VACaver

I appreciate all the replies and advice!

I'll be ready to buy in a few months and will be making a road trip to Bikes at Vienna or Power On Cycles to make my purchase.

findude

Bikes at Vienna is a fantastic store, but if you're willing to drive up to College Park or Mt. Airy in MD you can see a much larger inventory to get a better idea of what you like. Check out https://www.bike123.com/. I have not personally bought from them, but I did have a great test ride on a Longbikes Eliminator and Streamliner at one of their shops.

Tailor

Check out bentrideronline. I live in SE Idaho and am annoyed on a nearly DAILY basis that it seems every recumbent of any description that is for sale, is east of the Mississippi. You will probably be able to find what you seek, and someone close by willing to let you try one out before buying.

BlazingPedals

Most paths I've seen have a plethora of at-grade crossings, and every one of them is a danger point. In fact, for some reason, almost every path I've ever seen puts up signs and bushes to hide the rider's approach to the intersection. So they cause more chance of suddenly and unexpectedly causing a rider to appear in front of a car; but at least there's less chance of being rear-ended.

StephenH

VAC, I'm reasonably tall, so simply buying a road bike meant most of the bikes I was interested in, weren't stocked in my size, and I had no way to test-ride or anything, just order one sight unseen. That worked out okay, and I've got 40,000+ miles on it now.
I bought my tandem, same issue with it, do what research I could, buy it, and hope things work out (and they did). Got about 19,000 miles on it now.
Anyway, do what you can to educate yourself, but sometimes you just have to go for it. It's not the end of the world if things don't work out, either.
Seems like I've heard some of the local recumbent riders mention that it took a while to get used to the recumbent handling, so there's no guarantee that riding one around a parking lot would tell you anything, anyway.
Here locally, I very seldom see anyone on recumbents except that some of the people I regularly ride with have them. So they are around, even if not common.
I was out in California a couple of weeks ago. Right around the Golden Gate Bridge, there's some serious hills/mountains, but I saw one guy headed across the bridge on a Bacchetta, saw a couple of tadpole trikes up in Rohnert Park, so they are around the hills, too.

BlazingPedals

Yes, first attempts don't always result in the best experiences. If possible, the best way to do test rides is to ride several in one day. The first one will probably be the worst experience, but no matter. Then stew on it for a week before going back and testing the same ones again. Giving your brain a week to process the experiences will usually result in a totally different, hopefully better, test experience the second time.

VACaver

I'd like to do that, but with the dealer being 3.5-4 hours away, it just doesn't work for me. I'm planning on getting to the shop when they open and spending the day.

fredrickj

There is lots of good advice above. I would add that if you love being outdoors, like exercise and either independence or being part of a community, you will love riding a recumbent, assuming you get one that fits your riding style. That is where your decision resides. Trikes are the easiest. Period. Disadvantages are visibility as many people are uncomfortable that low to the ground. Guessing that is why I see very few in town on the streets but lots of them on the bike trails or strolling around residential neighborhoods. (Sacramento CA) My riding partner rides a trike but he rides fast, he often tours and seems quite comfortable in town on our rides. So trikes can be quick and some people are quite comfortable low to the ground. A trike best serving his riding needs.

I like to ride fast, like a sporty feel and the sensation of balance I get on my stick bike. So I ride a SWB high racer. Cornering is truly quite a sensation on my Bacchetta Corsa stick bike. I sit as high as a rider on a DF bent over for aerodynamics but I am so comfortable AND aerodynamic in my seat position. I'm 66 and back issue's forced me to look for an alternative to a DF bike. Now I only wished I looked years ago for a recumbent. I can now ride faster (except on very steep hills -no getting around the advantages of being able to stand on ones pedals) and ride much, much longer (I ride over 200 miles a week now) with total comfort. It does take a few weeks to get totally comfortable with it as it does feel quite different, even though I rode easily on my first attempt but it does feel less secure for a few weeks. Handling at very slow speeds while trying to turn sharply is the biggest difference. Once on the roll though, hands downs, my stick bike runs circles around a DF in all aspects but very steep hills. Mild to moderate hills, I have the advantage as I can push into my seat with my back. I put my bike in a trainer when its raining and I'm in the most comfortable seat in the house for my back....no kidding, really,

Go used. That way you'll pay half as much as new but finding good quality trikes or SWB high racer will require patience or luck. I see lots of stick bikes around here but almost never see them up for sale. Only two this year, one of them the one I bought.

When you do find one to ride, try to ride it for at least 10 or 12 miles and on fairly quite streets or bike trails. In the case of a trike you shouldn't encounter any problems other than visibility. With a stick bike (SWB) you'll struggle starting off from a stop or going very slow around corners. But those problems will pass after a few weeks on the bike. There are many other recumbent's styles other than stick bikes or trikes that are easier to ride but likely will be heavier and slower in general. No doubt there are exceptions to the aforementioned statement and I just annoyed someone riding such a bike. But in general I'd say its trikes for ease of use and SWB high racer for speed.

osco53

I went used, got a like new bike for half the cost, It needed nothing, It was a garage queen, I rescued it I did !

cplager

Pictures, or it never happened.

Bullman

VACaver, I am just down 81 from you in Wythe County. I didn't have enough posts yet to reply to your message, but it might be interesting if you want someone to go with you on your trip. Never been to Vienna but it might be interesting to go. I don't think I will be able to right after Christmas as I am taking a trip out to Oklahoma to see my family. I have a cousin who is a serious rider so he may be able to point me in the right direction on something. At any rate maybe sometime we can get together and take a ride on the New River Trail. I plan on utilizing this trail a lot since it is not too far from the house, probably 10 miles or so to access it from Austinville.

osco53

Sold my EZ-1 for more than I paid for it new, got the Tour Easy LE for a grand, total outlay $400 for the TE

Pictures



Added a BB7 disk, much better .


Paid $500 for this new,
Got $600 after the shop took it's cut...

There Is nothing like the ride of the Long Wheel Base Tour Easy but tight spots get real Interesting, I love this bent
I got my Bod back together with this bent, and that got me back on a mountain bike !

I like to do it in the dirt ya know XD



No cars wizzing by me, no exhaust fumes, Juts the occasional Cotton Mouth, gator or Tusker in the trail !

BlazingPedals

It doesn't sound like you test rode many different bikes/trikes, so I hope you ended up with one you'll really like. The deed is done, now we will require pictures.

Trikin'

Hope it was a trike.....

VACaver

Rode a Giro 20, loved it, and bought one. I have zero regrets about my decision

I only had a chance to ride it 5 or 6 times before I had shoulder surgery. It's on my trainer and I watch netflix while pedalling. Probably going to be another month or so till I can go riding.

skijor

Glad you like it. I bought my Giro 20 ATT last year and rode it half way around Lake Michigan. I've never felt so good after a ride of such distance (640 miles). I've been spinning wrenches for over twenty years. And that has taken its toll on my shoulders, elbows, etc. I still ride my DFs, just not on multi-day trips.

Jeremyp56

I would agree too. I am not sure respect is the word, as the word implies less laughter and pointing, but I think people do take more notice, whereas on my DFs they just want to kill me. On my Brompton folder, they treat me gently, because they think I am a little old man on a shopper!

Jeremyp56

I bought my first Bent a few weeks ago and love it. My wife went away to see her daughter in Florida and 6 hours later I had an Optima Dragon from eBay. No research, no worrying, just a bit of explaining to do when she got back. I think second hand is the best route. After I had had it for a week, I knew I should have bought a trike, now I can ride it, I think I want a better and lower bike. However, it is still early days. I do know that if I upgrade, I will be able to sell it again for the same as I paid for it. A lot safer than splashing out on a new one and deciding I don't like it.
good luck!