Recumbent  ?????

Nearly unknown in Italy, more diffused in the United States, Canada, Australia and Netherlands.
They have two or three wheels but their characteristic is that you pedal bent.
They have an aerodynamic advantage but they demand a proper gear change, because you won't be able to rise on the pedals in condition of great effort like the climb.  Obviously they are not admitted for the race.
The two wheels go well for the sportsmen while for the tourism the tricycles “trike” are perfect.
The Italians prefer the recumbent bicycles with two wheels because the sportsmen want the fast and refined ones, in order to “compete”.
Recumbents with three wheels go well for the tourism also for some days since they can carry bags and weights, also heavy, and moreover they are comfortable.  The advantages are of being able to stop and to restart comfortably, thanks to the three wheels, of being able shamefully to go in climb terribly slow for the same reason, and not to create problems of sitting.   The recumbent goes well also in descent; although it cannot be tilted have the barycentre very low.  My “ADY” has been able to allow also me, that I have an arm and a foot out of service, to ride bicycle, this is the demonstration of the comfort of this solution.

There are various Recumbent, long or short, with two or three wheels, front-wheel drive or posterior, with the steering before or behind, tricycles with the two wheels in front or behind, for the sportsmen or those for old men, technological or home-built and, in order to end, those beautiful or ugly ones.

Long or short:
The front wheels can be more ahead or more behind the feet.    “long” approximately  2,5 m      “short” approximately  2 m 

With two or three wheels :
Bike or trike.

With front-wheel drive or posterior  :
Tractor wheel before or behind.  In the tricycles the traction normally is not where there are the two wheels often lacking a differential system.

Steering before or behind :
Normally those with two wheels have the front steering while the tricycles in some cases can have it posterior, especially when the traction is in front.

Tricycles with the two wheels before or behind :
With two wheels in front “tadpole” or behind “delta”.    Those with two wheels before are stable, the other are lighter.

Sportsman or those for old man :
The sport has the sitting reclined and sometimes near the ground while the others have nearly an arm-chair.  Moreover one passes from disc brakes and refined gear changes to that there are used going to make shopping.

Technological or home-built :
Companies that construct in aluminum or in carbon and those made on the kitchen table!!!!

Beautiful or ugly ones :
I guarantee to you that there are some recumbent that have a beautiful line and technology, others that make disgust, therefore do not base yourself on the first that you see, could be the wrong.

Unfortunately I cannot put the photos of those beautiful because I would have to ask the authorization in order to publish them, but look in the "Links"

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