A method of riding a recumbent bicycle which can be propelled by foot pedals and supplemental hand power comprising;
- A. providing said recumbent bicycle comprising;
- a. a frame which is attached to a front fork such that a steering axis is created about which said front fork is free to pivot with respect to said frame;
- b. a seat which is attached to said frame;
- c. at least one rear wheel which is rotatably attached to said frame;
- d. a handlebar attached to said front fork, said handlebar also having a right and left handgrip;
- e. a front wheel which is rotatably attached to said front fork;
- f. a foot pedal crankset comprising a crankshaft, a right crankarm having a first end attached to a right crankshaft endpoint, and a left crankarm having a first end attached to an opposing left crankshaft endpoint, a right pedal attached to a second end of the right crankarm, and a left pedal attached to a second end of the left crankarm;
- g. said crankshaft is rotatably connected to said front fork, said crankshaft moves with the front fork as the front fork pivots about the steering axis;
- h. a means for rotational power transmission from said crankshaft to said front wheel;
- i. said front fork is rigid in torsion about the steering axis to transmit hand power input from the handlebar to the crankset;
- i. said front fork includes a crown structure, a right and a left fork blade structure, and a right and a left crankset attachment;
- ii. the right and left fork blade structures connect the crown structure to the right and left crankset attachments;
- iii. the crown structure is longer, along the length of the bicycle, than it is wide;
- iv. the right and left fork blade structures diverge from one another across the bicycle width from the crown structure to the respective crankset attachment;
- v. the right and the left fork blade structures converge along the length of the bicycle from the crown structure to the respective crankset attachment;
- j. wherein the crown and left and right fork blade structures, when attached to the crankset, create a front fork structure that is triangulated along a width and a length of the bicycle so that tension and compression within the left and right fork blade structures aids transmission of torsional forces about and along the steering axis;
- k. wherein said bicycle is configured so that hand input can be applied to left and right handgrips in coordinated opposition to foot pedal input generating a hand induced force or force and pivot of the front fork and the crankset assembly about the steering axis, thereby providing supplemental propulsive power to the crankshaft;
- B. riding in a manner otherwise consistent with normal bicycle operation, while seated with right and left hands and feet respectively on the right and the left handgrips and on the right and the left pedals;
- C. selecting a method of propulsion for each right or left foot pedal force input stroke from any one of;
- a. applying hand force to the handgrips just equal and in coordinated reaction to that resulting about the steering axis from the foot pedal force input, thereby pedaling efficiently, without the loss of foot pedal propulsive power, and without the addition of supplemental hand power;
- or,
- b. applying hand force to the handgrips greater than and in coordinated opposition to that resulting about the steering axis from the foot pedal force input, thereby adding hand force based power to the foot pedal crankshaft in the form of supplemental propulsive torque;
- or,
- c. applying hand force to the handgrips greater than and in coordinated opposition to that resulting about the steering axis from the foot pedal force input, and pivotally displacing the handgrips about the steering axis in coordinated opposition to foot pedal force input, thereby adding supplemental propulsive hand power to the foot pedal crankshaft in the form of torque and displacement which is hand work.