I've never ridden a recumbent, but I have several friends who like them. What I find interesting is the variation in designs -- some are actually not much lower than a typical road bike.

One member of my bike club has an electric motor on his, to help him get up the hills. Interestingly, he's looking into getting a regular road bike for short rides, because of the time it takes to set up/take apart his recumbent before and after rides.

I know another person who has Parkinson's Disease, which has affected his balance, so he bought a trike last year. Although he's riding slower now, he's able to ride without crashing, so the trike is helping him to stay active.