So, you want to challenge a recumbent into wind?

[Ehsker20]

DONT FUCK WITH a RECUMBENT

[ThePezter]

Recumbents look awesome, such an efficient use of power - but I just wouldn't feel safe being below the eye-line of drivers. The take bugger all notice when your above them!

[CyclingMikey]

@ThePezter Yeah, lots of people say that, but from experience the reverse is true, they are much safer and loads more visible than normal upright bikes.

Drivers don't have a problem seeing lane markings painted on the roads, or other car headlights and taillights, which are at a similar height to mine, nor sports cars, many of which are lower than me.

[TemperatureIndicator]

I put a bet on cyclingmikey and he made me a millionnaire ;)

[carlpanther]

The road biker certainly had egg on his face. I've been researching recumbents for a few weeks now, and this video has made me even more determined to dip my toe into the mid/low racer market. It's the prices though.....a decent new recumbent is gonna set me back over well 2 grand, and I could get one heck of a nice road bike for that.

[CyclingMikey]

@carlpanther Yeah, he was a beast, much stronger than me. Do a search on YouTube for "Fast Milan velomobile" and see some much more serious speed. Aurélien is a very powerful rider of course.

[beerman1957]

@carlpanther Bacchetta Corsa. The best bike under $2000.

[MONEYBOY512]

haha you even passed the mini-van

[BicycleTrekker]

Debating codes and right-of-ways is irrelevant if you cripple yourself, let alone get killed. Use your brain when riding so you can ride again.

[CyclingMikey]

@BicycleTrekker Why, do you think I don't pay significant attention to vehicles near me on the roadway, including, for example, the one just ahead of me in the car lane?

I'm as quick as any other bicyclist to avoid the mistakes of someone not obeying the rules of the road, and I frequently do so as you'll see from the videos on this channel.

[TheScoobyRS]

I'd rather have a trike! But still wouldn't mind having one if it was free or a heck of a deal..

[Gallywomack]

Would have been better if he could be seen shaking his fist in your rear-view camera

[detr0it442]

9 upright cyclist have been smoked by a recumbent.

[merlinbus]

You were keeping up on the inside of the black car, meaning you were in a confrontational position if he wanted to turn left, but then you overtook on the inside. Anything to cause a situation you can post on YouTube and lambast a motorist.

[CyclingMikey]

@merlinbus If he wanted to turn left, he'd have to give way to traffic in the bus lane, just as the highway code demands. No situation was caused though, and it's not my fault the queue of traffic in his lane was going slower than that in my lane.

[jsd23]

@CyclingMikey Where does the highway code require drivers to give way to bus lane traffic?

[CyclingMikey]

@jsd23 That's not a very difficult google to find - it's rule 183. Besides, I was watching him and if he'd shown signs of turning left, I'd have been on the brakes in a heartbeat.

[CyclingMikey]

@stomekz pwned.

[Lekarn]

hows a recumbent compared to an "ordinary" bike?

What are the advantages?

[CyclingMikey]

@Lekarn In this case, aerodynamics and comfort. It's the only reason I was able to go faster than this rider, who is clearly much stronger and fitter than I am.

[CyclingMikey]

@stomekz I wouldn't even touch your boyfriend mate, he's not quite as ugly.

[stihl440]

Bravo,Vorsprung durch Technik :) .I ride a Toxy ZR and no one can catch me !!!!!!!!!!!

[inlineschool]

You almost have the van!

[TheLiquidKnight]

Boys with toys. If it were a pair of chavs with a like well buff Saxo and a bling 106 in-it you'd condem that kind of behaviour on the road.

Was it areodynamic advantage or did the other rider think "sod this I'm not going to be early for work"? :-)

[CyclingMikey]

@TheLiquidKnight LOL, so true, but then we don't present any danger to others as we're much slower and less than 1/20th the weight, and would have abandoned in a heartbeat. He was a good rider, very alert and switched on, and super strong too. He still had plenty of go further up the road, so I'd say it was purely aerodynamic advantage there.

[Nnelg9111]

Dangerous behaviour on the road, you ride like in the middle of it?

[CyclingMikey]

@Nnelg9111 Why is it dangerous to ride in the middle of the road? What's wrong with doing that?

[MattTheOak]

@CyclingMikey You should be over to the left, not cruising down the middle. What if motorbikes want to over-take?

[CyclingMikey]

@MattTheOak Whatever gives you that idea? If someone wants to overtake, then they can do so in the offside lane. Even on my own I pretty much always take the lane in bus lanes, and correctly so according to best cycling practice. Same with the nearside lane on most dual carriageways.

[1111Davo1]

@MattTheOak Cyclists have the same legal right on the road as general users. If you stay on the left people pass you and push you into the gutter.

[kenboonie]

Camberwell New Rd...Foxley Road. Man I use a road bike and if you can keep up witth a road race bike you must be fast in that little rocket.

[CyclingMikey]

@kenboonie That rider was very strong and fit, much more so than me, and yet I still left him behind. That ought to tell you how quick the bicycle is. ;)

[rickhark]

Hi Mikey,

I'm curious about using a cam on my rides and wondered what you're using. Can you give me a brief account of your equipment and recommendations?

Regards,

Rick.

[CyclingMikey]

@rickhark I have several cameras - an MD80 (Maplin lipstick camera) for rear view, and a GoPro Hero HD 1080, usually for front view, and a VIO POV.1 helmet camera.

[jameszoom]

@CyclingMikey how good is the recumbent up a hill? cos wouldn't your weight be right at the back?

[CyclingMikey]

@jameszoom A few recumbents are fast uphill, mine's not one of them. Carbent is the quickest uphill, I believe.

[KrunchyJD]

How much faster is a recumbent Vs an upright?

[CyclingMikey]

@KrunchyJD I dunno, it depends on the situation I guess. On the flat and into wind, or downhill, recumbents usually rule, but maybe not so much downwind and uphill. Relatively poor drivetrain efficiency together with excellent aerodynamics innit.

[gadgetmind]

I have a HP Velotechnik Grasshopped FX recumbent and I *love* it. I still use my Brompton folder for most commuting, but for leisure runs, or just for the hell of it, out comes the 'hopper.

I once caught, passed, and left in my wake, two drafting tandems, both ridden by fit looking blokes. Splendid!

And I totally agree regards visibility - people are so used to normal bikes their eyes just drift past, but 'bents trigger the WTF reaction.

[mrsaddlebag]

Awesome .

[bobbywotsit]

80% of a cyclists energy is used moving wind out of the way. I'm new to road biking but recumbrents look really interesting

[cdjDriver]

Like your good honest comment

[BoringVideosInk]

Oh yeah btw which prog do you use for the inset video?

Cheers.

[CyclingMikey]

@BoringVideosInk Adobe Premiere Elements mate. All credit to gaz for doing this first in our context.

[BoringVideosInk]

God I wish I was superman...then i'd give you a race ;-P

[CyclingMikey]

@BoringVideosInk Thanks, well I am cheating rather badly with my bike. ;)

[arallsopp]

Am liking in the inset rear camera view. Plus the speed, of course :)

[CyclingMikey]

@arallsopp That's all gaz's doing - he was the first to use it in our video group. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. :D

I did think I might have bitten off more than I could chew in the first 100m there, then the next 100m showed otherwise.

[KrunchyJD]

Do cars see you, when you are down low like that. That would be my concern

[CyclingMikey]

@KrunchyJD No cars see me at all, but the drivers do. This has to be the least invisible bicycle I have ever ridden, it gets seen 10 times more than any upright bicycle.

Do a search for "invisibility fail EdinburghFixed", or see "VOV494J".

[KrunchyJD]

@CyclingMikey Looks like a cool bike, are recumbents expensive? Maybe one day ill get one instead of an upright, I was just concerned over visability. I dont like cars, maybe thats why I asked the question that way. I dont kind of see the drivers as human. Although I have never really thought about why I asked the question that way. LOL

[KrunchyJD]

@CyclingMikey "No cars see you at all" LOL

I guess I dont like cars much as a cyclist, and I dont see them in the same light as bike riders. Too many people in cars have treated me like crap when I'm on my bike for me to have much sympathy for them.

[Jazzmonkey24522]

A joy to watch! Nice, what speed were you doing there?

[CyclingMikey]

@Jazzmonkey24522 Dunno really, no computer on this ride, but I expect it was a little over 30mph.

[Mumblemumble375]

Nice race!

[gaz545]

Niiice. at least he didn't try and slip stream you. lol!

[CyclingMikey]

@gaz545 Nah, he was a very switched on rider. Cheers for the PiP idea, btw! Loving it.

[gaz545]

@CyclingMikey It is great. Showing them separately you don't get a good picture of how everything un-folds

[gaz545]

@CyclingMikey And i meant the slip streaming wouldn't have got him far :P

[CyclingMikey]

@gaz545 Aye - that's why I said he was a switched on rider. He knew enough not to bother trying to find my non-existant draft, LOL!

[WheelyGoodFun]

I expect you were getting a bit of assistance from the car as well!

[CyclingMikey]

@WheelyGoodFun Oh none at all. I was in totally the wrong place if I wanted a draft off that car. You've got to get directly behind and close.

[downfader2]

@CyclingMikey If the wind was from a 2 o'clock angle then you might have benefited from the car, though I doubt it