Recumbent Riders Only

[Seel]

What type recumbent do you ride? LWB, SWB, OSS, USS, brand, etc? Thinking of making a switch from my upright to a 'bent. What advise do y'all have to offer?

[Dan_E_Boye]

I have a Burley.  They quit making bikes recently so I don't suppose there's much point in going on about that particular bike.  I was on the Rans site yesterday and they have some pretty cool stuff out now.  It looks like they have even come out with upright bikes with sensible seats on them.

I used to own a Rans Rocket SWB.  It was a good bike but I wanted a LWB in order to smooth out the ride.  SWBs are really responsive in the steering department.  A little movement translates to a lot of wobble.  Recumbents take a little practice.  Many people rave about the Rans seat.  It is pretty comfortable but one drawback to a cloth covered seat is that it is basically a sponge.  If it rains you will have a wet butt for about the next two days after it stops.  

Personally I like OSS because I just like to have a place to mount things I might want to mount.  

If you have patience the best advice is to test ride a few different bikes and see what you like.  It may change over time.  I really liked the feel of the Rans Rocket when I first rode it but over time I decided a LWB suited me more for touring.

The main drawback in my opinion with a LWB is that it will not fit in many vehicles if you need to transport it, and they're more expensive to ship.

In general I very much like recumbents mostly for the comfort.  The riding position is much more natural than being hunched over.  'Bent butt and foot pain after about 80 miles are the only pains I have experienced.  I found an inflatable cusion takes care of the 'bent butt.  

[bikerbob]

I purchased a used Easy Racer Gold Rush this spring and used it for touring this summer. What a sweet bike for touring. I previously had a Bacchetta Giro 20. It was nice however I suffered from knee pains which I attributed to the high bottom bracket. I know it was not the seat to pedal distance. In fact I think that is most important setting when you purchase your recumbent. Have it professionally set by a recumbent LBS. And remember it can take up to 1000 miles for your leg muscles to adjust to recumbent. Don't get frustrated and give up before you do the time
With the lower BB on thr GRR I have no knee pain and as a senior it has reopened my desire to ride and tour
Before you purchase ensure that you ride various different models.

[BrianCM]

I bought a Burley Nasoke.  Since Burley has quit building bicycles (trailers only, now), a lot of dealers have discounted their remaining bicycles.  I bought mine from Calhoun Cycle over the internet, and I had a bad experience with their customer service.  (Nobody took responsibility for assembling or shipping the bike.  Telling, eh?)

Anyways, the Nasoke is a LWB bike with a shock absorber.  The ride is very smooth, very relaxed.  I replaced and upgraded components, because I like tuning a bike for me and I'm mechanically inclined.

When I first got the bike and got it assembled, I found that I had to relearn how to ride a bicycle.  I spent about a half hour just riding it around the block, getting the hang of it.  Then I rode a few miles a few days later, and I did much better.  This past weekend was my first 20-mile jaunt, and while I was a bit tired, I wasn't dead from it.  The hardest part of the ride was learning to simply relax in the seat and just pedal.

When you buy a bicycle, you are basically buying a frame.  If you own the bike long enough, nearly everything gets replaced at some point.  My Giant Sedona has only a handful of original components on it.  The Nasoke has a good base design, but Burley really should sell their stuff like Surly does: frame only.

The time to figure out if a bike "fits" you takes about an hour (at least) of riding.  Pay attention to how you feel after riding it, and note anything minor.

My Nasoke currently has a Tubus Cargo rack, and due to the Tubus mounting accessories I mounted it without using the Burley rack adapter kit.  I have changed the deraileurs, brakes, sprockets, wheels, handlebar, shifters, and I may change forks and steering components later.

[bentrider1a]

I ride a Goldrush(LWB) on tours and I love it.  I just got a Bacchetta Areo 24(SWB) 24" wheels, as a fast bike and van supported tour bike and I think it's going to be great too!  Both have their place.  The goldrush for loaded tours is the only way to go if you have to carry a big load.

The Areo will out climb the goldrush by 2-4 mph and is faster on the flats and rollers.  The goldrush is faster on down hills if they are long.

Steve

Steve
2002 GOLDRUSH

[TheDaltonBoys]

Replying from the lunatic fringe of the recumbent world...I ride a tadpole trike recumbent which unless practiced, and experienced isn't the best choice of a recumbent for touring, but, they are so MUCH FUN!!! Enjoy the voyage...Mark of the Dalton Boys

[BrianCM]

Seel, you should really consider what kind of riding you will do with a recumbent.  If its for touring, make sure that it can be equipped with sturdy racks, if that's your style.  Some recumbents do not allow the use of normal bicycle racks, and you'd need to use a trailer.  (Some recumbents have racks, but they are not built like the Tubus Cargo or at least the Blackburn Expedition.)

Also consider what kind of accessories you normally want on a bike.  I like mine with lots of stuff on the handlebar, so I had to replace the handlebar on my Burley.  Some recumbents look like they don't allow much at all in the way of handlebar accessories, and some use rather special handlebars.

Also I recommend that you do your best to find a dealer in your area with recumbents you can test ride.  When I got my recumbent, I found that my knees hurt a bit when I rode it.  Then I replaced the crank, and I felt better.  So there are always some fit issues.

[Seel]

Thanks y'all for the advice. I finally found a LBS that stocks several different 'bents; Easy Racer, Burley, WhizWheel, and Rans.

Last Friday I rode a Tour Easy and fell in love! The LBS was extremely helpful in giving advice about what to consider, etc.; they even told me a route to use if I wanted to try some small hills. That route took me to the local cemetery where it was nice and peaceful   and I could concentrate. I was amazed at the ability of the 'bent to climb! Not at all what I thought I'd experience - not fast but at least I was going up hill, sitting down, and enjoying the ride. The one thing that caught me completely off guard was the steering - if you decide to turn the 'bent wants to turn even more than you do. Takes some getting use to I suppose.

After 40 minutes or so I headed back to the LBS. The route back included a ride on a four lane inter-city road that has a small decline to it; I was FLYING! The speed limit is 35 and I was keeping up with some of the traffic!

Upon my return the LBS offered a ride on the other models - I declined. I had already decided that a LWB was what I wanted and as silly as it sounds I like the look and color of the TE along with the fit and comfort.

The next task is to find a Longbike Slipstream that has the USS. I want to try that before I hand over the $$$$$$$'s.

Any opinions about OSS vs USS?

My plan for the 'bent is to do a 850+ mile solo ride next summer as a trial/warm-up to doing the Lewis& Clark the summer of '08. That too will be solo.

Thanks again to all who have contributed!

This message was edited by Seel on 11-14-06 @ 2:42 AM

[BrianCM]

You might get some good responses at bentrideronline.com, which is specific to recumbent bicycles.