Me, 40 yo, 5 ft 1", 110 lb, husband also 40, 6 ft 0, 210 lb, thinking of purchasing recumbents. Question, as I haven't ridden in many years, which are considered the easiest to ride, I personally do NOT like the low riders (scared of the low height). Read somewhere the compact long base is easiest? I rode an EZ the low end model and it felt too large for me. My husband rode a Cycle Genius LX and loved it, but it also felt too large for me, (didn't see their lower end models), but I heard a lot of clicking while he was riding it (maybe needs fine tuning). Anyway we want to keep the price range sort of low as we want 2. Any suggestions?? I saw the Cannondale Bent and thought it was gorgeous, sat on it (didn't ride tho) and it felt nice for my size. Also rode a Giant Revive. Liked the fit and the feel, but could not turn it, it was strange, not sure what was up with that, but when I turned it wouldn't turn, the boy at the store said it was sort of like a motorcycle with that bike, you have to lean more. Any input would be greatly appreciated, thanks all! :o) CJ

You're on the right track - ride as many as possible.

A lowracer probably isn't a good choice - they can be hard on the neck muscles, they can have heel or chainstrike problems and some haven't the best forward vision.

The Lightning Thunderbolt and SWB 'bents like it would be a comfortable ride. BUT they all take a bit of getting used to - usually only a few kilometres.

Recumbents are sold in frame sizes based on height - just the same as DF road bikes.
Your husband will probably find a mesh seat most comfortable. I prefer them.

Trikes are seductively comfortable - totally easy to ride, but not easy to transport - especially if you had two.

The SWB bikes will fit on standard bike racks like the Thule.

Paul W - Lightning P-38 and lovin' it.

First of all I want to remind you that riding a recumbent irrispective of what model you choose is a challenge for a beginner,because how much training you have got on a ordinary bike( a DF) is of no importance when it comes to riding a recumbent for the first time. I wouldn't say that a Cannondale is easier than Baccheta or Tour Easy. The problem is you have to start from scratch and learn how to ride the particular recumbent you have in mind irrispective of model. In the normal case it will take you a week before you feel comfortable with the bike. But after some time you will feel as though you and the bike belong together. I fell off my first recumbent several times before I learnt how to ride it. Now I feel more comfortable with it than I ever did with my mountain-bike. I even ride it in the winter when there is snow and ice on the street. Good Luck!

Erik has a good point. The bents that are easiest to learn are not necessarily the ones you'll want to be riding 3 months from now. Generally, the more upright you sit and the more the geometry resembles an upright, the easier your test ride will be. But the more it'll be like your old upright. What you need to do on test rides is rate how comfortable you are. Don't worry, your brain will figure out how to ride it after a few hours in the seat, no matter which one you choose.

I recommend continuing what you're doing. Test ride as many different bents as you can lay your hands on. Do not avoid any just because you don't think you will like them, want to be higher/lower/etc. Ride them all. OK? Now, once you've got some experience in the seats, go through and try them all again. You'll be surprised to find that you've learned how to ride a few in the meantime that were awkward before. Also, you'll find that some that you originally thought were awful will now feel pretty good, and vice versa - some that you originally thought were pretty cool now are terrible. Make a short list after the second round and do more test rides if necessary to finally decide.

The Revive is a semi-recumbent. It's turning circle is about 1 to 2 feel wider than a normal bike. Because the handlebars are set after you get on, they were probably not in the right position for you. Once you figure out the handlebar position and expect to take wider turns; it's kind of fun to ride. I would expect LWB recumbents to have even longer turning circles. You don't need motorcycle riding experience to ride the Revive. If you're considering the Revive, would recommend getting the model with more gears.