Bentech recumbents

[hoogie]

Is there anyone here that is using a Bentech LWB or has built one???

really keen on getting one, not sure on plans or built frame ...

how do they ride?
are you happy with it?

[Bigfoot]

http://www.bentechbikes.com/buildrs3.htm

I do not own a Bentech LWB. I own a recumbent Catrike Road with a long boom for extra tall guys.

The Bentech and Catrike are similar in that they are recumbents and have much in common except I have three wheels vice two. I am 76 inches tall and find the extra length option superb in a Catrike and you will too in a Bentech. They are more comfortable and one can ride longer in the saddle.

I love my recumbent and you should too with the Bentech.

Catrike Road #116
"Cats just don't feel safe on a moving bicycle, no matter how much duct tape you use"--Author unknown
LWB.

[BlazingPedals]

Wow, I never realized that a Bentech and a Catrike were almost exactly the same!!! The ONLY difference I can think of is that there's lots of Catrikes around and very few Bentechs. LOL! I can't think of who it is at the moment, but there is a Bentech owner here in Michigan, who has ridden his for years. Can't remember if I see him at the HPRA rally at Waterford Hills, or the Vinyard Classic ride in the fall... At any rate, he seems to enjoy it.

For a first building project, I think something like this (http://www.geocities.com/coppola1962/mutant/mutant.htm) would be easier and result in a pretty nice-riding bike. Using cast-off DFs simplifies the building quite a bit.

Here is a pic of my homebuilt. Not quite the same building technique as the one at the link above, but you can easily see its lineage. This one is very rideable; and even with some pretty junky parts on it, it's surprisingly fast.

[dfulton]

If you have any brazing or welding experience, you can easily make one yourself from junk bikes. I've made 10 bikes and trikes to date, after buying a cheap mig welder from Harbour Freight tools 2 years ago. Patience, some basic tools, and a willingness to experiment and learn as you go are the only requirements. Similar designs and techniques are available for free on the web, or buying these simple plans are a good way get started.

Darren