Vaportrail56

I have been riding road bikes for about five years now. Rode with a local club several years ago. Now I mostly ride by myself. There is a MUP I usually ride on that is about ten miles long but at the end I take a country road another three miles or so and turn around. There are all kind of bikes on this MUP and I saw some guys on recumbents and trikes. I have been wanting one just to see what it is like to ride one. They look very comfortable. I am not uncomfortable on my road bikes but after twenty miles or so I do start moving around on the bike to get a more comfortable position. I am 61 so I am not a spring chicken. I have been doing some research for the last two weeks trying to figure out which one to get. I have a Mustang with a hitch mount bike rack so I decided to get one that would hopefully fit on it, like a SWB. I also wanted one that was kinda fast because I like going fast on my road bikes. I also wanted to get a used one that was fairly inexpensive so in case I didn`t like it I wouldn`t have to much invested. It came down to two. One was a Rans V Rex or a 2002 ( I think ) Burley Django. The Rans V Rex was about seventy five dollars more. I liked the looks of the Django better so I went with that one. Hopefully it will be here sometime next week. Looks like I might have to add a kickstand.
Just wondering if there is anything that I should know or any helpful info about it? It has regular pedals on it. Should I put speedplay pedals on it like my road bikes? I don`think I need to wear my tight fitting bike shorts and jersey but not sure. Can I wear just regular clothes? I also live close to the beach that has a state park that I could ride at also but there I would be riding more slowly, kinda like cruising, so do these bike handle go going fast and slow? From what I have been reading people say both are good bikes. Just never had one so I don`t know what to expect. I hope I made a good choice with the Django.

BlazingPedals

Advice from the point of view of a performance-oriented rider (I'm 62: )

If it doesn't have the optional sprint braces (seatback to dropouts,) you should get them or make some. They stiffen up the seatback so you can get more of your power to the pedals. I don't know what kind of kickstand works on a Django - there's nothing to mount one on. While both the Django and V-Rex can be 'sporty,' neither is considered 'fast.' I have a V-Rex and it handles well from 5 mph all the way up as fast as you dare. I've had mine over 50 mph quite a few times. Although walking shoes and MTB pedals with pegs would work OK, most people who ride high bottom bracket bikes like these use clipless to make sure their feet don't come off the pedals at an inopportune time. Regarding what to wear, you can wear anything; but if you elect to wear shorts, be aware that open legs can work well as bee scoops.

cyclehealth

Parts for Burley https://store.bicycleman.com/collections/burley
Looks like a kickstand is available. Mine came with a kickstand and it has proven to be a nice feature.

I also just purchased a Burley Django earlier this month and am new to recumbents. I have posted some pictures under the "Post your recumbents (pictures)" thread. I am one of the most recent posts (last page).

After getting my Django cleaned up I took it to a friend of mine who is a bicycle dealer and recumbent nut. He has owned many different types over the last dozen years or so. He was impressed with the overall quality and also the way it rode and handled. I am in the early stages of getting used to it but am having lots of fun learning.

My bike did not come with the optional seat braces either but I read somewhere while researching the bike that if the rider is lightweight the optional seat supports are not necessary. I weigh just about 150 lbs all suited up and have not noticed any flexing of the seat while pushing my back against the seat back in an effort to climb the hills.

Vaportrail56

Thanks for the quick reply guys!
@ BlazingPedals, yeah I was wondering about the seat braces? I weigh 170lbs so I might need to add some. Just by the way it looks, it looks like it would be easy for your feet to slip off but not sure though.
Wow, 50mph that is fast. The fastest I have been on my road bike is 35mph and I thought that was fast.
@ cyclehealth, Wow yours looks to be in really good shape. Mine looks to be in pretty good shape except for the bottom corners of the seat. It looks like it has some wear there. It is Burgandy in color. Mine has a rack on the back but after looking at yours I might take it off. Yours looks very clean, like brand new clean. I got mine of Ebay used and they said it was refurbished. I will be able to check it out better when I get it though.
I was wondering if the back of the seat would bend if I was really pushing hard on the pedals like you mentioned without the braces. Have to wait and see I guess.
I can`t wait for it to arrive so I can see what it is like to ride a recumbent. It looks like it will be fun

VegasTriker

I hope you got one in the right frame size. This listing from earlier this year at Bicycleman in Alfred NY gave the frame size as "small" Used Burley Django - Bicycle Man which makes me think it may come in more than one frame size. I didn't know about frame sizes when I bought my Linear LWB back around 2001 and ended up with one that would fit me because both the bottom bracket and seat can be moved on the Linear frame but it still gave me a bike with a lightly weighted front wheel. I had to be careful because the front wheel could lose traction.

Take a look at www.bentrideronline.com where there are many more recumbent enthusiast. You can even read the original 2002 review of your bike New Page 1. Brian Ball, the reviewer, who was about your weight mentioned the seat reinforcement in the review and said he would leave it as is because of the stiffening effect. Burley quit the recumbent business in September 2006 so your bike was made between 2002 and 2006. Nothing wrong with that. I own a much prized circa 2004 Haluzak Horizon SWB.

No special clothes required and you can use strapless toe clips if you wish. I've never used clipless pedals on any of my recumbents (including the trikes) in about 17 years of recumbency.

JanMM

Except for a brief getting-acquainted period with my first 'bent in 2006, I've always ridden with mountain-style SPD generic clipless pedals. Currently 2 out of 3 bikes have pedals with clipless on one side and bmx style platform on the other. Almost always clipped in.

BlazingPedals

I usually elect to wear regular bicycling clothes, and that means lycra with a pad in the shorts. I find cycling-specific clothes are still more functional, even for bent riders. Aside from the poorly-placed center-rear pocket on the jerseys. So I could wear other stuff, but I'd be doing it solely to be contrarian.

rydabent

One of the things that keep people off bents is the high price. But-------------OTOH that cost can be off set by the fact that bent riders do not need a high priced kit to protect them from their bikes like DF riders do.

Vaportrail56

I already have the padded riding shorts and the jerseys so I wouldn`t have to buy those. I was thinking about putting some Speedplay light action pedals on it because I already have the shoes and that is what I use on my road bikes. Would that be a good idea? Anybody use them on their recumbent?
Here is a link to them,
Speedplay Ultra Light Action Chrome-Moly Road Pedals w/ Walkable Cleats - Nashbar

BlazingPedals

I don't have Speedplay, but they'd work fine. Like Jan, I have SPD on my bents, so I don't have to change shoes when I change bents, one pair of shoes works on all of them. The big argument in favor of clipless is to save you the energy/effort of keeping them up on the pedals when they're at or above seat level. Not so important for low-bottom-bracket bents like TourEasys.

Vaportrail56

Thanks for the tips BlazingPedals! I just noticed you have Optima Baron in your list of recumbents. I saw some pictures of those when I was looking for mine but they were out of my price range. You said that you have a V-Rex earlier, I think it is along the line of the recumbent like I am getting. Being that you have both could you tell me the difference in the ride between the two? Like the handling,weight and speed. The Optima Baron looks awesome in the pictures I looked at I really like the looks of that lowracer ( I think it is called a lowracer).

rydabent

IMO the only thing cycling you need to ride a recumbent is clip on shoes and a helmet.

mchell

Add to Rydabent's list, I would not ride a recumbent without a rear view mirror. A helmet may protect you in an accident, but the mirror may prevent the accident from ever happening. Mike

BlazingPedals

They both weigh about the same. My V-Rex can do a U-turn and keep its wheels inside the width of a single parking space (although the pedals swing out beyond the wheel tracks.) The Baron has an extra 8" of wheelbase, so it can't turn quite that tightly; however with the return chain raised it still does pretty well. The Baron is the most docile-handling lowracer I've ever ridden; not quite as stable as the V-Rex but close. There's no contest between them for speed. The Baron is easily 5 mph faster. Put it on a big downhill and it can coast away from furiously-pedaling tandem teams.

Hmm... I see that I'm going to have to update my bike pics in the "Post your Recumbents" sticky thread on this forum. At least you can see my V-Rex on the first page of posts.

Vaportrail56

@ BlazingPedals, I just got through checking out your bikes in the " Post your recumbents" sticky thread and Wow, you have some really nice bikes! I see right now I have been missing out on these recumbents. I didn`t know there were so many different kinds out there till a couple of weeks ago when I started looking to get me one. Looks like you have had yours a while too, thats great. That Optima Baron and that one with the carbon fiber on it looks so cool man. I really like checking out all the different styles out there.

Vaportrail56

I have a small mirror on my helmet that I have been using when I ride my rode bikes and I hope I will be able to use it on my recumbent when I get it. I tried a mirror on the handlebars before but there was too much vibraton so that is why I switched to the helmet mounted kind.
I don`t like to ride on the road with out a mirror. I agree with what you say, it is very important.

elocs

I'm riding the same original EZ Sport that I bought 16 years so that works out to about $90/year. It was about $800 back then and is probably around $1200 now but even if bents are expensive I think they are well made and you won't really find any junk bents. Since mine is a long wheel base bent with the pedals only slightly forward I have just regular pedals and to tell the truth it is so easy to put my feet down that I've always used them as auxiliary brakes when needed. I wear whatever clothes I want and although my bike is heavy and slow it's all about comfort for me. I have a mirror on the left, an ice cream truck bell for a pleasant warning and a battery operated horn for much louder attention. I love my bike so much that this past summer I bought another one, even the same year, for $130 as my backup and in all the years I've had my EZ Sport I've never grown tired of people calling out to me as I ride, "cool bike!" or "I love your bike!"
Now to get through another Wisconsin winter without a car.

BlazingPedals

I think the Burley handles very similarly to the RANS. If so, you will love it.

Velocivixen

[MENTION=241687]Vaportrail56[/MENTION] - I hope you post updates as you ride it more.

I need to get a photo of my Bacchetta up on the forum soon.

Vaportrail56

[MENTION=355580]Velocivixen[/MENTION], yea I will update as I ride it more and post some pictures too. They shipped it yesterday so maybe by the end of the week I might get it. I can`t wait.

Velocivixen

I know what you mean about waiting. The recumbent shop I bought mine from ordered a frame in my size, got it all ready for me and I noticed the paint was not even correct. I bought a brand new Giro A20 which has a white panel like on their website. They one they sent was solid yellow with no white panel. Was so bummed, but the shop immediately contacted Bacchetta to send out a new frame. This was right about the time when the big hurricane struck Florida!

So in the meantime the shop told me to take the first frame and ride it around, until my other new frame arrived. It will be here in no time.

Where’s it coming from?

Vaportrail56

It is coming from Mt. Vernon Illinois. I am getting it off Ebay used. It looks like I am going to have to reupholster the seat by the way it looks in the pictures but that might be all I have to do to it. Maybe later swap out the pedals and put a bike computer on it.
Did they finally get you the right one you wanted?
Edit: Ok, I see where you said it will be here in no time. Hopefully it will not be long

MikeWMass

I'm late to the party, but just want to say that I would definitely put the clip in pedals on. If your foot hits the ground when you are moving with any speed, the results often (if not usually!) require the services of an orthopedic surgeon.
I have a SWB Rotator, which is lower than your bike so the risk is greater, but I would still not chance it, especially as you are already comfortable with clipping in and out.
I would also add to not wear any bike jerseys or jackets with zippered pockets on the back. Very uncomfortable in fairly short order, in my experience.
Hope you enjoy your bike.

Vaportrail56

Yikes That sure sounds nasty, thanks for the headsup!

BlazingPedals

You can Google "leg suck" I don't know how common it is among the non-clipless-using population, but it's a known problem.