# Researching recumbents. Help!



## BlackPanther (29 Dec 2011)

I'm quite happy with my bike collection of 1 road and 1 hybrid bike for commuting to work every day, but I've always been mesmerised by recumbent bikes I've seen whilst driving. I've only ever seen one in Doncaster whilst I've been cycling and I really regret not following the chap as I'd love to gain some views from an owner. I've seen quite a few reviews, and I'm not really bothered about spending loadsa money on an ultra lightweight machine (my budget is sub £1,500).....just something to get me to work and back, and hopefully to be used for some long distance trips ( I did a 260 mile round trip on the Allez this Summer, but struggled to get all the kit on it.)

All I know up to now is that I really really really need to see/test ride bikes before thinking of shelling out, but there doesn't appear to be any recumbent stockists anywhere near Doncaster!

Any advice from recumbent owners (or stockists) on the pros/cons of different machines would be greatly appreciated.


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## CopperBrompton (29 Dec 2011)

It's a long way from you, in Cambridgeshire, but DTek is the best place to go. You can take test-rides on lots of different recumbents, which is really the only way to see what grabs you as tastes vary tremendously.

It's above your budget new, but secondhand you might get a Trice Q, so I'd definitely put that on the list.


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## BlackPanther (30 Dec 2011)

Oh, additional info, I definitely want a 2 wheeler, not a trike......I should've mentioned that, sorry! I still need to be able to filter, lean and get it in the house.


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## CopperBrompton (30 Dec 2011)

Well, you can still lean on a trike, just in a non-standard direction


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## jefmcg (30 Dec 2011)

You may want to look here: http://www.cyclechat.net/forums/recumbent-hpv.11/


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## ufkacbln (30 Dec 2011)

BlackPanther said:


> Oh, additional info, I definitely want a 2 wheeler, not a trike......I should've mentioned that, sorry! I still need to be able to filter, lean and get it in the house.



Don't discount a trike

The widest part of any recumbent is the shoulders, and the width of me on the Street Machine or Hurricane is only a few inches narrower than me on the Catrike or Gekko

As an observation, I find that I filter exactly the same on all the machines.... Generally if t is not wide enough for the trike, then it is not wide enough for the others


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## BentMikey (30 Dec 2011)

BlackPanther, you definitely don't want to get a recumbent. In fact I strongly advise against it. I suspect that the advantages will not outweigh the disadvantages for you. OTOH you might love the possibilities for gadgetizing.


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## Riding in Circles (30 Dec 2011)

I have a couple of used two wheelers available, a Streetmachine GTE and a swb Musashi, I will also have a Raptobike very shortly.


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## BlackPanther (30 Dec 2011)

BentMikey said:


> BlackPanther, you definitely don't want to get a recumbent. In fact I strongly advise against it. I suspect that the advantages will not outweigh the disadvantages for you. OTOH you might love the possibilities for gadgetizing.


 
I've never ridden one so, you could of course be right. I look at it this way though. I started off on a 50cc scooter, took my motorbike test, worked up the engine sizes, 600cc, 750cc and 'peaked' at a 1136cc Honda blackbird. Since getting the cycling bug though it's very rare that I commute by motorbike.

My point is that 2 wheels rule, no matter what kind of 2 wheels I'm riding. The recumbent just looks so cool, and I like the idea of a higher top speed, and better luggage capacity, but mainly I look at them and just think _"I want one"._

If I bought one it wouldn't be my only means of commuting. At the moment we have 4 bikes in the garage (motorbike, road bike, hybrid and MB.) My ultimate plan is to get rid of the Missus's crappy old MB and get her a half decent one that I can ride in Winter. Swap my Allez 16 for a Secteur Elite (or Comp!) Which would leave a nice gap to fill in the garage....hello recumbent? Maybe after I ride one I'll have a change of mind, but that's why I'm going to have to make a serious effort and travel quite a distance to test ride one before I decide.

Has anyone ever bought a recumbent and wished they hadn't?????


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## biggs682 (30 Dec 2011)

i have wished for 1 for ages but would want to try first before buying on off chance


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## BentMikey (30 Dec 2011)

I wasn't being entirely serious.


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## CopperBrompton (30 Dec 2011)

Cunobelin said:


> I find that I filter exactly the same on all the machines.... Generally if t is not wide enough for the trike, then it is not wide enough for the others


In London, it's a little different - in stationary traffic, there are situations when I can filter on the Brompton when it's a little tight for the Q, but certainly those situations are the exception rather than the rule.


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## ufkacbln (30 Dec 2011)

BlackPanther said:


> Has anyone ever bought a recumbent and wished they hadn't?????


 
Yes (ish).. my wife and bank manager certainly do

I bought a Linear in the late 80's







..but soon realised that I would also need a Trike, so bought a Crystal Engineering Trice






Unfortunately I then realised that although the Linear and Trice were fine bikes, I needed a Tourer and bought a Street Machine GT






That however was a bit "solid" for fast day rides so I supplemented my collection with a Challenge Hurricane, a very early one with elastomer suspension






Then I traded in the Trice and replaced it with a much sportier and speedier Catrike






Then finally this year I sold the Linear and bought a folding Gekko as it fits in the new lockers at work






So do beware it is an addictive hobby and there will always be another style that you "need"


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## BlackPanther (30 Dec 2011)

That's some collection! With my tiny knowledge of recumbents, I have to say that they all look ideal! I just wish there were some dealers nearby for me to take a look at what's on offer and prices etc. Looking at my budget though, I think I'll be watching the forums/classifieds and ebay, *then* checking reviews as there are a lot more models out there than I first thought.

Finally, if anyone is selling, I'm looking to buy!


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## tongskie01 (31 Dec 2011)

raptobike is just right for your budget.


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## ufkacbln (31 Dec 2011)

The only "vital" thing with two wheelers is to be able to get both feet on to the ground when stopped.


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## cyberknight (31 Dec 2011)

Cunobelin said:


> Yes (ish).. my wife and bank manager certainly do
> 
> 
> 
> So do beware it is an addictive hobby and there will always be another style that you "need"


 

Goes for every cyclist , the lure of n+1 and "but i do need that bit of kit don`t i ?"  Since i got back into cycling over the last 3-4 years i ahve gone through..
Carrera Subway
appolo tdf 02
carrera virtuoso
carrera tdf 09
My current collection is ..
Virtuoso, boardman road comp and a giant iguana MTB .

I have been tempted by recumbent`s as well and if i had the space , the cash and a family that did not want feeding i would more and likely be down the shops now .


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## bicyclos (31 Dec 2011)

I got the recumbent bug for a short while a good few years ago when I had a go on a swb recumbent my friend bought from e-bay. It enthused me to build my own as apposed to buying one and after a lot of browsing for info and learnt how to weld I built one from a couple of old bikes and some 50mm x 1.62mm mild steel tube. 



I gave the bike a good 70mile outing (Gt yorkshire bike ride) which I covered in just over 4hrs. I did cramp up at the back end of the ride as you have to develop your recumbent legs..... I beleive uses different leg muscles ! I did use it for a while as my commuting bike as well. There is an art to setting off from a standing start uphill and is a somewhat different way of cycling. Trikes are fun I will have to admit, nearly bought one but my wife stopped me Try as many different types as you can as they all have their own quirks in the comfort, riding position and handling qualities.......


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## CopperBrompton (2 Jan 2012)

cyberknight said:


> Goes for every cyclist , the lure of n+1


For me, that ends when you get the right bike. :-)

The Brompton is the ideal bike when I need to be able to travel on a rush-hour train, and the Trice Q does everything else. I have no desire at all for anything else.


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## BlackPanther (3 Jan 2012)

Trikeman said:


> For me, that ends when you get the right bike. :-)
> 
> The Brompton is the ideal bike when I need to be able to travel on a rush-hour train, and the Trice Q does everything else. I have no desire at all for anything else.


 


Trikeman said:


> For me, that ends when you get the right bike. :-)
> 
> The Brompton is the ideal bike when I need to be able to travel on a rush-hour train, and the Trice Q does everything else. I have no desire at all for anything else.


 
I need something that'll fit through the front door, or at least down the side of the house, so a trike is out. I also need something that'll carry a fair amount of gear, so a Bromptons out. I'm also after something that's light, handles and goes really really fast. What this means is that to buy a new one is gonna cost me over 2 grand. I'll be patient, and look at 2nd hand stuff but they're a rarity. I've told the missus that if I can't find anything in the next few weeks, I'm just going to order exactly what I want.

At the top of my list is a Challenge Fujin SL/Velotechnic Speed Machine. Add in the extras and it's the wrong side of £2,000.....her new car will just have to wait!


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## starhawk (3 Jan 2012)

BlackPanther said:


> I need something that'll fit through the front door, or at least down the side of the house, so a trike is out.


Why do you have to bring it in? Why don't you keep it in the garage among the other bikes? I keep mine in the garage and have only had it in the living room when putting the kit together and later when converting it to an e-bike. It was a bit akward carrying it up the stairs but doable, the comfort of riding a trike beats any two-wheeler there is


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## BlackPanther (3 Jan 2012)

starhawk said:


> Why do you have to bring it in? Why don't you keep it in the garage among the other bikes? I keep mine in the garage and have only had it in the living room when putting the kit together and later when converting it to an e-bike. It was a bit akward carrying it up the stairs but doable, the comfort of riding a trike beats any two-wheeler there is


 
Long story short, we converted our internal garage into a dining room a few years ago. I keep the bike I'll be riding for the week in the 'dining room', which means coming in through the 29 inch front door, a doddle for a road bike or hybrid.​To get to my back garden 'garage' means a gap of under 30 inches between our house/next doors fence, which means it's ideal for bicycles, and a squeeze for my Honda CBF motorbike. A recumbent trike however would not fit......maybe I could man handle it by lifting it over my head down the 20 foot path, but I wouldn't fancy doing that every morning at 6am.​​I'd been havey-quavering between 2 and 3 wheels, but now I've checked the width of 3 wheelers (and thank gawd I did before buying!) it seems that most are around 31-32 inches wide, so I'm restricted to 2 wheels. I was favouring 2 wheels any way, but now at least I can focus on specific makes/models. At the moment, I'm leaning towards a Challenge Furai.....but that could change again in half an hour as I keep pouring over makes/models/specs/prices/reviews...it's hard work!

I'm beginning to lose all hope of dropping on a decent 2nd hand recumbent. Rare as rocking horse sh** springs to mind.


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## CopperBrompton (3 Jan 2012)

BlackPanther said:


> I need something that'll fit through the front door, or at least down the side of the house, so a trike is out. I also need something that'll carry a fair amount of gear, so a Bromptons out.


Oh, I don't mean that my choices would be right for you, but rather that buying the right thing for you is the solution to n+1 syndrome.

But my Q fits through a front door. For a while, it lived in the hall (upright with the rear wheel chocked). Turn on side, get front wheels through, turn upright to get seat through.


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## pierreqr (8 Jan 2012)

I'm surprised nobody has pointed you in the direction of VeloVision. A link to their recumbents overview:
http://www.velovision.com/showStory.php?storynum=1164


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## markg0vbr (8 Jan 2012)

BlackPanther said:


> I'm quite happy with my bike collection of 1 road and 1 hybrid bike for commuting to work every day, but I've always been mesmerised by recumbent bikes I've seen whilst driving. I've only ever seen one in Doncaster whilst I've been cycling and I really regret not following the chap as I'd love to gain some views from an owner. I've seen quite a few reviews, and I'm not really bothered about spending loadsa money on an ultra lightweight machine (my budget is sub £1,500).....just something to get me to work and back, and hopefully to be used for some long distance trips ( I did a 260 mile round trip on the Allez this Summer, but struggled to get all the kit on it.)
> 
> All I know up to now is that I really really really need to see/test ride bikes before thinking of shelling out, but there doesn't appear to be any recumbent stockists anywhere near Doncaster!
> 
> Any advice from recumbent owners (or stockists) on the pros/cons of different machines would be greatly appreciated.


i am in Rotherham and have several trikes and fast two wheeler you can have a go on if you like.


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## byegad (9 Jan 2012)

I lift my Kettwiesel and Trail (Not at the same time!) through standard width doors. The Kett' is a but of a pig to get through but the Trail is a breeze. I carry it standing with the seat against me with one hand holding the cross of the frame and the other holding the rear triangle.


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