Quoted By:
They're not really made for cities, but rather for countryside rides or commutes. I owned multiple recumbents and would avoid cities at any cost.
They're are comfortable, but you have to watch out for your knees. You can put much more stress on your knees with recumbents because you can push back against the seat. Inexperienced riders will often hurt their knees because they use too much strength to get starting. A recumbent is all about getting a high cadence. That being said, I could travel much farther distances with the recumbent than on a standard bike, and it was less tiresome.
Recumbents are faster than cruisers, but not all recumbents are faster than roadbikes. There are some very heavy old models with inefficient drivetrains. But the Bachetta in your pic will definitely outrun a normal roadie in anything but the city, or exceptional hills.
You get a lot of looks if you're on a recumbent. I think young teenagers are the worst. It's considered very dorky here. But generally I didn't care a lot about it, I even went to college with it.
Eventually I sold the recumbents because I moved into a high rise apartment in the city. I can't leave an expensive recumbent down below or take it with me upwards. And I don't need to travel long distances anymore. I just use an old bike for errands.
When I get my own house I will definitely buy a velomobile though, always wanted one. They are incredibly fun if you have decent cycling infrastructure. Those things allow you to go a lot faster than normal recumbents due to the aerodynamic fairing. Average speeds of 45 kph without any discomfort are very accessible.
