Originally Posted by Lightingguy

I have a SWB w/ OSS (short wheel base with over seat steering) Vison, that I haven't ridden in 3 years. They will never climb as well as a DF (diamond frame - I.E. regular bike), regardless what all the benters and dealers tell you, all things being equal. Simple fact of the large mass of the legs assist you in cranking the pedals while on a DF, especially on hills, which is not the case when your legs are out in front of you, so you get no gravity assist and have to work a lot harder on the bent.

And FWIW, 'ya gotta' pay a LOT more for a bent that weighs 16 lbs (are there any ?) then you would for a DF. A Volae Team carbon costs $4800 and still weighs 21 lbs. Even if you weigh 250 you are going to climb faster on a carbon DF that weighs 16 lbs.

I also found that balance was tougher on the bent, as all your body weight was perched nearly horizontal between the wheels and it's nearly impossible to use body english to compensate for quick and unusual movements of the bike. Which is why my only case of crashing on a road ride in 20 years was on my bent when the wheels got caught between the seam of the asphalt and concrete road surface and I was sliding along in a microsecond. Now note that my body didn't have as far to fall as it would have on a DF, but as others have stated, you can get bounced around on a bent and are poorly positioned to adjust to sudden movement.

All in all, bents are great if you end up old, fat and with a grey beard and have associated medical problems such as prostate issues, lower back or neck issues, sore arms, etc... and have had zero luck on DF's, as it still keeps you riding, which it did for me.

Steve B.