Vision

As a matter of fact, I called the Vision company today. While it's difficult to get a hold of a real live person through their phone tree (many extensions for people who probably don't even work there any more), I nevertheless left a message for Joel Smith (president and founder of Vision), and to my surprise, he returned my call within about 90 minutes. I was especially surprised since my question was fairly trivial (I just needed to know the steering tube dimension for an R-40). While talking with him, I asked him about the future of Vision, and all he could/would say was that he was fairly certain the Vision Company would return to production in some form or another.
I also had a conversation today with the owner of GoBentBikes in Wenatchee who just recently drove over to the Vision factory to see for himself what was up. He told me that he spoke with the other co-founder of the Vision Company and got a similar story. He said the high overhead of their current facility together with some legal matters are necessitating a change, but that expectations are that they will resume production from a different facility.
As a concerned Vision R-40 owner I have followed the rumors and speculations about ATP-Vision with great interest. I was sorry to see them criticized for not being more forth coming about their current status, since I have a strong feeling that the legal matters are preventing them from making public comments, even if they would like to. I have seen other innovative companies go through similar growth problems and survive, and I believe that Vision will too. Out of respect for the great contributions the people of Vision have made to recumbent cycling, I think we owe it to them to just be patient and let them work through these difficult times. I for one would be very sorry to see ATP-Vision shut down for good, especially if our own misguided gossip in any way contributed to the demise of a good company run by good people.

I've ridden my 1999 Vision R40 USS in three configurations: fixed fork SWB (1000+ miles), LWB (1000+
miles), and new Ballistic fork SWB (500+ miles).
- The SWB fixed fork is very sporty in way of handling and a little more maneuverable than the LWB
in city traffic. But it really cries out for some type of suspension on anything but the
smoothest roads.
- The Ballistic fork offers suspension but is very heavy and a tad less stable at higher speeds.
- The LWB is also a fairly heavy configuration, but offers the best balanced distribution of
weight, both for steep climbs (I live in hilly Stuttgart Germany) and high speed descents, since
rider weight is not so heavily loaded on the front wheel). The vertical flex of the LWB boom also
provides necessary shock absorbtion. For slow speed climbing you need to have the steering bar in
the most sensitive position. In my view, LWB is the way to go for the most satisfying R40
experience.
- My only complaints about the Vision are 1) lot of weight to lug up hills; 2) not easy to
transport on a traditional Rhode Gear Shuttle or similar bike carrier.

Hi Dale,

Since your considering a convertible SWB/LWB recumbent, why don't you check out the Burley Canto and
Taiko bikes. they both sport fixed frame monotubes, so no chain or boom to adjust when switching and
neither configuration needs active suspension because of the passive suspension built into the
frame. Of course you can't get a Burley with USS.

Gene

Thanks for the detailed report. I'm pulling for them all the way. There's just no reason they should
go under now, when the recumbent market is growing and the economy is improving. I bought a V70 last
year for my wife and it's a great, innovative product. But the bike business is tough, no doubt
about it. Recumbent dealers tend to be small and at the ordinary bike shops, floor space for
recumbents is usually enough for about 2 bikes.