FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

Why recumbents are not present in competitions like Tour de France?

The only reason because profesional cyclists don’t use them in competitions is that UCI rules limit rigurously the bicycle design in their races. In fact recumbents raced for some time into UCI competitions, but in the early 30’s they decided to ban them because they were faster than traditional bikes. See History for more information. On the other hand, they can be used in all non-competitive road cycling events such as brevets. In this cases UCI design rules are not applied.

How does it go uphill?

One could wrongly think that the rider’s recumbent position works only for flat sections. The aerodynamical advantge is present also going uphill as long as there is enough speed. On steep climbs other factors enter into play, like weight and frame flexibility. MetaPhysic is lightweight and has the stiffness required for a good power tranfer. After an adaptation to the horizontal position along with a high cadence pedaling technique, in most cases the speed uphill is similar to the traditional bicycles.