Recumbent bicycles - Suicide Jockeys or hip & cool...?

[neilll]

Been meaning to post this for months....what is your opinion?

Rant begins >>

My daily commute takes me thru Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire and along the way is the A509 between Wellingborough and Milton Keynes.....this is a fast road that takes very heavy volumes of traffic in the rush hour and for its class it is VERY narrow in places and plenty of blind bends and even a blind summit :shock:

Every day this dude rides between Wellingborough and Milton Keynes on one of those Recumbent bicycles :shock:
Personally I think he is taking his life in his hands and is asking for what's coming to him....the thing is so low you CANNOT see it until you are right on top of it and when I pass it I cant even see him through my passenger window.

He used to have a bright orange flag on a big whippy pole thing but he must like risks cos he's taken that off now.....if you ask me he is 'writing his own ticket'

I guess these are hip and cool but there's a time and a place, or am I getting old?

Here endeth the rant

 

[cherrybomb]

I kind of think they're cool......and quick!

However, you really do need to make them as visible as possible if you're using them in traffic because they are so low.

It's all very well being hard cyclists with an 'attitude', but it don't make you any less dead when you go under that truck.

Whip aerials with bright flags get my vote.

 

[tintin40]

They are sooooooo cool I had a trice BITD Made me a better cyclist. Tought me to keep my upper body still. So all energy goes through my legs. But had to sell due to no space & moving home

 

[s_zigmond]

I keep looking at getting one, but i strugle with their advantage for commuting. Dont they just mean you have to sit in traffic jams?

 

[tintin40]

Not if you get a 2 wheel version. mine had two at the front and one at the back. Which did mean I did get stuck some times between Hampton Court and Slough

 

[neilll]

all ridiculously dangerous for roads with cars IMHO

Too much info here.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recumbent_bicycle

 

[Kestonian]

No no no no no and no

These (and folding bicyles) should be shot.

These are two things of which I have an irrational and instant dislike. I know not why as I've ridden neither, but can see they give their owners great pleasure / are practical.

I'm so glad I got that off my chest

 

[tintin40]

Agree on the folding bikes. But recumbents are

 

[neilll]

No no no no no and no

These (and folding bicyles) should be shot.

These are two things of which I have an irrational and instant dislike. I know not why as I've ridden neither, but can see they give their owners great pleasure / are practical.

I'm so glad I got that off my chest

Hurrah....a supporter at last...my faith in humanity is restored

 

[Russell]

Ridden by people who want to look 'wacky' but who aren't that bothered about living very long.