Rolling resistance of 3 wheels is slightly higher then two wheels; typically about 1% higher given the same tires & pressures. 3 wheels weigh more, its a wide range, but comparable catrike/bike are 5-7 lbs apart.

Two wheels or three only mainly depend on what type of person you are, and maybe to a point how windy it is where you ride.

I've been pleasantly surprised how the wind isn't as big a factor as I thought it might be, and this is on a two-wheeled high rider.

My DF has bladed spokes which I thought was cool when I bought it, but made it a nightmare to ride in blustery conditions.

I've ridden the Giro in fairly blustery conditions. It's not totally immune to a cross-wind, but it is nowhere as bothersome as riding on a DF. Even a high-rider is set much closer to the ground than a DF.

So...i talked to a friend. he has a Bacchetta Corsa and Strata. he wants to sell me the corsa. it is the newest model and he just recently bought it. he told me i could buy it from him...my question is what is a fair price for something like this? he is planning on getting the Bacchetta carbon fiber model if i buy it

A new Strada would be about $1800. Anything less than that would save you some money compared to new. Time for haggling.

Edit: You said Corsa Those are more like $2000. It's still time to haggle.

If my friend were to have wanted to sell his Strada to me, I would have offered around $700. Part of it is I think he needs a new cassette, and possibly a new chain, and those things aren't cheap. Also you could get a brand new Strada with warrantee etc for about $1550, at least for the rest of November.

he is a pretty good friend so hopefully i can get a deal on the corsa. i think his wife rides the strada often.

Yeah, the web site does show a sale, but tomorrow (11/30) is the last day.

You'll both have to figure out what it's worth to both of you. You probably want to remain on speaking terms, too.

with it being slightly used tho what do you think would be a fair offer. i am pretty clueless on bike resale and i have heard bents keep their value pretty well.

Consider yourself lucky. A few years ago when I rode motorcycles I found my Honda Shadow to be a bit lightweight in the 20 MPH wind and traded up to a Goldwing. A few weeks ago at a rally I saw a few folks fall after taking some gusts.

I ride for fun. Wind isn't a problem for me on a trike. Its not fun for my wife when she rides her bike in the wind. She'll be getting a new Catrike in January.

You think $700 was too low for a 5-6 year old Strada that needed a new chain and cassette?

Say what you think. It's all in theory anyway as I bought a demo model and am not looking for yet another.

A chain and a cassette would be in the hundred buck ballpark. Assuming the bike is otherwise in good shape, $700 (plus the parts needed) seems low. The question to ask yourself is could you get a nicer bike for that price?
Ultimately a bike is worth whatever it sells for.

If it's almost new/slightly used, then the only deficit is that you don't get the new-owner warranty. How much does he want and how much are you willing to spend? It's worth whatever it sells for.

+1

I always figured 50% of new bike cost for a used bike of unknown background and source but that is definately not the case here.

The bike you're looking at is one whose history and age is readily available to you. You and your friend simply need to negotiate a price that is advantagious to you both. You'll certainly be willing to pay him more than he'll net in a trade-in at the LBS, and he'll definately be able to offer the bike to you for less than the same LBS would if they had it in their shop.

I suspect that when both you and he are satisfied, you will have arrived at the right price.

Bottom line is I've put somewhere between 150-200 miles on the Bacchettas. I'll never go back to DF. If you can arrive at a price that feels right, I say go for it.

thanks i will keep this all in mind. i went to the doctor last night for more bike related issues. i think i need to get something different asap. my new seat is not helping on my regular bike.

i went to my friends today and tried the strada and corsa out. other than getting used to the steering on them i did pretty good. On the other hand i think i am gonna pass buying his corsa. he has a little more money in it than i thought with different bars shifters and some other goodies. it is a little out of my price range.

i think i might be looking at a new strada tho. or a used model of some sort

FWIW - I ride a RANS Zenetik Pro and can offer some insight on the CF bikes if the OP is interested.

Also, this coming Wednesday I'm going to check out various models from Performer Recumbents. They appear to be priced more toward the entry-level yet seem to stand up fairly well next to manufacturers like Catrike and others, at least on paper. I'll post a review with some price information towards the end of this coming week.

i would appreciate that. any help is more than welcome

Here are some of the Performer's Sayre is going to be checking out.

Disclosure: I took these photos.

https://www.facebook.com/recumbent#!/...1169842&type=1

https://www.facebook.com/recumbent#!/...1169842&type=1

https://www.facebook.com/recumbent#!/...1169842&type=1

https://www.facebook.com/recumbent#!/...1169842&type=1

Cool-looking bikes.

those are pretty neat looking bikes

Look nice, but as with a lot of the Taiwanese econo-offerings, the chain line seems to be lacking. I really hate it when they *need* chain tubes for routing. In my world, routing is done by idlers and frame protection, if any is needed, is done by tubes.

They're slowly getting better; it's been a few years since anybody routed a chain through the chain stay.

BTW, how tall is the rider? It looks like the boom is extended a mile!

There is no 'rider'... yet. Since they are for sale.

I checked these out the other day. They are legit. They may not be among those in the $7-10 thousand price range, but they also don't carry that kind of price tag either. The chain tubes don't bother me. In fact, given the fact that my right calf often comes in contact with the drivetrain, I am thankful that they're there. The welds are gorgeous and the componentry holds up nicely. One nice surprise was the attention to detail in the paint. The color, decal application and clear coat surpassed my expectations.

well im going to the bike shop this weekend hopefully....weather permitting. I have almost enough money to get a bacchetta corsa if i so chose to. I will update this thread once i get back from the bike shop


once again thanks to all the posters. you are helping me out alot.