Different Recumbent Types:
SWB Recumbent Bicycles
a.k.a Short WheelBase or Short Rider
Advantages:
SWB Recumbent Bicycles Are Generally ...
- Lighter and more agile.
- Much more manoeuvrable than the LWB, with a shorter turning radius.
- Less prone to skidding due to a more equitable distribution of weight on the tires.
- Less cumbersome to store and transport.
- Faster uphills and just generally faster.
- Designed with small wheels that make the stretch for the pedals more controllable, and keeps the boom shorter for reduced frame flex.
Disadvantages:
SWB Recumbent Bicycles Are Generally ...
- Often not as stable and steady as the LWB recumbents.
- Not as smooth on the bumps.
- Prone to problems with the drive chain and the subsequent complex solutions.
- Prone to 'Heel Interference' - caused when the cyclists heel comes into contact with the front wheel during a tight, low-speed turn.
- Have more unsteady steering.
- Have a more reclined seat with takes some getting use to.
- Less visable to traffic.
- Slower to start due to the high position of the pedals.
- More difficult to steady by placing the feet on the road, because of the height and recline of the seat.
- More dangerous at a blind intersection, while in motion, due to the seating recline restricting vision.
- Less smooth to ride (unless suspension has been added), because of the front tire being very near to the seat.
Dimensions:
Wheelbase: The SWB frame is short and has the wheels close together. The wheelbase is commonly 38-45 inches or 965.2 - 1,143 mm.
Pedals: The pedals are usually positioned IN FRONT of the front wheel.
Tires: SWB recumbents often use a front wheel of 16 - 17 inches or 406.4 - 431.8 mm to improve the chain clearance.
Some SWB Bike Models:
RANS: Rocket, V-Rex & Force 5 Expedition,
Lightning: Phantom and UP-38,
Bacchetta: Carbon Aero, Giro, Strada, Corsa and TI Aero,
Longbikes: Eliminator,
Volae: Century, Club, Expedition, Sport and Tour,
HP Velotechnik: Street Machine GT
Challenge: Seiran OS, Hurricane Tour and USS
TW-Bents: Mustang,
M5: Shock Proof 451 CrMo