FLYBYU

I'm thinking of buying a bent in the near or maybe distant future. I was wondering if anyone knows of cheaper bent that is somewhat like a BikeE. I would get a BikeE, but they don't make them anymore. A guy I know has one that he let me ride and I loved it, I thought it would be perfect for touring and such. I'd have to learn to steer it before I hit the open road though, I almost crashed his into a parked car because the steering is so sensitive compared to a regular bike.

bentrider

If at all possible find a local bike club that may have other recumbent riders within their organization. Ask to try riding their "bents" as one can get a good appreciation of different models and designs. Ask lots of questions also, I see a lot of first time purchasers fork out nearly $1000 for a bike and find they don't like them.

My first bent was purchased unriden (ordered over the internet). I crashed regularly for about 3 weeks and thought I had made a big mistake but after awhile I caught on. That was the big risk I took. I now have two.

As for good recumbents depends what you want to do; tour, commute, race. If you plan to tour get a strong frame comfortable bike, these weigh more but in the long run more comfortable (IE; Long Wheel Base Tour Easy). If speed is all you want check out the European low Racers (IE; Optima), a simple commute bike look at (RANS recumbents, etc..).

Look on the web for people wanting to sell a bent also, risky but one can get good deals sometimes.

sch

Have you checked out the EZ 1 recumbent. This is a
highly regarded inexpensive bent. I just did a google on "EZ1 recumbent bike" and got a bunch of hits worth
perusing. The www.hostelshopped.com site has a
number of bents worth looking at. Any new bent rider
should use platform pedals (BMX type) and ride around a large parking lot with no cars on it, or a parking deck.
It takes a few hundred miles to get used to the difference in handling. You will be like a 6yr old initially with a lot of side to side wobble but after 2-300miles the wobble goes way down. On short wheelbase bents especially the bars should be held very loosely in the hands, the tighter you hold on the more squirrelly the ride. Use an unclenched hand grip. Bents are adjustable over a wide range so it takes a while to
figure out how to set up the bike. Steve

FLYBYU

Thanks guys for the advice, I want it mainly for riding to visit my parents on the weekends, I plan to go car-free this summer and use my MTB to commute to work and the bent to ride to my parents place or just for long distance rides. It is 85 miles one way to their place, I did it on my mountain bike last fall and it wasn't that bad, it's very flat with only two small hills along the way, and a divided highway with a very wide bike lane down each side. My major complaint with the MTB is that it is really slow riding into a strong headwind, I want something that is more aero and even though my MTB is pretty comfy I still have some aches and pains on Monday when I'm supposed to be working. So basically I want a bent that is relatively aero and comfy too. I've been looking at a HPvelotechniks Wave, and I like the fact that you can get a fairing and a box for the back, since I don't know what the weather is going to be like I would like a fairing in case of rain or strong winds. I know that they are hard to ride and all, the BikeE I rode was hard to keep in a straight line, but I think I can get the hang of it. I would like to try others, but around here there is only a few, mostly BikeEs and I've already tryed one. Basically I thought the BikeE was comfy but not very aero or fast, I would want something at least as fast as my mountain bike (I averaged 13.8mph over the 175 mile trip to my parents place on my MTB) I'm also looking at ActionBent, but you can't get fairings and I can't find a Canadian distributer for them. I'd prefer to buy in Canada to avoid Duty and high shipping costs. I've looked at the EZ1 too, but I don't really like the design to much and I would get a EZ1Lite anyway, also I think that the components are not up to par with the price, I would upgrade eventually but I've had most of those components on my MTB and I kept having things fall apart, on long distance rides out in the middle of nowwhere I don't want that.

sch

Wasn't sure what your price range was. You would want a bike that is fairly reclined and the Wavey
certainly is that. You will almost certainly need a
front fender even with a fairing as those little wheels
throw a large rooster tail on wet roads. Some people
find the superman bars of the Wavey a problem with
twist grips as the hand position is good for grip but not
for twisting compared with a T bar. Thumb shifters
would solve that. If your ride is pretty flat the bike
should be a good bit faster than 14mph. Steve

FLYBYU

Actually I've looked into the EZ1 Lite and may consider it, the Wavey has a 3X7 dual drive, well the EZ1 Lite has a 8 spd cassette, I may just get the EZ1 with a fairing and then upgrade all the components, since it is quite a bit less then the Wavey. The Wavey is more aero definatly, but as a beginner I don't know how comfortable I would be with that. The EZ1 is similar to the BikeE, but a bit lighter, so maybe it would be more suitible. Would be nice if I had a bent dealer near so I could try some out, but I'm 1+ days drive from any dealers that carry bents. I also still don't like the look of the EZ1, but I've just seen pics, it might look better in real life.