This might be the first question for many of you planning to purchase a recumbent cycle. Let’s mention just the major advantages of both types as they will basically explain also the disadvantages of the other type.

Recumbent two-wheelers’ advantages are:
  • Lower weight
  • Simpler construction
  • Lower price
  • Usually higher riding position thus better view and better visibility
  • Narrower footprint (and generally smaller size), which means that you can ride on pedestrian paths and very bad jeep tracks. When you are an experienced recumbent rider it is also easier to maneuver in city traffic or crowded places etc. It is also much easier to park them in a basement or a garage and it is also easier to load them into a car, train or pack them for travel by airplane. BTW: You can find my article about transporting recumbents in public transport here.
  • Faster
  • Better to ride on bad roads as you need to find just one track.

    On the other hand, recumbent trikes’ advantages are:
  • Better stability, although tipping-off may occur while cornering fast without proper body lean.
  • The fact you don’t need to learn how to ride a recumbent two-wheeler and you get all the main advantages the recumbent cycling brings to people.
  • They stand by themselves so you can stop at any time which is often mentioned as a great advantage when climbing long steep hills.
  • Bring a completely new feeling from the ride. Something like cart driving.

    I hear many of you who already have either trikes or bikes saying that some of the advantages can be found of the other type of the recumbent cycle as well, so if you don’t agree with me, please, leave a comment. I am expecting long and I hope also a fair discussion.