Where to start with recumbents?

[Tangled Metal]

I'm recumbent curious. What's a good starting point?

Limited money, one bike for everything and not much storage space. Plus I'm 6'5" tall.

Secondhand sounds good but there's not really the volumes of recumbents to get something cheap but suitable I think.

Would a trike or two wheel be best? High, low or mid recumbent?

Use mostly commuting (country roads between two towns) but also leisure at the weekends with family (young child) and at least one 2 week tour a year fully loaded. Would have to sell a planetx bike to contribute to the recumbent so definitely only bike.

So any suggestions? It sounds like there's plenty of experts on here for good advise.

[Paulatic]

Have a really good go on one before you invest. My first go was on a trike down a long hill I was grinning from ear to ear.
I bought a secondhand M5. A 2wheeler and just learning to start off is an art. The biggest shock to me was you seem to use different muscles and I would come home shattered after only 15 miles. I think if it had been my only wheels and I’d used it all the time I might have got to love it. My problem was when I went out on an upright it was easier, I went further, and I enjoyed it.
Nothing lost though I sold the M5 years later for as much as I’d paid for it.

[UpWrong]

There's a strong demand for trikes generally, so you are more likely to find a bike winter bargain. I'd say there's been a fair choice at around the £1000 mark for the last few months. Take a look at the BHPC forum as well as here and eBay.

Are you more interested in being comfortable or trying to keep up with the lycra mob? You have the height to manage an unsuspended high racer so one of the Bacchetta's might be a good start if you can get the hang of having your feet that high above the ground.

[Cunobelin]

Where are you based?

[Tangled Metal]

I don't know what interests me about them. I guess it's because they're different, new, potentially fast and I like the touring opportunities with loading. Banana bags for example seem a good idea.

I'm looking into getting a reasonable touring bike if I save enough in the next year. My one bike for it all. There's no reason why it shouldn't be a recumbent. I feel it could be a more comfortable ride. With a more stable load too.

I'm not uncomfortable with a normal bike, never have been. For me I've only had one uncomfortable bike and that was a kids sports bike I got 35 years years ago with a solid plastic saddle! I still rode it a lot and enjoyed it.

Most of my riding is commuting or family rides so not far at all I fancy trying to go for me rides by myself at my own pace and further too. A fun bike might be nice but a traditional tourer bike isn't quite a fun bike like a good road bike or what I think a recumbent would be.

So what could be a fun ride unloaded but capable of being a good touring bike too?

[Tangled Metal]

Where are you based?

I'm based in North Lancashire.

Glasgow and kinetic are my closest recumbent retailer possibly Edinburgh and laid back bikes is close enough to visit if I can con a long weekend trip to up there next year. Other than them I think I'm. Unlikely to find myself getting to the other recumbent retailers I could find online.

[UpWrong]

Given your size, an HPV machine would be a safe bet since it's a German company. How about a StreetMachine GTE, http://www.kinetics-online.co.uk/recumbents/hpvelotechnik/streetmachine/ but I'd go with above seat steering.

[Tangled Metal]

Why ASS?

To me the lower steering looks more comfortable because it's a low and more natural position.

Is the above seat steering the one close to your body or the one further away? What's the difference between the three steering setups?

[Tangled Metal]

Been looking at HPVs. The gecko looks a good commuting / touring trike. The scorpion looks a slightly better touring trike. The grasshopper looks good but the streetmachine is probably better. I like the folding idea with a recumbent. That's for storing and carrying it in the car.

Azub looks like interesting recumbents too.

[[XAP]Bob]

Why ASS?

To me the lower steering looks more comfortable because it's a low and more natural position.

Is the above seat steering the one close to your body or the one further away? What's the difference between the three steering setups?

I've got both hamster (raptobike) and USS (ICEctrike) and have ridden a bit on superman bars (test ride)

Both the hamster and USS are extremely comfortable over long rides (60+miles at least). The superman bars were more comfortable than I expected, but I only rode for 15-20 minutes and was concentrating on other things (driving on the wrong side of the road, 140mm cranks, different steering geometry)...

[Cunobelin]

Been looking at HPVs. The gecko looks a good commuting / touring trike. The scorpion looks a slightly better touring trike. The grasshopper looks good but the streetmachine is probably better. I like the folding idea with a recumbent. That's for storing and carrying it in the car.

Azub looks like interesting recumbents too.

Gekko on a train:



Gekko in South Wales





Mine also fits in. the cycle locker at work

[UpWrong]

Why ASS?

To me the lower steering looks more comfortable because it's a low and more natural position.

Is the above seat steering the one close to your body or the one further away? What's the difference between the three steering setups?

The ASS on the StreetMachine is shown at the bottom of this page, http://www.hpvelotechnik.com/produkte/sm/gte/index_e.html It's a simple folding design without much tiller effect, the bars to be located just behind knees but not on the chest. It's more like a conventional bike in steering action and feel.

Advantages? Not as wide so easier to transport and store the bike, e.g. on trains, and easier to wheel the bike across crossings or through shopping precincts etc. TBH I don't have USS experience but it seems more alien to me with regards to mounting/dismounting and I also would be concerned about hurting my hands in a spillage - but as I said no experience.

[UpWrong]

It's more than likely that Kevin at D-tek will have some used StreetMachines in stock you can try if you make the trip to Cambs.

[squeaker]

I'm recumbent curious. What's a good starting point?

As has been already said, a trip to somewhere you can try a few out. (For me it was London Recumbents in Dulwich Park.)
However. if you are above a certain age then IME the transition to a 'bent bike can be challenging - even after some careful tuition I still was not comfortable (at all) on a bike which a year later on I regarded as very conservative and easy to ride!
Trikes bypass all the balancing issues and introduce you to the recumbent riding experience, but are slightly lower than bikes (sweeping generalisation): they do make excellent touring/load lugging machines though - I greatly value the 'let's just stop here and look at the view without worrying where my feet are going to go' moments!
Have fun!

[Tangled Metal]

I'm mid forties (first time I've admitted that, until nearly 45 I was early 40s ), fit, healthy, relatively coordinated and with good reactions. This last bit was from years of whitewater kayaking and other activities that required a fast reaction speed. I also learn quickly.

For example I had never ridden a flat mtb bar but got used to it in minutes. Didn't suit me for other reasons though.

Things like an overloaded, single wheel trailer on an unsuitable bike (not stiff enough) was overcome. Seriously funny wobble on it that took some riding modification.

Whilst not totally relevant to switching to recumbent I can be confident I'll make the conversion to riding recumbents. Even if I need a bit of time. I don't give up easily.

I reckon a trike is nice for the touring side of what I need but two wheeled is probably better for me overall. The question is which style? High, mid or low racer? Over or under steering? Etc, etc, etc

Did I say I was 6'5" tall and 86kg? I look tall but not big, but with those measurements sizing on uprights isn't easy. Mostly the biggest bike size most main brands do as standard. Recumbents seem more universal or with just two sizes. Do some have a maximum user size / weight?