, again. Mountain stages would likely be ruled by upright bicycles until the end of time, though who knows what may come if as much effort was made not only to make a climbing recumbent but how to train on a recumbent? Still, upright riders seem to have advantages in hill climbs (if nothing else, upright bicycles are likely to remain lighter than recumbent bicycles which usually need much longer chains and much larger seats). It also needs to be said, while I think that recumbents do fine as a gravel bike (I have just such a bike), they would utterly fail as mountain bikes. The issues with low-speed stability would make navigating all but the simplest mountain courses. And, of course, you've got to do a lot of climbing with very steep grades, which would be challenging with a bent. I also think that for many casual riders, recumbent trikes are nearly ideal. The combination of stability and comfort is hard to beat, even when climbing hills. Put your trike in its lowest gear - my wife's trike currently has a gear range of over 600% so her low gear is very low, I believe 30 in front and 36 in back, and many trikes have 20-inch rear wheels that are even torquier than my wife's 700C rear wheel - and you *will* get to the top of the hill. Perhaps not quickly, but you will arrive and in comfort at whatever level of effort that you wish to give. And, of course, not many casual riders spend time climbing steep hills. I've never been in a velomobile. I can't say about those. The only thing that would get me to go back to upright bicycles is moving somewhere that I didn't feel safe on a recumbent due to its overall low profile (and thus limited visibility) or, maybe, living somewhere in the mountains.
just another myth that bents cant do mtbing. watch his videos jumping logs and climb steep gradients and go around single tracks m.ruclips.net/user/Offroadbent
Dear sir, this is the most awesome comment here. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree with everything you said. I myself have tried off-roading with recumbent. You can find few videos about that from my channel.
@@TheVelomobileChannel I have watched several of your velomobile videos! I go back and forth about my next bike being a velomobile in part because of your channel. :) Your offroad experiences are very interesting. A fully-suspended Azub would be a good bike for it! My gravel grinder is a Bacchetta Giro without a suspension, so I'd hesitate to do anything that would jolt my spine too hard. I can't help think that a long-wheelbase with a very upright seat could be the best configuration, possibly with fat tires. But the odds of me experimenting with it are low. I am quite happy with the riding I'm doing!
Today I was riding 22 mph working my arse off at 110 rpm, and this SOB on his aero recumbent bike, just like that yellow submarine, zooms past me about twice as fast. What a bloody humbling experience it was...
I ride a trike as unfortunately my health means I don’t have the balance to stay upright on a normal bike. It’s great how cycling remains accessible to people with some modifications here and there. Videos like these make the channel much more inclusive.
Here in the States have had a recumbent for 25 years and it is NOT designed for speed, but one of the dogs rides on my lap while I drink a cappuccino as we cruise about and get lots and lots of waves. Great fun! Excellent video and thanks for sharing and the very best of luck!
I broke my back in a motorcycle accident a few years back and lost the use of my left leg. Cycling can be... interesting at times. My comfort oriented recumbent bike means I can go faster, farther and cycle for longer. Recumbent with a fairing means my one good leg hardly even has to work. "Even idiots might be able to roll them" with regards to the teardrop recumbent trike - you don't have to be an idiot to roll them :P Surface change into a corner can see you slide then grip and tip. Grabbing a fistful of front brakes can see you slam your chainring/pedals. Granted, it's easier to roll a delta style recumbent trike but they're all good fun to ride with one of the wheel in the air :P Also with regards to the ban in racing - very similar happened in the motorcycle racing world. Limits were put in to restrict the amount of fairing motorcycles could use, as "bathtub" fairing bikes had what was deemed an "unfair advantage" (I see it as great engineering) over other competitors. Craig Vetter has been running competitions in the States to reduce fuel consumption and increase the efficiency of motorcycles. He was able to take a stock Honda Helix 250cc scooter, add one of his fairings and change the seating position so he was lower, and increase the top speed and usable power without modifying the engine, drivetrain or exhaust. He was able to make that little Honda Helix scooter hit 70mph into a 30mph headwind. Other bikes on his competitions have seen in excess of 480mpg. Also - just like the motorcycle world - the bicycle market has followed in the design footsteps of competition world because that's what consumers want. My next step is building a velomobile (like the last one you feature) for more long distance touring, and then - because I can - incorporating an electric hub and solar/dynamo charging.
@@itsfahys From the video, I think the fairing was just the aerodynamic shell. Definition seems to be - "an external metal or plastic structure added to increase streamlining and reduce drag, especially on a high-performance car, motorcycle, boat, or aircraft."
Great video and nice to see people I know in recumbent racing (Hi Barney). Great job James in learning how to race the two wheeled bike. Also very much hats of for GCN for crossing the gap to the dark side :-) It's good fun and on circuits, flat roads and nice tracks recumbents are ideal. In normal every day use the difference in speed might not be as big as you'd think, but that is more related to other circumstances than the raw speed of recumbents. Full disclosure : I am the designer of the RaptoBike. The 90 mile that Barney mentioned are speeds that are (nearly) achieved in races in Battle Mountain, Nevada. Each year a group of strange people and some student teams gather in the desert to race on a closed section of highway (SR305) in Nevada. The absolute pinnacle of human powered speed, as there is no drafting, no engines. The race is a 5 mile run up to a 200 meter sprint. Basically any bike design goes, but to be fast you need a very fast and optimally designed streamliner. Starts on September 7 and runs up to September 14. Last year CNN made a good impression of the event: edition.cnn.com/2018/11/17/health/fastest-human-powered-bike-fit-nation/index.html
I would love to see GCN have a few recumbent videos once in awhile. I understand they're primarily focused on bicycles, but it's the Global Cycling Network, not the Global Bicycing Network!
@Al Castill Many of the HPVA events do races, and up here in Scandanavia we - the local velomobile riders - do a yearly tour through 5-6 countries on average, with anywhere from 8 to 20 riders participating in a northern Europe ride. Not so much racing (though some of the guys like to compete against each other) as making exposure for velomobiles. Usually self-supported too with planned stops at campsites or hostels.
I think that future electric vehicules will inspire themselves from aero recumbents. Its just so much logical for an EV to not waiste so much aerodynamic, and the whole technology can be pretty well integreated in some aero frame.
@@boboutelama5748 check out these guys from norway. They"re doing a velomobile ebike for the average everyday user. Pretty cool concept IMHO www.podbike.com/en/
Excellent to see a DF racer get on and learn what recumbents are all about. He was kicking it in the fast velo. Impressed that he figured out the two wheeled recumbent that fast. I bought a Rans Tailwind used and it took me weeks of riding to get comfortable on the flats, longer on the hills, after about a year of experience did my first double century from Seattle WA to Portland OR on it. Cool part was all the crap I carried in my tailbox and how comfortable it was to ride for two days straight. I was carrying a couple of liters of water, tools, food and spare parts. On the flats it was about 4 mph faster average speed than my CIOCC df bike. Uphill, tougher... need to get experience, but downside is less stable on my Tailwind than on my CIOCC. Velomobiles may be heavier, but also you are not spending any energy trying to balance at low speeds, it can all go into pedal cadence and with experience you can climb as fast or faster than on a DF bike. A couple of years ago, an Alpha 7 velo did the Trans Am and smashed the record for coast to coast, I think the second place rider did not complete until a day later. A bunch of 50+ recumbent riders did the race across Oregon and smashed the DF riders by well over 3 hours riding a variety of recumbents including a Quest Velomobile through the mountains... where everyone else thought the rest of the field was going to catch them... but they instead increased their lead by hours. Something about being fearless to the point of reckless running down the mountain passes at around 53mph in the dark... The rider in the TransAm the money was on it taking the rider 4 hours to get over "The Wall" near the end and he took less than 45 minutes... nice to have a super lightweight machine that stores insane amounts of cargo. Thanks for the video, glad to see a DF rider enjoying the experience and not making fun of the concept.
The reason for sore butt is that the seat is so tiny for looks and weight saving. Buy a fatter sit or a woman sit it is comfortable to ride even after hours. Though your bike won't look cool for Instagram with that fat seat. You might also be called Dork. Choice is yours.
The reason for sore butt - you are using the wrong bike, seriously, its always the fit, the saddle, you need dorky pants, this that and the other, just use a recumbent, where these problems just dont exist to begin with.
You can ride a recumbent for as long as you like and just have tired legs! I know you get used to regular bikes but recumbents are a whole different world of comfort. I ride both.
What a great guy, Bonnie was such an inviting man, I couldn't help but smile when he spoke. It's amazing how passionate he is, seems like he'll pour his heart out on what he loves and wants you to be there with him. He's most definitely a wonderful human being and a pillar of why the BHPC community. Have a nice day ya'll :)
Taufik Abidin like mountain biking too? They have GMBN, GBMXN would just be another branch (sometimes it’s best to have the experts on subject matter present than one person who has bare minimal in all).
KilliBruh y u gotta be so toxic bruh your the type of person to be insecure about so many things that you literally say dumb shit like that so your dumb and u should shut the fuck up
Riding a recumbent bike does put a smile on your face. Much more relaxed drive and you can actually see more from the seated position of a recumbent. Downside...they do not climb steep hills as easily but they will climb. Second, car drivers may not notice your lower profile so a flag and lights are a must. Great video ! Cheers.
I have both, a 'normal' bike and a recumbent, enjoy both, use both and they both make me smile, but a bigger smile on the recumbent. Great vid guys hope to see more of riding on ya back.
Hank:90mph! Barney: At power outputs of 350 watts. The look on Hank’s face. 1-200 racing fantasies played out in his brain in an instant. Blurred, screaming spectators, competitors left in the dust, checkered flags, the popping of champagne corks. GCN, you better keep an eye on the boy. He’ll be spending his every waking moment sweating it out on his back. Hank? The dark side is calling.
@@jjackson3240 with a bit of training, and gearing adjustment, he could get higher speeds. I've done 70 at 250 watts in my 1st Mango (little sibling to the Quest in the video), but with *really* tall gearing and about 5 laps of run-up and a short heart attack afterwards. :D
@@JimmPratt The Mango is a fast velo, but I've seen them in action and unless one was on a downhill it will not do 70 mph on only 250 watts. I've seen a DF at over 400 watts with a five mile run up and it's lucky to get to 60 mph on 250 watts.
@@jjackson3240 this was in a velodrome in the Netherlands about 8-9 years ago, and admittedly there was a strong tail wind down the back stretch. Sure, memory is old and fading, but fairly certain I was only pumping out about 250-270, *maybe* 300 watts after topping out - definitely was using more to get up to that speed, but wattage dropped a fair bit once I got up there. Like I said I had tall gearing at both ends - had at least a 62 (64?) tooth up front with a Schulmpf High-Speed drive (the early 150% model), Alfine 8-speed as mid-drive, and 10(11?) tooth at the rear wheel. The Schlumpf made all the difference. Granted I didn't stay at 70 very long - not even a half a lap, before I was tapped out, and coasted about 5-6 laps to a stop. Never got up to that speed ever again without a downhill.
I've seen this video several times, watched it when it first came out. Love that you guys talk about recumbents. You should do another one like this again, and give your presenters some time to truly learn to ride it before you record. It does take some time to master these bikes.
I was waiting a long time for this! Owning a Velomobiel.nl Strada myself it is super exciting to see what someone with a proper power output can do. As many other commentors I am very nosy to see a comparison of the recumbents (faired and unfaired) vs. a top end upright one! Awesome video!
Finally a great vlog on Velomobiles and recumbents, and showing upright riders what human powered vehicles are capable of. Well done guy's it's nice to see more people flying the flag.
finally a quality pro vid on bents, most of the stuff on the net is just as bizzare and fringe as the people that ride them, this little vid was nice to watch! Thanks
Yup. There are a few guys I know that ride 100 km well within 2 hours in a Milan. The DF and Alpha 7 are at least as hardcore, but might be a little bit less quick on the straights. The seating position is a little bit more upright, so what you lose in a straight line is gained in acceleration and speed & comfort while climbing. They're really savage - I used to own a DF and could outsprint basically anything resembling a bicycle, as long as the road was more or less dry. Quest and QuattroVelo are more like fast cruising & traveling machines. The latter fits 26 6-packs of beer, has been proven. I ride in one of those now, still manage to ride 35-40 km/h avg. Usually I ride these speeds after using it to take my son to school, on my way to and from customers. So with clothes, a towel, showergel, normal shoes, two laptops and an external screen and all other accessories I need as a consultant. By using the bike, I'm actually quicker than I can be by car - no traffic jams! Velomobiles are
Fantastic look at the bikes and trikes raced by the British Human Power Club. I met these guys last year at the World HPV Championships in Kent and they are super dedicated to squeezing the last ounce of speed possible from their laidback steeds. Barney Harle is a fascinating character who has an amazing collection of recumbent bikes many of which he built himself. My favorite is his vertical tandem which he showed at last year's event. As a guy who covers these great bikes exclusively on my Laidback Bike Report I am thrilled to see this very professional piece on the "bent" world I love so much. Thanks for allowing a much larger audience to see what we're all about.
Well done James, for getting used to the lowracer so quickly! The low centre of body weight makes for a lot of difference in balance, but once up to speed, it becomes easy. I can attest to velomobiles being great touring bikes. A full camping outfit fits inside and one has to restrain oneself not to take too much stuff along. The comfort is so good, that long multi-day rides can easily be managed. And they are soo much fun for racing.
I've been watching your videos a lot lately and I gotta say, it surprises me how much energy you have. I see people on this channel capable of pedaling up steep inclines and continuing on after that for many miles more. I on the other hand get completely worn out after pedalling up a small incline using a mountain bike. I'm not the most fit but I do make it a habit to exercise regularly so its not like I'm completely out of shape. How do you gain more stamina for biking?
Thumbs up for the 1st GCN-Video with some real-life relevance!!! Cause no matter how good their videos in general are, it´s always just about top notch competition or pure luxury, both without any relevance for real life...
What a smile Hank had when he speed up the recumbent! It was the last time we see him on a normal bike 😂. Great video as always and with Hank in it that got epic status!
Barnie really did just bring a big smile to my face...and I'm only sitting, upright, in a chair, watching this video on my Mac! Thanks Barney and thanks James!
I've absolutely no idea why this video was in my RUclips suggestions I am 24 years old and never learned to ride a bike ...but I thoroughly enjoyed watching it
Thanks @GCN for having the guts to enter the recumbent world. I would have loved to see what speed you had on the same track with your race bike. Just for comparison.
That is an individual time trial race, no drafting allowed. I race recumbents and the difference (even on a velodrome indoors) between drafting and non drafting is around 20 bpm in heart beat for me, so it is really beneficial to be in a peloton. In the tour it would imho very much depend on the route. With a lot of uphills the recumbent might not have as big of an advantage. And also I believe the TDF riders approach the 100 on their uprights ;-)
Yes! Bike cycle highways and cities with no cars... If it really only takes 200watt to go 50kmh even an average person can commute at decent speeds at idk 100-150watts And imagine the bike packers... No more special bags needed... Since u can store them in your bike
@@hoekie3652 in flat recumbent need less power at same speed compared to regular bike, but in climb recumbent need more power than regular bike at same speed
I'd do it, but only after adding a gas motor. Think of the miliage you could get with that drag coefficient-who am I kidding, I'd build one big enough to stuff a small sportbike engine in.
This video it seems has got everyone smiling, love it and want a go. Great video and an area which has not been covered. ICI rules hmm, a lot to answer for. Great informative well put together video as always thanks all the best Andy
you guys should look into the Australian International Pedal Prix. Its a large competition with over 200 teams racing in team endurance races of 6 and 24hrs with teams of 6+
Do they have a highlights video? Or a website to browse? I'm curious now I've seen this. Seen a few recumbents in my time riding but never knew just how much tech went into these things
@@Falkirion ruclips.net/channel/UCWrGrriMnYPc5FVgpK4VxnQ There you go, I did this event in 2013 and it was so much fun. There are two 6hr races and a 24hr and I think there are a few others but thats all my school could make it to.
@@skinnedreindeer4858 I know, and its part of the series but its not in SA there are also a handful in vic too but they are a different series entirely
Great video and excellent to see recumbents being given due credit. I joined a BHPC event earlier in the year for the first time and rode my UCI-banned TT bike alongside these amazing machines and was resoundingly beaten!
I raced my TT bike and Cruzbike V20 over the same route. I knew the V20 would be faster, but what I didn't expect was that I could hold that speed for almost double the amount of time and still feel better coming off the bike. My TT bike is now collecting dust and is on the verge of being put on the market.
Really great to see GCN look at recumbents. It would be fascinating to have a programme testing these things vs. "normal" bikes in a range of conditions, e.g. finding out at what percentage slope the recumbent would start to be slower than the standard bike for fit riders (a series of races on GCN would be great fun!). As regards the TdF and other competitive cycling, clearly racing these things in a bunch would be a completely different sport from UCI road cycling, the ability to rapidly change direction and speed would presumably be much reduced with recumbents. So it's simplistic to say that recumbents are the superior type of HPV and that the UCI are just stifling progress, in many ways the standard road bike is just as "ideal" as the recumbent. But I wonder how much room there would be for improvement of recumbents if there was lots of investment in developing the tech as there has been with standard bikes. If weight is the main factor reducung their advantage on hills, how light could they get? In theory, could a recumbent be almost as light as a standard lighweight road bike? If not, why not?
Neil this was a grate video. I reckon GCN showed up to ride what somebody was will I get to lend to them. The unfaired trike is one of the classics of the touring/utility market. Not even trying to be light. The unfaired bike is much more performance oriented but no lightweight. There are some very light & very fast bents out there, but very much a niche market. A good thing to run this video on some "mainstream"/ fairly conservative 'bents.
For anyone interested, with my DF bike I averaged 18 mph for my rides of 20-40 miles in length. When I got my recumbent, a CarBent Raven, it took me a little bit to get used to the new riding position but I was able to maintain 22 mph all day. It felt kind of like a train, was a little slower getting up to speed but once there it would hold that speed without much effort. Little undulations in the road would let me accelerate 1-4 mph faster, which would take several hundred yards to taper back to my 22 mph cruse. Rolling hills are a blast, push on the downhill getting up to around 40 and coast over the top at around 30 and push downhill again averaging 33 mph for miles. Lots of fun. I would love to see recumbents allowed in a race with pro's. The dynamic of the race would change so much.
Kinda weird seeing bike enthusiasts that have never even tried a recumbent^^ But props for picking it up so quickly! Please more recumbent content! Don't have one myself but tried a few from friends and other cyclists. I think they are pretty awesome...and so varied.
Touch of Louis Theroux here. Would be so easy to deride, play on the cliches and take the piss. Instead, warm embracing, engaged and enthusiastic. Kudos
A great recumbent bike video on GCN! Amazing!!!! You are the best!!!! We want more video like this!!! Please also come in Italy or tell GCN Italy do make a similar video.
Thanks GCN for your great enthusiastic look into recumbents. Having seen the frontiers please explore the kingdom . Recumbents encompass every facet of cycling and have pros and some cons as does the ubiquitous diamond frame legacy choice..... The dark side is full of different light. Imagine the might of a Giant Specialised Look into recumbent development. It was Time long ago. Cycling for all. Keep smiling.
Damn that's awesome man, which country? My neighbor rides one all over town, I've always thought they looked so cool but never knew how efficient they are.
The World Human Powered Speed Challenge takes place in Battle Mountain, Nevada very year. That's where teams will be going for 90mph (the current record is 89.59mph).
very happy to see a big channel like GCN doing a video on recumbents. Hope to see more. There are a LOT of brands and way more variety on frame shape and components to cover in several videos even if they are sporadic.
I never thought I could watch a 16 min video about bicycles and stay entertained. Well fucking done boys. Also imagine putting an electric motor in that thing
@@chrisko6439 I'm sorry but 'they' are not. The category on Strava is Velomobile. I would applaud a separate recumbent category, however the aerodynamic profile of a low racer recumbent is somewhat similar to a time trial bike and roadies in my area often ride in groups giving them an aero advantage.
Finally. GCN got past the put downs and had a go 😉 well done! Great video! I ride everything btw - road, mountain, fixed, recumbent (and including electric unicycles 😎)
Great video, thanks James! I was waiting since long time for GCN to realize that recumbent are so Fast and Fun to ride 👍👍👍 And keep smiling like this, you definitely will try again recumbents!
In Adelaide south Australia, we have an event called pedal Prix where we race velomomobiles like the ones in the video. Here it is considered a sport and amasses thousands of competitors.
Can't really compare because recumbents use different muscle groups. It takes a good month of hard riding to get "recumbent legs." He was also not on one of the faster 2 wheel recumbents, like an M5.
I reckon the limiting factor would have been the Darley Moor hairpin (that isn't really shown in the video), which I'm sure he'd have shot round it on his normal road bike, but would be really scary on something you've just learned to ride. A comparison on a straight track would be more realistic, but you still have the training issue, unless you use power meters, of course.
@@david131092 That is probably because a strong recumbent rider hasn't given it a try. Even so, a circuit doesn't suit a recumbent or velomobile since climbing and acceleration are faster on a DF bike. Straighten the track out and the DF bike will lose.
Go for it! I'd say choose between the DF and the QuattroVelo from this shortlist. The Mango is an older design, still very capable, but it's not faster than the QV and not more practical than the DF. The QV is the velomobile equivalent of a lorry (in terms of storage space, it's still fast!), while the DF is best compared to a tuned Mercedes SLK AMG: extreme, very quick and nimble, light, comfortable enough to ride long distances in little time, it'll make you feel like king of the road and ride like a hooligan, and it will bite you if you cross the limit.
Very interesting. I enjoyed that. Barney came across as a great teacher and a nice bloke, exactly what I would need for the nervousness. I'd love to have a go on one of these contraptions one day. Seems like a lot of fun (even with compulsory smiling at the beginning.)
like i you read my mind :D i was looking a doku like 3 day ago about these bikes and now you post this awesome video. Keep up the good work, greetings from Austria
Love the Vid. I bet you rode the Milan SL from Lee Wakefield. Its a very fast bike ,but for commuting/all day use the Quest is easier. An you forget to tell that it needs more than 1000km to train the muscles for the recumbent position.
> An you forget to tell that it needs more than 1000km to train the muscles for the recumbent position. Weird. I bought a KMX-tadpole without ever having tried a recumbent before, and after my first long ride (after maybe 50 km total riding I took it out for a 50 km stretch - I've never been in great shape) the only sore point were my legs, due to lactic acid. This was extremely weird to me, because I was used to having sore neck, arms, shoulders and back after even a 10 km ride on my previous regular bikes (that I've definitely put 10s of thousands of km into). You need no more training for a recumbent position than an upright - if anything you'd need less, because you aren't stressing a ton of other muscle groups.
Recumbents deserve quite a bit more attention than they get. There is an amazing variety of bikes out there that serve any niche and purpose imaginable. As for smiles ... yeah, those really do come naturally as you drive a recumbent, it's not a gimmick ...
James: *crashes*
Bonnie: **all because you didn't smile**
smile
@@gcn if you crash on a road bike you should try mtb
@@mochageico uh yes
@@daleblackman1775 y
Dead easy
Had me in tears. 'Smiling, I'm smiling', closely followed by 'crashing, crashing!'. This was a great watch.
That "I'm smiling, I'm smiling" while wobbling down the street was such a Richard Hammond thing to say.
Big shout out to Barney. What a great teacher ‘It’s been crashed, it’s been raleighed and we don’t want you to do either...’ What a welcoming and wonderful character. A tribute to cycling.
I think you mean "rallied", unless you suspect Raleigh Bikes had anything to do with making it. 😉
I love when instructors are like that. Experts, but make you feel good about yourself and support you all the way through the learning curve. Great to see this.
He's also been my boss for the last 6 years. A cracking guy and just as supportive at work.
Utterly disappointed that no one made a smiles per hour pun
i thought puns like those were the only reason anyone would use miles instead of kilometres
It's at 666. Hail Satan
Between the two of the guys I counted they said smile(s) 16 times. Which means its about 57 smiles per hour
@@hanovac2424 When riding a velomobile right you can remove the S and it's still accurate
@@4nz-nl That's even a very easy pace compared to the 90mph/ sph pace Barnie described!
See there's a reason this is in the UK. If they tried it in the US someone would put a V8 in it
A buddy of mine made a bike like this then made a shell for it out of plastic political signs. He put one of those bicycle motor kits on it and he races around town with it
Used to race electric ones in Australia
Yeah man americans have a tradition of "americafying" sports lmao
Boss Hoss for example
"Can you LS swap it?"
I ride about 5000 miles a year on recumbents. I looked into them, initially, because I was very overweight and remembered that I liked bicycle riding as a child. But *everything* hurt on an upright bicycle, particularly my wrists and butt. Then I bought a recumbent trike, lost 170 pounds, and now I ride a high racer bent at an average speed of over 20 mph. I am by no means an elite rider - my FTP is about 220 watts and I'll never be svelte - but the outstanding comfort of recumbents has allowed me to do something that I would not have otherwise been able to do, ride for hours at a time.
I don't think they're for everyone. Two-wheeled recumbents, in particular, aren't the best at low-speed maneuvering, and sometimes visibility is an issue. Starting on a hill is a little trickier than with an upright bicycle because of the issues of low-speed maneuvering. I'm a fairly strong rider, and at grades of about 5 percent, I start to get wobbly if I need to start. Of course, that's not much of a problem, I don't do a lot of stopping on steep hills, but it is an issue. Experience mitigates these issues but doesn't eliminate them.
While three-wheeled recumbents don't have that problem, they're heavier than even 2-wheeled bents (my wife's weights about 26 pounds and is a pretty light trike; a friend's trike weighs about 50 pounds and it is not a cheap bike) and have greater rolling resistance. Not to mention they can be trickier to transport.
If you do a lot of riding in a city without good bicycle infrastructure, riding a recumbent can be even more daunting than riding an upright bicycle in the same conditions. It might be worth it if comfort on an upright bicycle is an issue - it is for me. And because there are still things that are unknown about recumbents, it is possible future designs will further minimize these issues.
On the other hand, I think the UCI's rules that forbid recumbents are preposterous. They would and I argue *should* dominate track and time trial racing. I suspect that even in flat and hilly stages of road races that a paceline of recumbents would simply pull away from the peloton and never see it, again. Mountain stages would likely be ruled by upright bicycles until the end of time, though who knows what may come if as much effort was made not only to make a climbing recumbent but how to train on a recumbent? Still, upright riders seem to have advantages in hill climbs (if nothing else, upright bicycles are likely to remain lighter than recumbent bicycles which usually need much longer chains and much larger seats).
It also needs to be said, while I think that recumbents do fine as a gravel bike (I have just such a bike), they would utterly fail as mountain bikes. The issues with low-speed stability would make navigating all but the simplest mountain courses. And, of course, you've got to do a lot of climbing with very steep grades, which would be challenging with a bent.
I also think that for many casual riders, recumbent trikes are nearly ideal. The combination of stability and comfort is hard to beat, even when climbing hills. Put your trike in its lowest gear - my wife's trike currently has a gear range of over 600% so her low gear is very low, I believe 30 in front and 36 in back, and many trikes have 20-inch rear wheels that are even torquier than my wife's 700C rear wheel - and you *will* get to the top of the hill. Perhaps not quickly, but you will arrive and in comfort at whatever level of effort that you wish to give. And, of course, not many casual riders spend time climbing steep hills.
I've never been in a velomobile. I can't say about those.
The only thing that would get me to go back to upright bicycles is moving somewhere that I didn't feel safe on a recumbent due to its overall low profile (and thus limited visibility) or, maybe, living somewhere in the mountains.
just another myth that bents cant do mtbing. watch his videos jumping logs and climb steep gradients and go around single tracks m.ruclips.net/user/Offroadbent
Dear sir, this is the most awesome comment here. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree with everything you said. I myself have tried off-roading with recumbent. You can find few videos about that from my channel.
@@TheVelomobileChannel I have watched several of your velomobile videos! I go back and forth about my next bike being a velomobile in part because of your channel. :)
Your offroad experiences are very interesting. A fully-suspended Azub would be a good bike for it! My gravel grinder is a Bacchetta Giro without a suspension, so I'd hesitate to do anything that would jolt my spine too hard.
I can't help think that a long-wheelbase with a very upright seat could be the best configuration, possibly with fat tires. But the odds of me experimenting with it are low. I am quite happy with the riding I'm doing!
@@taufikabidin412 Nice jaunt with the dogs! The machine looks less recumbent though.
@@marthadunkley6758 its the Long wheel base variant, recumbents have so may types
The smile gives an extra 200watts of power
Today I was riding 22 mph working my arse off at 110 rpm, and this SOB on his aero recumbent bike, just like that yellow submarine, zooms past me about twice as fast. What a bloody humbling experience it was...
I have ridiculed CARS on a downhill; they can't believe they can't pass me (without getting a ticket).
When your Uber eats guy pulls up in this, instant tips.
I'd call the police
@@bladesmith5927 are you white, and middle aged? Sounds like the kind of person who calls the cops when they neighbors have a BBQ
@@MrDengo999 I'm 21 and hispanic
@@bladesmith5927 I suppose the white folk called the cops so many times on you, it became your nature. 😂😂😂🇺🇸
@@MrDengo999 It's like 3a.m. where I'm at, gonna call it a night.
"Smile! Smile!"
What a way to learn something. Great.
Good isn't it?!
I ride a trike as unfortunately my health means I don’t have the balance to stay upright on a normal bike. It’s great how cycling remains accessible to people with some modifications here and there.
Videos like these make the channel much more inclusive.
Should have raced your regular bike, maybe even the cheap bike too for some other comparisons!
Great vid though, I'm amazed at those time savings!
I too felt it would have been nice to see a comparison with the latest UCI legal road bike or TT bike.
That would've been interesting to see .
Exactly what I was thinking!
An uprwrong wouldn't even get on the same page as the quest or the milan
Such a comparison would not tell much. You got to work your "recumbent legs" in order to put about the same power output as on a regular bike.
16:28
When someone offers you a bar of chocolate and takes it back.
rejected Lol
Nice save tho haha
@@adityajonathanmamahit2889 I know right?!
Billybob858 no he was reaching for the jersey
Wahahaha
Love this format! Looks like a Top Gear episode but with bikes
No jackass presenter though....
Looks nothing like top gear at all
Here in the States have had a recumbent for 25 years and it is NOT designed for speed, but one of the dogs rides on my lap while I drink a cappuccino as we cruise about and get lots and lots of waves. Great fun! Excellent video and thanks for sharing and the very best of luck!
I broke my back in a motorcycle accident a few years back and lost the use of my left leg. Cycling can be... interesting at times. My comfort oriented recumbent bike means I can go faster, farther and cycle for longer. Recumbent with a fairing means my one good leg hardly even has to work.
"Even idiots might be able to roll them" with regards to the teardrop recumbent trike - you don't have to be an idiot to roll them :P Surface change into a corner can see you slide then grip and tip. Grabbing a fistful of front brakes can see you slam your chainring/pedals. Granted, it's easier to roll a delta style recumbent trike but they're all good fun to ride with one of the wheel in the air :P
Also with regards to the ban in racing - very similar happened in the motorcycle racing world. Limits were put in to restrict the amount of fairing motorcycles could use, as "bathtub" fairing bikes had what was deemed an "unfair advantage" (I see it as great engineering) over other competitors. Craig Vetter has been running competitions in the States to reduce fuel consumption and increase the efficiency of motorcycles. He was able to take a stock Honda Helix 250cc scooter, add one of his fairings and change the seating position so he was lower, and increase the top speed and usable power without modifying the engine, drivetrain or exhaust. He was able to make that little Honda Helix scooter hit 70mph into a 30mph headwind. Other bikes on his competitions have seen in excess of 480mpg. Also - just like the motorcycle world - the bicycle market has followed in the design footsteps of competition world because that's what consumers want.
My next step is building a velomobile (like the last one you feature) for more long distance touring, and then - because I can - incorporating an electric hub and solar/dynamo charging.
What is a fairing on the Recumbent , thanks ?
That's amazing man, you should totally upload your progress
You'll find this interesting www.velomobiel.nl/allert/ligmotor.htm
@@itsfahys From the video, I think the fairing was just the aerodynamic shell. Definition seems to be - "an external metal or plastic structure added to increase streamlining and reduce drag, especially on a high-performance car, motorcycle, boat, or aircraft."
On my last ride, I passed a fellow who was on a type of recumbent bike. But there were no pedals, just hand cranks.
Great video and nice to see people I know in recumbent racing (Hi Barney). Great job James in learning how to race the two wheeled bike. Also very much hats of for GCN for crossing the gap to the dark side :-) It's good fun and on circuits, flat roads and nice tracks recumbents are ideal. In normal every day use the difference in speed might not be as big as you'd think, but that is more related to other circumstances than the raw speed of recumbents. Full disclosure : I am the designer of the RaptoBike.
The 90 mile that Barney mentioned are speeds that are (nearly) achieved in races in Battle Mountain, Nevada. Each year a group of strange people and some student teams gather in the desert to race on a closed section of highway (SR305) in Nevada. The absolute pinnacle of human powered speed, as there is no drafting, no engines. The race is a 5 mile run up to a 200 meter sprint. Basically any bike design goes, but to be fast you need a very fast and optimally designed streamliner. Starts on September 7 and runs up to September 14. Last year CNN made a good impression of the event: edition.cnn.com/2018/11/17/health/fastest-human-powered-bike-fit-nation/index.html
Thank you for the link. It was very interesting!
Recumbents deserve a lot more attention! Great video and I really enjoyed that.
I would love to see GCN have a few recumbent videos once in awhile. I understand they're primarily focused on bicycles, but it's the Global Cycling Network, not the Global Bicycing Network!
@Al Castill Not a TdF but we do race them in Australia. This is just a school kids race: ruclips.net/video/KrCgB3fPdb0/видео.html
@Al Castill Many of the HPVA events do races, and up here in Scandanavia we - the local velomobile riders - do a yearly tour through 5-6 countries on average, with anywhere from 8 to 20 riders participating in a northern Europe ride. Not so much racing (though some of the guys like to compete against each other) as making exposure for velomobiles. Usually self-supported too with planned stops at campsites or hostels.
I think that future electric vehicules will inspire themselves from aero recumbents. Its just so much logical for an EV to not waiste so much aerodynamic, and the whole technology can be pretty well integreated in some aero frame.
@@boboutelama5748 check out these guys from norway. They"re doing a velomobile ebike for the average everyday user. Pretty cool concept IMHO www.podbike.com/en/
Love how much his focus is on smiles. It's a beautiful thing.
Excellent to see a DF racer get on and learn what recumbents are all about. He was kicking it in the fast velo. Impressed that he figured out the two wheeled recumbent that fast. I bought a Rans Tailwind used and it took me weeks of riding to get comfortable on the flats, longer on the hills, after about a year of experience did my first double century from Seattle WA to Portland OR on it. Cool part was all the crap I carried in my tailbox and how comfortable it was to ride for two days straight. I was carrying a couple of liters of water, tools, food and spare parts. On the flats it was about 4 mph faster average speed than my CIOCC df bike. Uphill, tougher... need to get experience, but downside is less stable on my Tailwind than on my CIOCC. Velomobiles may be heavier, but also you are not spending any energy trying to balance at low speeds, it can all go into pedal cadence and with experience you can climb as fast or faster than on a DF bike. A couple of years ago, an Alpha 7 velo did the Trans Am and smashed the record for coast to coast, I think the second place rider did not complete until a day later. A bunch of 50+ recumbent riders did the race across Oregon and smashed the DF riders by well over 3 hours riding a variety of recumbents including a Quest Velomobile through the mountains... where everyone else thought the rest of the field was going to catch them... but they instead increased their lead by hours. Something about being fearless to the point of reckless running down the mountain passes at around 53mph in the dark... The rider in the TransAm the money was on it taking the rider 4 hours to get over "The Wall" near the end and he took less than 45 minutes... nice to have a super lightweight machine that stores insane amounts of cargo.
Thanks for the video, glad to see a DF rider enjoying the experience and not making fun of the concept.
The best thing about Recumbent bikes: The seat!
No more sore butt after hours of riding on a normal bike seat.
The reason for sore butt is that the seat is so tiny for looks and weight saving. Buy a fatter sit or a woman sit it is comfortable to ride even after hours. Though your bike won't look cool for Instagram with that fat seat. You might also be called Dork. Choice is yours.
The reason for sore butt - you are using the wrong bike, seriously, its always the fit, the saddle, you need dorky pants, this that and the other, just use a recumbent, where these problems just dont exist to begin with.
You can ride a recumbent for as long as you like and just have tired legs! I know you get used to regular bikes but recumbents are a whole different world of comfort. I ride both.
posture is all round better on recumbent, its like riding a leg press.
Worst part is the neck. I couldn't ride the two wheeler as my neck would be done in after about 30 seconds. I've give the trike a bash though
That guy is disturbingly obsessed with smiles...
Glad he was wearing more than just a smile.
😬
As a rider of 2 recumbent trikes the smiles per mile on them beats any standard bike , and I have 8 of those .
Recumbents are so much fun, you can't help it but smile.
Imagine him behind you in the bedroom looking into a mirror like Patrick Bateman telling you to smile.
I have been waiting for this video for years. I am glad James had so much fun and did not take the piss out of the bent riders.
What a great guy, Bonnie was such an inviting man, I couldn't help but smile when he spoke. It's amazing how passionate he is, seems like he'll pour his heart out on what he loves and wants you to be there with him. He's most definitely a wonderful human being and a pillar of why the BHPC community. Have a nice day ya'll :)
Love that GCN is covering a range of cycling disciplines. What fun!
"The key to climbing faster is to look where you're going and to smile."
I wish this channel had more of this! Love when riding a bike doesnt have to be brand specific!
still waiting for BMX and other artistic cycling
Taufik Abidin like mountain biking too? They have GMBN, GBMXN would just be another branch (sometimes it’s best to have the experts on subject matter present than one person who has bare minimal in all).
A bmx network would be amazing. Normally I only watch gmbn but recumbent bikes have always interested me.
It’s because this channel is basically a long ad
That's a great point. GCN is a little heavy on the sponsorship featured bikes.
AT LAST, A RECUMBENT ON GCN! PRAISE THE LORD, OUR PLEA HAS BEEN LISTENED!
Stfu u are dumb and going to get cancer
KilliBruh y u gotta be so toxic bruh your the type of person to be insecure about so many things that you literally say dumb shit like that so your dumb and u should shut the fuck up
And NOW!! A MONOWHEEL!!! Yaaaaayyy!
Riding a recumbent bike does put a smile on your face. Much more relaxed drive and you can actually see more from the seated position of a recumbent. Downside...they do not climb steep hills as easily but they will climb. Second, car drivers may not notice your lower profile so a flag and lights are a must. Great video ! Cheers.
As a recumbent rider myself I had to give this one a thumbs up! Thank you for bringing some attention to this amazing topic!
I have both, a 'normal' bike and a recumbent, enjoy both, use both and they both make me smile, but a bigger smile on the recumbent. Great vid guys hope to see more of riding on ya back.
New channel alert!!!!!
Welcome to GRN
Please.
Yes please!!!
ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC IDEA
Do want
Please!!!
Hank:90mph!
Barney: At power outputs of 350 watts.
The look on Hank’s face. 1-200 racing fantasies played out in his brain in an instant. Blurred, screaming spectators, competitors left in the dust, checkered flags, the popping of champagne corks.
GCN, you better keep an eye on the boy. He’ll be spending his every waking moment sweating it out on his back. Hank? The dark side is calling.
he also has money to burn
Sadly 350 watts will likely only get him to 70 mph. But it's a nice goal.
@@jjackson3240 with a bit of training, and gearing adjustment, he could get higher speeds. I've done 70 at 250 watts in my 1st Mango (little sibling to the Quest in the video), but with *really* tall gearing and about 5 laps of run-up and a short heart attack afterwards. :D
@@JimmPratt The Mango is a fast velo, but I've seen them in action and unless one was on a downhill it will not do 70 mph on only 250 watts. I've seen a DF at over 400 watts with a five mile run up and it's lucky to get to 60 mph on 250 watts.
@@jjackson3240 this was in a velodrome in the Netherlands about 8-9 years ago, and admittedly there was a strong tail wind down the back stretch. Sure, memory is old and fading, but fairly certain I was only pumping out about 250-270, *maybe* 300 watts after topping out - definitely was using more to get up to that speed, but wattage dropped a fair bit once I got up there. Like I said I had tall gearing at both ends - had at least a 62 (64?) tooth up front with a Schulmpf High-Speed drive (the early 150% model), Alfine 8-speed as mid-drive, and 10(11?) tooth at the rear wheel. The Schlumpf made all the difference. Granted I didn't stay at 70 very long - not even a half a lap, before I was tapped out, and coasted about 5-6 laps to a stop. Never got up to that speed ever again without a downhill.
I've seen this video several times, watched it when it first came out. Love that you guys talk about recumbents. You should do another one like this again, and give your presenters some time to truly learn to ride it before you record. It does take some time to master these bikes.
I was waiting a long time for this! Owning a Velomobiel.nl Strada myself it is super exciting to see what someone with a proper power output can do.
As many other commentors I am very nosy to see a comparison of the recumbents (faired and unfaired) vs. a top end upright one!
Awesome video!
Wonderful video. As a recumbent rider and a GCN fan it was great to see this upload.
Seconded. (:
Recumbent people are a strange breed, even typing smileys the wrong way!
@@TheSteinbitt no argument there.
too right
Hallelujah! I've been asking for GCN does Recumbents for a while. James you've now overtaken Si as my fav presenter (sorry Si!)
Finally a great vlog on Velomobiles and recumbents, and showing upright riders what human powered vehicles are capable of. Well done guy's it's nice to see more people flying the flag.
finally a quality pro vid on bents, most of the stuff on the net is just as bizzare and fringe as the people that ride them, this little vid was nice to watch! Thanks
Wow, so the average speeds are:
Trike 29.4 km/h
Two-wheeler 33.4 km/h
Quest 41.7 km/h
Milan 46.0 km/h!
Yup. There are a few guys I know that ride 100 km well within 2 hours in a Milan. The DF and Alpha 7 are at least as hardcore, but might be a little bit less quick on the straights. The seating position is a little bit more upright, so what you lose in a straight line is gained in acceleration and speed & comfort while climbing. They're really savage - I used to own a DF and could outsprint basically anything resembling a bicycle, as long as the road was more or less dry.
Quest and QuattroVelo are more like fast cruising & traveling machines. The latter fits 26 6-packs of beer, has been proven. I ride in one of those now, still manage to ride 35-40 km/h avg. Usually I ride these speeds after using it to take my son to school, on my way to and from customers. So with clothes, a towel, showergel, normal shoes, two laptops and an external screen and all other accessories I need as a consultant. By using the bike, I'm actually quicker than I can be by car - no traffic jams! Velomobiles are
For those Americans, here it is in MPH:
Trike 17.64 mph
Two-wheeler 20.04 mph
Quest 25.02 mph
Milan 27.6 mph!
@@lorinh2947 Better to use the International system of Units :)
@@Matt-Wolf I mean, if American's were smarter, Metric is definitely the way to go.
@@4nz-nl LOL, I can imagine how hilarious it would be for the police, to pull over someone for speeding with 156 cans of beer inside a bike. XD
I don't know why, but I get the feeling that this "bikes" have like, more magic than the normal ones? Seriously, I wss smiling for the whole video.
There's something about this one that just stand out to me: cruzbike.com/collections/all-products/products/s40
Yes, they do. Also when you ride them ;-)
Fantastic look at the bikes and trikes raced by the British Human Power Club. I met these guys last year at the World HPV Championships in Kent and they are super dedicated to squeezing the last ounce of speed possible from their laidback steeds. Barney Harle is a fascinating character who has an amazing collection of recumbent bikes many of which he built himself. My favorite is his vertical tandem which he showed at last year's event. As a guy who covers these great bikes exclusively on my Laidback Bike Report I am thrilled to see this very professional piece on the "bent" world I love so much. Thanks for allowing a much larger audience to see what we're all about.
love your vids and report on spreading the bent grin. Also yiur bentrider site
@@taufikabidin412 Thanks a lot, Taufik!
Well done James, for getting used to the lowracer so quickly! The low centre of body weight makes for a lot of difference in balance, but once up to speed, it becomes easy. I can attest to velomobiles being great touring bikes. A full camping outfit fits inside and one has to restrain oneself not to take too much stuff along. The comfort is so good, that long multi-day rides can easily be managed. And they are soo much fun for racing.
I've been watching your videos a lot lately and I gotta say, it surprises me how much energy you have. I see people on this channel capable of pedaling up steep inclines and continuing on after that for many miles more. I on the other hand get completely worn out after pedalling up a small incline using a mountain bike. I'm not the most fit but I do make it a habit to exercise regularly so its not like I'm completely out of shape. How do you gain more stamina for biking?
Thumbs up for the 1st GCN-Video with some real-life relevance!!! Cause no matter how good their videos in general are, it´s always just about top notch competition or pure luxury, both without any relevance for real life...
Nice look at the world of recumbents and velomobiles. Thanks!
What a smile Hank had when he speed up the recumbent! It was the last time we see him on a normal bike 😂. Great video as always and with Hank in it that got epic status!
This video touched me in my nerd place and I liked it.
Barnie really did just bring a big smile to my face...and I'm only sitting, upright, in a chair, watching this video on my Mac! Thanks Barney and thanks James!
I've absolutely no idea why this video was in my RUclips suggestions
I am 24 years old and never learned to ride a bike
...but I thoroughly enjoyed watching it
Thanks @GCN for having the guts to enter the recumbent world. I would have loved to see what speed you had on the same track with your race bike. Just for comparison.
Sooooo happy you guys did a velomobile video! Your video will definitely make the sport more popular
Let"s see some more about Velomobiles.
@Brainjock did you not watch the video?
@Brainjock velomobiles are the ones with a carbon body.
Trisled were some cool dudes when i met them quite a numbervof years ago
James- dead🤒
Bonnie-smile
Just smile😂😂
Thank you for covering not only BMX :-) but also recumbent bikes/trikes & velomobiles on the channel.
Recumbents are comfortable, fast & fun!
Wtf that's me dad, how did he not tell me he filmed with GCN😂😭
Lol. I know it feels. Well, Suprise Surprise!
Are you sure it's your dad?
jeremy emilio quote confident aye bro only known him 20 odd year now
@@georgeharle3320 lmao
Hell of a cool dad! Coming from someone in his 30s by the way ;-)
TDF should have a recumbent category. Imagine pros riding 100km/h. We would have fantastic peloton pile ups!!!
@Seb Ba I am pretty sure that there is some to gain by ride in a group on one of these.
That is an individual time trial race, no drafting allowed. I race recumbents and the difference (even on a velodrome indoors) between drafting and non drafting is around 20 bpm in heart beat for me, so it is really beneficial to be in a peloton.
In the tour it would imho very much depend on the route. With a lot of uphills the recumbent might not have as big of an advantage. And also I believe the TDF riders approach the 100 on their uprights ;-)
L'alpe d'Huez would be hilarious!
At least they would crash feet first! Speaking from experience having crashed normal and recumbents, I find the feet first option preferable!
@@chrisperceval193 not if a car goes into the back of you 🙈
I think everbody should commute to work by velomobile! 😀
There needs to be so much more awareness!
Yes! Bike cycle highways and cities with no cars...
If it really only takes 200watt to go 50kmh even an average person can commute at decent speeds at idk 100-150watts
And imagine the bike packers... No more special bags needed... Since u can store them in your bike
@@miyabe_k195 but you will be die in climb 😂
@@hoekie3652 in flat recumbent need less power at same speed compared to regular bike, but in climb recumbent need more power than regular bike at same speed
I'd do it, but only after adding a gas motor. Think of the miliage you could get with that drag coefficient-who am I kidding, I'd build one big enough to stuff a small sportbike engine in.
12:08 "To me it's looks like a big, yellow dild.... Missile.''
Big didly
This video it seems has got everyone smiling, love it and want a go. Great video and an area which has not been covered. ICI rules hmm, a lot to answer for. Great informative well put together video as always thanks all the best Andy
you guys should look into the Australian International Pedal Prix.
Its a large competition with over 200 teams racing in team endurance races of 6 and 24hrs with teams of 6+
Do they have a highlights video? Or a website to browse? I'm curious now I've seen this. Seen a few recumbents in my time riding but never knew just how much tech went into these things
@@Falkirion ruclips.net/channel/UCWrGrriMnYPc5FVgpK4VxnQ There you go, I did this event in 2013 and it was so much fun. There are two 6hr races and a 24hr and I think there are a few others but thats all my school could make it to.
@@pepperonipizza1098 there are more events now
The south Australian series has an 8hr race, then 3 6 hr races and finishes off with the big 24hr race.
@@radihaydos95 theres also the WA race as well
@@skinnedreindeer4858 I know, and its part of the series but its not in SA
there are also a handful in vic too but they are a different series entirely
Please do another video focusing on HPVs used on the road
I second that.
Human papilloma virus used on the road? That sounds dangerous.
Very realistic impressions of first rides on recumbent bikes and in velomobiles. Thanks for the wonderful video on this rare subject of cycling.
The second lap would have been even faster if you didn’t put on protective gear somewhere between start and finish 😉
I have a 24 hour race in one of these on the weekend 😬, Pedal prix is actually a pretty big sport where I come from (southern Australia)
Great video and excellent to see recumbents being given due credit. I joined a BHPC event earlier in the year for the first time and rode my UCI-banned TT bike alongside these amazing machines and was resoundingly beaten!
I raced my TT bike and Cruzbike V20 over the same route. I knew the V20 would be faster, but what I didn't expect was that I could hold that speed for almost double the amount of time and still feel better coming off the bike. My TT bike is now collecting dust and is on the verge of being put on the market.
Really great to see GCN look at recumbents. It would be fascinating to have a programme testing these things vs. "normal" bikes in a range of conditions, e.g. finding out at what percentage slope the recumbent would start to be slower than the standard bike for fit riders (a series of races on GCN would be great fun!). As regards the TdF and other competitive cycling, clearly racing these things in a bunch would be a completely different sport from UCI road cycling, the ability to rapidly change direction and speed would presumably be much reduced with recumbents. So it's simplistic to say that recumbents are the superior type of HPV and that the UCI are just stifling progress, in many ways the standard road bike is just as "ideal" as the recumbent. But I wonder how much room there would be for improvement of recumbents if there was lots of investment in developing the tech as there has been with standard bikes. If weight is the main factor reducung their advantage on hills, how light could they get? In theory, could a recumbent be almost as light as a standard lighweight road bike? If not, why not?
Neil this was a grate video. I reckon GCN showed up to ride what somebody was will I get to lend to them. The unfaired trike is one of the classics of the touring/utility market. Not even trying to be light. The unfaired bike is much more performance oriented but no lightweight.
There are some very light & very fast bents out there, but very much a niche market.
A good thing to run this video on some "mainstream"/ fairly conservative 'bents.
It's been about time that you cover recumbents. Great job!
For anyone interested, with my DF bike I averaged 18 mph for my rides of 20-40 miles in length. When I got my recumbent, a CarBent Raven, it took me a little bit to get used to the new riding position but I was able to maintain 22 mph all day. It felt kind of like a train, was a little slower getting up to speed but once there it would hold that speed without much effort. Little undulations in the road would let me accelerate 1-4 mph faster, which would take several hundred yards to taper back to my 22 mph cruse. Rolling hills are a blast, push on the downhill getting up to around 40 and coast over the top at around 30 and push downhill again averaging 33 mph for miles. Lots of fun.
I would love to see recumbents allowed in a race with pro's. The dynamic of the race would change so much.
Kinda weird seeing bike enthusiasts that have never even tried a recumbent^^ But props for picking it up so quickly! Please more recumbent content! Don't have one myself but tried a few from friends and other cyclists. I think they are pretty awesome...and so varied.
Touch of Louis Theroux here. Would be so easy to deride, play on the cliches and take the piss. Instead, warm embracing, engaged and enthusiastic. Kudos
Well done, thank you for treating them with respect, and giving us a few of something different
A great recumbent bike video on GCN! Amazing!!!! You are the best!!!! We want more video like this!!! Please also come in Italy or tell GCN Italy do make a similar video.
Simply a lot of fun! These inclusive videos of all our cycling brethren are great to see.
Thanks GCN for your great enthusiastic look into recumbents. Having seen the frontiers please explore the kingdom .
Recumbents encompass every facet of cycling and have pros and some cons as does the ubiquitous diamond frame legacy choice.....
The dark side is full of different light. Imagine the might of a Giant Specialised Look into recumbent development. It was Time long ago. Cycling for all. Keep smiling.
I've raced these and I'm also the junior national champion, these are really great bikes
Damn that's awesome man, which country? My neighbor rides one all over town, I've always thought they looked so cool but never knew how efficient they are.
The World Human Powered Speed Challenge takes place in Battle Mountain, Nevada very year. That's where teams will be going for 90mph (the current record is 89.59mph).
Scott Morgan thanks
Hope these guys break a record: facebook.com/Land-Speed-Record-LLC-1871046772968606
Let's hope the winds are kind that day.
very happy to see a big channel like GCN doing a video on recumbents. Hope to see more. There are a LOT of brands and way more variety on frame shape and components to cover in several videos even if they are sporadic.
I never thought I could watch a 16 min video about bicycles and stay entertained. Well fucking done boys. Also imagine putting an electric motor in that thing
On the day when I bought my 2 wheel recumbent, I took it for a ride just around the area. I never had such a high count of smile per minute before.
- Show me your warface!
- What?
- I mean,.. Smile!!
Nearly all of the Strava KOM times on the flats near me are taken by a recumbent
Lol
If you can't beat em, join em?
Good for you, where I live they are taken by cars, averaging 50mph.
Just flag the rides. They are supposed to upload their activities as "Velomobile/recumbent ride".
@@chrisko6439 I'm sorry but 'they' are not. The category on Strava is Velomobile. I would applaud a separate recumbent category, however the aerodynamic profile of a low racer recumbent is somewhat similar to a time trial bike and roadies in my area often ride in groups giving them an aero advantage.
My regrets about buying a questxs velomobil is that I didn't do it sooner. 😉
I keep questioning how these bikes steer? Do their front wheels steer around or do they camber like a carver motorcycle?
Front steer.
Finally. GCN got past the put downs and had a go 😉 well done! Great video! I ride everything btw - road, mountain, fixed, recumbent (and including electric unicycles 😎)
Great video, thanks James! I was waiting since long time for GCN to realize that recumbent are so Fast and Fun to ride 👍👍👍
And keep smiling like this, you definitely will try again recumbents!
In Adelaide south Australia, we have an event called pedal Prix where we race velomomobiles like the ones in the video. Here it is considered a sport and amasses thousands of competitors.
Huh, neat. have a friend who lives near there. That'd be a hell of an excuse for a trip, though.
In Australia we have a whole racing series using recumbent trikes
No you don't.
@@jonhohensee3258 also if you search 'Australian HPV super series' you should find a bunch of images
@@gergleshmerf3544 - Oh come on.
Jon Hohensee ta ha it’s amazing but going up hills in these thing are hard work
@@prototype5884 I agree, especially the hill at Loxton
Now, if we all had these, instead of cars.........
That day IS coming.
Was just thinking that. Given the speeds they can reach, that would be amazing
Or at least somewhere to ride them safely!
Stfu
Uber would be interesting...
Totally fab....I rode one and loved it, so fast!
Love the face and the blink in the eyes of James at 14:35 to 14:40 !
what would have James' time been on his aero road bike on that circuit?
Can't really compare because recumbents use different muscle groups. It takes a good month of hard riding to get "recumbent legs." He was also not on one of the faster 2 wheel recumbents, like an M5.
I reckon the limiting factor would have been the Darley Moor hairpin (that isn't really shown in the video), which I'm sure he'd have shot round it on his normal road bike, but would be really scary on something you've just learned to ride.
A comparison on a straight track would be more realistic, but you still have the training issue, unless you use power meters, of course.
The Lap record at Darley moor is on a normal race bike.
@@david131092 That is probably because a strong recumbent rider hasn't given it a try. Even so, a circuit doesn't suit a recumbent or velomobile since climbing and acceleration are faster on a DF bike. Straighten the track out and the DF bike will lose.
I can’t wait to own a velomobile! The DF, Mango and Quattro look good
Go for it! I'd say choose between the DF and the QuattroVelo from this shortlist. The Mango is an older design, still very capable, but it's not faster than the QV and not more practical than the DF. The QV is the velomobile equivalent of a lorry (in terms of storage space, it's still fast!), while the DF is best compared to a tuned Mercedes SLK AMG: extreme, very quick and nimble, light, comfortable enough to ride long distances in little time, it'll make you feel like king of the road and ride like a hooligan, and it will bite you if you cross the limit.
"And smile" should be more peoples mantras/ mottos.
Very interesting. I enjoyed that. Barney came across as a great teacher and a nice bloke, exactly what I would need for the nervousness.
I'd love to have a go on one of these contraptions one day. Seems like a lot of fun (even with compulsory smiling at the beginning.)
What a fun video. I just recently got into recumbent trikes myself. I love them.
like i you read my mind :D i was looking a doku like 3 day ago about these bikes and now you post this awesome video.
Keep up the good work, greetings from Austria
Mit dem Typen aus Hannover der den Milan herstellt??
@@sebAstian-xp3kw hahah ja genau :D
Love the Vid. I bet you rode the Milan SL from Lee Wakefield. Its a very fast bike ,but for commuting/all day use the Quest is easier. An you forget to tell that it needs more than 1000km to train the muscles for the recumbent position.
> An you forget to tell that it needs more than 1000km to train the muscles for the recumbent position.
Weird. I bought a KMX-tadpole without ever having tried a recumbent before, and after my first long ride (after maybe 50 km total riding I took it out for a 50 km stretch - I've never been in great shape) the only sore point were my legs, due to lactic acid. This was extremely weird to me, because I was used to having sore neck, arms, shoulders and back after even a 10 km ride on my previous regular bikes (that I've definitely put 10s of thousands of km into).
You need no more training for a recumbent position than an upright - if anything you'd need less, because you aren't stressing a ton of other muscle groups.
Now that's what I call pod racing
Recumbents deserve quite a bit more attention than they get. There is an amazing variety of bikes out there that serve any niche and purpose imaginable.
As for smiles ... yeah, those really do come naturally as you drive a recumbent, it's not a gimmick ...
Thank You for this video!
It gave me a whole new look of man-powered vehicles, it gave me also a new life aspect and opened my vision.
Thank You!!!