I have been interested in getting a recumbent for a long time now. Today I rode a two wheeler for the first time in a year and a month and it got me thinking that maybe this year I would commute part time on the uni, instead of full time, and the other times ride a two wheeler. Just a thought really…
Anyhow, I wondered if any other uni riders also rode a 'bent. If so, what kind of 'bent do you have and what do you like about riding it?
cheers,
ya-can’t-have-too-many-wheels-Erin
It’s probably been two years since I researched any bents. I got re-hooked on uni instead.
http://www.bentrideronline.com/ seems to have good reveiws.
I was impressed with the Bacchetta brand. They have 26" rims and high pressure tires. Rumored to be able to run with the roadies.
Get a tandem, at least then you’ll have the same wheel to rider ratio. (Tired of where’s your other wheel? How about “They’re not pedaling” over and over and over and over and…)
Wow, cool link, thanks!
Erin
Re: 'bent?
now sit back and watch this thread go places…
Howdy Erin,
I don’t ride a recumbent but this artist, David, at the University I work at is way into them: http://members.impulse.net/~dms/trike.html
He seems to favor this company: http://www.wizwheelz.com/
He rides to work everyday rain or shine on his so there must be something good about them
matt
My father has a Rans Tail Wind. I borrow it once in a great while. It’s fast on the straights and down hill, but climbs like a slug. This particular model is huge. It is not well suited for town riding, which makes it not very well suited for most of the riding we do. All in all it’s a good bike for cruising and rec riding, but too slow for my taste. The bike is well made and we have had few problems with it.
I am thinking about getting a bent my self. I don’t have any models in mind, but if it do get one it will be a short wheel base. I also want mine with a larger rear wheel to raise the top speed.
Once in a while I’ll go into a bike shop and get a few 20 inch tires and get asked what kind of bike it’s for. After telling the clerk that one is for a uni and the others are for a recumbent, they usually make a comment about how unusual our family’s rides are.
Keep us posted.
Daniel
Daniel, yes I have looked at the Tailwind and agree that though it is a certainly well made quality 'bent it is somewhat long. Storage and generally getting around in town are an issue with such a long vehicle.
I have my eye on a “Vision”, a really sweet compact 'bent that is quite popular and generally gets good reviews. I think I will be patient and see if I could snag one used so as to save a few bucks as these two wheelers are certainly expensive compared to buying uni’s.
cheers,
Erin
The best thing you can do is find a bike shop with a LOT of different models, or at least one of each of these types, and test ride them for several miles, not just around the parking lot:
Long Wheelbase (LWB), like Easy Racers Tour Easy
Compact Long Wheelbase (CLWB), like RANS Tailwind
Short Wheelbase (SWB), like RANS Rocket. This is the one I ride.
LWB will be the easiest to ride, but are looooooong.
CLWB are probably the most popular style, and not much harder to ride than LWB.
SWB is the enthusiast model, the sports car of the recumbent world. Some call the handling twitchy, but they are the most similar in handling to diamond frame bike.
There are even great variations within the three styles. And these are low volume machines, so prices are a bit higher. The above mentioned bikes run from US$999 to about US$1500, but there are alot of good deals on low mileage, year old models.
Check out all of bentrideronline, their advertisers, and especially there test reports. They’re all archived.
While at an ultimate frisbee tourney today, a pair of guys passed by on one of the oddest bike I have seen. The tandem had the guy on the back upright as if on a traditional bike, but the guy on the front was 'Bent. The front was a short wheel base style setup. I wasn’t able to catch a brand or anything. That park is where I have my biweekly rides, so hopefully I’ll see them again.
Daniel
That was either the original Counterpoint or the current Bilenky Viewpoint
I’ve seen them set up as hand cycle in the front too.
things a recumbemt rider will never tell you when your thinking about joining their circus.
1)you cannot hop up a curb when a car passes to close
2)conventional bike repair stands do not hold them well
3)when your pushing it up a hill you have to hunch over to steer it (under the seat steering only
your head is at tail pipe level (cough cough)
loss of power,on an upright you can pull up on the handlebars forcing the pedals down.on a bent,pushing against the back rest is no comparison.
6)when it rains,you get a nice big puddle right in your lap
Anyway those are some things that i wish i was told about before i bought a Vision SWB and a Tour Easy LWB about 10 years ago.
i sold them both.
I had a Linear LWB under seat steering recumbent. I loved it for around town riding, other than it took 20 acres to turn that rig around. On long road rides, it was more comfortable than anything I’ve ridden, but it was sooooo boring. It felt like I was driving and I hate to drive. Uphills sucked because I had to switch into a low gear and twiddle up the hills. I was used to riding my track bike, where I would just stand up and hammer on the uphills.
Luckily, I bought it real cheap and traded it for a BOB trailer, which I love and use a lot.
Mojoe
If anybody asks, I DO tell them. I also explain that in many ways it’s not the same as an upright bike. And, look who’s talking about joining a circus! We’re riding unicycles, for cryin’ out loud!
By the time the car is next to me, it’s too late to jump the curb, however, if it’s REALLY necessary, I’ll jump without the bike:) . Any time you ride any bike, be AWARE of your surroundings.
I don’t own a conventional bike stand, even though I do own two uprights and a kickbike. I just set them up on a table. If the wheels are coming off, I turn them upside down.
I don’t have USS, so I can’t vouch for this one. With my Over Seat Steering, I don’t have to “hunch”
On a lowracer, yes. On my RANS Rocket, I’m at eye level with most car drivers. I believe this accentuates eye contact.
Climbing on a bent is one of the greatest differences between the two. Shift gears and SPIN!
I try not to ride in the rain, and yes you do get a big puddle. Either way, your still wet.
My camelbak Unbottle is fastened to the back of my seat. When the weather’s hot, my ass and back are going to sweat anyway. But at least I don’t have to be hot and sweaty and saddle sore.
I’m not trying to convert anyone, or spout from a soapbox. That’s why I mentioned in my previous post, RIDE THEM. See if you’ll like it. It’s different from an upright, and isn’t for everyone. For me, the biggest difference is comfort. How many of you would ride an upright bike 100 miles, and never get off the saddle?
5)“gear down and spin?” true but it takes twice as long to conquer the hill.
i also forgot one.on a bent you are pushing your legs back N forth,on an upright you get the slight aid of gravity allowing the leg to fall down on the pedal.
on some models of recombents you have to conciously hold your feet up and on the pedals while coasting,unless you have clipless pedals.
There has been a multitude of threads on the hpv list and bentrideronline about DF vs. Bent on hills. I think “twice as long” may be stretching it a bit, but I do agree - I am definitely slower on STEEP uphills, but the type of effort is different. On the downhill side, the aerodynamic advantage can be enough to make up the difference.
This brings up another point - The “pace” of bents is different than DF. If you want to ride with friends, you might enjoy their company more if you’re on the same style bike. Uphills and downhills are ridden differently, and you may find yourself way ahead or way behind.
As for clipless, I find them to be a definite advantage in keeping my feet up, and make my pedalling more efficient. I also use them on my DF bikes, but not my uni.
They are mandatory IMO to avoid “leg suck”, which is one of the unique aspects of bent riding you won’t see on a DF.
`Bent Trikes
willfcc missed mentioning the `bent trikes, prices are if you have to ask . . . As much as $6000USD with all the bells and whistles. Usually similar to the short wheelbase in handling. Doesn’t have the balance problem when getting on, in fact you can easily go to sleep sitting on some. And you don’t have to mess around searching for the pedals when the light goes green; you’re already clipped in. These are the HPVs (Human Powered Vehicles) that set the speed records–around 80-MPH!
Supriseingly, these wider at the bottom, shorter, things get less near miss problems with cars at the same time some people say that they’re harder to see! One rider reported that, with an upright, he got as many as 12 near misses a week 
, while with a `bent trike it was only one, on the same routes and mileage’s. My experience is; most cars will give me the whole lane, if they can, but then I’ve LOTS of lights and reflectors.
This one’s a Windcheetah (link); it looks a little like mine 
, I got the cheap one-$4100, these start at $1800 for a DIY that needs chain, rims, sprockets, etc.
As you can see, James Bond would use one of these.
Re: `Bent Trikes
Sorry, Brian, but the speed record of 81mph is held by Sam Whittingham on the Diablo II, a TWO wheeler. Trikes can be fast and stable, but have way more frontal area than a bike.
I certainly appreciate all your comments with relation to 'bents and bent trikes. It has given me a lot to think about and somewhat toned down my orginal enthusiasm for these type of two wheelers… much to the delight of partner who thinks there are already enough wheeled vehicles scattered about the studio as it is!
Erin
Yay Erin…congrats on staying a one-wheeled purist. And another bonus on the partner front is that approval for one two-wheeler equals approval for two one-wheelers. There’s your giraffe and Coker, or your Coker and trials, or your trials and Fireball, or your Fireball and new SH/Harper shiftable 29", or your…
You get the picture my friend…
You got it Tom! Actually, I am very, very, very interested in the SH/Harper shifty … yeah, come on, it will take up SO much less space than a 'bent… I can just feel that shifty coming to me now…
Erin