Recumbent help for a newbie/future newbie
 

Hi everyone, I am looking at buying a recumbent bike and am not sure which one to get. I am 6'1" and weigh about 260 lbs. I am going to ride for exercise (mainly)/leisure cruising and am not familiar with the name brand bikes. I have ridden mountain bikes for years although I have been away for a couple years since the birth of my kiddo's. I'm ready to jump back on board and recumbents look like the way to go. I would like to try to keep is under $1,000 if possible. Any suggestions? I am leaning towards a SWB w/above steering but am not sure yet as I've heard complaints about knees hitting the bars on some bikes for people over 6' tall. Please help as I am clueless and don't want to make a costly mistake. I know that I will probably need to ride a few to see what is the best fit but like I said, I know nothing of the brand names that are out there.
Regards,
Thorco

First off, find out if any bike shops in your area, or within 100 miles, stock recumbents that you can try out.

There aren't that many under $1000, but there are a few. Recumbents are not manufactured on the same scale as regular bikes, so that is why they cost more. Do what I did and read this forum and the bentrideronline.com forum and you will start hearing brand names mentioned over and over. Go look them up, try to find a recumbent dealer nearby and do some test rides. Since all recumbents are so different from each other most people really have to test ride a bunch before they really know what they want.

I bought a Lightning Thunderbolt because it was under $1000, but they no longer make them and only have a few left in the small size, so I can't recommend one for you. I'd recommend their other bikes, but they are all over $1000. Other brands I have heard for under $1000 are Actionbent, EZ Racers, and I think Rans has some under $1000.

Good luck. Riding a 'bent is really fun!

Also look on eBay, you'll see lots of quality bikes there for less than $1000. Just search for 'recumbent' and you'll see a few for sale almost all the time. Find out which brands are best, and then look for them when you loomon eBay.

Thanks for your advice. I like the actionbent roadrunner for what you get as far as components. I suppose the next step is going for the "test ride" which might be hard as I didn't see any dealers of his bikes.
Thorco

Yeah, you may just have to call all your bike dealers and ask if they sell recumbents, of any brand.

For a SWB under a thou, look for a RANS Rocket. They list for over a thou, but you can find used ones for $600-800 without too much trouble, or possibly a NOS that will squeak under your limit. Try to get one of the newer ones with the 2" main tube, as these models are significantly stiffer than the older ones.

You'll have to excuse my ignorance but what is a NOS?

New Old Stock. In otherwords, a model from a previous year that never sold.

darn. I thought you'd find a way to sneak nitrous onto your baron, John. I was about to start having some fun!

Good places to peruse different bents/trikes are:

www.bentrideronline.com (there's reviews and a guide to recumbents)
www.bicycleman.com (he talks about some of the different rides from his perspective)
www.hostelshoppe.com (peruse and read the FAQ re recumbents)
www.easyracers.com
www.bacchettabikes.com
www.rans.com

Also, top of BROL has some links to other recumbent companies and shops and so forth.

Isn't nitrous simply NO, or maybe NOx? Sounds like my only real chance of ever winning a sign sprint against a certain red-and-green tailbox. Hmm... ;)

Well you COULD add nitro to your bike, but it would probably take the form of a jet nozzle instead of a fuel additive. Just mount it on the back, nozzle pointing back, with a quick-release valve. Rig the valve up to a button on the handle bars. Then, when you need an extra boost, just fire the nitro.

One of the best built recumbents on the market is Azubbike4. I tried it in the Czech Republic when I was there and as far as I am concerned this is one of the most well built and adjustable bikes that you can get at a fair price and at a very good quality. No recumbent is more difficult than the other if it is adjusted according to your length,X-sem and so forth. Irrespective of what recumbent you choose you must start from scratch and learn how to ride a recumbent. This is by no means meant as an offence to you, I only give you this piece of information in order to help you get the right attitude. I fell off my first recumbent several several times before I learnt how to ride it. Now I feel that the bike and I belong together. And the most important of all: I don't look back.I've left my racing bikes and mountain bikes behind.

He's right. Test ride as many as you can.