Finally getting bent

[Allister]

Well, after about six years of pining, I'm finally getting me a recumbent. It'll probably take a few weeks to get here, but that's what you get for living in the arse end of the recumbent world.

It's a Bacchetta Giro 26. I've heard nothing but good things about them, so don't any of you go telling me now that they're rubbish ;)

Just wanted to share my excitement.

[andrewh]

Well, after about six years of pining, I'm finally getting me a recumbent. It'll probably take a few weeks to get here, but that's what you get for living in the arse end of the recumbent world.

It's a Bacchetta Giro 26. I've heard nothing but good things about them, so don't any of you go telling me now that they're rubbish ;)

Just wanted to share my excitement.

Congratulations and may all your days be bent ones :D

Someone in the bent world used to have a line on the bottom of their emails that said - "I likes what I rides and I rides what I likes", so no matter what people say about your choice, just remember - it was your choice as theirs was theirs.

Regards
Andrew
Perth Australia
http://www.geocities.com/andrewhooker59/CycleTouring.html

[funbun]

Woo, hoo! Let us know how you like it. I never ridden a highracer. I'm thinking of building one out of wood. Let us know how you like the superman handlebars.

[Allister]

Woo, hoo! Let us know how you like it. I never ridden a highracer. I'm thinking of building one out of wood. Let us know how you like the superman handlebars.


I've never ridden any recumbent (well apart from about 30 seconds on a trike a few years back), so I won't really be in a position to compare it with anything, but I'll certainly pass on my impressions when it arrives. I'm taking a bit of a gamble here, but from what I've read of the Bacchetta the risks aren't that high.

A wooden bike sounds interesting. How to you avoid too much flex?

[jeff-o]

I've never ridden any recumbent (well apart from about 30 seconds on a trike a few years back), so I won't really be in a position to compare it with anything, but I'll certainly pass on my impressions when it arrives. I'm taking a bit of a gamble here, but from what I've read of the Bacchetta the risks aren't that high.

A wooden bike sounds interesting. How to you avoid too much flex?

Use hardwood.

[mominboots]

Allister - Congratulations and get those smile muscles ready.

[Paul L.]

I love my Bacchetta (It's a Strada). Giro looks llike a good bike too.

[Bud Bent]

Well, after about six years of pining, I'm finally getting me a recumbent. It'll probably take a few weeks to get here, but that's what you get for living in the arse end of the recumbent world.

It's a Bacchetta Giro 26. I've heard nothing but good things about them, so don't any of you go telling me now that they're rubbish ;)

Just wanted to share my excitement.

Congratulations! Remember that the new bike is going to feel very strange for at least a few days; it was a week before I rode mine anywhere but big parking lots. But, as soon as you get comfortable with its handling, you're likely to do a lot of smiling every ride. Welcome to the dark side. :)

[Hallyx]

A wooden bike sounds interesting. How to you avoid too much flex?

The question should be, "How do you keep it from being too stiff to ride comfortably?" Any bicycle balances the qualities of stiffness, weight and ride... and cost. Wood is a reasonable alternative to metals in effecting these compromises. But becaise wood does not do well in a (mass) production environment, the most interesting examples are invariably "homebuilt."

Actually, they are mostly made of softwood (spruce, fir, pine) because of their favorable strength/weight ratio.

Hal

[AlphaGeek]

Allister,

You are going to love it! Enjoy the MANY new friends and comments.

Especially enjoy the kids...they love these things!

[bentrox!]

I've read your musings over the years on BF, and they are generally entertaining and insightful so I'll look forward to your impressions of the Giro when you've ridden it awhile.

You've chosen well. Bacchetta has a great reputation and dual 26 high racers are all the rage now. Remember to relax your arms and grip - resist the urge to steer with arms as you might do on your Cannondale and instead trust your ability to balance the Giro on your back with just the right amount of forward momentum. A good spin of one foot and a very light touch is all it takes. The importance of body English will become apparent.

Let's see your smile....

[bentcruiser]

Well, after about six years of pining, I'm finally getting me a recumbent. . .It's a Bacchetta Giro 26.

COOL! I test rode one of those when Bacchetta stopped in on Freewheel (www.okfreewheel.com) a few years ago. Actually it was a Strada. But the model I rode was very similar to the Giro 26 (at the time). They are nice machines. I hope you have many happy miles on it.

[Allister]

You've chosen well. Bacchetta has a great reputation and dual 26 high racers are all the rage now. Remember to relax your arms and grip - resist the urge to steer with arms as you might do on your Cannondale and instead trust your ability to balance the Giro on your back with just the right amount of forward momentum. A good spin of one foot and a very light touch is all it takes. The importance of body English will become apparent.

Let's see your smile....

Thanks for the tips. I'll try to keep them in mind. It's going to be a long few weeks until it gets here.

[Allister]

COOL! I test rode one of those when Bacchetta stopped in on Freewheel (www.okfreewheel.com) a few years ago. Actually it was a Strada. But the model I rode was very similar to the Giro 26 (at the time). They are nice machines. I hope you have many happy miles on it.

Heh. Me too. It's encouraging to note that I haven't seen a single negative word about these bikes anywhere - and I've been looking.

[Slo Joe Recumbo]

Good luck "down under" with your bent. If you've got no one to help you "learn to ride" one, the advice up above works:

You need to "feather steer" with barely any pressure on the handlebars. Experiment by standing over your DF bike. Notice the resistance if you lean on the handlebars and turn. Now simply push the handlebar from a horizontal plane: NO resistance and that's what you'll have on your bent.

Start with a somewhat upright position on your seat. As you adjust reclilne further and further. As the other poster said: Totally relax your upper body. The tendency is to tense up and you'll get jerky motions.

If you use clipless pedals, it's easy to do an "Arte Johnson" as a newbie at a stop. So, turn the front of the wheel AWAY from your down foot. This forces the bike to lean in the direction of the down foot and if you turn your head in the other direction, you won't do a slow Ohhhhhhhhh no...I'm falling!! You have a much lower center of gravity.

You'll wonder why you got one on the first hills until you develop your "bent muscles", which varies with da rider....expect anywhere from 500 to 2,000 miles to "feel the power".

And the easy part: Have a blast!!!

[sbhikes]

I have heard some people have difficulty getting used to the tweener bars, that they hit the knees during turns. But I have no first-hand experience. Congratulations on the new bike!

[jeff-o]

Well, you don't hit the handlebars if you stop pedalling for the few seconds you round the corner.

[Allister]

Just heard from the shop that there's a backorder on the large Giro26 and it won't be ready until early September. I try to be a patient fellow, but WAAAAHHH!

Looks like Bacchetta underestimated demand. :(

[N_C]

I welcome you with open arms into the fold my child. :) One more person who finally saw the light & joined the ranks of the recumbent riders. Congrats!!!

[Allister]

Saw the light years ago, my friend. Only saw the dollars recently. Thankyou, weak USD.

[neilcooper]

The wait will pass Allister. My Bacchetta Corsa just landed in Australia after a few weeks of waiting. Seemed like longer but, finally it's here. Can't wait to ride it.

Neil
Perth Australia

[jeff-o]

Well, September is springtime in Aus isn't it? So it'll arrive right on time.

Though I realize you guys barely have a real "winter..."

[Allister]

Well, September is springtime in Aus isn't it? So it'll arrive right on time.

Though I realize you guys barely have a real "winter..."


Especially here in Queensland. Winter is usually pretty good riding weather (apart from this unseasonable rain we've been getting the last few weeks) - high summer is a bit hot to be out during the day. September/october is about as perfect as it gets, so yeah, the wait won't be intolerable.

[ChiliDog]

Allister-
I feel your excitement! I hope that the back order happens earlier than anticipated-sometimes that happens, ya know! Hang in there!

You will love it and we all want to see a pic of you and your bike, ok?! :D

Chilli

[bikerbob1]

Welcome to the world of Bacchetta. I purchased a Giro 20 last May. I was becoming very discouraged last year with the time it was taking to develop the leg muscles and it gathered a lot of dust. I had knee problems with it and I even went back to the DF. Thanks to the encouragement and advise of a group of recumbent riders on this site I took it out again this year. I got the seat dialed in and I learned all about spinning. Now a day is not complete without me and my Bacchetta getting tgether for an adventure. The body English part of the ride puts fun back into riding.
No more back pain and the knees love it.
Enjoy the ride

[Paul L.]

In regard to bent muscles developing, At 1200 miles I am just starting feel like I am seeing the speed benefits and my times for rides are still dropping pretty fast. I expect to plateau sometime soon but it really feels good to see this much progress so quickly when it seems like it was just impossible to hit these kind of average speeds no matter how hard I pushed on my road bike due to back issues. I feel like I can get more air into my lungs too since my middle isn't so crunched together anymore.

[Dahon.Steve]

Well, after about six years of pining, I'm finally getting me a recumbent. It'll probably take a few weeks to get here, but that's what you get for living in the arse end of the recumbent world.

It's a Bacchetta Giro 26. I've heard nothing but good things about them, so don't any of you go telling me now that they're rubbish ;)

Just wanted to share my excitement.

I test rode that bicycle and it was incredible. The bike was much more efficient than any 20' or single 26' inch rear wheel bents I ever ridden. It felt just as efficient as riding a road bike. However, there are some minuses

1. Harder to start -- I'm sure it was just me but it seemed like the bike was harder to start than a 20 inch bent. There's a longer learning curve with this bike but I suspect it would take a couple of days or maybe even less. You have basically a high kick start but it can be done and with practice, it will be easier.

2. Greater danger --- Sorry to say this but I felt safer on a 20 inch wheel bent. That doesn't mean the 26 inch was dangerous but you should go slower in the begining. Don't go clipless unless you feel absolutely comfortable with the bike and can make emergency stops. There was one guy who test rode that bike and took a fall! That hurt.

3. Greater turning radius --- The bike just felt like it had a larger turning radius than the 20' front wheel bent. It's possible I was too afraid to make a sharp turn since it was a new experience. The turning radius may not be a bad thing since you're not going to be making sharp turns in general.

4. Numb feet ---- The man who allowed me to test ride this bike said some people get numb feet after long time in the saddle. Although it didn't happen to me, I can see this a possibility because your feet are high in the air. It's something to consider.

Overall, I think the advantages of this 26' inch wheel bent far outweight the negative. It was incredibly light for a bent and this surprised me because it was made of Alu. I suspect it's one of the lightest bents in production. Don't worry about the alloy not being steel because the wheels are larger than most bents and that seat makes all the difference in the world in providing a plush ride. Overall, I felt this bike was the most efficient bent I've ever ridden. If I ever go bent, this would certainly be one of the top contenders.

[Paul L.]

Here is my experience last month adjusting to my Strada which should be almost an identical experience in adjusting to the Giro.

1. I felt shaky for about a week, part of this was caused by the riser just above the stem being adjusted to high, part of it was learning how to ride a bike again (this is a different experience as far as balance is concerned coming from a road bike so be aware you are re-learning how to ride a bike and expect it to take a few days or weeks before you are doing things out of reflex as opposed to conscious thought).

2. Starting was really challenging for the first few weeks. I would get really nervous at intersections especially. As you internalize and teach your legs these motions you will hardly even think about it after a few weeks.

3. Being used to the dual 26 now I feel just as safe as I do on my road bike. In some ways safer as I can just drop my feet down in the case of a tire slip or I have to bail into the dirt.

4. I used clipless pedals from the beginning just because I have a very long commute I do and didn't want my feet sliding off the pedals all the time. My Speedplay/Sidi combination gave me severe hotfoot and I discovered that on the bent I needed to get that cleat as far back on the shoe as possible so I switched to my old Specialized MTB shoes and my old eggbeaters. This worked when I made sure to keep the lacing towards the front of my shoe looser and the laces nearest my ankle moderately tight. I have been doing 5 hour centuries and seem to have gotten that issue under control from doing this. If you do start off with clipless I would recommend very low tension and being extra careful at first.

5. A mirror is even more important on a recumbent as it is harder to look behind you and a mirror is great piece of mind.

6. Have fun and play around with the settings until you just feel like it is exactly right.

I absolutely love being able to hang a good sized bag and hydration bladder off the back of the seat without getting dinged for it aerodynamically. I also love the fact that I can buy a really cheap pair of shorts because I don't need some special Chamois to reduce chaffing (in fact the less chamois the better I am seeing so far), Don't have to worry about people seeing my um, uh, .....chasm, when the cheap fabric fades in back (well, I guess I have to stand up sometime after stopping but at least I don't have someone staring at it in a paceline and telling me all about such and such a set of shorts on sale for $70).

I love my Strada and am sure you will enjoy your Giro. These are great bikes.

[Allister]

Update:

It's still not here yet, two months after placing the order. grrr.

But, I heard yesterday that it has arrived in Australia and is sitting in customs as I type this. All going well, I should have a brand spanking new Bacchetta in my hot little hands by this time next week. :)

I want to take it on the Brisbane to Gold Coast ride (100km) next weekend. It's probably not adviseable, but I figure, as unused as I am riding that distance, it's gonna hurt whichever bike I ride, so I might just say 'hell with it' and take the Giro. At least it's a fairly flat route. I'll decide after I've tried it out.

[megaman]

Glad to hear that it won't be long. Once you start pedaling that bent I doubt you'll want to ride a DF again. Enjoy.

[erik forsgren]

I've never ridden any recumbent (well apart from about 30 seconds on a trike a few years back), so I won't really be in a position to compare it with anything, but I'll certainly pass on my impressions when it arrives. I'm taking a bit of a gamble here, but from what I've read of the Bacchetta the risks aren't that high.

A wooden bike sounds interesting. How to you avoid too much flex?I also took a bit of gamble when I got my first recumbent. I had never tried a recumbent in my whole life. It took me a week to get used to the new way of cycling and I was improving my cycling technique every day. Although I made quite a number of falls I enjoyed every day of my learning period. I expect you too to have a wonderful time on your new Bacchetta Giro which is a very wellbuild bike! Good luck and welcome to the club!

[Allister]

Glad to hear that it won't be long. Once you start pedaling that bent I doubt you'll want to ride a DF again. Enjoy.


Not half as glad as I am. The Cannondale will be relegated to off-road duties and towing children (not at the same time), so it will still get a bit of use.

[Magilla Gorilla]

Enjoy the bike. Good choice and listen to slow joe. Knows what he is talking about.
I want one of them too for touring but other priorities come first. Have a Bacchetta Aero already but am moving on from fast riding. The Giro could be the ultimate do everything bicycle. Touring, fast paced rides with some equipment modification or just plain fitness riding.
Again good choice.

Magilla Gorilla

[funbun]

Don't you just love bureaucracy?

[Paul L.]

Don't worry about riding it for a 100k right away. I think I did my first metric a week or two after getting mine too (Ok, it might have only been 80k but I felt great and could have done more). My bent muscles mostly just made me faster and a better climber as they came in, distance wasn't really an issue when switching over when I did it.