Actionbent inormation

(Dennis) said:

I just found the Actionbent website today and read the BROL review (pretty promising).

Who out there has one? How do they compare to other SWB bikes (V-Rex, Giro)? After riding just
about everything out there, I'm fairly certain I want a SWB, but I have a hard time spending $1400
on my first recumbent.

Sure beats spending five or six hundred on your first recumbent and *then* spending the $1400 for
the one you wanted. When I did my test rides the person at the shop told me half of the people who
but the bent they could afford come back for the one they really wanted in less than a year.

I'm spending two grand on my first recumbent.

Mike Rice (Tour Easy shipped today!)

Quoted message said:

Peace, Dennis

Quoted message said:

When I did my test rides the person at the shop told me half of the people who but the bent they
could afford come back for the one they really wanted in less than a year.

I'm spending two grand on my first recumbent.

That why I decided to spend almost four for my first recumbent. I'm just gonna go for it and enjoy
the quality without thinking in the back of my mind that I should have bought the.....

Scoot
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Trying to save someone from their own stupidity is like trying to teach a pig how to dance: it
wastes your time, and annoys the pig."

Dennis wrote;

Quoted message said:

I just found the Actionbent website today and read the BROL review (pretty promising).

Who out there has one? How do they compare to other SWB bikes (V-Rex, Giro)? After riding just
about everything out there, I'm fairly certain I want a SWB, but I have a hard time spending $1400
on my first recumbent.

Right. Well, I can't compare it to the others, as this is the only bent I've ever been on.
I love it!

I got mine in June, on Ebay for $630, where ActionBent auctions them brand new. I believe I was one
of the first buyers, as this was before any website and the bike was called a "Hurricane" and even
has that name on the frame. Who knows, maybe it will be a collectors item someday. It is the
overhand steering SWB that is now called the "Jetstream".

After I placed the order, Randy informed me that the the shipping cost that he had quoted at about
$60 was going to be $130, and that HE would eat the difference. The bike arrived on time. It was
poorly packed. There were some nicks and scrapes. The chain was not wrapped and was rubbing against
the frame, and some bolts were loose in the box and I'm lucky they didn't fall out thru holes in the
corners of the box. Some of the parts were different than in the ad at the time I bought it. Not
inferior or cheaper, just different style. The handlebars seemed wider and with less camber than the
one in the picture. The front tire is a 1.35 and the front derailleur a C105, rather than the
1.5 and C201 advertised. I called Randy about all this and we agreed that I could try it out "as is"
for a few weeks and if I decided I wanted the other parts, he would exchange for them. He seemed
surprised and concerned about the packing, and I believe they may have changed the procedure for
packing and shipping. For one thing, they used to advertise it as being almost completely
assembled, and while they came close, I told him that I would have prefered well packed parts. I
kept it because, let's face it, it's either this or spend twice as much. This is the closest I can
afford to get to a lowracer. Besides, I intend to beat the hell out of it.

I absolutely love it. No regrets at all. I got it in part because Randy is 5'8" and I'm 5'9.5" and I
figured it ought to be a good fit. It's perfect. Very comfortable plush seat that keeps you from
sliding off the front, and gives an easy ride over bumps. Great handling, and in fact, I have never
wrecked. I was going about 20mph in a 10mph zone and all of a sudden I saw a new speed bump that was
never there before. I thought I was dead, but the bike hit the bump hard, jumped up into the air and
landed on both tires, and I just kept on going. I was too embarrassed to stop and inspect it, so I
rode out of sight, checked it out, and there was no damage. I've never wrecked. I've hit broken
bottles at night. I've ridden on grass and gravel. I was on a gravel trail and hit a soft sandlike
spot and had to put my feet down, but I've never fallen off. Of course, on gravel and grass, I have
to go very slow. On pavement it corners very well, very stable trailbraking into turns. The balance
is such that it has a slight understeer, so I can use a little front brake to help get the rear
around and then accelerate out of the corner. Perfectly stable when hard braking downhill. There is
a boat dock with a 40 degree grade, and I did a dead start uphill on wet pavement without any
problem. I have an old Schwinn Stingray 5 speed, and the bent climbs the same as standing on the
Stingray. I've actually timed them up hills, and the weight and drag of the Stingray cancels any
leverage advantage.

I might try a shorter crankarm. This one is about 7" or
1i. This bike makes a lot of noise. Some dogs scream like I'm The Ghost From Hell (tm). I don't
have a rack, so I just strap a bag of snorkeling gear to my chest with a bungy cord, sit back
in the seat, and just ride away...

Tom

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

Quoted message said:

I just found the Actionbent website today and read the BROL review (pretty promising).

Who out there has one? How do they compare to other SWB bikes (V-Rex, Giro)? After riding just
about everything out there, I'm fairly certain I want a SWB, but I have a hard time spending $1400
on my first recumbent.

Peace, Dennis

I have a Tidal Wave USS that may be the first one in the US. I'ts my 5th bent and the second on the
current stabel. The other is a faired TE. I solved the noisy idler problem by switching to the
double groove burley idler that Mark sells at PowerOn cycleing. Good deal, that. My wheels are not
stock (perhpas the weakest spec on the bike is the stock weheelset) because I have a couple nice
451/700c sets. I like having two bikes that use the same sizes. My only other "upgrade" is a set of
155mm cranks.

After just under 1000 miles, I have no regrets. This bike compares favorably to the Haluzak that was
my last SWB ride. It has the same drive train, a more comfy seat, and is a couple pounds lighter.

I ride with another guy who has the Hurricane OSS or whatever it's called now. He likes his and is
making the same idler change I did.

Tom Thompson

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

Quoted message said:

I just found the Actionbent website today and read the BROL review (pretty promising).

Who out there has one? How do they compare to other SWB bikes (V-Rex, Giro)? After riding just
about everything out there, I'm fairly certain I want a SWB, but I have a hard time spending $1400
on my first recumbent.

Peace, Dennis

I have a Tidal Wave USS that may be the first one in the US. I'ts my 5th bent and the second on the
current stabel. The other is a faired TE. I solved the noisy idler problem by switching to the
double groove burley idler that Mark sells at PowerOn cycleing. Good deal, that. My wheels are not
stock (perhpas the weakest spec on the bike is the stock weheelset) because I have a couple nice
451/700c sets. I like having two bikes that use the same sizes. My only other "upgrade" is a set of
155mm cranks.

After just under 1000 miles, I have no regrets. This bike compares favorably to the Haluzak that was
my last SWB ride. It has the same drive train, a more comfy seat, and is a couple pounds lighter.

I ride with another guy who has the Hurricane OSS or whatever it's called now. He likes his and is
making the same idler change I did.

Tom Thompson

A friend at work bought the more expensive under seat steering model. It did have chain noise
problems as the reviewer found. He bought new rollers and the noise is much reduced.

Otherwise it looks like a great machine. I have been on two rides with my friend on his Actionbent,
and he has no problem keeping up with our DF paceline group. Our average cruising speed is 20 mph.
It seems to accelerate real fast, something I did not expect a recumbent to do.

Dennis said:

I just found the Actionbent website today and read the BROL review (pretty promising).

Who out there has one? How do they compare to other SWB bikes (V-Rex, Giro)? After riding just
about everything out there, I'm fairly certain I want a SWB, but I have a hard time spending $1400
on my first recumbent.

Peace, Dennis

A friend at work bought the more expensive under seat steering model. It did have chain noise
problems as the reviewer found. He bought new rollers and the noise is much reduced.

Otherwise it looks like a great machine. I have been on two rides with my friend on his Actionbent,
and he has no problem keeping up with our DF paceline group. Our average cruising speed is 20 mph.
It seems to accelerate real fast, something I did not expect a recumbent to do.

Dennis said:

I just found the Actionbent website today and read the BROL review (pretty promising).

Who out there has one? How do they compare to other SWB bikes (V-Rex, Giro)? After riding just
about everything out there, I'm fairly certain I want a SWB, but I have a hard time spending $1400
on my first recumbent.

Peace, Dennis