New to bents, need a recommendation..

First, if you have back problems, you should look hard for a bike with rear
suspension. Most of your weight is on the rear wheel and even in the city,
bumps happen. The BikeE AC has a good rear shock and you can pick them up
at a reasonable price because the company went out of business simply
because they spent a big bundle for marketing. The suspension model (AC) was
$500 more than the CT ($1200 vs. $700 new). I ride the AC around town every
day.

I am retired and have 4 recumbents, the latest being the Burley Koosah. For
stability and comfort, a long wheel base (LWB) bike puts your center of
gravity lower to the ground and more centered between the wheels. The
Koosah is by far the best handling bent I've ridden and was only $800. I
ride the BikeE around town on short trips because it has quite a few
thousand miles on it and I don't feel the need to lock it when I run into a
store. It also has an electric hub motor in the front wheel which attracts
me when the temperatures are high and I don't want to dress down.

Mirrors on both sides are a must. I prefer the Zefel mirrors. And don't
spend money on a custom bag for the back of your seat. Almost any sport bag
can be attached with plastic electrical straps and detachable clamps like
those on a dog leash.

I could go on and on but must run. Good luck and remember to relax your
shoulders or you'll do a lot of wabbling!

Duane

On Tue, 27 Jul 2004 00:31:34 -0700, Stephen Balbach wrote:

Hi--
I'm new to Bents and am not sure where to start looking at brands.

Are you based in the US? Different brands are more readily available in
Europe v. the USA.

AC

I have 3 Priorities in a bike:

1) Comfort. I have a bad back and legs and plan on using this for
exercise on rail-2-trails type flat surfaces and need as much comfort
as possible. Adjustable seat, etc..

2) Weight. Because of my bad back I can not lift much and the lighter
the better. As well my legs are not as strong as they should be due to
some muscle paralyzation, but still have full mobility.

3) Size. I am 5'4" 115lbs so need a small bike.

Those are the priorities. Price, style, touring, etc.. are all
secondary.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Stephen

Duane Mason wrote:

First, if you have back problems, you should look hard for a bike with rear
suspension. Most of your weight is on the rear wheel and even in the city,
bumps happen. The BikeE AC has a good rear shock and you can pick them up
at a reasonable price because the company went out of business simply
because they spent a big bundle for marketing. The suspension model (AC) was
$500 more than the CT ($1200 vs. $700 new). I ride the AC around town every
day.

The model in question is the BikeE AT, not AC.

--
Tom Sherman – Quad City Area