Dark Side - Recommendations

Mark Drinkwater said:

I am in the market for a my first recumbent and, having only seen a handful
when I lived in Amsterdam, have almost zero knowledge of the area. Can
people with more experience provide some advice on what factors I need to
consider - and any makes/models that I should consider.

You should try a pile of stuff out, is the bottom line: it's the only
way to be sure the seat and ride position suits. Pity you didn't decide
this when you were in NL, as it's much easier to get a range of models
to try!

Quoted message said:

My budget is around £1000 and I want something fast and fun.

If you want fast then a rule of thumb is lower == better (there are
exceptions to this), and if you want to be close to a grand then
probably bikes rather than trikes. But being able to up the budget will
give you a lot more choice.

Challenge Hurricane Sport is £1190 from London Recumbents (and probably
Bikefix and Norman Fay too) and is a good start point, though personally
I wasn't a fan of the similar Challenge Mistral I tried in NL. A Nazca
Fiero is what Roos bought, and without All The Extras they're a similar
price for IMHO a rather nicer bike, but you won't get one in the UK and
your idea of really comfy may differ from Roos' along with your anatomy:
you have to try them to be sure. Optima Stinger is similar setup but a
bit more and doesn't have an underseat steer option (only a problem if
you prefer USS, of course).

There's loads more out there, and having a go on a selection is probably
the best way to decide what you /really/ want (for example, the
Kettweisel trike isn't that fast but it's Big Fun, especially doing
handbrake turns, and Roos ended up with her Fiero despite almost ruling
it out of the going completely before actually riding on). London
Recumbents in Brighton and London, Bikefix in London, Futurecycles in
Surrey, Norman Fay in South Shields, D-Tek in Cambridge and Kinetics in
Glasgow are the Usual Suspects to try stuff out. IIRC Darth Kevin at
D-Tek keeps a stock of second hand too, so your money may well go a bit
further.

Some come up on eBay, but it's worth saying again and again that trying
out the intended purchase is a Really Good Idea, as there's far more
variation than in "normal" bikes.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

On Thu, 3 Feb 2005 15:09:51 +0000 (UTC), "Mark Drinkwater"
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

I am in the market for a my first recumbent and, having only seen a handful
when I lived in Amsterdam, have almost zero knowledge of the area. Can
people with more experience provide some advice on what factors I need to
consider - and any makes/models that I should consider.

I'm with Pete - Holland has a better selection, pop over there for a
weekend ;-)

Budgets may be an issue, but keep an eye on eBay. And try everything.
Go to the bike rallies and ride every bike you can, they are all
different.

Guy
--
"then came ye chavves, theyre cartes girded wyth candels
blue, and theyre beastes wyth straynge horn-lyke thyngs
onn theyre arses that theyre fartes be herde from myles
around." Chaucer, the Sheppey Tales

Hello Mark,
I have no doubt you will enjoy moving to the dark side as I have done.
I know it's not always easy to try lots, I ended up buying three, two
wheelers before I was happy with my LWB Ryan ( http://ryanownersclub.com/ )
which cost me 350 s/h in the here uk.
One thing to keep an eye on is the fact that ICE (
http://www.ice.hpv.co.uk/ ) have been steadily reducing the price of their
trikes and you can now buy a new Ice S for 1500, and in my opinion that's a
bargain for a piece of "fast art".
So I have ended up with old Trice Classic (that cost me 1100, purchased
when a new Trice cost 3000!) and a Ryan which suit me but then I'm not
especially fast, comfort is my main goal!
Both these machines do all I need. I can manage 50 miles on either with no
aches or pains except tired legs.
If you are in the south east and you would like to try one give me a shout.
Good luck with your search and please let the group know what you end up
with.

"Mark Drinkwater" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am in the market for a my first recumbent and, having only seen a handful
when I lived in Amsterdam, have almost zero knowledge of the area. Can
people with more experience provide some advice on what factors I need to
consider - and any makes/models that I should consider.

My budget is around £1000 and I want something fast and fun.

Thanks in advance.

Mark

Just zis Guy said:

On Thu, 3 Feb 2005 15:09:51 +0000 (UTC), "Mark Drinkwater"
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

I am in the market for a my first recumbent and, having only seen a handful
when I lived in Amsterdam, have almost zero knowledge of the area. Can
people with more experience provide some advice on what factors I need to
consider - and any makes/models that I should consider.

I'm with Pete - Holland has a better selection, pop over there for a
weekend ;-)

Walking down a street in Haarlem over Christmas two of the three cycle
shops had bents in the windows.

I was dragged away :-(

But was allowed to buy a new bell :-)

John B

"Steve W" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
snippity...

Quoted message said:

One thing to keep an eye on is the fact that ICE (
http://www.ice.hpv.co.uk/ ) have been steadily reducing the price of their
trikes and you can now buy a new Ice S for 1500, and in my opinion that's
a bargain for a piece of "fast art".

snippity...

I've got the Ice T - with a few extras that pushed the price up a tad. I do
like it a lot - I'd like it even more if I could prise it away from my
teenage son ;-)

Cheers, helen s

"Mark Drinkwater" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am in the market for a my first recumbent and, having only seen a handful
when I lived in Amsterdam, have almost zero knowledge of the area. Can
people with more experience provide some advice on what factors I need to
consider - and any makes/models that I should consider.

My budget is around £1000 and I want something fast and fun.

Thanks in advance.

Mark

Many thanks for all the advice - and even offer for a test ride which is
very much appreciated.

I will try to negotiate a budget increase with "The Trouble" and try as many
as possible. I'll be posting again once I have chosen.

Good luck!

SW

"> Many thanks for all the advice - and even offer for a test ride which is

Quoted message said:

very much appreciated.

I will try to negotiate a budget increase with "The Trouble" and try as

many

Quoted message said:

as possible. I'll be posting again once I have chosen.

Helen C Simmons said:

I'd like it even more if I could prise it away from my
teenage son ;-)

Can't you buy him a Vauxhall Nova or something?

"Al C-F" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Helen C Simmons said:

I'd like it even more if I could prise it away from my
teenage son ;-)

Can't you buy him a Vauxhall Nova or something?

Certainly not! Apart from the fact he's too young for a car...

Cheers, helen s

Mark Drinkwater said:

I am in the market for a my first recumbent and, having only seen a
handful when I lived in Amsterdam, have almost zero knowledge of the
area. Can people with more experience provide some advice on what
factors I need to consider - and any makes/models that I should
consider.
My budget is around £1000 and I want something fast and fun.

Depends a bit if your budget is £1000 to £1400, or if its nearer to £1000.

Personally, I'd suggest some caution to begin with, and go in with a s/hand
machine, though only after test-riding a number of different types. There's
less chance of loosing loads of money with a poorly selected purchase.

It takes time to work out what you really want for seating position, and
also to get the legs used to the recumbent position.

If in range of Kevin at D.Tek (near Ely, Cambridgeshire), then go there and
pay £25 for his half-day riding session. There is a huge difference between
different machines, and what one person recons is the best will be the worst
for someone else.

Some of Kevin's s/hand stock is also a witness to new riders selecting
recumbents without lengthy testing, and then loosing a fortune.
Over the summer I test rode secondhand examples of the SpeedMachine,
StreetMachine GT and Grasshopper. All were high-spec examples with disc
brakes and other expensive extras. All are very well regarded models, you'll
find riders of them who rate them as amongst the best machines built. And
each of the examples I tried had been purchased from new from other dealers,
tried for a few miles and then sold to Kevin as s/hand because the owner
didn't like them.
The per-mile losses on them would make a new car look cheap !

I'm currently getting my recumbent legs sorted on a s/hand Pashley PDQ.

- Nigel

--
NC - Webmaster for http://www.2mm.org.uk/
Replies to newsgroup postings to the newsgroup please.

Helen C Simmons said:

"Al C-F" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Helen C Simmons said:

I'd like it even more if I could prise it away from my
teenage son ;-)

Can't you buy him a Vauxhall Nova or something?

Certainly not! Apart from the fact he's too young for a car...

You should have stopped at 'not".

Its only a matter of months is it not?

John B

"JohnB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Its only a matter of months is it not?

John B

Quite a few months - and he'll be taught to drive, but he will not be
getting his own car.

Cheers, helen s

Helen C Simmons said:

Quite a few months - and he'll be taught to drive, but he will not be
getting his own car.

Nah, he'll just borrow Mum's Merc, then Mum can have her trike back ;-)

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
<URL:http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

Nigel Cliffe said:

If in range of Kevin at D.Tek (near Ely, Cambridgeshire), then go there and
pay £25 for his half-day riding session. There is a huge difference between
different machines, and what one person recons is the best will be the worst
for someone else.

Seconded. You can expect to spend some time there listening to
anecdotes, but their good ones so it's worth it. The range of beasts
that he has is unsurpassed in my experience and he's usually got some
good possibilities second hand.

As commented, some of the s/h ones he ends up with are criminal. The
best one he was telling me about recently was a bent (Don't remember the
type) which was now onto its third owner over a 8 year period and had
still only done about 5 miles. The current owner was pestering Kevin
after buying it for a good secondhand one (Like the one he'd got) that
he could ride because the other one was "too good to actually ride"!

A lot of people get nervous about trying machines without knowing how to
ride ("The guys there just looked so professional about it, I didn't
want to make a fuss"😉 and have been known to buy without trying at all.
Ben in Glasgow apparently was once offered a bent that he'd sold. "About
5 miles, a few scratches where I fell off. I can't ride them"!

Jon

Jon Senior said:

Nigel Cliffe said:

If in range of Kevin at D.Tek (near Ely, Cambridgeshire), then go
there and pay £25 for his half-day riding session. There is a huge
difference between different machines, and what one person recons is
the best will be the worst for someone else.

Seconded. You can expect to spend some time there listening to
anecdotes, but their good ones so it's worth it. The range of beasts
that he has is unsurpassed in my experience and he's usually got some
good possibilities second hand.

As commented, some of the s/h ones he ends up with are criminal. The
best one he was telling me about recently was a bent (Don't remember the
type) which was now onto its third owner over a 8 year period and had
still only done about 5 miles. The current owner was pestering Kevin
after buying it for a good secondhand one (Like the one he'd got) that
he could ride because the other one was "too good to actually ride"!

A lot of people get nervous about trying machines without knowing how to
ride ("The guys there just looked so professional about it, I didn't
want to make a fuss"😉 and have been known to buy without trying at all.
Ben in Glasgow apparently was once offered a bent that he'd sold. "About
5 miles, a few scratches where I fell off. I can't ride them"!

Jon

Hmm, I must get myself up to D.Tek at some point if they have
second-hand yet virtually unridden machines ;-)

--

Velvet

Velvet said:

Hmm, I must get myself up to D.Tek at some point if they have
second-hand yet virtually unridden machines ;-)

If you look through 'bent sale ads much there is an astonishing
proportion of basically unused machinery that has clearly been bought by
people who read some hoopla and bought "the best recumbent in the world"
without actually thinking if it was the right cycle for them first.

I think part of the problem is people think "recumbent" is in itself a
useful classification for a narrow class of bike, rather than a very
broad range of completely different machines that do different things
well. An equivalent would be someone who didn't cycle asking a road
racer what's the best bike in the world, being pointed at Lance's Trek
as a fair contender, and then after buying one wondering why it's not
very comfy around town and doesn't take shopping well...

Ben currently has a second hand Windcheetah with full carbon fairings
that's basically never been anywhere and if it fits it's a steal at
£2,500 (it would be £4,350 new!))...

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Peter Clinch said:

Ben currently has a second hand Windcheetah with full carbon fairings
that's basically never been anywhere and if it fits it's a steal at
£2,500 (it would be £4,350 new!))...

Pete.

*Sticks fingers in ears (or should it be eyes!)* Lalalalalalaalalaaaa my
retail-therapy-centre can't hear you Lalalalalalalalalaaaaaa :-)

--

Velvet

Response to Peter Clinch:

Quoted message said:

Ben currently has a second hand Windcheetah with full carbon fairings
that's basically never been anywhere and if it fits it's a steal at
£2,500 (it would be £4,350 new!))...

The "special offers" page says:

"It is a smallish frame, suitable for anyone up to about 5=3F9=3F."

O well.

--
Mark, UK.

"Those who are at war with others are not at peace with
themselves."

Response to Mark McNeill:

Quoted message said:

The "special offers" page says:

"It is a smallish frame, suitable for anyone up to about 5=3F9=3F."

No it doesn't, it says 5'9"; damn those verdammt special characters!

--
Mark, UK.

"What arouses the indignation of the honest satirist is not,
unless the man is a prig, the fact that people in positions of
power or influence behave idiotically, or even that they behave
wickedly. It is that they conspire successfully to impose upon
the public a picture of themselves as so very sagacious, honest
and well-intentioned."