Now that I have owned a recumbent for a while, I have some
observations that I would like to share

PEOPLE IN CARS LOVE YOU

There are cosmic forces at work here that I can't begin to understand.
Even though I am obviously on a "bicycle" , car drivers don't see it
that way. They smile and wave. They stare. They SLOW DOWN.
Do they think I am performing some great experiment ?
Is it a "Gosh Martha, look at that wierd thing!" reaction (probably
huh?)
Well whatever their motivation, I appreciate it. I actually feel
somewhat safer on my bent.

IT IS NOTHING LIKE RIDING A BICYCLE

This has a dark side to it. I miss the mood of bicycling. I no longer
need my fancy jersys and shorts. I can no longer hammer up a hill.
It just doesn't feel like "bicycling" any more. Maybe it's the
aggression that I miss. On a bent you can just cruise along, if at a
high rate of speed, and wave back at the cars.
On a bicycle you can be a bit more dynamic. Shift your relative
position around , get flipped off by drivers and so on.
On a bent you are more comfortable. That's good because you only have
one position to sit in.
Bicycles are faster on hilly terrain. I know this can be disputed in
theory, but unless you have legs like Nelson Vails, you are going to
be slower going up a hill on a bent. Trust me on this.
Bents are faster on the flats and down hill. At least some models are.
My average speed on the flats is up 3-4 mph and going down my favorite
hill I am 15-20 mph faster with my bent.

RECUMBENT MANUFACTURERS ARE OFF THEIR GAME

It seems that most of the guys that make bents are bike weenies that
get talked into going into business for themselves. Suddenly they are
in way over their head. They don't know anything about marketing or
customer service.
Lead times for a new bike are way to long. They insist on using 15
year old Sun Tour components. They really don't want to be bothered.

Now they are all nice guys to talk to and can be helpful and
informative. They just don't all have good business sense.

Is this tedious enough yet ?