I'd get into the recumbent forum and ask the questions, but the Chicago Park Tools representative is a big recumbent fan, and we tried some of the recumbent bikes. He said that you can get a good recumbent for under $1000, so they can be affordable. I also met a guy on the bike path back in April, and he told me that he saw some good recumbents going for as little as $400. So hang in there. Maybe you can alternate between the recumbents for most rides and ride your Trek for shorter rides a couple of times a week.