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Old 01-03-20, 03:03 PM
  #11  
Harhir
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Plano, TX
Posts: 669

Bikes: Fahrradmanufaktur Trekking Bike, 2 x Lightning Phantom, bikeE AT, Radwagon3

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I have been commuting on a BikeE for over 2 years now with an estimated total of over 5,000 miles. I like it as a commuter bike but it has it pros and cons. It is an easy to learn recumbent and very comfortable on shorter commutes. But since you sit more upright most of your weight is on the seat cushion. I am a heavy dude and after 20 miles I notice the tiredness in the butt cheeks. But I have done 40 to 50 mile trips as well. And yes it is not very efficient. But this is not a drawback for me since it just means more exercise since I need to loose a lot more weight anyhow.
The biggest drawback for me is the weight distribution. I am a tall and heavy dude and carry panniers. One of them has my laptop bag. Although I do have the XL frame most of the weight sits on the rear wheel. At higher speeds the the bike becomes a bit unstable. And on wet surfaces the front wheel might loose traction if I don't pay attention.
In my opinion these bikes are not made for speed. But they are comfy cruiser bikes.
As for the rear hub: I love the old style Sachs/Sram 3x7 with the internal hub. I actually prefer the internal 3 speed over a front derailleur for inner city traffic. And yes these hubs have been discontinued for many years after Sachs was taken over by SRAM but some parts are still available. I actually used these hubs on other bikes before and have collected a few spare hubs for parts.
I am currently looking for a used Tandem Bike E to convert into a one seater cargo bike but they are are rare find. I addtion I am experimenting with other recumbents. I also own a Lightning Phantom and a Barcchetta Strada. But so far I am not happy with the seats on the short wheel recumbents. They don't make them for tall folks.

Here is mine:
- Modified the seat with extra shoulder support
- Added a front hub dynamo and lights
- build a rear rack for the panniers and a hitch to tow my Burley Travoy for grocery runs.

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