Off Road Recumbent?

A recumbent for off road at first seems to fly against the wind. After all, aren't recumbent bikes the domain of low slung aerodynamic speedsters? This forum attracts many with those inclinations. But if you look at it from the other end of the telescope, long distance comfort, it makes more sense to spread your weight out to let the seat take the strain.

I've always thought of a bike as a multipurpose machine, and gravitated to what would be considered as maybe gravel bikes, hybrids, or tourers, good for better surfaced towpaths, cycle trails, and bridleways as well as being good on -road. So when I discovered recumbents a few years ago I'd hoped to to carry on recumbenting in the same manner as I'd been using my upright bikes.

The biggest difference between conventional bikes and recumbents is the ability to move your body about which you can't so much on recumbents, making it harder to ride on more extreme terrain. If you accept that, it's still quite possible to ride mild off road routes for long distances.

My own experience has been quite positive but probably not typical. A long wheelbase 700C/20 bike with underseat steering probably wouldn't be most people's first choice for off road but once having mastered it, it's surprising where it can take you. I started from a position of knowing nothing and from my current viewpoint I was lucky to find that one, which I've still got ( An old Iowa Linear). The suggestion of a Bacchetta Bella certainly chimes with me mainly from the fact of the photos I've seen of them with overseat steering. This would give a tighter turning circle than the USS assuming the bar overhang isn't too extreme, and the overall width would be narrower which might help with cycleway barriers. The Bacchetta could be pricey, would recommend a try before you buy. Also it can take some practice to get the hang of a recumbent two wheeler, though with a long wheelbase and highish seat the Bella might be more welcoming.

From a practical viewpoint you'll need more standover if the surface is poor, ruts etc so it's as well to check if you can manage the larger wheels.

Another practical point is transportation, if you want to carry a bike in or on a car, or on a train. A shorter

recumbent would do the job. The HP Velotechnik Streetmachine has good feedback re off road stability, alas too high for me.

A genre of bikes which reputedly do well off tarmac are compact long wheelbase or medium wheelbase recumbents such as the Bike-E, Oke-Ja, HP Velotechnik Spirit. They are easier to learn to ride than some recumbents. I've got a Spirit which I've done some towpath bashing on this year and it's coped well. These bikes are all older models but they do pop up from time to time. The Spirit tends to be pricey but the others can be cheap enough to be worth buying to try, and sell on if they don't suit.

I've had a few recumbent bikes since I've started out but these are the ones I've kept. I'm mostly at

the budget end of the market.

I hope that my reply will encourage others to share their knowledge.

Larger wheels would obviously roll over bigger bumps, but I'd be wary of sacrificing too much ability to get a foot down quickly.  A less reclined seat angle may help with confidence, even if it doesn't really improve the way the bike handles.

(Off-roading on recumbent trikes is another kettle of worms entirely.  Track width and traction are usually the main issues.)

I'd not really considered the advantages of tilting when it comes to adverse camber (with which I have form for muddy embarrassment).

He also appears to be making full use of what doesn't look like a tremendous amount of ground clearance.  That's probably the most important thing when choosing a tadpole trike that can go off-road sensibly.