Thinking about getting a recumbent.

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

Quoted message said:

I'm thinking about getting a recumbent. I have problems with my neck
and "private parts" when riding my mountain bike. There's a lot of
scenic paved bike trails where I live as well as lots of mild off road
stuff. Can I get something decent for under a grand?

Yes.

On 11 Nov 2004 07:57:10 -0800

(CR) said:

I'm thinking about getting a recumbent. I have problems with my neck
and "private parts" when riding my mountain bike. There's a lot of
scenic paved bike trails where I live as well as lots of mild off road
stuff. Can I get something decent for under a grand?

Yeah.

Nearly all of the actionbent product line is under a grand, and the
rest of it is real close to a grand. These are all short wheel base bikes,
the nicer ones are fully suspended. see www.actionbent.com or if you're
feeling really cheap(I was) see www.chucksbikes.com for some bikes from the
same factory nearly identical to their early models. I have the Tsunami T-2
and aside from some cheap components there's basically nothing wrong with
it. That isn't also wrong with the actionbent models, at least. And a few
things aren't wrong with chuck's version that are wrong with the AB
version. All minor stuff. The crankset, bottom bracket, and pedals are
similar to Walmart bikes - in practice this isn't a problem for most
people. Oddly, some of them come with American Classic hubs which would,
at retail, cost half what you paid for the whole bike. The problem with
these bikes is you won't be able to test ride them unless you live in the
seattle area or find someone in your area who already has one.

Cycle Genius and Sun also make a number of compact long wheel base bikes
in this price range. They're usually somewhat heavier than the AB bikes -
but some people prefer CLWB. These bikes you may be able to find at a local
shop. I don't know a whole lot about these bikes because CLWB never
appealed to me. I want to look 100% weird out there, on my SWB with
under-seat steering. Not just 80% weird on a CLWB with over-seat steering.

There's no shortage of used BikeE models for sale. The caviat here is
that in an odd contrast from their stated intention of making a quality
low-cost recumbent they used a lot of weird and sometimes needlessly
expensive parts. The 1.25" headset is merely weird but if the internally
geared hub fails on you that's $150 right there. The problem is that if an
internally geared hub isn't correctly indexed by the shifter, or is abused
by the rider (by shifting under load), the gears can get chewed up pretty
fast. If you buy a used BikeE, look for one with low miles.

If you're looking at used bikes, there's probably no shortage of models
out there that may be better than the above, at about $1k.

CR said:

I'm thinking about getting a recumbent. I have problems with my neck
and "private parts" when riding my mountain bike. There's a lot of
scenic paved bike trails where I live as well as lots of mild off road
stuff. Can I get something decent for under a grand?

I would consider spending a little more and getting a RANS Rocket [1] or
Tailwind [2]. These bikes are competitive with much more expensive bikes
(including other RANS models) in performance. The Rocket in particular
is an excellent handling bike.

Both can be found used in good condition in the $400-$600 range.

Note: The RANS Tailwind is best suited for shorter stature riders.

[1] <http://www.ransbikes.com/2005bikes/Rocket.htm>.
[2] <http://www.ransbikes.com/2005bikes/Tailwind.htm>.

--
Tom Sherman

Eric Jorgensen <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<20041111102336.49503e83@wafer>...

Quoted message said:

Cycle Genius and Sun also make a number of compact long wheel base bikes
in this price range. They're usually somewhat heavier than the AB bikes -
but some people prefer CLWB. These bikes you may be able to find at a local
shop. I don't know a whole lot about these bikes because CLWB never
appealed to me. I want to look 100% weird out there, on my SWB with
under-seat steering. Not just 80% weird on a CLWB with over-seat steering.

I'm starting to think that I would like the SWB with regular
handlebars. It looks the most manueverable to me (but I've never tried
one).

Thanks for the info!

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

Quoted message said:

CR said:

I'm thinking about getting a recumbent. I have problems with my neck
and "private parts" when riding my mountain bike. There's a lot of
scenic paved bike trails where I live as well as lots of mild off road
stuff. Can I get something decent for under a grand?

I would consider spending a little more and getting a RANS Rocket [1] or
Tailwind [2]. These bikes are competitive with much more expensive bikes
(including other RANS models) in performance. The Rocket in particular
is an excellent handling bike.

Both can be found used in good condition in the $400-$600 range.

Note: The RANS Tailwind is best suited for shorter stature riders.

[1] <http://www.ransbikes.com/2005bikes/Rocket.htm>.
[2] <http://www.ransbikes.com/2005bikes/Tailwind.htm>.

--
Tom Sherman

I just happen to have a RANS Tailwind that has been up-graded with SRAM 9
drive and Dia-Compe brakes along with Velo bars and all the other great
items for sale at a good price. Photos available....PayPal accepted.

jd

Tom Sherman <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

CR said:

I'm thinking about getting a recumbent. I have problems with my neck
and "private parts" when riding my mountain bike. There's a lot of
scenic paved bike trails where I live as well as lots of mild off road
stuff. Can I get something decent for under a grand?

I would consider spending a little more and getting a RANS Rocket [1] or
Tailwind [2]. These bikes are competitive with much more expensive bikes
(including other RANS models) in performance. The Rocket in particular
is an excellent handling bike.

Both can be found used in good condition in the $400-$600 range.

Note: The RANS Tailwind is best suited for shorter stature riders.

[1] <http://www.ransbikes.com/2005bikes/Rocket.htm>.
[2] <http://www.ransbikes.com/2005bikes/Tailwind.htm>.

What is the difference between a SWB with 26" and 20" tires vs one
with both wheels being 20"?

I like the way the chain is routed on the Rocket. It looks like a
cleaner design than some of the other SWBs I've seen. Is the chain a
problem on these bikes?

Thanks!

On 12 Nov 2004 13:18:49 -0800

(CR) said:

Tom Sherman <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

CR said:

I'm thinking about getting a recumbent. I have problems with my neck
and "private parts" when riding my mountain bike. There's a lot of
scenic paved bike trails where I live as well as lots of mild off
road stuff. Can I get something decent for under a grand?

I would consider spending a little more and getting a RANS Rocket [1]
or Tailwind [2]. These bikes are competitive with much more expensive
bikes (including other RANS models) in performance. The Rocket in
particular is an excellent handling bike.

Both can be found used in good condition in the $400-$600 range.

Note: The RANS Tailwind is best suited for shorter stature riders.

[1] <http://www.ransbikes.com/2005bikes/Rocket.htm>.
[2] <http://www.ransbikes.com/2005bikes/Tailwind.htm>.

What is the difference between a SWB with 26" and 20" tires vs one
with both wheels being 20"?

Six inches, silly.

Seriously though. the 26" rear wheel means that you lay more rubber on
the road for each rotation. Theoretically go faster with lower gearing.
It's all relative and up to preference. I know a BikeE rider who doesn't
like the 20/16 setup he's got, envies my 26/20. He's also much better at
spinning than i am.

Jack Davis said:

I just happen to have a RANS Tailwind that has been up-graded with SRAM 9
drive and Dia-Compe brakes along with Velo bars and all the other great
items for sale at a good price. Photos available....PayPal accepted.

In my opinion, the RANS Tailwind is best suited for riders with an
X-seam [1] of less than 109 cm (43 inches).

[1] <http://www.hostelshoppe.com/tech_xseam.php>.

--
Tom Sherman

CR said:

...
I like the way the chain is routed on the Rocket. It looks like a
cleaner design than some of the other SWBs I've seen. Is the chain a
problem on these bikes?

Other than the time when I had a broken "chain dog" pin on the lower
idler of my Wave/Tailwind, I have never had a chain derail on either
bike over thousands of miles of riding. The longer chainline allows the
use of cross-gears that would not be advisable on an upright bicycle.

The only real disadvantage to their drivetrain's is that the RANS Rocket
and Tailwind have large chainrings which do not shift as well as smaller
chainrings, and the smaller drivewheels makes the gearing range a little
narrower than with a larger wheel.

--
Tom Sherman

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

Quoted message said:

Jack Davis said:

I just happen to have a RANS Tailwind that has been up-graded with SRAM

9

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

drive and Dia-Compe brakes along with Velo bars and all the other great
items for sale at a good price. Photos available....PayPal accepted.

In my opinion, the RANS Tailwind is best suited for riders with an
X-seam [1] of less than 109 cm (43 inches).

[1] <http://www.hostelshoppe.com/tech_xseam.php>.

--
Tom Sherman

My son is about 6'2" and he had a Tailwind for a couple of years. He did
have the seat almost all the way back. I am about 5' 9" and have the seat a
little less than half way forward. I have loaned it to friends that were
barely over 5' tall so it can fit a wide range of sizes. (Some better than
others....)

jd

Eric Jorgensen <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<20041111102336.49503e83@wafer>...

Quoted message said:

On 11 Nov 2004 07:57:10 -0800

(CR) said:

I'm thinking about getting a recumbent. I have problems with my neck
and "private parts" when riding my mountain bike. There's a lot of
scenic paved bike trails where I live as well as lots of mild off road
stuff. Can I get something decent for under a grand?

Quoted message said:

Nearly all of the actionbent product line is under a grand, and the
rest of it is real close to a grand. These are all short wheel base bikes,
the nicer ones are fully suspended. see www.actionbent.com or if you're
feeling really cheap(I was) see www.chucksbikes.com for some bikes from the
same factory nearly identical to their early models. I have the Tsunami T-2
and aside from some cheap components there's basically nothing wrong with
it. That isn't also wrong with the actionbent models, at least. And a few
things aren't wrong with chuck's version that are wrong with the AB
version. All minor stuff. The crankset, bottom bracket, and pedals are
similar to Walmart bikes - in practice this isn't a problem for most
people. Oddly, some of them come with American Classic hubs which would,
at retail, cost half what you paid for the whole bike. The problem with
these bikes is you won't be able to test ride them unless you live in the
seattle area or find someone in your area who already has one.

I just tried a RANS Rocket and Tailwind. 2 things I didn't like. They
both felt slow and I didn't like the soft foam seat. I'm starting to
think I might like a low racer of some sort. I won't be riding it in
traffic so the lowness won't be a problem.

The action bent roadrunner looks cool to me. I like the one piece seat
and more reclined position. It looks like it might be pretty fast. I'm
going to be traveling to Tampa to demo some bikes during thanksgiving.
I'd like to try a lightning M-5 low racer just to see how it feels.
Hopefully I can find one.

Quoted message said:

The action bent roadrunner looks cool to me. I like the one piece seat
and more reclined position. It looks like it might be pretty fast. I'm
going to be traveling to Tampa to demo some bikes during thanksgiving.
I'd like to try a lightning M-5 low racer just to see how it feels.
Hopefully I can find one.

I have tried a few low racers. Of course all bikes are good, but the
Ross Festina was the best handling of the lot. IMHO.

--
The Pony Express, 20th SOS Udorn will never die:

http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Base/6850/pony.html
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Base/6850/PonySong.html

A Gomer Gitter from 1967 to 1968, missions from Dien Bien Phu, to Phou
pha thi (LS-85), to the bolovens plateau.

See some Bikes At:

http://home.earthlink.net/~wm.patterson/index.html

Class and Helicopter

http://www.calpoly.edu/~wpatters/

Reply to [email hidden]
[email hidden]
[email hidden]

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

Quoted message said:

Eric Jorgensen <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<20041111102336.49503e83@wafer>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

On 11 Nov 2004 07:57:10 -0800

(CR) said:

I'm thinking about getting a recumbent. I have problems with my neck
and "private parts" when riding my mountain bike. There's a lot of
scenic paved bike trails where I live as well as lots of mild off road
stuff. Can I get something decent for under a grand?

Quoted message said:

Nearly all of the actionbent product line is under a grand, and the
rest of it is real close to a grand. These are all short wheel base

bikes,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the nicer ones are fully suspended. see www.actionbent.com or if you're
feeling really cheap(I was) see www.chucksbikes.com for some bikes from

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

same factory nearly identical to their early models. I have the Tsunami

T-2

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and aside from some cheap components there's basically nothing wrong

with

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

it. That isn't also wrong with the actionbent models, at least. And a

few

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

things aren't wrong with chuck's version that are wrong with the AB
version. All minor stuff. The crankset, bottom bracket, and pedals are
similar to Walmart bikes - in practice this isn't a problem for most
people. Oddly, some of them come with American Classic hubs which would,
at retail, cost half what you paid for the whole bike. The problem with
these bikes is you won't be able to test ride them unless you live in

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

seattle area or find someone in your area who already has one.

I just tried a RANS Rocket and Tailwind. 2 things I didn't like. They
both felt slow and I didn't like the soft foam seat. I'm starting to
think I might like a low racer of some sort. I won't be riding it in
traffic so the lowness won't be a problem.

The action bent roadrunner looks cool to me. I like the one piece seat
and more reclined position. It looks like it might be pretty fast. I'm
going to be traveling to Tampa to demo some bikes during thanksgiving.
I'd like to try a lightning M-5 low racer just to see how it feels.
Hopefully I can find one.

My wife's brother just bought the suspended Road Runner from ActionBent. I
helped him put it together, (it's sorta like a bike-kit) and it seems to be
a pretty good bike for the $$$. The rear brake cable and the chain was too
short. We're still waiting to hear from Randy about the chain problem. The
Jet Stream model has very entry-level components that many users end up
replacing. The only really poor component on the Road Runner was the pedals.

Shopping for a new bike is part of the fun....

jd

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

Quoted message said:

Eric Jorgensen <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<20041111102336.49503e83@wafer>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

On 11 Nov 2004 07:57:10 -0800

(CR) said:

I'm thinking about getting a recumbent. I have problems with my neck
and "private parts" when riding my mountain bike. There's a lot of
scenic paved bike trails where I live as well as lots of mild off road
stuff. Can I get something decent for under a grand?

Quoted message said:

Nearly all of the actionbent product line is under a grand, and the
rest of it is real close to a grand. These are all short wheel base

bikes,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the nicer ones are fully suspended. see www.actionbent.com or if you're
feeling really cheap(I was) see www.chucksbikes.com for some bikes from

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

same factory nearly identical to their early models. I have the Tsunami

T-2

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and aside from some cheap components there's basically nothing wrong

with

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

it. That isn't also wrong with the actionbent models, at least. And a

few

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

things aren't wrong with chuck's version that are wrong with the AB
version. All minor stuff. The crankset, bottom bracket, and pedals are
similar to Walmart bikes - in practice this isn't a problem for most
people. Oddly, some of them come with American Classic hubs which would,
at retail, cost half what you paid for the whole bike. The problem with
these bikes is you won't be able to test ride them unless you live in

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

seattle area or find someone in your area who already has one.

I just tried a RANS Rocket and Tailwind. 2 things I didn't like. They
both felt slow and I didn't like the soft foam seat. I'm starting to
think I might like a low racer of some sort. I won't be riding it in
traffic so the lowness won't be a problem.

The action bent roadrunner looks cool to me. I like the one piece seat
and more reclined position. It looks like it might be pretty fast. I'm
going to be traveling to Tampa to demo some bikes during thanksgiving.
I'd like to try a lightning M-5 low racer just to see how it feels.
Hopefully I can find one.

My wife's brother just bought the suspended Road Runner from ActionBent. I
helped him put it together, (it's sorta like a bike-kit) and it seems to be
a pretty good bike for the $$$. The rear brake cable and the chain was too
short. We're still waiting to hear from Randy about the chain problem. The
Jet Stream model has very entry-level components that many users end up
replacing. The only really poor component on the Road Runner was the pedals.

Shopping for a new bike is part of the fun....

jd

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

Quoted message said:

Eric Jorgensen <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<20041111102336.49503e83@wafer>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

On 11 Nov 2004 07:57:10 -0800

(CR) said:

I'm thinking about getting a recumbent. I have problems with my neck
and "private parts" when riding my mountain bike. There's a lot of
scenic paved bike trails where I live as well as lots of mild off road
stuff. Can I get something decent for under a grand?

Quoted message said:

Nearly all of the actionbent product line is under a grand, and the
rest of it is real close to a grand. These are all short wheel base

bikes,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the nicer ones are fully suspended. see www.actionbent.com or if you're
feeling really cheap(I was) see www.chucksbikes.com for some bikes from

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

same factory nearly identical to their early models. I have the Tsunami

T-2

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and aside from some cheap components there's basically nothing wrong

with

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

it. That isn't also wrong with the actionbent models, at least. And a

few

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

things aren't wrong with chuck's version that are wrong with the AB
version. All minor stuff. The crankset, bottom bracket, and pedals are
similar to Walmart bikes - in practice this isn't a problem for most
people. Oddly, some of them come with American Classic hubs which would,
at retail, cost half what you paid for the whole bike. The problem with
these bikes is you won't be able to test ride them unless you live in

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

seattle area or find someone in your area who already has one.

I just tried a RANS Rocket and Tailwind. 2 things I didn't like. They
both felt slow and I didn't like the soft foam seat. I'm starting to
think I might like a low racer of some sort. I won't be riding it in
traffic so the lowness won't be a problem.

The action bent roadrunner looks cool to me. I like the one piece seat
and more reclined position. It looks like it might be pretty fast. I'm
going to be traveling to Tampa to demo some bikes during thanksgiving.
I'd like to try a lightning M-5 low racer just to see how it feels.
Hopefully I can find one.

My wife's brother just bought the suspended Road Runner from ActionBent. I
helped him put it together, (it's sorta like a bike-kit) and it seems to be
a pretty good bike for the $$$. The rear brake cable and the chain was too
short. We're still waiting to hear from Randy about the chain problem. The
Jet Stream model has very entry-level components that many users end up
replacing. The only really poor component on the Road Runner was the pedals.

Shopping for a new bike is part of the fun....

jd

Get a Sun EZ-1. At $500, it is pretty much a giveaway. It is a relatively
junky bike, parts spec, wheels and frame material. Then ride it. You will
be amazed. If a POS like this can be this much fun, wonder what a nicely
spec'd bike would be like?
"CR" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm thinking about getting a recumbent. I have problems with my neck
and "private parts" when riding my mountain bike. There's a lot of
scenic paved bike trails where I live as well as lots of mild off road
stuff. Can I get something decent for under a grand?