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Why aren't recumbents popular?
Cars are recumbents.
First there was the horse.
The bicycle was modeled after the horse.
Some people thougt this uncomfortable.
So they thought, why not add a seat with
back support to the bicycle.
The recumbent bicycle was invented.
But these are harder to balance, one discovered.
So more wheels were added.
4 were found to be adequate.
A shell was added to protect the user from weather and improve aerodynamics.
The machine is now too hard to pedal.
So an engine was added.
The car was born.
The engine allowed further improvements in speed, tire size, weight, cargo capacity and safety.
The car morphed into what it is today.
This is what recumbent cyclists need to understand.
NOT UCI.
The recumbent has taken over the world, in the form of the car.
The car is a recumbent
recumbent cyclists don't make this connection and thus fail to realize why their invention isn't widespread.
The traditional bicycle, however, is not a recumbent. It is not a car. It is modeled after the horse, and it has its own motorized derivative, namely, the motorcycle. But this machine does not have the benefits of the auto-recumbent, so it is less popular.
