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review: 2005 Burley Django
I just purchased my 2005 Burley Django and thought I'd share a few
initial thoughts for other potential buyers. Firstly, this is my first bicycle in maybe fifteen years -- and my first recumbent at that! Looks-wise, this is a classy bicycle, and it garnered many stares on the way out of the bicycle shop. My paint job is "black amber". Indoors, it looks black to me. I didn't understand the significance of the naming convention until I took it out until the sunlight. It's got that retro glitter-paint-thing going on. Sometimes it looks purplish, and sometimes it looks greenish. Freaky, in a cool kinda way. Being used to a conventional bicycle, riding kick-back style is definitely a change. The bike is very wobbly starting out, but this is no doubt partially attributed to my re-familiarizing myself with bicycling skills in general. It took about fifteen minutes of stop-and-go before I was on my way. The disc brakes are really nice. The Winzip on front has the better stopping power, and the disc out back is probably more for slowing down. I'm still getting used to the twist shifter. Sometimes if I tug on the bar end the wrong way, I will accidentally change gear. A bit about the seat: very comfortable. Part of what has discouraged me from getting back on a bike all these years was the soreness after a long rides. The mesh seat is a nice change, although I wonder if a headrest would improve things. The seat -- while adjustable -- is really not intended for frequent adjustments. In truth, I spent a couple of hours wrestling with the bushings that rest on the rail. The trouble with this design is that the bushings -- one placed in each bottom corner of the seat's bracket -- are all loose. You have to position them just right on the rails so that when you place the seat over them, the holes must line up to push the locking pins through. This is truly a test of one's patience, and I must admit that I found myself close to bawling like a five-year-old from the sheer frustration of it. But I did get the seat adjusted to my liking, and if it still isn't right then, darn it, I'll get used to it anyway. A bit about the steering column: I have mixed feeling about this. This "open cockpit" design is nice because you can lift the column to get into the bicycle and drop it back down. I find that when dropped down, the steering is way to close to my body -- inches from my girthy abdomen in fact -- to properly steer the bicycle. So far, the only way I have been able to operate the bicycle is by pushing it all the way up to its farthest extent (which is adjustable) and steering that way. Now I know what is meant when you are "gophering" on your recumbent. That's all I have for now. I hope this was helpful, if not amusing, to read. Happy Trails. |
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#2
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"enrique" wrote in message oups.com... I just purchased my 2005 Burley Django and thought I'd share a few initial thoughts for other potential buyers. Firstly, this is my first bicycle in maybe fifteen years -- and my first recumbent at that! Looks-wise, this is a classy bicycle, and it garnered many stares on the way out of the bicycle shop. My paint job is "black amber". Indoors, it looks black to me. I didn't understand the significance of the naming convention until I took it out until the sunlight. It's got that retro glitter-paint-thing going on. Sometimes it looks purplish, and sometimes it looks greenish. Freaky, in a cool kinda way. Being used to a conventional bicycle, riding kick-back style is definitely a change. The bike is very wobbly starting out, but this is no doubt partially attributed to my re-familiarizing myself with bicycling skills in general. It took about fifteen minutes of stop-and-go before I was on my way. The disc brakes are really nice. The Winzip on front has the better stopping power, and the disc out back is probably more for slowing down. I'm still getting used to the twist shifter. Sometimes if I tug on the bar end the wrong way, I will accidentally change gear. A bit about the seat: very comfortable. Part of what has discouraged me from getting back on a bike all these years was the soreness after a long rides. The mesh seat is a nice change, although I wonder if a headrest would improve things. The seat -- while adjustable -- is really not intended for frequent adjustments. In truth, I spent a couple of hours wrestling with the bushings that rest on the rail. The trouble with this design is that the bushings -- one placed in each bottom corner of the seat's bracket -- are all loose. You have to position them just right on the rails so that when you place the seat over them, the holes must line up to push the locking pins through. This is truly a test of one's patience, and I must admit that I found myself close to bawling like a five-year-old from the sheer frustration of it. But I did get the seat adjusted to my liking, and if it still isn't right then, darn it, I'll get used to it anyway. A bit about the steering column: I have mixed feeling about this. This "open cockpit" design is nice because you can lift the column to get into the bicycle and drop it back down. I find that when dropped down, the steering is way to close to my body -- inches from my girthy abdomen in fact -- to properly steer the bicycle. So far, the only way I have been able to operate the bicycle is by pushing it all the way up to its farthest extent (which is adjustable) and steering that way. Now I know what is meant when you are "gophering" on your recumbent. That's all I have for now. I hope this was helpful, if not amusing, to read. Happy Trails. Hey enrique, that's a great bike you've got there. I have ridden the Django, and found it to be a brilliant design. It is the most stable-handling and confidence-inspiring SWB design I've ever ridden, at any speed. It's also one helluva good climber, with that extra-rigid large-diameter frame tube keeping the pedal power applied to the rear wheel. The seat design really worked for me - kinda like a Brooks leather tractor seat with a nifty backrest. With the low center of gravity and short wheelbase, I was able to turn 360's in a normal two-lane street at walking speed with zero problems. Try that with a LWB 'bent! The addition of disc brakes, while noticeably heavier, sounds like a winner for anyone who rides steep hills. If I ever see a used Django in the sub-$500 range, I'm gonna snag it. It's true sleeper (as BROL has suggested). |
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