Recumbent bikes differ from regular bicycles in that instead of sitting on a saddle and extending your legs down to the pedals, you sit on a seat that has a backrest, and extend your legs forward to pedal. The seat makes the exercise easier on your back, but the horizontal leg positioning can make hills harder to climb, because you can't use your body weight to help you turn the pedals. Like bicycles, recumbent bikes primarily use your leg muscles.
Quadriceps
The front of your thigh is made of a group of four large muscles called quadriceps, or quads. They function to extend, or straighten, your knee and flex your hip. For both traditional and recumbent bikes, your quads work in opposition with your hamstrings to power each pedal stroke. On a recumbent bike, your quads are the primary movers from about 9 o'clock to about 3 o'clock on the circle of the stroke, which is the top half of the circle.
Hamstrings
The hamstrings are the muscles of the back of your thigh. When your quads contract, your hamstrings lengthen. Likewise, when the hamstrings perform work, your quads stretch. Hamstrings are knee flexors, meaning they bend the knee. On a recumbent bike, the hamstrings power the bottom half of the pedal stroke, from about 3 o'clock to 9 o'clock on the circle. It's easier to allow the quads to carry most of the load on a standard bike; the positioning of a recumbent necessitates proper hamstring recruitment, especially on inclines.
Hip Flexors
Your pelvis is a stable anchor for a group of muscles called hip flexors, extensors, adductors and abductors that coordinate to move your legs in different directions. In cycling, your hip flexors lift your thighs up. One of the quadriceps muscles crosses the hip joint and also acts as an extensor. The iliopsoas is another hip flexor. It tends to be overly tight in cyclists and people who spend a lot of time sitting, which is why it's important to stretch your hip flexors after riding.
Calves
Formally known as the gastrosoleus complex, calves comprise two muscles. The wide muscle is the gastrocnemius. The soleus sits below it. Your calves are engaged during every part of the pedal stroke on a recumbent bike, assisting both the quadriceps and the hamstrings. Pointing your toes, or plantar flexing, from about 7 o'clock to 11 o'clock in the pedal rotation engages the calves further.
Glutes
The glute muscles, or gluteals, are three distinct muscles that include the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus. When you lengthen your hip flexors to straighten your leg, you contract your glutes at the same time because they are opposing muscle groups. On a regular bike, your glutes are most heavily engaged when you're out of the saddle for a standing climb. On a recumbent bike, your glutes are more minimally engaged, due to the fact that you're in a fully seated position.
References
- "Optimum Performance Training for the Health and Fitness Professional"; National Academy of Sports Medicine; 2004
- "Atlas of Human Anatomy"; Vincent Perez; 2006
- Pioneer Thinking: The Advantages of Recumbent Exercise Bikes
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