Recumbent Bike Vs Killer Hill - Will It Climb?

Recumbent bicycles are pretty fun to ride, not to mention fast, but how do they cope on steep climbs? Hank is used to suffering on a road bike, but how will he fare in this killer hill climb challenge? Watch to find out if lying down really is the right way to face a challenge!
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Leave us a comment below!

[@gcn]

Would you like to have a go on a recumbent? Let us know in the comments 👇

[@markstone5390]

Nope, i can see their appeal but sorry its a traditional bike all the way. Like being higher up and seeing over the hedges etc. Same height as cars and of course nothing like a bit a decent depending.

[@TheUltimateULTRA]

more videos of Velomobiles please :)

[@arifazhari7598]

Yes i do. Also put ollie in that "cockpit".

[@suupaltti]

I'm already happy owner of one velomobile. :)

[@TheUltimateULTRA]

Juho Vuotila what’ve you got?

[@nossocc]

Its pretty clear why Hank lost that race, his opponent(Yokin?) was smiling the entire way.

[@fluffigverbimmelt]

Jochen maybe? 🤔

[@simonbradley7031]

@@fluffigverbimmelt as in Rindt 👍🏻

[@JCP1992]

its all about the smiles!!!

[@kamucho]

🤣🤣

[@MauricioAlsinaLee]

I was to comment the same, LOL!

[@ArashFallah]

9:40 Good thing Hank had Manon with him, cause I doubt the rest of the cast can lift anything with their baguette arms!

[@magguscrow]

Or we would have watched him do a 30 point turn.

[@williamb4652]

Baguette? Ficelle.

[@gethind-j2390]

Well, they are good together. ;)

[@billinhouston3291]

Baguette arms! Ha ha ha haaaaaaa.

[@anjaymitalskiff4938]

@@gethind-j2390 are they dating?

[@nhojbg]

I can’t be the only one on here that wanted to hear about Barney’s “old recumbent tandem”- there’s no way he can casually drop that into conversation without a follow up question

[@JanneRasanen2]

Yeah sounds interesting. I have ridden the back seat of a self built recumbent tandem for about 1 km. The seat to pedal height was too much for me so I was supported on my bum and the lowest leg alone. A nervous and twitchy tryout for sure :-)

[@PsyKeks]

There are many shapes of recumbent tandems. Some have "normal" recumbent position two times behind each other. Very similar to a normal tandem. For speed / racing I think it's more common to reverse the stoker. (Have to cross the chain, so they pedal normally) I have seen a picture of a stacked one. That did seem to be more of a stunt, than for practical use. XD I am more interested in the "sociable" or "side-by-side" variant, where you sit next to each other and can speak very easily and maybe hold hands, if you are in love. ;-) A detail that sounds nice to me is that with a front drive for the captain and a rear drive for the stoker or on a fourwheeled sociable both can pedal completely independently with different cadences. Oh and there are mixed tandems with the stoker in front in recumbent position on top of the small front wheel and the captain upright in the middle of the bike. (see "Hase Pino") Great when the captain is a caregiver who needs to watch over the stoker, but also see the road to steer.

[@4nz-nl]

@@PsyKeks Make sure to google the Velomobiel.nl DuoQuest. With that, not only can you converse and hold hands, you can also put your kid in the back. Drivetrains are separated, each to their own rear wheel so you can pedal your own cadence and it's still quick enough. They're built to order by a French friend of the company.

[@drewbolotsky9541]

The UCI should make recumbent racing an event, with new designs like F1, making the fastest human-powered vehicles possible.

[@MarlonSolisFallas]

@@yao4738 Seeing this video that same idea came to mind, how fast these velomobiles would be with a standard battery motor like most ebikes, they would fly, and I guess battery mileage would improve greatly.

[@stajp67]

Take a look at racing in Australia, I think it's highschool and college level. Nice videos about it on KZbin. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_HPV_Super_Series

[@fournierluc2205]

There is WAY too much money from bicycle manufacturers and race teams who would find that this would upset their marketing efforts. For years the message has been that these racing bikes are the fastest you can get and people will spend thousands to get the latest bike with a few grams saved, a few little aerodynamic improvements then people discover that there are bikes that are km/h faster. This is not good for marketing for bikes, traditional cycling events and for attracting sponsors.

[@drewbolotsky9541]

Fournier Luc this is true, but I feel like the UCI does a lot to hold back innovation with their rules. I’m sure that if these manufacturers were able to make fastest vehicles that would be on the main stage, they would

[@mpvsystems9302]

@@yao4738 Exactly.....think Tesla versus the car industry....it now worth more than all of them combined!

[@TheVelomobileChannel]

More recumbents? Yes please. Great to see more recumbents and velomobiles on mainstream cycling channel like GCN. Thanks!

[@adamt195]

Mr Saukki himself in the comments.

[@ferventheat]

We love you Saukki 🧡🧡🧡🧡

[@hpvspeedmachine4183]

These are just clowns that make a mick of recumbents

[@stuartchester6899]

@@hpvspeedmachine4183 haha, imagine one on the Vuelta a Espana on an 8km hill where the bikes are bombing up for two hours up steep hills.. they are absolutely stupid things and anyone who uses one is a contrary idiot who only just wants to be gawped at .Go away kid and grow up and get some sense

[@johnsimion2893]

@@stuartchester6899 You don't like recumbents, that's a personal choice and that's fine -- but your unwarranted attack on the guy was really childish. Hills don't just go uphill, you know. Recumbents have much better aerodynamics and when the bikes are bombing DOWNHILL at the Vuelta a Espana on the 8 km hill, the recumbent riders aren't looking like "contrary idiots" then.

[@davidhughes467]

As a rider of both uprights and recumbents, it is good to see recumbents treated (semi) seriously. They are awesome for touring.

[@user-xv7eb5ct9f]

which bike performs better on inclines ?

[@Ed.R]

@@user-xv7eb5ct9f Whichever is the lightest.

[@fourutubez7294]

@@user-xv7eb5ct9f I prefer to tour on my Trice trike on hill routes as you can go as slow as you want to up the hill without a wobble

[@davidhughes467]

@@user-xv7eb5ct9f minimal difference, although technique is different, spinning vs grinding, so somewhat dependent on preferred cadence.

[@wave6413]

I can go 3 times further and 5 KPH faster on my recumbent than my Cross bike with out a small saddle trying to mate to my nether regions. It's horses for courses. I love my stick bike but I also love my mountain bike where I would never take the bent.

[@rhein228]

Try out a velomobile on a long ride over mixed terrain - that is where velomobiles perform best. Do a comparison with a traditional road bike.

[@scottmcelhiney323]

Hitting the rollers at speed is really fun.

[@4nz-nl]

No contest. On anything except very specific terrain, a velomobile will leave a roadbike in the dust. In my velomobile, my competition = speed pedelecs and scooters, not cyclists.

[@wreckingopossum]

So when you say "mixed terrain" do you mean to throw in some singletrack, technical climbs, and rock gardens? Or do you mean tarmac and asphalt and well packed red dirt roads? asking for a friend ok, me, myself and I

[@rhein228]

Dylan I’m thinking of road bike terrain: flats, rollers and hills.

[@KandiKlover]

Mountain Velomobiling

[@aamj50]

Thanks for the recumbent content! Especially showing what a difference it makes to be acclimated to the different pedaling technique. I ride a dual 700c "highracer" . It took me about 9 months of deliberate practice and training to get my sprinting and climbing speeds up to (and beyond) where they were on a traditional road bike.

[@JanneRasanen2]

My transitioning took 3 months for the initial period with only slight improvements when climbing in the next 3 months. To me the pedaling technique is not an issue. Pedaling in circles in all bikes.

[@Jimboblay74]

Agree, there's definitely a transition period. 400 miles minimum IMHO.

[@randorecumbent]

Fair play for adding recumbent content. Also good for you for including experienced recumbent riders. That said, those experienced riders should have known that the body position for lowracers is not ideal for climbing. In general the more reclined or "open" body position is better for speed on flats and a more upright or "closed" body position is better for climbing. The reason is that the angle your back makes with your hips determine what muscle groups are recruited. Hank, when you felt you couldn't get "on top of the gears", your body position was main factor. A more experienced rider would sit up slightly on a climb to get more power rather than continue to lay back. There's a lot more to riding recumbents than just the aero factor. Give me a shout if you ever want to discuss the finer points.

[@CharlesSnyder]

More recumbents please. Would like to see a contest over 60km, velomobile vs upright and other recumbents. Moderately hilly, with rolling hills splashed in.

[@benoitbvg2888]

and lots of smiling.

[@GunganWorks]

There’s finally more recumbent content on GCN! This made my day!

[@tc7574]

I knew the "smile" comment was coming because I watched the previous video. Love the video, GCN. When you decide to do another recumbent video, consider a dual 700c high racer or a 700c rear/451 front midracer. That seems to be a common issue that upright riders talk about when they refer to recumbents, visibility. As a rider of uprights and recumbents, keep these videos coming. One additional note, look up the Zockra front wheel drive recumbent and give that one a try. Malric made some beautiful bikes. I own one of his midracers. If you're ever in the states, you're welcome to give it a try.

[@fournierluc2205]

I would like to see the recumbent and velomobiles with experienced recumbent riders. This does not provide a realistic view of recumbent bikes, you need many miles on these bikes to gain the recumbent legs and riding skills. Even a vrecumbent rider in a velomobile will not get full performance nor a velkomobile rider riding a recumbent bike let alone an upright rider in either of those. Maybe a road ride on varied terrain with experienced/strong riders on recumbent, velomobiles and upright bikes would provide a good comparison. There you would see the difference in speed and abilities, strengths and weaknesses of each type.

[@Jimboblay74]

One interesting aspect of recumbents is the variety of designs. My experience has been that I need to ride my way into peak fitness/technique for each a little differently.

[@JohnR31415]

Yeah, only seeing someone who can’t ride is rather disappointing

[@mslonik]

Yes please, more, more recumbent bicycles and your fabulous experience about them, please!

[@DanuelNuel]

Now Hank you need to do it on unicycle!

[@danielv6954]

Yes please ;). Also, that could be the first time full face helmet is used on GCN ;);).

[@lukeorlando4814]

If you are trawling the comment do not forget to slap a like on DanuelNue’s suggestion

[@stajp67]

No no no...everybody has a speciality. Si does unicycling, Hank is tallbike/recumbent.

[@downfix]

At least now we know which GCN presenter has the most upper body strength.

[@manon-lloyd]

💁🏻‍♀️

[@billinhouston3291]

@@manon-lloyd grrrl power!

[@JanneRasanen2]

@@kimberlystewart8980 Actually it is a fair load to lift for Manon. But her biceps are larger than Dan's legs :-)

[@rmiraflor]

😂 I read this before Manon made her appearance and thought, “of course, Manon” and lo and behold

[@pm124]

You probably noticed that your legs were sore as hell the next day. You need to build up a different muscle set. I have an M5 Carbon High Racer. At 54, I have top ten out of 15,000+ people on many local flat Strava segments. But if you look at my times on climbs, I'm more toward the middle of the pack. Part of the slowness on hills is my bike being heavier, but most of it is just that if I'm on a regular bike, I will be in the middle of the pack on flats and descents as well. All taken in, my average times on the M5 on 70+ mile rides are around 23MPH. My averages on an upright road bike are about 18MPH. If there are major climbs, I'm closer to road bike times. If there are off road segments, I'm slower.

[@pm124]

@@yao4738 Downhills can be scary on some bikes. On an aerodynamic high racer, it is easy to hit 60MPH on a descent, and only recent bikes have disc brakes. These bikes vary a LOT, though, with some very fast and others quite slow on a flat. Likewise, they vary in terms of stability. A Bacchetta is a good compromise for a lot of people as they tend to be quite stable and have disc brakes. They are high enough off the ground to be seen by cars. They are fast, but probably not as fast as a Europe-style bike. Performer in Taiwan makes aluminum models of all stripes, and their high racer is reasonably fast and stable.

[@silviohinstorff9058]

Would loooove to see more recumbents on this channel. I'm riding one since June 2019 and they are really awesome for touring. Saving on my velomobile now. Can't wait to ride it next year. Greetings from Germany. ;)

[@GregCantori]

Show the Velos on rolling terrain to show just how incredibly fast they really are. Piloted by experienced riders of course! A sub-3 hour century is very doable with a strong rider and optimized velomobile!

[@ewraticcreations8277]

A Century is possible in less than 2 hours with a standard rider and a standard fast-ish velomobile, but only if the route/track allows for it. If it doesn't it is impossible even for a fast rider in an optimized vehicle. They rely on aerodynamics, advantages only at relatively high speeds, we all stand equally fast at red lights, stop signs and other obstacles.

[@4nz-nl]

@@ewraticcreations8277 Aerodynamics and position. Nothing beats a recumbent in sprinting power if you have the strength, to the point of wheelspin on dry road in a DF or Alpha 7. On roads with lots of traffic stops, the right velomobile is notoriously quick too.

[@ewraticcreations8277]

@@4nz-nl Compared to a Road Bike yes, But only because you reach higher velocity. But the higher the Toop-speed the longer it Takes to reach it. A Sprint does Not save your average. If you can't hold your high cruising speed your average goes down and will eventuell endlich up Not Far abend from a Road bike. An average belohnt 40kp/h is Quote Common on May routes/tracks/rides eventuell for Stromgewinnung rides. These Who usually are fester usually have their fettig routes for that, wheelspinning or Not. You can Spin a wheel With Werk legs in a Front heavy df in a small enough gear, or be unable to With strong legs, a big gear and mache a Far behind sitting Position or luggage making the VM back-heavy. Spinning the wheel is a matter of torque, Not Power, anybody can any torque With a streng enough lever, gears are leverage. Kinetic Energie is Not linear With velocity, sprinting is nice But acellerating from 0 to cruising speed Takes more toll on the legt than on a Road bike you just Lack the small gears. You also nee to deliver that Power longer because you reach cruising speed later, therefore you can deliver lass Power in sprinting than if you sprinted shorter...

[@4nz-nl]

@@ewraticcreations8277 Not because of the higher velocity. I've met numerous racing cyclists at traffic lights, a lot of them have tried to keep up, a lot of them have asked me if my bike has E-assist at the next traffic light, and all of them have failed. On a racing bike, you have to start cycling when the light goes to green, click in the second pedal, etcetera. Then, you need to keep your balance ánd keep yourself down if you're putting in serious torque. In my VM, I can punch full torque into the 32 on my cassette from a standing start, within 2 seconds there's 1500w going through that drivetrain and then it's a matter of clicking it through the gears. A good track cyclist would probably be capable of dumping enough power to stay in front for a little, then the end of the sprint would get interesting, but I don't meet those guys very often :-) The only thing that has managed to more or less stay with me was an experienced cyclist on a (500w engine, street legal) speed pedelec. By the time I started to fatigue enough to make it possible for him to win that sprint, I was already over 50 km/h (while 49 km/h is his top speed). Probably I'd lose a sprint to a good cyclist on a Stromer ST5 in my QuattroVelo (on that speed pedelec, the bike alone can put in 850w), but I think I'd still be capable of giving an ST5 a hard time in a DF or Alpha 7.

[@4nz-nl]

@@ewraticcreations8277 Concerning power and torque: I know the difference, but I can put enough torque into my QuattroVelo to give my two rear tyres a hard time with 30 kg of "luggage" (my son) sitting right on top of those rear wheels, yet in sprints my cadence often hits 150. I don't know of all the best sprinting techniques on road bikes, but I wasn't capable of dumping this amount of power into a road bike. I'd just violently stand up on the pedals on every stroke if I tried.

[@appelflapdrol]

Hank called the Alpha a green machine, but actually a Dutch company Flevobike builds the genuine GreenMachine, also a recumbent bike with optional steering under the seat and fully closed drivetrain with Rohloff hub inside the frame... Top notch quality, worth some research! And while you're at it also check out the Orca by Flevobike

[@roymacdonald6774]

The Alpha is designed in Germany and manufactured in Romania. I think he called it a green machine because it was painted green!

[@moisesrosario9716]

Finally GCN does recumbent again

[@DaveWarnock]

Yes please, more recumbents and velomobiles. Would be great to have a video with the people from ICE, a great British manufacturer. Plus try recumbents in what they are great at. Eg touring, audax, circuit racing depending on which type.

[@roncamarota85]

I'm so happy for Hank and Manon. Hope they have many happy years together

[@gethind-j2390]

It's obvious, isn't it?

[@allanboult]

@@gethind-j2390 I thought so too!

[@billinhouston3291]

I know she is engaged, but is she engaged to Hank?

[@mosesbuddhajesus3362]

Heck yea! More recumbent vids!

[@whatwelearned]

Look, I'm not going to sit here and claim I don't enjoy seeing James in pain

[@heliumtrophy]

In marketing they'd call that the "unique selling point" and we're all sold on it!

[@erichorton3901]

It's not the Penny Farthing video, but it will do haha.

[@andrewwade5618]

How do you get away with it??😂😂😂...”the biggest growler I have ever seen”...😂😂😂

[@richardsmith5087]

Came here for this exact comment.... wasn’t disappointed 😂😂😂

[@thomashill5042]

I always knew Manon carried Hank through these videos. Now we have proof.

[@danproposkanovovski]

"I made it up; I didn't fall off like the last one" he says sitting *in a tricycle*. lmao

[@ewraticcreations8277]

Yes, in theory funny... you can still fall in these. Of course we all would like to see him do so, he needs a bit more velocity for that though.

[@4nz-nl]

Try going downhill and whacking the steering to one side. You'll see him fall then, no problem

[@KandiKlover]

@@4nz-nl no need. Jeremy Clarkson already did something similar in a Reliant Robin many times.

[@4nz-nl]

@@KandiKlover True but that's very different. Google "tadpole trike" and "delta trike", that'll explain most. In short: In a Reliant, once it's going you're screwed. In this you have chance to fix things. You can even balance these on two wheels. We don't have much footage but take a look at the blue-white Milan here (yes, he does this for fun) >> kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3nLcoKem65kjNU

[@hoob4loob]

Riding recumbents also uses slightly different muscle groups which Hank hasn't developed and not pointed out within the video. Hank did have a slight handicap here.

[@Ed.R]

I can confirm that to be true. My recumbent riding muscles are so under developed I struggle to get out of breath on climbs. Reckon I can only put out about ⅔ of the power I'm capable of on a standard bike.

[@brauljo]

That's interesting and probably the main reason wherein we've been lead to believe recumbents are slow climbers

[@wave6413]

My bent legs took a while to develop and when I got back on the road bike I was noticeably faster because of the bent legs but I could also feel by non bent muscles days later. With practice and bent legs a hill is not that much slower than my road bike, but is slower. Down hill and on flats the bent is much nicer and faster.

[@brauljo]

@@wave6413 It wasn't till your last sentence that I realized that bent is short for recumbent

[@whitepawrolls]

Kind of like me that's been riding recumbent for years getting on a normal upright bike. It just feels...wrong. :)

[@hairynippleful]

I love the smile instruction part of riding a recumbant. That old bloke sparks joy.

[@paulmounsey8076]

I ride a m5 high racer recumbent. And love it. More recumbent videos please. Maybe a balance of climb and decent

[@olivertull86]

Been watching GCN for a while now, and I am glad to see you doing some recumbent content! All us cyclists gotta stick together, right? Hank just needs to work on spinning up those hills instead of grinding and he’ll be catching up to those guys in no time. Thanks again, subbed!

[@earthstick]

It's like GCN did an episode of Last Of The Summer Wine.

[@gcn]

Not far off!

[@ViveSemelBeneVivere]

@0:04 I'm sure that was Nora Batty frowning in the background.

[@2020pine]

Hank tried to climb on a front wheel drive recumbent. These are the hardest recumbents to ride straight. The rear wheel drive low racer is easier to control and the velomobile easiest to control because it is a trike and you cannot easily fall over. Regardless, climbing on a recumbent is more difficult than on a Pinarello Dogma (as Hank proved). This video was very helpful for my DF friends who constantly ask me why it is so difficult to climb on a recumbent (for reference I rode my recumbent up eight category 1 climbs in the Dolomites and Alps, including Passo do Stelvio, Monte Grappa, Sella Ronda etc.)

[@aikigreg]

Enjoyed the video! I am a recumbent racer, and glad to see you making some content with them. In spite of the roadie hate, they are fun and many are also fast. I have several records that have stood for 10 years now, waiting for anyone on a road bike to beat. RAAM record is owned by recumbents. Hate on that, roadie dorks!

[@T_Mo271]

Thanks for insulting all road bike riders. Very helpful in promoting recumbents.

[@JanneRasanen2]

@@T_Mo271 Err try riding recumbents and then you know how much shit roadies deal out. That is no even a beginning of paying back.

[@Gannicius]

@@JanneRasanen2 Do two wrongs make a right?

[@JanneRasanen2]

@@Gannicius Neither does constant trash talk from roadies to recumbent riders. Many recumbent riders ride both depending on the ride.

[@kufman01]

More recumbent content would be cool but actual, serious content instead of making a mockery of them. There are lots of recumbent riders out there that can do hills very well and have even won competitions against upright bikes. Thanks again for the content but keep it professional.

[@JanneRasanen2]

The recumbent "angel" and pals were pulling one on Hank by giving him the hardest to control regular recumbent. There exists a harder to control no steerer type that nobody makes commercially! Wonder why ;-)

[@bobdinsmore482]

I’ve been waiting on more info on recumbants. I have a recumbant , it makes up one of my 3 bikes I own. Always fun to put it in the rotation with my other bikes. Bring on any information you can to bring recumbants to the public.

[@RareCoinsandOtherStuff]

This is a new Classic GCN video. Hank you are fantastic at these challenges and your enthusiasm is infectious. Thank you for doing it.

[@FlatSpinMan]

Erik Gronning Precisely.

[@kimwall834]

Would love to see more recumbent content, but the "person with no recumbent experience finds it hard work and difficult to control" trope is getting old. You wouldn't expect someone who'd learned to ride an upright bicycle half an hour ago to do a meaningful review of them.

[@roymacdonald6774]

Incisive comment Kim. Also looked to me like Jochen had short cranks spinning a low gear. Which experienced recumbent hill climbers swear by. He wasn't on a light recumbent though. That bike probably weighs as much as the Velo!!

[@kimwall834]

@@roymacdonald6774 Yep. There's very little I can't climb on my similarly-equipped Streetmachine, though at 24kg and with me for an engine, it doesn't get there fast.

[@Kromaatikse]

That first lowracer had another very big controllability disadvantage - the pedals being mounted on the steering arm. What that means is that every pedal stroke causes a steering input. He did a whole lot better in the velomobile, not only because as a tricycle it's naturally stable, but because the pedals are mounted on the rigid frame and driving the rear wheel, eliminating the steering disturbances. I'm disappointed that wasn't explained in the video, as it seemed like a fairly obvious difference between the bike Hank was riding and the ones used by the more experienced recumbenteers.

[@rossbrumby1957]

@@kimwall834 a street machine is 24kg? My magnum big wheel is lighter than that and one of the sturdiest trikes on the market! Is it just because of suspension it's that heavy?

[@Yeek1337]

Nice to see more recumbent content! How about a segment on uprights vs. recumbents for touring/bike packing? I think recumbent ergonomics are far superior to upright for longer rides and multiple day tours. However, lower recumbents are not that confidence-inspiring when riding in city traffic. This summer I did a tour on my M5 Carbon High Racer (recumbent) alongside my friend who rides a regular carbon road bike. The tour was 2000 km over 2 weeks. Guess who was groaning over back and butt pain by the end? Not me. Still, a travelling partner on an upright bike proved useful for navigating in cities.

[@markstone5390]

Nothing like going as hard as you can while missing the parked cars.

[@gcn]

Haha!

[@xsubsquid]

Love to see more. Keep in mind you guys have one of the best recumbent trike manufacturers in the world at Inspired Cycle Engineering (ICE Trikes) in Cornwall. They also have the human powered vehicle world champion on staff. Pretty sure he'd give even some of the former professional GCN Roadies a run for their money on an ICE VTX+

[@hebijirik]

I have been riding recumbents for the last 17 years and given a choice even I would not try a front-wheel-drive lowracer for a 13% uphill race. Pedaling a recumbent up a steep hill is quite a bit different technique than an upright and a FWD lowracer adds to that the possibly most difficult steering. Something like that Speedmachine or similar format but lighter would be prefarable. I think that for a recumbent novice you did admirably well.

[@gcn]

Thanks Jiri, we like to make things as hard for hank as we possibly can!

[@woots2621]

you want a FWD without the angled chainline. These are probably the best bent hillclimbers cruzbike.com/products/v20

[@hebijirik]

@@woots2621 I heard that claim repeatedly and I have never seen any data that prove it. Do you know of any source of such data? Would be interesing to read. And for a novice a cruzbike would be even worse choice. The way your legs mess up your steering and your brain has to learn to compensate is even worse than that Raptobike he rode in the video. I tried several different moving-bottom-bracket bikes including a Cruzbike Vendeta and I never found them something I would want to ride. A friend was obsessed with them and bought one and quickly developped knee problems that might or might not be related to that particular bike.

[@JanneRasanen2]

@@hebijirik I had 1 MBB and 1 RWD with 8 more kg weight and shorter gearing. Both tackle 20 % climbs well.

[@JanneRasanen2]

Err an important point: MBBs need grippy front wheels especially for uphill starts when dirty. I used Vittoria Voyager Hyper 37-622 because it is tacky and the widest I could fit. I could kick pedals hard enough to make it spin on start into mild uphills when clean. Even worse when dusty. I can second knee issues with bum knees on MBBs.

[@CJrasp]

Thanks GCN, it's allways nice to see recumbents! As a recumbent rider myself, I would love to see something like a full ride by Hank and another presenter to compare a bit the recumbent to a regular bike. Maybe with a little more recumbent training for hank ;-)

[@Svartez]

As soon as I heard Barney's voice in my head I heard "Smile, remember to smile"

[@FlatSpinMan]

Svartez It’s almost sadistic when he says it. Makes me laugh every time.

[@Jimboblay74]

@@FlatSpinMan The gentleman beating Hank up the hill on the high racer was smiling all the way!

[@billinhouston3291]

He has such a nice accent too.

[@jjackson3240]

Fun video but here are a couple tips. On the low racer keep your elbows in tight to your body when you ride. It limits the amount of steering action so you don't wobble all over the road. As for the velomobile I don't know if you were being facetious or not, but you have to know that aerodynamics doesn't really kick in until you reach about 15 mph. And, what was the weight? Doesn't the Alpha weigh around 25 Kg while your upright is likely in the 10 Kg range?

[@varolai3164]

A cucumber for a bike always works

[@gcn]

A bit lacking in the wheel department maybe?...

[@Mrich775]

@@gcn just throw a toothpick through a slice 😉

[@billinhouston3291]

The Pickle Velo!

[@dimitristripakis7364]

I appreciate the passionate, positive tone of the whole production. Very well done, it is sincere and fun to watch, thank you. EDIT: An idea = instead of having to talk while pedalling uphill, you could add "comic bubbles" with your thoughts, afterwards (post production). This way you can focus on the job better.

[@matt_acton-varian]

GCN Board meeting: "I have thought of yet another crazy and dangerous challenge for video content, who shall we ask?" (everyone else simultaneously)"Hank will do it"

[@Quevallyn]

Love it. Crash Test Hank at it again. Hank is to GCN what John Noakes and Peter Duncan were to classic Blue Peter - hero/nutter.

[@JohnBaxendale]

Loved this! Curious to know equivalent times on a conventional cycle? These recumbents at a top speed of 50mph could be a really practical and green solution for the future, let’s see more content! Also, not taking the opportunity to sing “you spin me right round baby, right round” to Manon was a missed opportunity 😂

[@charlierudder2696]

I'd like to see more recumbent videos since my father in law has started to ride one and has really taken to it!

[@4nz-nl]

YES, more recumbents please!

[@randomnosity1717]

Hank on Recumbent vs Alpe D'Heuz when?

[@gcn]

Watch this space...

[@JanneRasanen2]

@@gcn Do it!!!

[@whitespeed8670]

"I'm in the 48/32 ... it's the smallest gear possible" ... while on the 70s chain ring of the RaptoBike. Made my day. 🤣 06:02

[@Jimboblay74]

That was hilarious. He is one strong dude to make it that far on that enormous chainring!

[@JanneRasanen2]

@@Jimboblay74 utmost respect from me too!

[@Outsideville]

4:00 Not quite a Matt Stephens crash-laugh, but still appreciated.

[@TrikesterHal]

I really miss Matt

[@laagrijwiel]

I only learned of this video recently, because in august I was travelling around Europe on my recumbent. But well, maybe someone will read my comment anyway. Recumbents can be great climbing bikes, but mainly for long climbs and climbs at high altitude. On short and fast climbs, a traditional road bike is faster because you can use the muscles in your upper body to generate extra power. This energy needs to travel through the handlebars and frame until it reaches the pedals, which is not very efficient. But energy is energy so you will go faster. However, as soon as the energy in these muscles is exhausted, things change. From this moment on, the amount of power one can generate is limited by the heart-lung system. And this works better on a recumbent, given the right training and technique. As your heart is at about the same height as the muscles in your legs, circulating the blood requires less effort. And because you can relax your upper body and keep your shoulders and head in position for optimal breathing, one can pump more air through the lungs. This becomes very important at higher altitudes, say over 1500 m above sea level. So in the long run, recumbents are better climbers. However, it does not come free with the bike! One needs to train specifically on this. Also, not every recumbent is suitable. I would recommend a bike on which one lies relatively stretched out, so a fairly reclined seat, but the bracket not too high. This makes breathing better. Also, take a type of handlebars that do not require stretched out arms. Then there is the point of weight: When comparing 'naked' bikes, a traditional road bike will be lighter than a recumbent. When it comes to bike packing, the difference might disappear, while talking fully loaded travel bikes, recumbents can be a lot lighter, because of rackless luggage systems with skeleton-free panniers.

[@altafari]

Let's see the recumbent off road. You can't call everything a growler.

[@geisslersonMC]

civiliantank

[@TheVelomobileChannel]

Been there, done that.

[@svelobikes9049]

I did too

[@rkgr2]

I'm recumbent gravel bikes are on the way.

[@brauljo]

What do you mean by growler?

[@philipschrantz8402]

As a ‘bent rider for the past 25 years, your observation about the difference in the way you use your muscles is dead on. The reclined body position and the isolation of the upper body fundamentally change the dynamic. If Hank could spend a couple serious weeks on a ‘bent, he’d find that his power and and speed would come back to him and his performance would increase dramatically...

[@robpriddy2372]

Outright speed. Trip to battle mountain to see the ultimate recumbents.Try it.

[@JanneRasanen2]

Or looking at videos of previous world records from there.

[@ukestunner]

What a fun show. Love my two recumbents (high racer and touring trike), but hills are definitely a bear! Takes a while to build those recumbent legs. Thanks for sharing the joy of recumbent riding.

[@donaldrieger381]

It would be nice to see a group of presenters do an epic adventure on/in them.

[@Jimboblay74]

Some recumbents work very well on brevets and ultras, of which there are many in the States. 'Bents have done very well indeed on RAAM, although expecting GCN to have one of their presenters do that or London-Edinburgh-London would be asking a bit much!

[@wladpolyanzew6141]

Finally, recumbents back on the channel! I'm hyped!

[@tiagofernandes8989]

Hey GCN, how about start adding the location of this rides on the description, for people like me that are living in UK but are not acquainted with the regions yet?? I am new at the country =)

[@palmvictory]

Yes! More recumbent videos!! Explore many issues, e.g. their speeds, (for each class: low-, mid-, high racers, trikes, velomobiles and streamliners), compare the wattages for a given speed vs. uprights, so very many areas! Go for it!!

[@maximfadeev2012]

Hi from Russia!!! You made laughing a lot!!!!!

[@ipman5418]

Niet

[@milia9377]

Would love see more on recumbents and velomobiles here. Really cool bikes that are way underrated.

[@rhoyphilby4628]

But how fast was Hank on his Canyon vs the recumbents?

[@gcn]

Haha, we didn't have time for that has Hank had already spent all day crashing the recumbent into hedges!

[@hennnnerz]

@@gcn Got a link to the strava leaderboard?

[@tomwhitworth2058]

Global Cycling Network good job really, can’t imagine I’d have hung onto the KOM if he attacked it on the canyon 😂

[@xandershawvlog]

Global Cycling Network are you going back to finish that then?

[@Teofago]

This is precisely what I came for, how disappointing. A great chance to finally settle the debate, wasted.

[@renepauls556]

Love the video! Future video suggestion: Velomobiles (like the alpha 7) are an incredibly promising alternative to cars when commuting or for long distances and they deserve much more attention. Plus, they look like old ferraris ;)

[@TheXtrafresh]

I'd like to see more recumbent footage, but with less of the whoaaa whooo hooo it's weird of a presenter that cant ride them comfortably. This feels like if top gear was making an episode on cycling, manufactured discomfort. Recumbents are awesome in the right environments, just like mountainbikes, eebs, CX, or dare I say it, road bikes. Find good people with good bikes, and you'll find a loyal following too. Also, get a recumbent (preferrably understeered) on a fast descent with flowy corners, and try to wipe Hank's smile off his face then. It feels like being a jetpilot.

[@joequinn9743]

I am a recumbent driver rider and it's fun to see BFN do recumbent videos And it would be interesting to see a recumbent doing a comparison with a diamond frame bike and every on a section of road that is used in famous race. It would be good if the comparison had varying elevations.

[@joequinn9743]

GCN not BFN

[@jamisonr]

When I started cycling in the early 2000s, one of the guys I rode with had a faired recumbent, and so they always seemed like part of the "club" to me. It was fun trying to match him on flats, but we'd drop him on every hill but he'd come charging past us on the downhills (if they were long enough).

[@waymore662]

I like that your including recumbents in your studies. I own a recumbent trike & once you get some experience on one you can do hills pretty good. Aside from comfortable & safe there a real challenger for the human body. Slower than a road bike + really challenge different leg muscles. I compare the recumbent to a leg press. Machine at the gym. Aside from challenging your quads they also work your calves different from the road bike. Recumbent trikes are also no5 just for old guys like me. Keep the videos on recumbent coming. Thanks for doing this video!

[@taitai300]

I feel like brick should be in this video

[@paulwallner3017]

I think brick should be in every video

[@billinhouston3291]

More Brick!

[@KeepSmilingAdventures]

I would like to see the time difference between that alpha 7 and a road bike on 20/30 mile loop

[@RichardSchaffenroth]

Will be around 65 to 40 kilometers per hour

[@KeepSmilingAdventures]

Richard Schaffenroth that's pretty good going. Is that typical speeds for flattish courses ? I guess these come Into there own on the flats. Would love to have ago

[@scottmcelhiney323]

@@KeepSmilingAdventures 24 hour record by a 56 year old Austrian in a stock velomobile is over 50kph AVERAGE speed. Not a race bike... a commuter velomobile.

[@JanneRasanen2]

@@scottmcelhiney323 the speed optimized commercial velomobiles are crazy fast and speed optimized protos are next level to next level.

[@RichardSchaffenroth]

@@KeepSmilingAdventures typical speed on a commuting or shopping tour is 45-50 kph on a flat road. around 38-42 kph average speed for a 50 km ride with traffic. if you do a normal ride which you can do every day.

[@aaquila4668]

I'd love to go on a recumbent... Btw it looks dope for me but how will it look when I ride 😅😅😅

[@JanneRasanen2]

You would look cool.

[@patsizer3581]

Yes please, very interested in the recumbents. Would like to see you try some flat and undulating courses as comparisons too. Also doing the commute in one as a replacement for a car...

[@GraemeBray]

Hank normally has his head turned around by a girl, not his whole bike.

[@flurblewibble7735]

I’m sure I saw Joachim (probably wrong spelling) powering along the Snake Pass last week. He was putting a few car divers to shame with his speed. Really motoring.

[@PsyKeks]

I am a bit confused. It took my few minutes to get the hang of the two wheeled recumbent, that I ordered right there on the day. Probably a combination of quite a few circumstances: I get the basics of things quite quick and he us very used to common race bikes. Also he started on a racing machine. Probably would be faster on a more gentle bike, that's easier to control for a novice. Also your comparisons are a bit useless. Today we learned that a novice rider is slower than a trained rider. What does that say about recumbent bikes? You should have the presenters on their bikes race against the club members on their bikes. Do a flat round curse and a course with a mix of uphill, downhill and flats. Can use power meters to see if rider performance is similar enough to compare the results. And explain, that recumbents are NOT that much more difficult to ride, just different. (Different balance AND different muscles.) Of course YOU of all people will be better on upright bikes, you've done upright for years and recumbent for hours.

[@MrYAMAHA32177]

This video depicts the struggles that a normal cyclist would face when first going to a recumbent bicycle. Recently, on a group ride with a lone recumbent, the visual of a chain ring spinning four feet high [eye level] was rather intimidating.

[@TheDoosh79]

"That's the biggest growler I've ever seen" - spits beer all over keyboard.

[@cyclingjase]

More recumbent films? YES PLEASE!!!

[@tonysweet9137]

My vote is for more recumbents.

[@kiwi_velonaut]

Loved this video. I read lots of the comments, and agree that it would be fun and interesting to see a variety of uprights, recumbent and ebikes do a long ride. A ride from one city to another maybe, something 100km to 300km long and then see all the strengths and weaknesses as they occur along the ride. Thanks heaps for these videos.

[@faisalalsaiful3838]

Someone in the concept penal of gcn seriously has a grudge against hank🤣🤣

[@ThorDyrden]

Think Hank just enjoys the pain... his drug is lactate! 😂

[@blu0065]

what if it's Hank with all the concepts? :O

[@faisalalsaiful3838]

@@blu0065 he most probably comes with most of them regardless of jokes🙂

[@Boopop1024]

More please, Would be interesting to see how these different machines fare going downhill. Presumably the alpha would be fastest given the lower drag.

[@EdouardTavinor]

On the level you can cruise at between 60 and 65 for hours on end in an alpha.

[@scottmcelhiney323]

Velomobiles riding downhill in the mountains often carry drag chutes to toss out the window to keep their speed down to something relatively safe. That or drag brakes like Tandems run because rim brakes would get so hot they'd blow the tires.

[@peterslegers6121]

It's more likely to go faster because of the added weight. These velomobiles are typically 30+ kg.

[@EdouardTavinor]

@@peterslegers6121 an alpha weighs about 18 kg

[@r3cy]

at least race officials can't see if you're wearing illegal socks in the carbon alpha.

[@JanneRasanen2]

Why wear anything that is excess weight. Now need for shammies in recumbents because they are as nice to sit in as a chair.

[@callummclachlan4771]

@@JanneRasanen2 No need for clothes either. Clothes are excess weight and can lead to chafing.

[@markyocum8249]

You guys' production value would outclimb ANY bike 💯 Well done 👏

[@nuttynut722]

so Hank is new Lasty now

[@GC_420]

Never knew it was that difficult to ride on recumbents. I have seen more than a few on the bikepaths nearby, gives me a new respect for them now. Thanks for the great video!

[@JanneRasanen2]

There is a learning curve but Hank got the most difficult type to master. Less reclined higher seats help a lot.

[@hansfm2032]

In general it isn't: This Raptobike is a FWD low racer. Both the FWD and the low racing geometry make it a lot harder to learn though. Try a more conventional RWD, short wheelbase, higher seat and more upright recumbent and you'll be cruising in a few minutes. When you get the hang of that, try the high racers, those are plenty (world record class) of fast. It will take some training for the rider to become truly fast though.

[@AlanGoodman47]

I reckon a Kingcycle would be quicker up there than the lowracers... Happy to prove it at some point.... ;)

[@wasbigman123456]

Yes, we want more recumbent content !

[@tmbmtl]

Going up a hill, the Alpha sounds like a train starting from the station.

[@NUeB_net]

… but only if you attach the microphone directly to the body and misalign front derailleur.

[@scottmcelhiney323]

Yeah, tuning issues, bad microphone placement, but they are noisier as the bodies act like speaker enclosures. Noise you can't hear over the wind on your upright bike are amplified back at you in a lot of velomobiles.

[@floridabicyclist]

Hank, its good to see your being open to give recumbents a try. Because recumbents have been banned by uci for a long time, there is no end to their variety. You might interview Rob English. He likes climbing, has raced recumbents, road, mountain, velomobiles and speedbikes. He has built all kinds of beautiful bikes. See English cycles. Variety makes life fun.

[@marshall2389]

Yes, I'd like to see more recumbent and velomobile videos. Please show comparisons between uprights, recumbents, and velos on longer rides with ups AND downs. Ideally a loop.

[@marcdemierre987]

This was the funniest video in ages. Loved to see you in the Velomobile 💪

[@FlatSpinMan]

This was one of the funniest videos you guys have ever made. Hank takes these challenges on in such great spirit. Also great to see locals who are clearly having a real laugh.

[@scottmcelhiney323]

Nice to see recumbent riders ok with you crashing their bikes repeatedly. I doubt Canyon or other manufacturers would be too happy seeing a video of you beating the crap out of their carbon fiber crap... I mean bikes.

[@andrewprint7523]

Nice as a recumbent rider, i want more of these video's by professionals. The recumbent world is waiting to see pro road and pro offroad riders what there fair opinion is after riding one instead of judging the type of bike - trike.

[@hadorstapa]

Fantastic to see some recumbent videos on here. Would love to see more. I've just got my first delta recumbent trike (wife has had a tadpole recumbent trike for ages) and there's so much to learn. Even simple things like mounting points for kit is so different.

[@rob1andrews]

Yes, more recumbents please! Check out long wheel based under seat steering! Check out the trikes!