New to Recumbents.
 

I saw just diagnosed with Scheuermann's disease, and can no longer ride a normal bicycle. I really dont want to give up cycling all together. I can ride a Recumbent, yes, but are there any cheaper bents out there? The ones I am seeing are 2K+. That is just way too much. :(

In the US, the least-expensive new bents go for around $600.
Companies to look at are Sun and Cycle Genius (sold through dealers) and Actionbent (online).

Plus you can watch for something used, some people hae gotten some amazing deals this way but it takes time and you may not ever find the exact bike you want in your size.
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Take a look at www.actionbent.com. None of their bikes are above $1400, and most are well below $1000. I sell bikes from the same manufacturer (TW-Bents), and they are nice, quality bikes.

Sun has recumbents from $650 to about 1300.00. I have an Ez Sport AX ($1300) and relly like it. The Rans Stratus LE is about $1300 too. If you watch and wait, some good deals on used ones show up on craigs list fairly regularly. Lots of people buy bents and then don't ride them much. After a few years, they sell them. bk

Those Actionbents look really nice, I like the Rail Metro. Those are sort of a one size fits all thing?

If you want a good bent at a lower price get a used one. Many people buy a bent ride it a month or two and sell it. Have a look at the BROL classified section. Lots of great deals on nearly new bikes.

I agree that you can find something used and you can usually save a lot of money, but as the point made above said, it takes time and sometimes you need to compromise on type and size. In my limited experience bents don't depreciate like your typical bikes so you probably won't get one for next to nothing.

You might want to find something less than ideal and then shop. Your 'less than ideal' bike will still be worth something when you find just what you want.

I've never had a TW-bent bike but I'm hearing very good things for the most part. Also, if you are looking at trikes you might want to look at WizWheelz as they have a trike for 1300 and you might find a dealer near you.

One last thing, if you find what you want on line (ie BROL classifieds) please read the 'don't get scammed' thread on that site and things to watch out for here and and elsewhere. It might save you a headache or two. Granted most bent sites are frequented by very nice people but all it takes is one.

Thanks for all the help, keep it comin! I acually want to buy new, because it will have to last 4 years at best. The ActionBent Jetstream II is growing on me, and it is a good price. Anyone ever dealt with them? [goes search]

I have a Trek R200 available for sale at $650 plus shipping.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...y/SUC50116.jpg

email or PM if interested.

There is an online club of mostly happy Actionbent owners, the Yahoo! Actionbent group.

Keep in mind that Actionbents come boxed as a kit. You'll have to put on the handlebars, chain (chain tool included with the bike), seat, and pedals. Also, you'll need to run and cut the cables, and set up the brakes. If you're not familiar with adjusting derailleurs, you can visit a local bike shop.

To answer a question a few posts back, they are one size fits most. If you're average height, you'll be just fine. If you're taller than 6'5" or shorter than 5'4" then you might run into trouble.

And yeah, bikes from ActionBent (and from me) come partially assembled. Some components, like the shifters and brakes and anything requiring a special tool, will come pre-installed. Most everything else that only needs a 4 or 5mm alan key will require some assembly. If you're handy with tools and bike repair then you'll do just fine, you might not even need instructions. If you can't put together a shelf from IKEA without your brother-in-law's help, then you might want to haul the whole bike over to a bike shop and have them do it. It might cost $100, but you're still saving loads of money in the end.

As far as customer service is concerned, don't listen to all the horror stories you may find floating around the internet. Most of these stories come from a handful of individuals who have had a bad experience and decided to make it their life's mission to tell the world about it. You will find that most people are perfectly happy with ActionBent. AB has also been stepping up customer service in the past few months, so that's good.

The Jetstream II is a zippy little bike, you'll probably like it. If you can, upgrade to the FRP seat if it doesn't come with it by default. It's a much better seat.

I am 5'10 so it should fit just fine. I build all of my bicycles from the ground up including wheels, so putting this together will be nothing at all. I heard the stock alloy seat can crack, and I will be in a back brace for 2 years so the FRP seat will be a good investment.

There you go then. The open cell foam seat pad would be a good choice for you, I think. It's softer than the airmesh pad.

I would recommend going to shorter crankarms for recumbent. I am 5'10" with 33" inseam, I ride 175mm crankarms on my diamond frame road bike, but 165mm on my recumbents. The shorter crankarms helps with smoother spinning at higher cadence.