BigHa?
 

I've only had limited experience with recumbents and although I'm not likely to give up my "wedgie" for a "'bent", I'm still interested in all kinds of bikes. So, I was wondering what you experienced recumbent riders think of the BigHa bike? Is it a well thought out design or just a rolling collection of needless doo-dads and gizmos?

Posts at other websites show mixed opinions. A few appreciate a fully-outfitted, well-made bent. Most are critical of it's high price relative it's lack-luster performance potential, pointing out there are so many better values available.

The Big-HA is way overpriced. The quality of recumbents you could buy with $3000.00 is incredible and Big-HA is not in the same league. The Big-Ha in my opinion has to be one of the worse looking bents out there.

They should have developed the BikeE which was a fine inexpensive recumbent. The BikeE did what it was made for and nothing more. In case you haven't noticed, the Big-HA looks very much like the BikeE with larger wheels.

Bottom line. If I had to choose between two bents, the choice would be obvious. BikeE.

I'm aware the same employees who developed BigHa are former BikeE staff. This is why I wish they had stayed with the original design of the BikeE. The BikeE was the best selling Bent in the country and a proven formula. The product had matured after 10 years of development and needed very little R&D.

Why in the world they developed an entirely new product is beyond me. Where does this product fit? It's not better than the Cannondale, Rans or even Easy Racer cycles.

In my opinion, the Giant Revive will take over the spot BikeE had as the entry level bent of the future. It's about 75% there and the company has a distirbution network second to none.

I rode Reach the Beach last weekend and saw a Big ha. IMO it is the best looking bike I've ever seen. It drew a crowd and those looking seemed to agree.

The Big ha was ridden by one of the guys that works there. He let me ride it around the rest stop. My first impression is positive plus. Quality was much higher than my C'dale. I could easily see where the extra $1,000 went to.

The bike is heavier than mine. I think he said it weighs about 48 pounds. I always prefer light to heavy but the seat was solid and easy to adjust. Great comfort. I'd pay 15 pounds for that.

If I can scrape up the money I'm seriously interested. Looked like a good product.

Just checked out the site for myself.

Steve, if you prefer the aesthetic look of BikeE to Bigha, you have unique taste indeed. Bigha has to be one THE coolest looking bikes out there.

That bike computer looks hot. Did I read correctly that the seat has lumbar support? Crazy!

funny you guys are talking about big ha, the factory is about a block away from my house. Bike used to have a small shed with a sign out front. big ha has a massive complex in a tech loop. They even have their top line bike mounted out front on the sign. It would be incredibly easy to take, not saying i would though.

It looks a little like the HP Velotechnik Spirit. I saw one a few weeks back and it looked really good. Fast and comfortable. I keep looking on ebay for a second hand bargain but no success yet.

http://www.hpvelotechnik.com/produkt...t/index_e.html

Hi sometimes when I ride by there it crosses my mind, to climb up there and take it down! ya they are to expensive and heavy! but if someone wanted to give me one..... when is our warm rain coming back, tired of this cold cold fog!

I've just checked out the BigHa website, and looked over their models and prices...they seem to want to market their bikes with bells and whistles(fancy computer, lighting, etc.)...and I would imagine there are consumers who want their bikes rigged up with that stuff and like the build quality and looks of the BigHa 'bents...as I've always believed, to each his/her own, and I totally respect that...more power to them.

When I look at this type of 'bent, the component specs, the overall build quality, and their pricing($3600 for their mid-model, the Basic+), I can't help thinking of what other 'bents are available for that same kind of money. Think about it, for about the same kind of money(say, within $300, plus or minus), one could buy an Easy Racer's Fold Rush(lwb), a Bacchetta Aero(titanium swb superbike), a Barcroft Oregon lowracer, or buy an Easy Racer's Gold Rush Replica, Barcroft Virginia GT, Bacchetta Giro, or RANS V2 Formula...and have a chunk of dough left over to buy extra tires, tubes, seatbags, or to just put back into a savings account! No disrepect for BigHa...but, as somebody's already posted here, that kind of money can buy some of the finest, high-end 'bents the world has to offer..'bents that push the performance and comfort envelopes, have the very best components available, and weigh up to 25 pounds less!!! That's something to seriously think about(imho, of course)....

Well said, Sukispop. I can't imagine even a micro-second of contemplation over a decision between this and V2 Formula, which by the way is now only $2300 (speced a little different, but still excellent).

[QUOTE=Dahon.Steve]I'm aware the same employees who developed BigHa are former BikeE staff. This is why I wish they had stayed with the original design of the BikeE. The BikeE was the best selling Bent in the country and a proven formula. The product had matured after 10 years of development and needed very little R&D.

Why in the world they developed an entirely new product is beyond me. Where does this product fit? It's not better than the Cannondale, Rans or even Easy Racer cycles.

In my opinion, the Giant Revive will take over the spot BikeE had as the entry level bent of the future. It's about 75% there and the company has a distirbution network second to none.[/QUOTE

In the Eugene paper a few weeks ago.. they reported that former Bike E people have a major law suit going against Giant, because as I remember, Giant was making frames for them, had some major recalls, about the time Giant was planning for thier own venture into the bent market.

...

It has a nice foldable stem, internally routed cables and a removable seat. Plus, it's got turn signals! What more can one ask for? Ok I'll admit, I wouldn't pay $3,600. But I guess their marketing strategy secretly depends on an aging demographic with some cash to blow.

They have a pretty good streaming video on their site. I actually like the aesthetics. Maybe another manufacturer will take notice and produce one for about half its price...and add some serious mid-frame touring racks...and maybe a shorter MTB-style rear fork instead of the cheap cantilever.

NR

The BigHa admittedly isn't marketed toward enthusiasts like you're likely to see on this or other bike discussion groups. We're not the target audience. What they did was make a bike that appealed to the older guys with everything - including money.

Why did they do that? Easy - because BikeE was inexpensive and didn't have much of a markup, and they wanted a more profitable product. Their target audience has the money to spend for the right product, and their research showed that the 'right product' was one with lots of gizmos. *Comfort* and gizmos. And their customers happily shell out the money, because *nobody else* has catered to them. Rather than talk bad about them, I think they're a good example of how free enterprise is supposed to work. No, I don't plan on owning one, but if I see one on the road, I will ding my handlebar bell, smile, and wave at its rider. :)

An overweight, under spec'd, over priced lead sled is the general description of the BigHa. They will be saying Ha Ha Ha when they sell enough to cover their marketing. Probably a decent entry level bike for the aged, but for the money then they should be looking for a three wheeler, wouldn't they? That is if they were really shopping for this form of transportation.

From what I have seen, average construction, must be sold direct because no good retailer/LBS will carry such a monstrosity.

Burley has the entry level pretty well covered, at 1/2 the price, but no bells or whisles.

48 lbs......Bigha....Ha Ha. $3000.....Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.

Yo khuon,

Looks like you already have your other two rides just like me. I have a colnago road bike and a santa cruz superlight. THe next logical step is a recumbent. I have three of those now too. Never mind the big ha bike check out a rotator pursuit here's a link these are hand built,very fast,comfortable,visible in traffic and easily look over your should for oncoming cars during manuvers. ask for steve tell him brian sent you.
http://rotatorrecumbent.com/ordering.html

BigHa, The ad say's it means "because". Yeah, Because There are always uninformed people willing to fork over their hard earned money without doing any kind of research. The "Cool Factor" of this bike is way off the charts, but it weighs too much, and costs too much for what you get. It just doesn't make sense. You can esentially get the same componants on a tricked out EZ sport for two grand less.

I think the Bigha is a good choise if you have little or no experience of recumbents. A Bigha is a good compromise between an upright and a real fast recumbent. The practicality of the bike in question is indisputable however. If you intend to ride in intense traffic and you just want a comfortable bike then Bigha is an option. But if you are interested in speed as well you should consider other options like M5 lowracer, Bacchetta Aero, Optima Baron or Challenge Fujin.

It's hardly a choice of BigHa or "something fast." For better speed without going to a racer I could choose almost anything; for instance my V-Rex at half the price. I think the argument most people have against BigHa is that it's a Yugo, outfitted with all of the most expensive options possible and sold as a Cadillac. Let's just compare it to another small-wheeled bike, a Sun EZ-1. I choose that because I regard them both in the same performance category.
* Bigha: praying hamster position, EZ-1: easy-rider position. Both comfortable.
* Bigha seat is taller, also has taller step-through.
* Bigha fenders included, EZ-1 they're a $30 add-on
* Bigha has mechanical disc brakes, EZ-1 has V-Brakes. I won't go into pros and cons here.
* Bigha suspension, EZ-1 3 inches of foam in the seat.
* Bigha free waterbottle, EZ-1 none.
* Bigha Basic = 47 pounds, EZ-1 37 pounds
* Bigha Basic = $3400, EZ-1 = $499
* Bigha buy from Bigha, EZ-1 buy at virtually any bike shop

Adding the BH electronics and kickstand will cost $700 and weigh 5 pounds extra. That's right, the $3400 Bigha Basic apparently does not have a kickstand as standard equipment.

I'll rephrase what I wrote in a former post, with one addition: The target Bigha customer is older, well-heeled, looking for comfort and luxury, and is uneducated regarding other recumbent offerings. That last one is MHO, but you'll notice that on the Bigha site, the only recumbent they compare themselves to is the also-expensive Cannondale, in which they emphasize the electronics of the $4100 Complete version. The difference is, people actually take the Cannondale on tours, and finish. I've always assumed that anybody interested enough in recumbents to join a forum would automatically be the wrong audience for Bigha, but maybe I was wrong.

"Never mind the big ha bike check out a rotator pursuit here's a link these are hand built,very fast,comfortable,visible in traffic and easily look over your should for"

Rotator pursuit? ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww

lowracers are way sexier and way faster and way more comfortable.

I know a guy who had a pursuit.......yuck....he got rid of it and now owns 4 lowracers.

...and is that guy named Chris?

I think you may be onto something, Glasspacker. Ps. Great signature. WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM .

nope

I actually OWN a Bigha (so far 80 miles on it in the first three weeks). Bad back put me in one. The bike itself is superbly put together - great welds, metal thickness - engineer biker friend told me it's overbuilt.

THE SEAT is incredible. Unlike the hammock type seats of most "bents" this one is like a small Lazy-Boy only more comfortable. It is also infinitely adustable for length, tilt, seat entension and seat tilt.

On the flats this heavy (52lbs.) bike feels light on it's feet and 15-19 mile cruising is easy. No problem going up long inclines (8-12mph), but going down the same incline hit 28-30 before fear took over. Steep hills do pose a problem but not many of those on my routes. You can shift into three modes - uphill, flat, and downhill while not moving and each mode has 9 speeds - total 27 gears. The disc brakes are superb and the electronics are high quality and accurate.

This is not the most maneuverable of bikes but I love it's solidity. Not worth the money? My friend bought a $3000 recumbent stationary bike - with mine I can see the world.

if I had 3700 to spend this puppy would be mine http://www.carbent.com/standard_carbent.htm
a 19 pound bent would be great and this is the style that fits my riding.

You could have bought a Windcheetah, what were you thinking????