The good the band and the ugly of my bent.

[steveknight]

Let’s see the good is all of the comments I get of hey that's a cool bike. I never heard that on my cool Italian racing bike (G) maybe it was the spandex on a 225# guy who knows?
The bad is parking and maneuvering this beast (a burley limbo)
Locking it up Is a bit of a juggle seems the peddle is always in the way. I would use a good cable and smaller lock if I had not invested so much in the New York U lock using on that racing bike.
Just trying to turn the bike around after you unlock it is fun. Seldom do I have room to do it. And picking it up is a real awkward job too.
The ugly is still wobbling sometimes. The closer I am to something the more chance I will wobble towards it. It’s like a magnet (G) the ugly is going slow because my legs are not built up.
The bad is sore legs. I have ridden this route for a year and now I have sore legs (G) and sometimes turtles pass me up (G)
The bad is the front wheel slipping on anything somewhat slick. This is something to really watch for.
The good is my crotch does not hurt anymore. No sore shoulders or hands.
The bad is now my hands get far colder then they ever did on the racing bike. The good is I can wear jeans if I want. The good is I don’t need to buy spandex and lycra anymore. No more overpriced jerseys (though I never paid more then 15.00 each on eBay)
The bad part is it will be harder to keep my feet dry in the rain. Booties don’t work well.
The ugly a kickstand. The good you can brake as hard as you want
I am sure I will think of more later (G)

[Bop Bop]

As with everything in life there are trade offs. You can go through anything in life listing the good and the bad. Thats all part of making decisions. Good and bad are relative terms, what one person thinks is good someone else thinks is bad.

I think riding a "Bent" is great. I'm sure there are people on this Forum that will tell you there's no way they'd go near a "Bent". Are they wrong? No!, they just look at things differently than I do.

[ChiliDog]

I think the post was supposed to be "just for fun" and it says it all. I like my bent and mountain bike, but I love my road bike. I would never give up road and mountain bike riding to ride a bent exclusively. "Variety is the spice of life" as they say!

Here's some more:

Bent Pros:
>ride in sneakers
>have a place to sit and relax when you stop
>able to carry LOTS of stuff
>totally relaxing...cruise, sightsee, meander...no worries, mon!
>super touring rig...no other way to do it, IMHO.

Bent Cons: (lwb)
>got to get off of it to make tight turn arounds
>tough to transport
>not a bike to carry up to your 2nd floor apartment everyday.
>therefore, must be kept locked up in a storage unit (makes me nervous)
>expensive to purchase

[Trsnrtr]

I've tried to find the downside of my bents, both hi-racers, and I can't really think of any. The closest I can come up with is not being able to stand, but as a long time upright tandem rider, I'm kind of used to not standing very often anyway.

[sbhikes]

I'm a newbie, but here are my observations riding my T-Bolt:

Pro:
* I never rode a bike for fun (rather than transportation) until I got a 'bent.
* I like having unusual things that people want to talk about.
* Lots of people smile at me.
* It's a different kind of experience: relaxing, enjoyable, easy-going.
* When not riding, wishing I was riding.
* Little hills don't bother me. Big hills are just as hard, not any harder.
* Downhill is WAY more fun.
* It's a very viable form of commuting transportation.
* No more pressure on my (rhymes with Delores.)
* Don't have to look at the ground as much when I ride.
* My neck doesn't get tired or sore anymore.
* My hands don't get numb/buzzy.

Cons:
* It's heavy in an awkward way so it's hard to carry up stairs.
* Seems like SUV and truck tailpipes are right at face level. (Cough, choke)
* More body parts get splashed on by cars when there are puddles or rain.
* Needs fenders or something because all puddles will get you.
* Bumpy bike paths sometimes launch me out of my seat. Can't go over rough roads/curbs.
* If I don't hit steep hills at the right gear I might have to get off and push. (But I've had to do that on my MTB, too.)
* Limited anonymity.
* Possibly not as fast overall, but I can't tell for sure yet. I'm not very fast anyway.

Other observations:
* Needs a cup holder or some place for my cappucchino/margarita. (Kidding about the margarita.)
* Wish it came in fuschia pink.
* I wonder if my cockatoo would sit on the back of the seat with me.
* I wonder if I will lose weight if a) it's less work to ride, and conversely, b) I want to ride it further and more often.
* If I tell people who ask me how much it costs will they follow me home and steal it?
* So far so good over railroad tracks. Haven't slipped on any leaves or sand.
* Mirror is a must have, not a nice-to-have.