Who Killed the Recumbent Bicycle?
Recumbent bicycles, ridden from a reclined position, are faster than standard upright bikes, and many people find them more comfortable, too. So why are they such a rare sight on the road today? As engineering researchers Hassaan Ahmed, Omer Masood Qureshi, and Abid Ali Khan write, the answer comes down to a choice made almost a century ago.
The “safety bicycle,” better known today as “the bicycle,” was a huge hit almost from the time John Starley introduced it in 1885. The safety was easier to ride, safer, and faster than the high-wheelers that preceded it. It replaced the high-wheeler among racers and hobbyists while also turning bikes into a form of transportation and recreation for women and the working class.
Almost half a century later, another technological innovation grabbed cyclists’ attention. Francis Faure, known to be far from the fastest rider, broke the one-hour record on a Velocar, a type of recumbent bike invented by Charles Mochet.
“At the finish line, the crowd’s reaction was similar to that of the crowd that witnessed the initial display of superiority of the safety bicycle: dominated by shock and anger,” Ahmed, Qureshi, and Khan write.
