Effectiveness Of Recumbent Bicycles

A recumbent bicycle differs from the more traditional "diamond-frame" design. It requires the rider to sit upright, as in a chair, and to pedal with his legs in front of him. While the vehicle's design may seem unusual to some, it has many benefits in both therapy, fitness and recreational riding settings.

Comfort and Support

Michael Walker, writing for PioneerThinking.com, points out that recumbent bikes offer levels of comfort and support that you can't find on upright bicycles. The bucket seat and upright riding position allow you a more relaxed position while you pedal. If you're overweight, you will appreciate the larger seat. If you suffer from lower back pain, the support of the seat will diminish cycling's negative effects on your back.

Effectiveness in Therapy

Some forms of physical therapy may be prohibitive to stationary bicycles. Knee and leg injuries can prevent the use of an upright bicycle, but the rider's position on a recumbent bicycle may allow pedaling exercises without putting much strain on her injured joints.

Higher Possible Speeds

According to BicyclingLife.com, all human-powered speed records have been set by recumbent bicycles. Bicycle racer Sam Whittingham became the first person to exceed 80 miles per hour on a recumbent bicycle, and many other recumbent racers have reached speeds near this, according to statistics recorded by Recumbents.com. While these records exceed those set on upright bicycles, world and national cycling organizations such as the USCF do not recognize them. These organizations only recognize speed records set on diamond-framed, or upright, bicycles.

Improved Field of View

When you sit upright, you do not strain or adopt an unnatural posture to see the world around you. You are able to turn your heard from side to side and to look up with much less effort than on a diamond-frame bicycle. In outdoor settings, this posture provides you an easier view of the landscape around you. You can remain alert of traffic and pedestrians during urban bicycling, and you can enjoy the view when bicycling outside of the city. When riding a stationary recumbent bike for exercise, you can perform tasks you would normally perform while sitting. These include reading, watching television and operating handheld computers and phones.

Workout Effectiveness

The comfort and lack of joint strain from a recumbent bike workout may give you the feeling that you are working out less, but the workout targets other muscles than an upright bike. PioneerThinking.com notes that legs and bottoms receive attention and toning during time spent on a recumbent, and that there are cardiovascular and fat-burning benefits of working out on a recumbent bike. While you feel like you're not working as hard, pedaling a recumbent bike induces fatigue sooner than the comparable level of pedaling on a diamond-frame bike, according to a study published in the 2010 edition of the European Journal of Applied Physiology.