Recumbent - What should I look for in a used bent?

Hey there, rookie post in this forum.
What should I be aware of when looking over a used bent?

For the most part just check the normal stuff - measure the chain wear, check the condition of the chainrings, tires, brake pads, braking surfaces on the rims. Are the wheels true? Also check for the frame being true and no abnormal bends where they don't belong. If you can ride through a small puddle and check your tracks, make sure it doesn't dog-track. Having had a few aluminum frames, I'd check aluminum frames around the welds for cracks, too.

What do you mean by "dog-track" ?

I expect dog-track means that while the wheels may be parallel to one another, they don't run in the same plane, that is, the rear wheel will be slightly right of or left of the front wheel when viewed from the back (shows up in the puddle tracks) -- sort of like when you watch a dog trot along when the dog has had a disease like distemper or some kind of bone problem.

For the OP, spin the wheels and see how fast they spin down or if they make unusual noise, or if you are motivated, take the wheels off and spin them and feel for nicks or bumps in the bearings as they rotate. Also, lay the bike down on each side and see what parts might contact the ground during a crash, and see if those edges and corners are damaged. If so, there may have been some crashing in the bike's history that you should ask about. Look for wear or damage around the adjustment points, especially for the pieces needed to adjust the seat position.

Have you decided which type of recumbent you might be interested in? Long wheelbase, short wheelbase, low racer, or high racer or trike (tadpole or delta) are all very different in the way they handle. Then there is underseat vs overseat steering. Lots of thing to think about.

Thanks for the responses. The point to check for dog-tracking is a good one.

I've only ridden a recumbent once, so no real experience here. The one I will be looking at is a Jett Creek, long wheelbase with overseat steering. It's a couple hours of drive time away.The seller sent larger photos; one shows a fair amount of wear on the outside of the right pedal as if it had been parked next to a snowblower in the garage, or set down on that side (eeesh!) The chainrings look rather unworn and the rear cassette is fairly clean.

Clean is good, but what you're really looking for is the tooth valleys to be 'round' and not sharp on top. It's bad if the teeth are shaped like sharkfins. There should be no daylight between the chainring and the chain; i.e. the chain should rest on the bottom of the teeth. Wear further up on the teeth indicates it was run with a 'stretched' chain and the rings will have to be replaced - a worn chain damages the chainrings and damaged chainrings cause premature chain wear. Hopefully what you will be looking at will be just what it seems: a lightly-used 'bent showing some normal wear. Regarding the frame, no bike is perfectly true, so don't be too picky; you're just looking for major problems.

Look at general condition, as it shows what kind of care the owner took with the bike. Also look for signs of rust which may indicate it was left outside. Visual rust may indicate a lot of internal rust.

Have you decided which type of recumbent you might be interested in? Long wheelbase, short wheelbase, low racer, or high racer or trike (tadpole or delta) are all very different in the way they handle. Then there is underseat vs overseat steering. Lots of thing to think about.

This is what you should get a handle on first- try as many different kinds as you can to see which type you like. That can be a tall order, I know, as recumbents aren't common to begin with. Take some time with this. Once you've found the recumbent format you like, or even a particular make and model, you can then evaluate their condition as you would with any used bike.