Recumbent suspension

[squeaker]

... would like Recumbent bike, but wondering if any type of suspension is needed? Either rear or full? Also I'd want it set quite hard I think. But prefer none if it's not needed. On road only. Like the Vortex + but the price

You need to work out whether you are after a trike (slower, lower but more stable) or a bike (significantly faster than a trike). Horses for courses, but it would narrow the field down a bit!

[Father Jack]

I didn't know a trike would be slower, although I thought the extra tyre would increase rolling resistance, thought the lower position would help with aerodynamics. So a two wheel recubent is faster?

[[XAP]Bob]

Yes - although not infinitely.

The Aero position helps into headwinds and at speed, but you get the same on a bike...

[byegad]

I didn't know a trike would be slower, although I thought the extra tyre would increase rolling resistance, thought the lower position would help with aerodynamics. So a two wheel recubent is faster?

A trike is easier to ride slowly up hill. A recumbent bike 'encourages' you to keep up a good pace. The extra wheel not only adds 50% more rolling resistance but can also be responsible for extra drag due to poor tracking, one of my trikes came with poor tracking and putting that right added 1mph to the average speed over a 20 mile ride. In terms of absolute top speed, down hill, it added more like 5mph.

There is an aero penalty to the extra wheel on a trike, for a start spokes cause drag and then the cross section of the trike itself is a deal wider too.

The difference, in my experience is around 8 to 10% faster on a recumbent bike of equal weight than on a trike.

[squeaker]

I didn't know a trike would be slower, although I thought the extra tyre would increase rolling resistance, thought the lower position would help with aerodynamics. So a two wheel recubent is faster?

IME a recumbent trike is about 10 to 15% slower on journey times than a recumbent bike - comparing similar types (e.g. touring or 'race'). Tyre drag + aero drag (to quote ICE 'to be fast on a recumbent trike you need to be reclined' - both front wheels are out in clean air, on a bike the rear wheel is in the shadow of the front) + extra weight (which gets you on hills - where you really can loose time).

[Father Jack]

ok probably looking at a two wheeled bent then. Any recommendations, my road bikes have 23/35/28mm tyres as I quicker rolling.

[squeaker]

Any recommendations

Try some
If in Scotland then Laidback, South of London: London Recumbents - based in Dulwich Park, so good for tryouts but limited stock - or Future Cycles in Forest Row. Anything in-between, for the largest collection of S/H 'bents this side of the channel, DTek (no web site 01353 648177 - just remember it's only Kevin, and he does take breaks )
FWIW, and this is just a thought, it might be worth trying a couple of trikes - with different seat heights - to get the feel for the recumbent position before trying a bike (where you need to balance via the steering).
Have fun!

[zoxed]

...I thought the extra tyre would increase rolling resistance, thought the lower position would help with aerodynamics...

As a trike owner I always wondered about that, but surely for the same weight of (rider + bike/trike) the rolling resistance would be the same: more wheels but less weight on each ? (less weight = less tyre deflection = less resistance ?)

[zoxed]

...both front wheels are out in clean air, on a bike the rear wheel is in the shadow of the front)...

This is true (except in the case of a delta it is the rear wheels !!). So I guess wheel disks/thin tyres are even more useful on a trike than a bike. (And the side-wind effect would be less of a problem on a trike than a bike.)

(I am mostly a trike rider by choice (Kett), but sometimes use a bike for speed: I would love it if my trike was a closer speed to my trike, and then I could drop the bike )

[squeaker]

but surely for the same weight of (rider + bike/trike) the rolling resistance would be the same: more wheels but less weight on each ? (less weight = less tyre deflection = less resistance ?)

In my consulting days, the standard 'get out of jail' was to mutter something about 'non-linear effects' (e.g. there is some rolling resistance with no load, and the resistance is not directly proportional to the load) - I'm sure that applies here

[squeaker]

but surely for the same weight of (rider + bike/trike) the rolling resistance would be the same: more wheels but less weight on each ? (less weight = less tyre deflection = less resistance ?)

In my consulting days, the standard 'get out of jail card' was to mutter something about 'non-linear effects' (e.g. there is some rolling resistance with no load, and the resistance is not directly proportional to the load) - I'm sure that applies here

[hercule]

(I am mostly a trike rider by choice (Kett), but sometimes use a bike for speed: I would love it if my trike was a closer speed to my trike, and then I could drop the bike )

A fairing has made an appreciable difference to my Trice (DF riders disappearing rapidly in the mirror on downhills!) but would be a bit trickier to fit to a Kett. It's not quite cured my longing for a fast bent bike, though...

[squeaker]

A fairing has made an appreciable difference to my Trice (DF riders disappearing rapidly in the mirror on downhills!) but would be a bit trickier to fit to a Kett.

IIRC LeeW of BHPC reckoned that a significant tail fairing was worth about 2mph at race speeds on his Trice 'S'....

[UpWrong]

As others have said, bikes are faster than trikes so if you want comparable times to a road DF then a recumbent bike is a better bet. Even so, the chances are that you will be slower going up hills and faster going down them and around the same on the level depending on conditions.

With regards to suspension, generally more desirable on a recumbent although larger wheels, a mesh seat and wider tyres reduce the need. Good, lightweight suspension tends to cost more money.

You could do worse than buy a Bacchetta Giro which has different seat options and a wide range of adjustment. Then after a few months and a couple of thousand miles you might have a better idea of what you want.

[markg0vbr]

I didn't know a trike would be slower, although I thought the extra tyre would increase rolling resistance, thought the lower position would help with aerodynamics. So a two wheel recubent is faster?

IME a recumbent trike is about 10 to 15% slower on journey times than a recumbent bike - comparing similar types (e.g. touring or 'race'). Tyre drag + aero drag (to quote ICE 'to be fast on a recumbent trike you need to be reclined' - both front wheels are out in clean air, on a bike the rear wheel is in the shadow of the front) + extra weight (which gets you on hills - where you really can loose time).

also distance comes into it the farther you ride the less difference in speed there is, i put it down to comfort, not having to balance and stop as often.
then there is touring, i am faster on the trike over long distance with a full load then i ever have, on df or bent bike.