New bee wants bent bike
 

I didn't know bees could ride a recumbent bike!


In any case, think of this as an epic journey to find just the right bike. It may never end as our needs change with time. The Bachetta has an MSRP of $2,100 so it is a significant investment. You may be able to find a used one at a fair savings. For example, there is a small frame (2015) one on the Harrisburg, PA CL for $1300 and a medium frame in TN for $950. It is something worth keeping an eye out for. I took the chance for an online purchase of on a used bike and a used trike after having ridden the same model locally. One was from the classified section of bentrideronline and the other from a recumbent shop that was all the way on the east coast, too far to go to for a test ride. I don't regret either purchase but can't say the same for one I bought right here in Sin City. I thought I knew what I wanted as a newbie but didn't.


You might be a bit more specific on your location and go to BentRider Online Forums - Powered by vBulletin and ask if anyone close to you will give you a test ride on their recumbent. Maybe the one you have chosen is the right one for you but there are lots of choices that might be even better. Only a long test ride will tell.

I am as good hearted and generous as they come, but there is no way a total stranger off the internet is going to take Saki on a 'long test ride' unless they knocked me unconscious and tied me up first. Nor would I willingly watch some newbie drop her (repeatedly) just like I did on those first several tries. I don't know how dealers handle the depreciation caused by tire kickers that come by and try but never buy but as one who is not in business I simply cannot deal with that kind of exposure. I notice that the two bent retailers in my area do not sell many bikes compared to trikes. Those few bikes that they do sell are nothing like my Saki. Chances are a total noob could actually have a nice toddle around a test track or even a neighborhood jaunt without too much risk to the inventory. I knew I wanted more than that so my first (and probably only) bent was bought without any kind of test ride. When you get the bent bug you take the road less traveled and all that that entails. It involves some financial risk.

I am 5'10" with a 43" x-seam. Fairly common dimensions for an American male. There are only 2 styles of SWB with 26" front wheels: those with 'stick' frames, and those with 'S' (or 'Z') frames. An 'S' frame like my Saki has a very low seat height (20") but has a minimum boom extension that taxes a 43" x-seam to its limits. Soft interference with the heels and front wheel is a given in turns. I could, as some have done, cut some material off of the end of the boom, but then hard interference between the end of the crank itself is possible and that is a more serious problem. A stick bike will have a much shorter boom and a short x-seam rider can move the seat forward to reach the pedals comfortably but the seat height is much higher and some riders may have more trouble with that than any amount of soft interference with the feet and front wheel. I wouldn't let a potential lack of options in wheels and tires in the 20" size influence a buying decision. It will be a long time, if ever at all, before that has any kind of practical impact.

And as long as I am being opinionated and controversial I might as well go all the way and put out there some information I have been holding onto for awhile. Several recent posts have mentioned back issues as the gateway to recumbent ownership. I don't know. Recumbents are definitely easier on the back but mainly the higher performance ones. The ones least likely to present well on a test ride. Back issues can be baffling and crippling and a whole lot else. I've been there and I don't consider myself as having put the last occurrence of a very painful and activity stopping spasm of the lower back. Nevertheless I continue to ride my DF bikes and they will remain the cornerstone of my life on two wheels. Bents I ride for their unquestioned efficiency over time and distance and their (for me) much greater overall comfort as the mileage per trip increases. I consider 30 miles the limit of what I enjoy on a DF. Not because my back is sore but because other parts are. I hope to complete Centuries on Saki and do it in at least the same amount of time as DF riders that complete Centuries do.

A bent won't fix your back if your back is bad. I'd rather fix my back. I watched my wife fix hers and I adopted the same regimens and exercises that her PT recommended. I improvised a back support belt before I knew that commercial products that do the same thing existed. These things help my back, on or off, the (DF) bike and I urge anyone suffering with back issues to address the back issues head on vs. looking to things like bent bikes. Because I can, I still ride my DF's and I am thus not tempted to take my bents places they don't belong yet. Some of you have suffered damage to yourselves and your new bents because a high performance bent is not to be trifled with and can really bite you if you screw up. It is easy to flub a launch when you are out in traffic and feeling the pressure. Think about how many times you stop and start without even thinking about it on a DF. You need years to get to that level of comfort on a high performance bent. I think its much better to bring your bent skills along concurrent with your life as a cyclist overall. Don't dry dock (or worse, sell) your DF(s) for at least two years, if at all. No one kind of bike (not even DF) can do it all. It's all good. FWIW.

When I was thinking about buying my first recumbent bicycle I thought that I wanted to buy a high racer frame set because I already had a pretty nice 700c wheel set. Somebody suggested test riding one first. I'm glad that I did. I had enough trouble getting acclimated to riding a 406/559 SWB bike.

FWIW, I'm riding a tadpole trike now. I'm loving it today but it was another major issue for me to wrap my head around.

As far as I know, a Giro A26 can take either 559 wheels or 650c (571) wheels, but not 700c (622mm.) If you want 700c wheels, then the Corsa A70 is probably your target - and it won't take 26" wheels.

YOU need to ride the bike before you buy the bike. If you buy and don't like it then your stuck with it. There is 1 for sale on Craigslist since it is illegal to tell you about it on this forum my post will be deleted again so you need to search CL and find it on your own. Send me a PM