[email protected] wrote:
> A couple of years ago I had a friend that was interested in riding bikes for
> exercise. I had another friend that had a $100.00 road bike for sale. My
> friend bought it and road for a couple of months and loved it. But due to
> his traveling and family committments he couldn't ride as often as he would
> like. He hasn't been on the bike for a year and says that he doesn't have
> the time. Using your logic, my friend might have an unused $2,000.00 bike in
> his garage rather than a $100.00 used bike. So to answer your question, I
> probably would recommend spending a $100.00 on a road bike to someone that
> may be interested in getting into riding.
-Yea but he could have sold that $2000 bike, and gotten most of what he
paid for it. Most people won't pay you $80 for a used bike that only
cost $100 new, you'd be lucky to get $25 for it at a yard sale after a
year of light use. And recumbents are smaller-volume products; they
always cost more than upright bikes.
Upright bikes are cheaper because they're mass-produced, but they aren't
comfortable to ride. It doesn't matter if the bike costs $200 or $2000,
it will make your butt, neck and hands hurt.
If you want something that is really comfortable to ride, you simply
have to pay the price to get something different than an upright bike.
Sun and Cycle Genius have CLWB's for around $600 new (a BikeE is a CLWB).
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As far as what to try--test ride as many different ones as you can.
Generally speaking-
--shorter wheelbase bikes tend to have more-jittery steering (though
there are things you can do to minimize this).
--bikes that have higher pedals (relative to the seat) tend to cause
more problems with numb feet.
--bikes that are more-reclined are more aerodynamic, but (aside from the
usual high rates of foot-circulation problems) they are intimidating for
a lot of people to ride in urban traffic.
--LWB bikes are the classic touring choice. The seat is upright and the
pedals are low, and they are easy for most people to ride--but people
tour on all kinds of recumbents.
--Recumbents in general are more difficult to transport (such as on
vehicle racks), and longer recumbents are more-difficult.
------
As for the BikeE, I am no expert on them, I WANTED one way back when but
never got around to buying one--but I remember that they had a seat
issue, with the seat backs cracking and breaking off. The BikeE company
was giving out improved seats for a while but that was years ago--the
company is long since closed, so if you have any problems with the frame
you may be totally on your own trying to fix the issue. There's ways to
check what seat a BikeE has (if it's the old or the new style).
If you are near St Louis, I have a Sun SWB I was considering getting rid
of for about that much. I am selling it only because the frame is too
short for me (I am 6'2", so if you are 5'10" or shorter it should fit
fine).
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