Recumbent - Noob needs input before I buy my 1st "bent"

I've never owned a "bent" and I've only ridden one a few years ago. I really liked it and to be honest, I don't even remember which type of bent it was. All I remember is that it was much more comfortable than any traditional type bike I've ridden and I decided then and there if I ever buy another bike, it would be a bent.

What I'm looking for is a bent that would mainly be used for commuting back and forth to work, which is roughly 5 miles one way. Comfort is the main thing I'd be looking for. In case it's relevant, I'm 50 years old, but I'm in good shape as for over the last 5 years I've been working out 5 days a week, 50 minutes per workout using an eliptical trainer, so riding a bike wouldn't be a shock to my system. I'm also 6 foot tall and weigh 210. I'd like to get the best quality bike possible for under $1000, but closer to $500 would be ideal if that wouldn't compromise quality too much. I should also add it doesn't have to be a two wheeler, it can be a three wheeler, but it should have front wheel steering and multiple speeds. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

A while back I read "The Recumbent Bicycle" by Gunnar Fehlau. It is a good description of all the things to be considered when buying a bent. Probably the best piece of advice in the book was to test ride some different bikes before buying. They come in two basic types: long and short wheelbase. The long type is slower to corner and you sit lower, but they smooth out bumps in the road better. The short variety has you riding much higher with your feet out in front of the front wheel. Some steer with a tiller bar under the seat. Some steer with a handlebar arrangement, either direct or "geared."

I do not ride a bent. I suspect a short wheel base model might be better for commuting because you sit higher and can see, as well as be seen, better.

Bents get expensive fast. Those I have seen seem to cost around $1000 and up. There are plans on the Internet for building your own. That would certainly save some dollars, even if not time. Fehlau made a cryptic comment in his book that no one keeps for long the first frame he builds. Precise alignment is important.

I guess what I really need to do is get out to some of the shops and start riding the different models. That should give me a better idea of what exactly it is I need, what I can live with, and what I can't do without. I just don't want to end up buying something I'll regret a month later. I just thought maybe I could save some time and effort by getting some advice from those with exerience about what to stay away from, and maybe even steer me towards some known good types/models.

Hi Grampi. I'm partial to Bacchettas, but their lowest priced model will run you around $1000 or a little better. Sun makes several models that should fit your price range. Where are you located? We can probably help you locate shops that deal specifically in recumbents.

During the week I'm in Joliet, IL and on weekends I'm in Dayton OH. Thanks.

I commute on a RANS Rocket. I have modified the bike so that it now has a Sturmey - Archer XFDD Drum brake and dynohub front hub, powering two B&M Lumotec lights and a taillight.

The Rocket is a short wheel base with a reasonable high seating position. I find it ideal for commuting but the one thing to watch for with a short wheel base bike is how much pedal/front wheel overlap there is. I can't make very sharp low speed turns or I will hit my feet on the front wheel if I am not careful.

I think that you should try as many different types of bent before buying to see what fits you best. I would have thought that $1000.00 should get you a perfectly servicable bent. One thing to look for is can you attach a rack or seat bag, as of course you can't carry a backpack on a bent.

It will take approximately 100miles for your muscles to get used to riding a bent compared to a regular upright bike.

Lots of bent riders around the Dayton area. And the best advice is to ride lots of different types, one will pick you. I'm close to you in Xenia and have 2 different bents, one that is in your $$ range and the other we won't talk about. :rolleyes: You are welcome to come and try them out if we are similar size, or close!

Also here are a couple shops that have some bents:

Springfield...............http://www.bicyclestop.com/main.htm
Almost forgot, the LBS I frequent! http://kgbikes.com/index.cfm
PM me if you want to get together.
come on over and talk bents!.................jim

I've never owned a "bent" and I've only ridden one a few years ago. I really liked it and to be honest, I don't even remember which type of bent it was. ... Comfort is the main thing I'd be looking for. ... I'm also 6 foot tall and weigh 210. I'd like to get the best quality bike possible for under $1000, but closer to $500 would be ideal if that wouldn't compromise quality too much. ...
The most important part of fitting a recumbent is to make sure you get one sized for you. That means the seat-to-leg-length has to adjust from "obviously too short" to "so long you can't reach the pedals". Leg length adjustment tends to be more sensitive on a recumbent than an upright, so you want to make CERTAIN that it will adjust over the widest range you might need. In particular--if the bike is too short for you, you can't make it longer.

The handlebar reach may be a problem initially, but that is more easily fixed just by putting on different handlebars.

Also for general use, I would say to avoid any model that will only fit narrow 1-inch-wide "road bike" tires. You cannot take your weight off the bike when riding over bumps, so it's typical to use tires fatter than what most upright road bikes come with. If the road is smooth you can use them, but you don't want to be limited to them. Tires around 1.5" wide seem to be common on a lot of models of recumbents.

Sun and Cycle Genius both sell recumbents through dealerships in the US for under $1000. Actionbent sells online. There are a couple other companies that sell too, but they seem to deal in much the same frames that Actionbent does, but they use cheaper components to offer a lower price.
~

I've never owned a "bent" and I've only ridden one a few years ago. I really liked it and to be honest, I don't even remember which type of bent it was. All I remember is that it was much more comfortable than any traditional type bike I've ridden and I decided then and there if I ever buy another bike, it would be a bent.

What I'm looking for is a bent that would mainly be used for commuting back and forth to work, which is roughly 5 miles one way. Comfort is the main thing I'd be looking for. In case it's relevant, I'm 50 years old, but I'm in good shape as for over the last 5 years I've been working out 5 days a week, 50 minutes per workout using an eliptical trainer, so riding a bike wouldn't be a shock to my system. I'm also 6 foot tall and weigh 210. I'd like to get the best quality bike possible for under $1000, but closer to $500 would be ideal if that wouldn't compromise quality too much. I should also add it doesn't have to be a two wheeler, it can be a three wheeler, but it should have front wheel steering and multiple speeds. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.


As mindy, I too am also very partial to the Bacchetta line of bents http://www.bacchettabikes.com/recumbents/index.html and you're probably looking at something along the line of a cafe' or a Bellandare both would be in and around the $1000 range and would suit your commuting needs. People in there posts only mentioned the Long wheelbase (LWB) and the short wheelbase(SWB) models, have you ever considered a trike.
Another suggestion I might make would be check at Bentrider Online http://www.bentrideronline.com/ and look for something in a used model, you can save money and most times purchase a lot better bike for the money your looking to spend than you can buy a new bike for because people are always looking to upgrade. Also test ride as many as you can find before you buy because they all ride and feel different.
Oh and I personally would stay as far away from Actionbent as I could, they are problems looking to happen, just my opinion.

I bought my R40 from a shop here in Milwaukee that had a recumbent "department" and it made it very easy to try several different bikes on the same outing. Dayton should be big enough to have something similar or at least a few shops that carry more than one model. Bike shows are also a good place to try them out. With spring in the air, there should be a handful that you might hit up. There used to be a big one in Chicago, but I haven't been in a long time.

Chris

I started commuting just over a month ago on a Bacchettas Giro 20 that I bought used for $1,000. I added fenders, an aero trunk, a second mirror, and some other stuff to rig it for commuting and ended up spending about another $600 on it. I know that this is greater than your budget, but I also know that there are similar bikes available for less than I paid for mine. I paid what I did because it had hardly been used during 2006/2007 (a total of about 21 miles), so it was pretty much like getting a brand new bike. Since I bought it, I've put almost 600 miles on it.

So yeah, check out the different brands and styles at the shops. Most shops will also have used bikes, so you might get a good deal on one of them. I've occasionally seen 'bents show up on eBay and CraigsList as well.

Be sure to think about the other things you'll need if you're going to be a commuter, though. Does it rain? Then you'll need fenders. Need to carry clothes or other stuff? Then some kind of a trunk bag. Going to ride in the dark? Then lights. All that stuff can add up pretty quickly.

Getting into recumbency for under a grand isn't impossible, but it'll limit you to used, or force you to make compromises. Cycle Genius and Sun are HEAVY; and although sales people will tell you weight doesn't matter on a recumbent, it does. With the mail-order bikes like Actionbent, you're giving up any sort of local support. Those bikes are imported by the container-load and wholesaled out by the importer/distributor. If there are warranty issues, you deal long-distance with the distributor. The bikes aren't as polished as their higher-quality competition, either; so when things don't line up quite right, or when modifications need to be made, the new owner is often expected to make it work.

Hey Grampi, just wondering, did you ever make a decision? ;)

Have a look at the used bents in the classifieds section of www.bentrideronline.com - its a good place to track down a less expensive bent.

Without knowing a ton about about you it is hard to give specific model recommendations, but one bent that would have a high probability of working for you is a Bacchetta Giro 20. Used you can get them in the $1000 range. There are cheaper versions of this type of 26/20 SWB bent whether they are worth the money or not is up to you. Personally I'd stick with the major quality manufacturers like Bacchetta and wait until the right used bent came along.

Good luck with your search!...:)

Two bits of advice:

1) ride as many different 'bents as you can before settling on one. There's FAR greater diversity in the 'bent world than in DF's, and this can make a huge difference in your riding experience.

2) Buy used. My VRex cost $500. And this for an older model (with a better base component spec than newer ones), with several very expensive upgrades: Ritchey Logic cranks, Phil Wood bb, Magura hydraulic brakes, and a Sachs 3x7 rear hub. Probably a $2500 bike when it was new. And from what I've seen, deals like this aren't that uncommon. A lot of folks will drop some serious change on a 'bent, and never end up riding it. Try craigslist and bentrideronline.com.

SP

There is only one bike shop in my town, and they don't stock 'bents. They'll order one, but they won't stock one.

How can I test drive one?

Go to Bentrider online and ask if they are any bents in your area. You might find someone who will let you test one. Jack

O.K. Grampi, what you need is to find shops with lotsa
different recumbents ready for you to try out. Your location
puts you at about a one day drive to southern NY State. Not
to sound like a broken record but the Bicycle man in Alfred
Station NY http://www.bicycleman.com/ has so many recumbents
ready to test ride. LWB, SWB, OOS and UUS. and many many
different brands. His shop looks unimpressive from the street
but don't let that fool you. People come from all over the
Eastern U.S. to shop there, and some from the Western part
of the continent. He even has a regular customer from
Austrailia, three annual visits so far. Last Sept. I shopped there
in the presence of a gent from Massachusetts, and a couple from Ohio.

I highly recommend at the very least talking with Peter, the owner, on the phone before you make a decision. Personally, I wouldn't purchase
a new 'bent anywhere else.

In the Classifieds on bentrideronline.com, on the Message Boards, there's a Sun EZ-1 for sale for $400 in Erie, Pennsylvania. Look under "Estate Sale". It's on page 3 at the moment.
There's also a Bachetta Cafe for sale for $750.

http://groups.google.com/group/chicagoland-recumbent-riders-south?lnk=srg&hl=en*

We have a group that regularly rides the Old Plank Road Trail which runs from Ingalls Park to Park Forest.
Our group is tending towards more trikes, but we all still have and ride long, short wheelbase and low racers. Doesn't cost anything to join the group! I can probably get you a good deal on a Rans Wave that one of our group members no longer needs. The Wave is a compact long wheel based bike with the best seat in recumbent land. This same guy also has a trike for sale, but at well over $1000, well over.
PM me if interested and I'll put you in contact with the owner of the Wave (once was my wife's bike).

Oh yes, Bike show this weekend at the Stephen's Convention Center in Rosemont. Amling's Cycle will have representatives of their stock at the show. I'll be volunteering at the booth Sunday from 2 - 5 pm. Stop by and say hello, we can talk 'bents!