Recumbent trike speed

[fossala]

I asked a month ago how fast I would be on an 26" ICE QNT compared to a touring bike.

A month later (today) I decided to record my cycle home. This was with a small head wind (10mph).

Distance - 10.08 Miles
Time - 39.22
Max speed - 48.7mph
Elevation - 967ft
Average speed 15.4mph

So, turns out they're not too slow. A bit faster than a touring bike, I don't think that is too bad considering the hills.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Now do it on the tourer....................tell us how you get on.

[fossala]

Hi,
Now do it on the tourer....................tell us how you get on.

I find you can't compare two days directly, just averages over time. For instance today was my 8th day straight at work so I'm not on fresh legs. It would also be unfair as I haven't rode an upright bike in a month so I'm guessing some muscles would not be at their best.

A normal day riding home on a touring bike would take me 45mins but today I did know I had my phone recording so I gave it a bit more effort.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
You look around and you will find comparisons online, I am sure they have been posted in the past.
Ah just noticed it a trike, not a lot different from a two wheeler I would of thought.
XAPbob rides one but has bitten the bullet with a power pack nowadays

[fossala]

Hi,
You look around and you will find comparisons online, I am sure they have been posted in the past.
Ah just noticed it a trike, not a lot different from a two wheeler I would of thought.
XAPbob rides one but has bitten the bullet with a power pack nowadays

I have just bought a recumbent bike (the challenge mistral sl that was for sale on this forum) as well so I'll see how that goes when it turns up. I've really been bitten by the recumbent bug.

[Cosmicbike]

I find myself trundling along at about 12mph average on my Trice Q with 20" wheels all round. I suspect that's due to me spending more time looking at stuff as you can on a trike. Moving average is circa 15mph

[Cyril Haearn]

Maybe you will have to re-learn how to ride an UpWrong

[fossala]

Maybe you will have to re-learn how to ride an UpWrong

I have read anecdotal accounts that when one has learnt how to ride a bicycle, one cannot forget.

I bought the recumbent bike to use places I can't use a trike.

[Cunobelin]

I have been told before that recumbents are slower, but to be quite honest in most circumstances both trikes and bikes are slightly faster.

[Tigerbiten]

A bent trike has a higher rolling resistance but can have lower air resistance than a bike.
So depending on how lumpy it is the two effect tend to almost cancel out.
Low speed hill climbing a bikes definitely better but never try to race a bent downhill.

Ps,15 mph is a good average speed.

[fossala]

A bent trike has a higher rolling resistance but can have lower air resistance than a bike.
So depending on how lumpy it is the two effect tend to almost cancel out.
Low speed hill climbing a bikes definitely better but never try to race a bent downhill.

Ps,15 mph is a good average speed.

Have you rode both a recumbent bike and trike? How much faster are recumbent bikes?

[[XAP]Bob]

I have commuted on an MTB, a Trike (ICE Sprint RS) and a fast bike (RaptoBike Low racer).
I've also ridden other bikes (more road framed) for various things...

When fit my commuting average on the trike is about 17-18mph (the motor really doesn't help that much, I'm generally exceeding it's max speed anyway), on the raptobike I can average 22-23 on the same route.

I was faster on my first trike (a Pete Ross precursor to the current ICE lineup) than I was on my MTB (with upgraded gears, locked suspension and tyres with a 'road ridge' down the middle pumped up hard, it was fast enough that I could keep speed with road bikes) on the comparable commute....


Right now I am infinitely faster on a trike, because I can't ride two wheels at all

[[XAP]Bob]

XAPbob rides one but has bitten the bullet with a power pack nowadays

The power pack was insurance... I went from riding nothing for 9 months (stupid job) to commuting 15 miles each way...
I needed the pack once in the first week (bonked on the way home) but it has only been comfort otherwise.

[Tigerbiten]

A bent trike has a higher rolling resistance but can have lower air resistance than a bike.
So depending on how lumpy it is the two effect tend to almost cancel out.
Low speed hill climbing a bikes definitely better but never try to race a bent downhill.

Ps,15 mph is a good average speed.

Have you rode both a recumbent bike and trike? How much faster are recumbent bikes?

I've heard that trikes are around 10-15% slower than bikes.
Also a good front fairing is around 3% faster and a good tailbox is around double that.

[[XAP]Bob]

My speeds are on a trike set for all year commuting luxury (Dynamo, battery, mudguards, rack, side pods, spares... against a racing style bike with a minimal set of kit and a small tail box...