Mikef

I'm a recumbent newbie looking to make my first purchase. I ride my road bike to work everyday but low back pain, hand pain let me to try a recumbent. It was Great! I'm hooked.

Now, all I have to do is pick on out , oh yeah, and pay for it. Thats where I need help. I'm slowing making my way through the information and here's what I can see so far:

Some popular lower priced brands/models include the Lightning Thunderbolt, Vision series, and a few others in the $900-$1700 range. Then there are other brands such as Longbikes that start around $2400.

I guess my question is there really that much difference in these bikes to warrant such a difference in price, are they really that nice a ride?

Any suggestion/tips/advice is appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike

getbent

MikeF, if you're unsure of what to look for in a 'bent, you don't want to plop down hundreds (or thousands) of dollars and find out you don't like it. I started on the BikeE and found that it's one of the best all around recumbents for someone who's just getting into the lifestyle. I've owned 2 BikeE's (the old RoadE and now the FX) and still enjoy them very much. It's very easy to adjust to them from an upright. Some of the more expensive bikes might take longer to get used to and you may wind up getting frustrated and getting rid of it.
I agree that some of the prices are a little ridiculous, but those bikes are for serious riders, I suppose. I couldn't justify $5,000 for a Ti Gold Rush Replica if all I do is casual commuting, but I guess it's like buying a Porsche for a 16 year old. They wan't the best but would settle for anything. The BikeE is not a porsche by any means, but it could certainly compare to the VW Beetle. I've read that 85% of ALL recumbents on the road today are the BikeE CT model. They're cheap (price is dropping to $549.00 new next year), good quality, and fun to ride. It's a great bike to introduce you to the 'bent life. Try it and see. Good luck....

bentrox!

As a newbie bent-rider, too, thought I'd put in my 2¢. I've only ridden a friend's EZ-1 Supercruizer - a simple and fun ride to adjust to and low cost to boot ($525 I believe.) I think I'd want something faster with larger wheels, however (16" or 20" wheels just shout "kiddie-bike" to me.) I read everything on-line I could for several weeks and decided SWB (maybe even a low racer) was probably what I was looking for more than a LWB or even a CLWB. My problem was I couldn't find a dealer locally to test ride even one SWB, let alone from several manufacturers. Then I found "yellowbike.com." on the web. Even though they're located clear across the country from California, they direct-market their race-bred, Dutch-made recumbents with a no-risk 250k test ride guarantee of satisaction. (No, I'm not an employee, just a soon-to-be satisfied customer. I intend on posting my review in a couple of months.) BTW, while you don't need to spend $$$ for an exotic TI frame, just as for any bike, I'd make sure to invest in a stiff, neatly-welded chromoly frame and high-quality components from a company with a record for customer satisfaction. This is where your money is truly important.