Price question.
 

Hey everyone. I might be in the market for a recumbent bike. I recently was told i have prostatitis so i might just get a recumbent instead of a regular bike.

There is a store about 30 miles away that sells alot of Bacchetta's but i havent made it there yet. I was wondering about what these things start at price wise? i am not finding much online.


thanks in advance

MSRPs for the various Bacchetta models are listed on the various spec pages.

For example,
http://www.bacchettabikes.com/bikes/...ce-bikes/corsa

...a Corsa is $1999

Bacchetta sells only through dealers, so you probably won't find anyone selling them online (unless it's a used bike). This will give you some idea: http://www.tandems-recumbents.com/bacchetta.html but note that the page hasn't been updated since 2009. Volae bikes are similar and they are sold online: http://hostelshoppe.com/cgi-bin/sear...ategory=104700 , so that's some more info.

FWIW: test ride a few before you make your decision. There's a few recumbent riders in Iowa- seek them out and give a couple different bikes a try. No one - and I mean no one - can put you on the "perfect" bike. You'll have to work that out for yourself.

I've been in and around recumbent bikes and trikes for 30 years. I'm still figuring out the "right" one, but I like the long-wheelbase Easy Racer bikes a lot.

Bacchetta has a 15% off sale this month. You can get a new Strada for around $1500. I bought a Giro this weekend.

got it...my bad thanks

i know a few ppl with bacchettas here in town. i will have to ride one soon. it is just an idea right now and i just wanted to get a price range. i was going to get a carbon road bike before i was told i have prostatitis. now i am kinda second guessing my plan.


thanks i will look into it

Besides Bacchetta, stick bikes are also made by Volae (Tour, Club,) RANS (F5,) and if you want to go high end, Carbent. They are all variants on a theme, all with slightly different features.

Well, I wouldn't necessarily second-guess things: http://www.bacchettabikes.com/bikes/...arbon-aero-2.0 . The local recumbent shop owner has one of these and she likes it a bunch. She also has a Giro set up for all-weather commuting so her precious Carbon Aero isn't exposed to foul weather. (It rained over 2 inches today. Yikes!)

As I said: try to figure out what kind of bike you like first. Then figure out what you're willing to spend. That'll point you where you need to go.

thanks for all the help guys. I think i could part with up to $2000 so i am looking at the Strata or the Corsa probably.

I will have to see what the store has. i know they have some Rans too. This is all in the early stage tho so i might change my mind.

i am just trying to get an idea from all angles and possibilities.

$2000 price range could be somewhat limiting if shopping strictly for new bikes. Don't rule out the used bike market.

Once you have determined what style and size bike is right for you, shopping the used market can provide a vast array of choices. I found a used Volae Tour for only $700, and a used Tour Easy for $1400. Both bikes are in excellent condition and came with accessories. So for only $2100 I own both a good quality SWB and a good quality LWB machine.

Good hunting!

thanks for the help. when the time comes i will look into the used market for sure. :thumb:

Sun and Cycle Genius are two bent companies that have lower-priced models--"lower priced" here meaning starting at around $1000 or so.
RANS has the crank-forwards which start at around $1100 and are somewhat-uprights (not exactly recumbents). They use a extra-large seat but you'd have to test one to see if it would work for you or not.

Don't rule out recumbent trikes, I don't know what seating you'd be most comfortable with.
I have a Catrike Trail since '09 with the mesh seat it creates a sling that's very comfortable.
You can buy used or new for under $2000

Good luck with your medical issue. Fairly common thing that usually does not limit riding DFs, once cleared up. Not usually caused by riding DFs either. I do have a 75 yo buddy who is having to switch to a bent, but his prostate issues are more complicated than normal, and his doc, a cyclist, has demanded he quit DFs. Once he gets past the 'image' thing, he'll wonder why he waited so long.

I have recently switched, to a lwb Tour Easy for long distance cruising. Very sweet machine. My reasons were all comfort related.

If you live in eastern Iowa, the obvious place to go to try out a large variety of recumbents is the Hostel Shoppe in Stevens Point, WI. They are the sponsor of the Midwest Recumbent Rally in mid-August. The shop has an excellent reputation among recumbent owners.

If your idea of the optimum road bike is a sub-20 pound carbon frame bike, you are probably going to be disappointed by most recumbents. In general, they are heavier than DF bikes. That's especially true for trikes. That said, I would probably be riding only a few hundred miles a year on my ancient 21 pound Motobecane LeChampion road bike instead of the several thousand I ride on my Greenspeed GTO trike.

i will look into it thanks alot

besides my medical issue i have a little bit of a comfort issue too. i think a recumbent might be a good thing to look into while i am in the market for a bike

I am right in the middle of iowa. there is a pretty big recumbent store pretty close here i just have to get some time to go there.

I rode a $400 fuji absolute 3.0 2000 miles this season since march. so i dont really own a fast bike right now. i just want to balance the quick riding with some comfort as good as i can.
http://i40.tinypic.com/xdt8wl.jpg

http://showcase.netins.net/web/bikebarn/product.html

here is a list of the bikes the store has in my area. without looking them up i dont really know what is there. i might go there tomorrow

That's more 'bents than I've ever seen in a bike shop. Have fun.

it is supposed to be a pretty big store i have heard but havent been there since i was in the market for a BMX bike when i was like 12 haha

I came from a 15 pound CF road bike, I bought a rans xstream and never looked back. the bike is fast as hell. climbing takes a little adjustment, spinning is key, but i never liked climbing out of the saddle anyways. on the flats I can be coasting and pedaling every few seconds and because of the stiffness and aerodynamics, cruising at 20 mph is not hard at all. It's actually relaxing riding with my DF buddies because while they are working their arses off pushing 20 mph, I'm just chilling. Much faster than my DF bike. just collecting dust now. oh and i'm much more comfy now!

awesome. i have heard from a few ppl that once you get used to a recumbent it is just as fast or faster than regular bikes on the flats.

i average about 17-18mph over 20+ miles right now with my cheapo bike

i'm faster at climbing now too, was never great on df, was always uncomfortable;, i'm 190 pound weight lifter and just muscle up the climbs, now i can leg press my way up on the xstream! hahaha but in all seriousness the comfort of the bent lets me go up anything and I really don't care. Before I dreaded any climbs, EVEN overpasses lol

that is good to know. i was told on a bent you can use alot more of your leg muscles. didnt know if that was 100% true but i guess i can see how that could work.

i am hoping to get down to 200-205lbs soon :thumb:

A couple simple things to help with the high level decision tree....

Once you've pedalled a recumbent 100 miles or so you'll really begin to think DF bikes are well suited for trails, and recubments are far move enjoyable on paved roads. Recumbents take some different techniques and that may take 1000 miles or so to really learn; you'll figure out 90% in the first 100 miles.

As far as trike vrs bike there is a really simple way to tell. Given the option of riding a Honda Goldwing or driving a Corvette for a 3 hour backroad tour which would you choose?

If you chose the Goldwing look at a bike.
If you chose the Corvette look at a trike.

If you chose the trike you still have a few things to consider. Short rides under 5 miles or longer rides?

Delta Trikes with two wheels in the rear can carry groceries, are easier to mount, and generally heavier then tadpoles. Generally a smoother ride more of a luxury ride then a sports ride.

Tadpole trikes with two wheels in front have a limited luggage capacity and are great for longer rides >5 miles, and most handle very well. Maximum fun.

Lots of really great bikes. Not only what you read here, google for reviews. You can't really go wrong if you do a little research.

My fastest-ever century on an upright was 18 mph, drafting the whole way. My fastest century on a recumbent has been 23 mph, almost entirely solo. Granted, not all recumbents can do that, but I bet a good highracer could.

Trikes have their strong points, but I have found that trikes are universally 2-3 mph slower than 2-wheelers of comparable quality. Come to think of it, a trike's major strong point is the ability to go slow.

yeah, rolling resistance of the trike is a lot more than a two wheeler. Trike owners are super proud and rage about comfort and ease of climbing,. (not having to worry about falling over) That was my fear initially on the xstream, but i just get the spin going and I can cruise up the climbs. I like the looks of the catrike 700, but i dunno how fast it would be compared to my xstream.