woodcycl

Hello,

I am helping my fiance find a good lower-end recumbent due to a protruding disc from C3 to C5. At this time, it has been recommended not to ride our road bikes or tandem. A Recumbent indoor on a trainer is 1st alternative and then eventually taking it outside is next.

So, I am looking for a recumbent recommendation with the following in mind:

1. Lori is 5' 3" tall with short legs and average torso and arm length. She rides a 47cm diamond frame currently.

2. Something with good support for the body/torso/head.

3. Used preferrably so that we can get a step up or two in frame/component quality, but new is not out of the question.

4. Something at or under $1000 would be nice given we already have 7 bicycles among us now (6 of which are mine from the past 20yrs).

5. I am in the Louisville Metro area. But, I am willing to purchase/obtain over the internet and have the bike shipped.

Any recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thanks for your guidance.

Thanks,
Brian

cat0020

My Fiancee is 5'0", I converted a Vision R40 I bought from Craigslist for under $500 from USS to OSS, it has 16" front wheel.



Though the Vision seat does not have support for the back of head, but you could convert it to a hardshell seat with headrest... but with modern helmet design that have sections stick out the back of helmet, the headrest might just get in the way.

aikigreg

I think there's a rans rocket out there on ebay right now for your price. It'd be perfect.

gcottay

I second the Rans Rocket suggestion but would also (and always) advocate a test before buying. I've found the Rocket a very good all-round ride.

woodcycl

Thanks for the tip. I see it now ... it wasn't included in the recumbent section of eBay, only the road bike section.

woodcycl

Man, I love this! Isn't the Vision R series no longer being made if I remember correctly? What conversions did you do to your R40? That is a nice setup and very SWB.

vik 

I would caution that the Rocket has a high seat height for a dual 406 bent and the design of the frame means that as the seat moves forward to accommodate a shorter person the seat height increases. If your lady can't put down both feet flat on the ground at a stop easily I would look to another bent. If she doesn't feel confident starting and stopping her desire to ride will be affected.

My ex-gf is 5'7" and went from a Rocket to a Challenge Hurricane. One of her first comments was feeling much more in control due to the lower seat height.

The Rocket is a great bent, but not necessarily ideal for the shorter rider.

Jeff Wills

The Vision company is long gone, and all of their stuff (parts, tooling, the whole enchilada) has been liquidated. However, I believe that a lot of it ended up at Hostel Shoppe when they created the Volae line. A Volae Tour matches your requirements pretty well, and they do advertise it as height-challenged friendly.

FWIW: I bought my first Lightning recumbent when I was dating my wife. As soon as she sat on it, she asked to get her one, too. After 16 years of marriage and 3 more recumbents later, we're still going strong.

aikigreg

My wife who is 5'2" rides a v-rex easily, and the rocket would be just that much easier. It's such a subjective thing.

PaPa

Couldn't of said it better, vik! It surprises me how many looong legged riders are eager to recommend bents for stubbies. Seats heights around 20-21 inches is about maximum for 38" and less x-seam. This leaves out both the Rans Rocket AND the Volae Tour. Many 'bent manufactures have a habit of spreading their sizing, and leaving-out crucial seat height numbers (as Hostel seems to have done) and make recommendations without first-hand knowledge.

It is also worth noting that short legs usually fit LWB 'bents much better than SWB 'bents. Short legs, more often than not, places the CoG too far forward on SWB's. This increases the bike's handling sensitivity, making the bike feel squirrely and twitchy.

JanMM

RANS still offers 2006 Tailwinds for sale ($995).

cat0020

My fiancee's Vison R40 has 16"x 26" wheels, 155mm crankset, conversion from USS to OSS was necessary because her arms are too short to reach the USS handlebars during turns. She's 5 foot zero inches tall, x-seam approx. 34-36 inch. I'll probably have her try a set of 142 or 144mm crankarm this year.



It was found on Craigslist for $450, I drove 70 miles one way to pick it up, there are still Vision R40s to be found, you just need to be patient and willing to pay for shipping.

la2sei

There is an R40 for sale in Vermont. under seat steering, but it can be changed to above. they are asking $650
https://www.bikeroute.com/ibrd_cgi/Cl...ecumbent.setup

tim24k

I love my Rans Rocket, it's a great bike but it's $1,295.00 now and I agree with previous posters on being to tall for a 5'3" new-be.

Best to find a good recumbent shop or two if possible, even if you have to travel a spell and spend a day riding deferent bikes. We all have ideas on the best bike for what fits us for our body type and needs. Take some time don't be in a rush.

I started on a Cycle Genius LTX/Falcon, it'll cost you $1,199.00 and well worth it!
https://www.cyclegenius.com/ltx.html
Low seat hight, easy to learn on, stable, and very comfortable. They have the best seat out there in my opinion. I had a issue with some handle bars, that took me over three and a half months to get right. Unlike Easy Racer's $5,000 bike that still after a year, I still have several issues. Rans have been flawless! Super bikes super customer service.
https://www.ransbikes.com/default.htm


I see now you can get a lower end Cycle Genius Falcon LS for $999.99 now.
https://www.cyclegenius.com/falcon_ls.html
I still would buy the strait Falcon though.

The key is to find a good dealer that will take care of you and stand behind what they sell.

cat0020

If you're somewhat mechanical, I would just find a used recumbent on Craigslist. Paying the premium for new and dealer price is just waste of money to me.

Though the Cycle Genius Falcon line may be suitable for some, IMO, they look way heavy, combersome to transport and take up lots of room in the garage or storage. Starting at $1000, that's a lot of things working against the Cycle Genius line.

The key is to learn about fixing your bike yourself, it's not that complicated, IMO it's harder to figure out TEVO.

tim24k

Personally I would rather recommend to someone not knowing their mechanical ability a bike that is still supported and a company that is still in business unlike Vision that went out of business in November of 2003. Having wait for special parts to be made or fixed can get frustrating when the sun is shining and you want to go for a ride, not to mention it can get very pricey!

cat0020

The facts are Cycle Genius Falcon line are large, heavy and difficult bikes to store and transport, a smaller sized beginner who has never ridden a recumbent would be likely to be afraid of its sheer size.. let alone the trouble of storage and transport. For those reasons, a beginner is likely to give up cycling when the first mechanical and having to transport the bike to a dealer, or maybe suffering a mechanical rodside, when no one close by could offer transport for the bike.
The larger, heavier bike like Cycle Genius Falcon line would be more difficult to lift, no good for someone with back trouble as the thread starter mentioned of the condition of his fiance.

BlazingPedals

OK, I'll chime in. For a short person, a LWB would be easiest to find a good fit. That's because her legs won't have to ssssttttreeeeettttcccchhh to the other side of the front wheel to reach the pedals. But, like Cat0020 wrote, don't get a heavy thing that's half her weight! For beginner bents, I recommend a RANS Tailwind, or a Wave if you can find it. Up the scale a bit, if you can find a small, used TourEasy, that'd be even better. Still upscale from the beginner level, a small trike might work, too; something like a Catrike Pocket. Beyond that, test rides are the best way to tell if a bike will fit her. To properly fit her without a test ride, you'll at least need to know her X-Seam measurement.

Here's a guide for measuring X-Seam: https://www.wizwheelz.com/xseammeasurement.htm

vik 

My advice - find a well stocked bent dealer as close as possibel and take her on a test ride day - even if you have to drive quite a ways to make this happen. After trying a few different styles of bents she'll be able to tell you want she likes best. It is much better to get her to tell you what works than to try and figure it out for her.

EriktheFish

For a Long Wheel Base bent I'd recommend this one currently for sale:
https://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Recumbent-Bi...QQcmdZViewItem

For a Short Wheel Base bent I'd recommend this one currently for sale:
https://cgi.ebay.com/Lightning-Thunde...QQcmdZViewItem

la2sei

there is a lightning thuderbolt, which is much like the vision on ebay https://cgi.ebay.com/Lightning-Thunde...QQcmdZViewItem
lighting no longer produces the bike, but they have parts and accessories.

PaPa

What is your xseam Erik, and have you ridden either of these bikes?