But if industry experts are correct, Mr. Davis's bicycle won't be an oddity for long. And while most bicycles are targeted to children and young adults, recumbents are manufactured and marketed for an older audience.
Comfort is among the biggest selling points.
The wider seat more evenly distributes weight, and the upright position means no pressure on the arms and hands. Because recumbents keep the rider's head level, there's also no need to crane the neck to see the road, eliminating possible neck strain. Although consumers' interest in recumbents is new, the bicycles themselves were actually invented in the early 1900s and quickly became a victim of their own success. Engineers rediscovered the bikes during the gasoline shortages of the 1970s, and small companies began manufacturing them for the mass market in the past decade. But supporters contend that placing a tall flag on the bike eliminates this problem and that their lower center of gravity may actually make recumbents safer.