BikeE CT or Sun EZ-1 Recumbent Bike Super Cruzer
 

Which is a better choice for a first timer? Similar prices...

I can't remember what the weight of my BikeE AT was but the Sun is 41.5 lbs (Sun EZ-1 Recumbent Bike - Bicycle Man). Neither one is all that light. One advantage of the Sun may be the much better gear range delivered by the standard 3 in the front and I think 8 in the rear gearing. My AT had a SACHS 3 speed hub and 7 speed cassette. The hub on mine broke and made the bike unusable. The repair costs were more that I thought the bike was worth.

I'd actually suggest neither one but look for an older long wheelbase or short wheelbase bike. Either one is likely to be faster and better for longer rides. I gave up on the BikeE within a few months and bought a used Linear LWB which weighs 29 pounds. It was like night and day comparing the two. You can read somebody else's impression here: Why is a BikeE so slow? - BentRider Online Forums

There are a ton of BikeEs (no pun intended) out there so the prices are often really low in the $250-$350 for the more expensive AT model.

Given that choice, I'd go with the Sun because it's current production.

I forgot to mention that BikeE had a major recall right around the time the company went belly up. It involved the seat sliders.
Sweet seat recall:

If you have a BikeE with a silver seat frame and the seat back is 27” tall it may be recalled. If the 4 black plastic seat sliders that hold the seat on the bike frame have silver metal rings around them your seat is not recalled or has been repaired. If the sliders do not have the silver metal rings your seat is recalled and the CPSC recommends you not ride the bike until you replace the 4 sliders.

Didn't they also have a fork recall? Or am I confusing it because RANS had a fork recall?

They had a recall on the suspension fork they used on the single rider models. They also had a recall on the non-suspension fork on the tandem. On some tandems the steerer tube separated from the fork.

I believe all the recalls was one of the factors that caused them to go out of business.

Summary of CPSC recalls
Seat: https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2002/cp...mbent-bicycles
suspension fork https://cpsc.gov/Recalls/2001/cpsc-b...spension-forks
2001 Tandems https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2001/cp...tandem-bicycle

Don't buy the BikeE CT as it has a very harsh ride without a shock. BikeE's are so cheap now, get an RX or an AT and you get a Cane Creek shock which makes a much softer ride. No recalls on the BikeE AT or RX as far as I can tell. Inspect the welds on the seat, as they can fail, but any auto body shop can fix them. Don't pay more than $300 or so for either bike.

+1 for the Sun. These two are not equal. You might run into the design limits of the BikeE in no time, whereas with the EZ-1 Supa Cruza you'll get a solid entry-level bent that is fun & practical, it might be all you'll ever need unless you get bitten by the bug.

The OP hasn't posted again since this issue first came up on 6/29 and it is his one and only post on Bikeforums. It's always nice if there is a followup message to the original. Maybe we scared him away from recumbents. I hope not.

I love my EZ-1 Super Cruzer!!!

Useful thread for me, thanks. About to buy my first bicycle. I found a BikeE AT for $200, seems in good-excellent condition given how old it is. You’ll see me browsing the newb sections of the forum trying to get the hang of this recumbent bicycling.

Argh... drive-by newbies! There's a pattern: they come here asking what to buy and then disappear. I guess they figure we just hang out here, waiting to dispense advice to thankless strangers. Hopefully you can manage to stick around, Nikitasha!

I hope you didn't buy it before reading post #7 in this thread. I bought a BikeE AT about 19 years ago when the company was still in business. It was easy to learn to ride and could be adjusted to fit nearly anyone in a few seconds. That's about all I could say good about it. It was pretty inefficient. Mine suffered a catastrophic failure of the internal hub a few years after I bought it. Eventually ended up in the trash flushing about $700 down the drain.

get the sun....I have one and I like it...if ur just pleasure riding I will be great if ur looking to race on it forget it 22mph is top speed.....its very comfy and easy to ride

That's surprising to hear. SRAM 3x7 was pretty bulletproof - if you didn't shift under load or run it in-between gears. I got one of about that era for my V-Rex, and it's still hanging in the garage. After many years' hard use, I went back to a standard drivetrain.

Sun EZ-1
 

I purchased a Sun EZ-1 about 3 years ago and really like it! One thing that I did was replace the standard tires with high pressure tires and innertubes. That made a difference. It is slower than my 2007 Raleigh Grand Prix, but I can get more distance on the EZ-1. The comfort factor makes up for the speed, especially on the Katy Trail where speed is limited due to the gravel pavement.

This summer I upgraded to a Sun EZ Sport CX. It is a step up from the EZ-1 but more comfortable for me with the extra length. What I like about both the Sun's is the higher seat.

Hooked on 'bents now!

Phil

I just had the rear setup on my EZ-1 replaced with Shimano Nexus 8, adding a chain tensioner, and frankly, like wow. Far better ride, very glad I spent the dough. Precise and reliable gearing, and no chain slap at all that I can detect, which is a real trick as long as that chain is.