Recumbent - So I stopped by the 'bent LBS today...

...and I'm now thinking about selling one of the kids to raise some cash. He had all different kinds from Sun/EZ Racer, Cattrike, Rans, and Greendspeed. I just sat on a Greenspeed Anura and a Stratus LE, seeing as how I don't really have the $ to buy at the moment.

Without even riding them, I can tell that they would both be more comfortable than my hybrid. Now just got to make up my mind which one I should start saving up for.

Test rides are free. ;)

By all means test ride them. As with most of us money is a big deal. IMHO the Rans Stratus LE or the V3 provide the best bang for the buck.

RANS Formula LE has an attractive price.

The bents are where my LBS makes their money. They'd have gone under long ago without them I bet.

And---------------one thing you should never forget. When you find a bike you like, your first question should be: "what can you sell me that bike for"? In almost all store except grocery stores, they might deal. It never hurts to ask. Yes I know bike shops work on a thin margin, but the higher priced the bike the more they are able to deal. I have bought 2 recumbents and the bike shop knocked $200 off both of them. It might not happen to you. But since my 3 sons and I had bought at least 10 bikes over the years, my LBS knew we were a good customer, and wanted to keep us.

Selling your kids... That would be funny were it not for the recent news article about a woman arrested for selling her 4 and 6 year old. What's it like riding a recumbent inside a jail cell?

You might consider buying a used recumbent, particularly in the off season. It has two advantages - lowers the intial cost and you get a better return on your purchase (notice I didn't say investment) should you decide to move up to a different or better model. I and two friends have bought both locally and long distance. We have never gotten stuck but were careful in our dealings. I ride a Greenspeed GTO that came with a pile of options and cost around half what a new one would cost. It's a fantastic trike and has proven to be extremely durable over thousands of miles.

You can learn way more about a bike in 5 minutes on a ride than all your research will tell you. More than once I have convinced myself a certain bike would be perfect for me from looking at pictures and reviews. When I finally get a chance to try it though something just doesn't work for me. Take as many test rides as possible, sit on the seats, check out the layout of the controls etc. Once you decide which bike or bikes work for you then check price. Some dealers will deal on price, some won't. Used bikes are usually a good deal as long as the seller is reasonable (some think they will get all the retail price back when they sell though). Don't buy a lesser bike than you really want or you will regret it and not ride as much.

You can learn way more about a bike in 5 minutes on a ride than all your research will tell you . . . Don't buy a lesser bike than you really want or you will regret it and not ride as much.

A slightly different take here.

Unless you are already familiar with bents you probably want to do longish test rides. It can take a while to get the bike adjusted to you and for for you to get adjusted to a different style of riding. There are some exceptions, but most bent shops are good about no-cost test rides. A few will make them into a rental and charge you a bit.

I think an economical bike, especially a used one, can be a fine first buy just so, as BKXray suggests, you really like it enough to want to ride ride ride. Experience riding your first bent serves you well in selecting the next.

I second the idea of buying a used recumbent. Here in the UK 'bent dealers are few and far between, so a couple of years ago I did my research and waited for the right bike to appear on ebay. I bought it for £495 and found that it was an absolute dream to ride. The comfort was amazing and I could suddenly ride all day. One issue that I never really solved was starting off on hills, and I live in a hilly area. I therefore looked into trikes and ended up buying an ex-demo model at a great price. I have just sold the original 'bent on ebay for £627 - so it was a whole lot of fun and an investment. Had I bought a new bike, I would have been staring a big loss directly in the face.

I made the "mistake" of visiting Lightfoot Cycles' facility a while back. Now I have a new way to spend some "extra" money if I ever get any.