Recumbent - Lowracer Brands

Any particular brand of lowracer better than another. Or does Baron have a corner on the market?

The Baron seems to have great popularity here in the U.S. I've read on various websites that it also the most popular model at European recumbent racing events, though I wouldn't know how true that is. Whether it's "better" than other lowracers is a matter of opinion I'd suppose. It certainly is easy to learn to ride and has steady handling characteristics at low or high speeds. I don't know how the Jester, M5, T-bone, VK, etc. compare - all I know is I love ridin' my Baron.

I think one reason for the popularity of the Baron is that for a long time it was the lightest lowracer available. This is changing with the advent of the Velokrafts, carbon M5, and Challenge's SL lineup. Of course, another reason is the availability and exposure. Yellowbike (RIP) put Optima 'on the map,' but even without them on today's scene, it's relatively easy for a bike shop to order one from the US distributor. Challenge and Velokraft now have US distributors, so we may be seeing more of them on the road soon.

I've got a baron and a velokraft, but I must say I prefer riding the velokraft. Its zippier than the baron.

Any particular brand of lowracer better than another. Or does Baron have a corner on the market?

Reynolds Weld Lab (www.reynoldsweldlabs.com) is supposed to make a zippy lowracer.