I got my Revive!

[Edward Wong]

Today after work, I picked up my long anticipated Giant Revive from
Bike Works (http://www.bikeworks.com). It is the standard model with
the 8 speed Sora drivetrain. The color is beautiful. It's a "candy
apple" red. The photos on the web sure didn't do it any justice.
While at the bike shop, I took a little time to inspect it closer and
couldn't help but notice the excellent workmanship that went into this
bike. At first, I thought it was a little "over engineered" but then
again, Giant is playing it safe by building a strong and durable
product at the expense of adding some weight. After all, they don't
know if this product will be used by a large and heavy person riding
through rough dirt and gravel trails or by a petite individual on
smooth pavement.

Anyway, I bid farewell to the guys at the shop and headed home which
is just over a 1/4 mile away. Yes I feel lucky to live so close to
such a great bike shop. I showed the bike to my girlfriend and she
loved the color and the general looks of the Revive. Believe me,
she's seen many bikes go through my hands but she was really impressed
with this one even though her all time favorite was my Lightning
Thunderbolt.

I then proceeded to take the Revive for her maiden voyage on the local
multi use bike trail. Yes, I feel lucky to live so close to this
trail. In three, maybe four minutes, I'm there! The bike is a blast
to ride to say the least. It's like being a kid again;-) It has the
feel of an upright with the comfort of a recumbent. I can almost ride
it no handed. I can turn it in half the width of the trail at slow
speeds and not loose my balance. It is surefooted as can be.
Starting from a dead stop is easier than any recumbent with maybe the
exception of a 2001 BikeE CT I used to own. The Sora drivetrain is
pretty efficient and pedals easy. Where it loses to a recumbent is of
course in aerodynamics. There was a fairly decent headwind coming
from the east when I was riding on the trail and this slowed me down a
bit but not as badly as if I were on an upright hybrid, beach cruiser
or MTB.

I love the adjustability and this is really where part of the fun is
in owning this machine. Little changes in adjustment make a big
difference, not only in how comfortable you'll be on the bike but how
well the rider will perform on it. The bike came with an excellent
guide that doesn't just focus on assembly and other mechanical issues
but delves quite a bit on adjusting the bike to fit right.

The upright riding position gives the rider most of the freedom of
movement found on a traditional bike. I found that I can actually
turn my head and upper body easily to look behind me. In addition, I
noticed that the bike didn't swerve while I did this. It is rock
solid. The steering responds fast but you can maintain the bike's
stability and straight line travel with out much effort. One other
thing I noticed was it is much easier to start from a dead stop if you
lean forward away from the back rest. The front wheel stayed
straight...no wobble like my Scooterbike or most other bents I've
ridden. This technique also works great for climbing. It is much
easier this way and one can still use the backrest to push against for
additional torque.

Though I haven't installed a cyclometer yet, on this given ride, I
know that I put in almost 12 1/2 miles. The Revive's seat amazes me
with it's comfort. It is only 10 inches wide or so but supports my
bottom quite well and allows plenty of freedom for my thighs to do
their work. I believe long rides of 50 miles or so won't be an issue
with comfort. The Scooterbike's seat is pretty nice but I do begin to
get a hint of "recumbutt" after 20-25 miles or so. In fact I begin to
feel the seat on the Scooterbike after only 4-5 miles but it's OK.

I think it's kind of strange to post so much about the Revive on
a.r.b.r. when this is not really a recumbent. One could say that it's
a "close relative" to the recumbent though.

I think I might take the Revive on tomorrow's social ride. My club
has one every Saturday morning. Should be fun!

Edward Wong
Orlando, FL

[MLB]

(Edward Wong) wrote in news:53dbf589.0309121822.459c24b9
@posting.google.com:

> I think I might take the Revive on tomorrow's social ride. My club
> has one every Saturday morning. Should be fun!
>
> Edward Wong
> Orlando, FL
>

Sounds nice. I'm going to show my mother one of these. How much did you
pay?

[DH]

Edward, I've test ridden the 7 speed model (we have five models offered in
the Netherlands) and I will test ride the 21 speed (again) next week. If
I buy the 21 speed version, I will have someone make me a cloth cover for
the seat. (My fanny seats on the plastic.) I spoke with the bike guy re
the seat and the models coming out of the factory now have the ability to
adjust the seat so you can angle it upward. The dealer added a few
washers to the front part of the seat to bring it up, but the factory has
come up with a modification..

I agree, it is well engineered. They've thought everything through. The
only thing they can improve is (besides making it a little lighter) to
incorporate the generator for the light into the front hub. It's a
beautiful, modern looking bike and they use an old fashioned generator (at
least the model I rode over here did).

I think this will change biking for a lot of people. You sit very
relaxed. I never thought of buying a recumbent until I saw the Gazelle
and the Giant. They're hybrids and will attract the 'regular' crowd.

[Kurt Fischer]

Edward Wong > wrote:

First my congratulations, Edward, I'm glad you're enjoying your bike.
After my short testride I was quite sure you would like it.

> Though I haven't installed a cyclometer yet, on this given ride, I
> know that I put in almost 12 1/2 miles.

On the Dual Drive model I tested, the cyclometer was integrated in the
stem. Looks nice and nifty, but I was not that impressed with it, as it
reacted quite slow and indicated speed very optimistic. I suspect either
it was calibrated for a 28 inch wheel or I was in extremely good shape
that morning. ;-)

I also forgot to mention in my former posting that the price of the
DD-model has been significantly reduced, which makes it a really good
bargain at about Euro 850. Obviously Giant saw no chance to sell this
bike for more than Euro 1200.


> I think it's kind of strange to post so much about the Revive on
> a.r.b.r. when this is not really a recumbent. One could say that it's
> a "close relative" to the recumbent though.

Maybe this bike will work as "door-opener" into recumbency for some
people, so I guess it is very close related to our topic. And at least
it's much more adequate to a.r.b.r. than discussions about war, freedom
and American presidents. So don't feel too guilty, Edward. ;-)

For me the most interesting question about this bike is if Giant will
sooner or later introduce a "real" recumbent to the market. They had
close connections to Mike Burrows and I don't quite understand why they
passed the chance of exploiting all his knowledge and wisdom about
recumbents.

> I think I might take the Revive on tomorrow's social ride. My club
> has one every Saturday morning. Should be fun!

Keep us informed, please.

Kurt

[Edward Wong]

> Sounds nice. I'm going to show my mother one of these. How much did you
> pay?

$599.95 plus tax of course;-)

Edward Wong
Orlando, FL

[Edward Wong]

Kurt, MLB, DH, et al:

I took this morning to play around with adjusting the Revive to me and
find those "sweet spots" so to speak. I think I'm just about there;-)
Yes it did cross my mind that Giant should have provided the ability
to adjust the tilt of the seat base. I'm happy to hear that the newer
models will have this capability. Giant seems to be listening to the
feedback from customers and make the needed changes accordingly. It
shows their commitment to the cycling consumer. Getting back to the
seat base, at first I felt that I was sliding forward on the seat but
after moving it further away from the backrest, this tendency
vanished. I now feel "planted" on the seat.

I would like very much to see Giant introduce the Dual Drive Revive
here in the US. The price seems reasonable at 850 Euros. Since the
rate of exchange is close to being 1 to 1, that would make this bike
sell for under $900. Also it would make this model easier to sell to
buyers who live in hilly areas. To me, the 8 speed is more than
enough. I live in Florida where steep hills are few and far between.

Edward Wong
Orlando, FL

[Edward Wong]

"DH" > wrote in message >...
> Edward,
>
> I have a question which you might be able to answer or to pass on to your
> local bike store. I may buy the 21 speed version of the bike you just
> bought. I also just rec'd a catalogue in the mail from Hostel Shoppe. I
> see there that I can buy the Rans mesh seat. I was wondering how involved
> it would be to modify the Giant to accept that seat.
>
> If I buy the Giant, I will either replace the seat or have a cloth cover
> made. One feature of the recumbent bikes I have always liked was the
> breathable mesh seats. If the Giant would to offer that as an option,
> that bike would be about perfect in my opinion.
>
> Congratulations on your purchase! There's a big bike fair in October in
> Utrecht (about an hour from my house) and I may wait until then before I
> make my purchase.
>
> All the best, Dave

Dave,

To be perfectly honest, I have no experience or knowledge on how to
perform that modification. I know that the Revive's saddle (seat
base) attaches to the sliding seat mechanism by way of screws or
bolts. Don't really know if this would work with the RANS seat. It
sounds like a major modification if it's possible at all. However if
you really believe a bike with a breathable mesh seat is to your
liking maybe it may behoove you to consider buying one that comes with
such a seat style. My Scooterbike for example is equipted with that
type of seat (cushion bottom/mesh back). It's nice and all but I find
the Revive's to be very comfortable in spite of the fact that the
backrest is vinyl covered.

The mesh however does have it's advantages. I did find today while
riding the Revive in our warm weather (Florida) is that your back will
sweat more where it comes in contact with the backrest. In fact, when
I took off my shirt, it had a sweaty spot outlined like the shape of
the backrest. This is not new to me as I also own a vintage ReBike
which ironically is sort of a similiar bike to the Revive except the
riding position is definitely more "recumbent". It has a small vinyl
covered backrest as well and the same thing will happen after a ride
of a good duration in warm conditions.

Well it was certainly not my intention to write an essay on the
subject;-) I wish you the best of luck with purchasing your next
bicycle. A 21 speed Revive certainly sounds nice. As a side note I
would like to mention that I believe a good upgrade for this bike
would be higher pressure performance oriented tires. The Revive comes
stock with medium pressure (50 p.s.i.) tires and the inner tubes have
been filled with "Slime" at the factory. This is a good idea in that
it reduces substancially the possibility of getting flats. Since some
of the variants of the Revive come with internal hub gearing, this is
meant so that your average rider won't have to put up with
disassembling half the bike to remove the rear tire;-) Still one
needs to learn how to do it though.

My Revive uses a standard drive system with quick releases for wheel
removal so I am thinking of upgrading the tires to something like
Tioga Comp Pools or Kenda Kwests HP's for lower rolling resistence. I
don't know yet wether to use fresh inner tubes without the slime as I
don't know how much they slow me down. As another thread implied,
"tires do make a difference".

Happy trails,
Edward Wong
Orlando, FL

[DH]

Edward, thanks for the long reply. I'm going to take a closer look at the
Giant and see what mesh seats I could use in place of the vinyl support.
I will speak with the Giant folks in October at a large bike fair here in
Utrecht and see what they have to say.

[DH]

Edward,

I did a quick google search and have a ton of info on how to construct a
mesh seat. (I love google ... and froogle as well). Just had to pass
this on.

[Edward Wong]

"DH" > wrote in message >...
> Edward,
>
> I did a quick google search and have a ton of info on how to construct a
> mesh seat. (I love google ... and froogle as well). Just had to pass
> this on.

Cool! I would love to read in the future how you built and adapted
this type of seat to your new bike (Revive).

Edward Wong
Orlando, FL

[DrRecumbnt]

Giant is a great company. If anyone will have succss with this style of bike,
it will be them. My concern about this bike is the seat base. Isn't it just a
comfort bike seat?

The problem with a mesh base is that it will chafe the backs of your thighs
with each stroke. That's why a full mesh seat doesn't work that well on an Easy
Racer, but works great on a Rotator with a higher BB.

There has to be a seat base out there that will increase the comfort, if that's
an issue.

Bob Bryant
http://www.recumbentcyclistnews.com

[DH]

Edward, I biked today in a larger city close by and found a recumbent
store. They were closed, but I could see everything very well. I saw
material that I think I could easily adapt to the seat of the Giant. This
looks like very open, sponge (plastic) type material. I'm sure you guys
know the name of this stuff, but I could easily take a sheet of that and
simply add that over the exist seat. I have no idea how much this stuff
compresses, it looked about 1.5 inches (4 cm) thick.

[Edward Wong]

(DrRecumbnt) wrote in message >...
> Giant is a great company. If anyone will have succss with this style of bike,
> it will be them. My concern about this bike is the seat base. Isn't it just a
> comfort bike seat?

The prototypes and the first issue Revives used a "beach cruiser" type
seat base and the backrest was smaller from top to bottom. The newer
issue Revives such as mine use a specially designed contoured seat
base that is very comfortable...more comfortable in fact than the
cushion/mesh seat on my Scooterbike. In addition, from what I've
read, Giant will be incorporating seat base tilt adjustment to all new
bikes leaving the factory. I imagine this comes from listening to
customer feedback. I have to agree, Giant is a great company;-)

Edward Wong
Orlando, FL

[Edward Wong]

> ...more comfortable in fact than the
> cushion/mesh seat on my Scooterbike.

Opps!

When I said "cushion/mesh seat" I meant of course the seat bottom is a
thick foam covered with vinyl and the backrest only is made of mesh
material. It is not a full mesh like the Lightning or Rotator seats.

Edward Wong
Orlando, FL

[dvderek]

Hey, Edward, congrats on the new bike!:D
I was just about to E-mail you asking if you got it this weekend.
Please send me a pic for my web page.
http://www.revive.netfirms.com

But soon to be.... http://www.revivedx.com

Have fun.
Derek

[dvderek]

Hey, Edward, congrats on the new bike!:D I was just about to E-mail you
asking if you got it this weekend. Please send me a pic for my web page.
http://www.revive.netfirms.com

But soon to be.... http://www.revivedx.com

Have fun. Derek



--
>--------------------------<
Posted via cyclingforums.com
http://www.cyclingforums.com

[Edward Wong]

Well I've been off from work for the past three days (Sat, Sun and
Mon) which has given plenty of "playtime" with my new Revive. I
figure I've put in about 50-60 miles so far on it. It is now adjusted
to my liking and it now feels very comfortable.

Riding on the local bike trail has had several people express delight
when they see me on it. For example, one of the park custodians who
has seen me on more than 5-6 different bikes had never made a comment
about them until yesterday (Sun). He was driving one of those gas
powered golf carts on the trail going it the opposite direction and
hollered "I like your new cycle Ed!". Like I said, he never had made
any comments about my other bikes even during times I stopped to talk
to him before. Another thing is that whenever someone makes eye
contact with me and compliments me about the Revive, I stop and talk
to them about it. On my recumbents I usually give them a quick
acknowledgement and keep going but this time around, I want to talk
some more about it. I carry with me a half a dozen or so of Bike
Works business cards (http://www.bikeworks.com) and hand them to
people who seem interested. No I don't work for them nor will I get a
commission if in fact they sell to any referrals but I want to do my
part to promote these guys. They're great and am a customer for
life;-)

Now where are my fellow Revive buddies...Reviverider, Derek, John,
Clyde and the rest?

Edward Wong
Orlando, FL

[Edward Wong]

dvderek > wrote in message >...
> Hey, Edward, congrats on the new bike!:D I was just about to E-mail you
> asking if you got it this weekend. Please send me a pic for my web page.
> http://www.revive.netfirms.com
>
> But soon to be.... http://www.revivedx.com
>
> Have fun. Derek

Hello Derek! Thanks for the congratulation;-) I would like to send
several pictures but at the moment, I don't have a digital camera and
I cannot budget one until 2 weeks or so from now. The Revive took a
big chunk from my paycheck but I don't regret it;-) Maybe I can find
someone who owns one and have him/her take several pictures and email
them to me and in turn I can send them your way.

I've probably put at least 70 or more miles this weekend on the
Revive. I'm going back to work tomorrow Tuesday and will be commuting
on my Scooterbike. I did take the Scooterbike for a short spin in
front of the house and boy does it feel low and laid back compared to
the Revive. Quite a different riding experience.

And I see that you have obtained a domain name for your website.
Hopefully Giant won't give you a hard time;-) By the way, I was at
the bike shop (Bike Works) again today and the owner told me that
Giant is developing accessories for the Revive. Their sales have
taken off like a shot for these bikes. One of the accessories will be
a rack bag that will be able to fit under the angled seat post. It
will be shaped sort of like a wedge. I told him to reserve me one as
soon as they become available. And there's more coming.

One of the bike shop mechanics, an older guy in his early sixties but
with the youthful disposition of a 35 year old is thinking of getting
one and maybe install a 14 speed Rohlof internal hub. Can you believe
it!? He has a hard time justifying the cost though. I can't blame
him at nearly $800 (his cost) for one of these hubs.

Well gotta go. It's almost time for supper.

Happy trails,
Edward Wong
Orlando, FL

[DrRecumbnt]

Hey Revive owners, is the chain really enclosed like on the Giant website
drawing?
Bob Bryant

[dvderek]

(DrRecumbnt) wrote in message >...
> Hey Revive owners, is the chain really enclosed like on the Giant website
> drawing?
"Yes" I have images of my Revive DX posted on my web page.
http://www.revive.netfirms.com

[dvderek]

Great Idea about the rack bag.
I bought a small bag that clips on though the holes in the rack
shelve.
It's a Giant bag also. Just big enough to hold my keys, garage door
opener and some small misc items.

Keep me posted.
Derek

[DrRecumbnt]

So does the the chain on the 3 and 7 speed models really totally sealed - -
and does the chain really stay dry?

Also, is that cool i3 front basket available?
Bob Bryant
http://www.recumbentcyclistnews.com

[Edward Wong]

(DrRecumbnt) wrote in message >...
> Hey Revive owners, is the chain really enclosed like on the Giant website
> drawing?
> Bob Bryant

My Revive uses a standard drivetrain ( 8 speed) so it's not enclosed either.

Edward Wong
Orlando, FL

[Edward Wong]

> Someone mentioned here that Giant will be offering a bike bag to
> accommodate the tilted rear end of the bike. I would prefer that they
> bent the metal behind the seat to be parallel to the ground so we could
> use _any_ bike bag we wanted.

Hi DH,

That was me who mentioned about the rack bag that Giant is going to be
offering soon to Revive owners. As for tilting the seat post
parallel, I can't see how they can do it. It is angled as it is to
allow for raising the seat and moving it back from the pedals at the
same time. Maybe they should have built the rack area to have mounted
at least 3-5 inches further behind the seat post and that might have
been enough to allow clearence for most rack bags. Anyway, I think
their bag will look good. It'll probably have an aerodynamic look to
it;-)

Edward Wong
Orlando, FL

[Edward Wong]

"DH" > wrote in message >...
> Edward, the bike bag I use to large enough to hold two 12 case bottles of
> beer, one crate per side. That's a bike bag.

Geez DH...that's more like a car TRUNK!!!;-)

Edward Wong
Orlando, FL

[Mikael Seierup]

"DH" skrev...
> Edward, the bike bag I use to large enough to hold two 12 case bottles of
> beer, one crate per side. That's a bike bag.

Shhh. Don't say beer. Its called a hop-based energy drink.

M.

[DH]

> Shhh. Don't say beer. Its called a hop-based energy drink.

There you go!

My wife does not like my bike bag but when we go the open market on
Saturday, my bag is always carrying the vegetables and everything else
we've bought.

[DH]

Edward, I will probably order my Giant 21 speed (EZB DD) after I visit a
bike fair in the middle of October. I've now gone to three different
dealers and have a better idea of what I will receive for my almost new
Batavus Kayenta.

I had the third dealer call Giant here in Holland re the tilting of the
nose of the seat and there are no plans at the moment. Three dealers, two
different stories.

I will wind up paying either ? 220 or ? 250 in addition after I trade my
Batavus in. I'm also going to get my hands on that Ventisit material I
posted about and have someone make me seat cushions for my bike.

I'll report back after I have something substansitive to report. There's
a bike fair in Utrecht next month, Bike Motion
http://www.bikemotionplus.nl/frames/frame-welkom.htm and I'll see what if
anything is new re Giant or any other company that makes a 'sitting' bike.

Later, Dave

[Edward Wong]

"DH" > wrote in message
...
> Edward, I will probably order my Giant 21 speed (EZB DD) after I visit a
> bike fair in the middle of October. I've now gone to three different
> dealers and have a better idea of what I will receive for my almost new
> Batavus Kayenta.
>
> I had the third dealer call Giant here in Holland re the tilting of the
> nose of the seat and there are no plans at the moment. Three dealers, two
> different stories.

Dave,

Thanks for keeping us updated. Enjoy your buying experience as a good
portion of the fun of owning a new bike starts from there;-) As for the
seat tilt, if you feel that you're sliding forward on it, you can have your
dealer add a couple of washers on the front end.

I think it's great that you can trade in your bicycle for another even if
it's from another shop. I traded in my Giant Simple Single beach cruiser
towards the Revive however they only accept trade ins on bikes that were
bought from them...not from other dealers. Needless to say, when Giant
introduces the 2005 models (mine is a 2004), chances are I will trade in my
current Revive for the latest one and just keep doing that every year in
order to always find myself riding a new bike;-)

Happy trails,
Edward Wong
Orlando, FL

[DrRecumbnt]

Ed,
Does the shop have a trade in policy?
How much will it cost to trade in each year?
BTW: Giant is dropping off my Revive next Wed.
Bob Bryant
http://www.recumbentcyclistnews.com

[Edward Wong]

Bob,

Bike Works ( http://www.bikeworks.com ) does have a trade in policy as long
as the bike being traded in was bought through them. They gave me $134 and
change for the trade (Giant Simple Single Cruiser) which I rode for nearly 9
months and paid $189.99 for. That's about 70% of the original purchase
price! Not bad. Of course the trade was a 2003 and we're still in that
year so I imagine that if it were a year older the trade in value would go
down substancially.

I think you'll have fun riding that Revive. By the way, which model will
you be testing?

Edward Wong
Orlando, FL


"DrRecumbnt" > wrote in message
...
> Ed,
> Does the shop have a trade in policy?
> How much will it cost to trade in each year?
> BTW: Giant is dropping off my Revive next Wed.
> Bob Bryant
> http://www.recumbentcyclistnews.com

[revivederek]

Keep me posted as well.
Glad you decided to go with the revive look forward to hearing about
how you like it.
derek
http://www.revivedx.com

[DrRecumbnt]

Ed,
I will be getting a DX 7-speed. I've always liked the Nexus 7. I previously had
a Gary Fisher Alfresco with a Nexus 7, as well as several folders with internal
gearing. I love the "enclosed chain" idea.
Bob Bryant

[dvderek]

Giant is dropping off my Revive next Wed.
> > Bob Bryant
> > http://www.recumbentcyclistnews.com

Hey Bob. Keep me posted on your Revive.
Is it for you or just a review.
I would love to have a copy of the review.
I could add a link to my site as well, if that's OK with you.
Thanks.
Derek
http://www.Revivedx.com

[DrRecumbnt]

The Revive is a test bike, but I might buy one if I like it for an off-season
commuter (that doesn't require frequent chain cleaning intensives). I'll keep
you posted. Thanks for the buzz on the DX. The exchange on this list is what
got me going on it.
Cheers
Bob Bryant
http://www.recumbentcyclistnews.com

[Edward Wong]

Bob,

The first Revive I ever tried was the DX! Looks really cool, very modern
and can probably be mistaken for an electric moped from a distance;-) The
enclosed drivetrain is an interesting concept. It is probably a good
candidate for a commuting bike as you pointed out in another post.

I chose the regular Revive mainly because I liked the road components on it
and it was a couple of hundred dollars cheaper. In addition, I fell in love
with the candy apple red color that's only available in this version. Non
the less, one couldn't go wrong with either model.

Keep us posted!

Edward Wong
Orlando, FL



"DrRecumbnt" > wrote in message
...
> Ed,
> I will be getting a DX 7-speed. I've always liked the Nexus 7. I
previously had
> a Gary Fisher Alfresco with a Nexus 7, as well as several folders with
internal
> gearing. I love the "enclosed chain" idea.
> Bob Bryant

[Edward Wong]

Oh...I nearly forgot to mention a couple of things related to my Revive from
yesterday (Fri). Some of my co-workers wanted to see my new bike. I
commute to work on a Healthrider Scooterbike. The office is under 5 miles
from home so it's perfect;-) So I decided to ride the Revive to work for
the first time and while going under a highway over pass, I heard the
unmistakable noise of air escaping coming from the front tire. A puncture!
Damm! I was about 1/4 mile from the house so I decide to turn around and
get my other bike. About half way there, I noticed that the tire was still
pretty much inflated and the hissing had stopped. I looked down at my front
tire as it rolled and seen a small green spot on the tread. I had forgotten
that Giant puts Slime in the inner tubes at the factory and it had done it's
job! Anyway, not wanting to take chances, I continued to the house and
transferred my stuff back the the Scooterbike and went to work with no
further delays.

When I got back from work in the afternoon, I checked on the Revive's front
tire and it was still as inflated as I left it in the morning. Non the
less, I rode it to the bike shop to have the inner tube replaced. It's the
first time I was able to ride a bike that had suffered a tire puncture and
had been sitting for hours like that;-)

While at the shop having the tire repaired, I casually mentioned to the
mechanic that I would like to try having the front end of the seat raised
just a little "one of these days" as I found myself slidding forward just a
bit whenever I wore jeans. I really had no problems with any other
material. To my surprise, he went ahead and done that while changing out my
inner tube! He added some kind of spacer that I guess is about 1/8" thick
under the front end of the seat. I still had on the jeans that I wore to
work that day so I did a 5 mile ride on the trail to try it out. I can now
say that I feel much more secure on the seat. Anyone having this same
issue should have their bike shop do this simple modification.

Well that's all I have to report for now. Have a great weekend and
ride...ride...ride!

Edward Wong
Orlando, FL




"Edward Wong" > wrote in message
link.net...
> Bob,
>
> The first Revive I ever tried was the DX! Looks really cool, very modern
> and can probably be mistaken for an electric moped from a distance;-) The
> enclosed drivetrain is an interesting concept. It is probably a good
> candidate for a commuting bike as you pointed out in another post.
>
> I chose the regular Revive mainly because I liked the road components on
it
> and it was a couple of hundred dollars cheaper. In addition, I fell in
love
> with the candy apple red color that's only available in this version. Non
> the less, one couldn't go wrong with either model.
>
> Keep us posted!
>
> Edward Wong
> Orlando, FL
>
>
>
> "DrRecumbnt" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Ed,
> > I will be getting a DX 7-speed. I've always liked the Nexus 7. I
> previously had
> > a Gary Fisher Alfresco with a Nexus 7, as well as several folders with
> internal
> > gearing. I love the "enclosed chain" idea.
> > Bob Bryant
>
>

[revivederek]

Hello all.
I added a new page to ReviveDX.com
I added a spacer (3 washers) to the front screw under the seat to tilt
it up and bit to keep the bum from sliding forward.
You can view the images on page 5.
Thanks,
Derek
http://www.revivedx.com

[meb]

What is the weight on the Revive?

What gear range do you have with the 21 speed?



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>--------------------------<
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[DH]

If you wanted to, could you have added more washers or would that not be
physically possible?

[revivederek]

"DH" > wrote in message >...
> If you wanted to, could you have added more washers or would that not be
> physically possible?

I think 4 was just enough. I still had room to put the bolt back on.

[Edward Wong]

Meb,

Revives vary in weight...from 37 lbs. to 41 lbs. depending on model. I have
no idea what gear range would be on the 21 speed model. They're not sold in
the US...at least not yet. I know that my 8 speed standard Revive has a
gear range of 34.5 to 69 gear inches which is ideal for where I live.

Edward Wong
Orlando, FL



"meb" > wrote in message
...
> What is the weight on the Revive?
>
> What gear range do you have with the 21 speed?
>
>
>
> --
> >--------------------------<
> Posted via cyclingforums.com
> http://www.cyclingforums.com

[DH]

Edward, I know I said I would wait until the middle of Oct to order my
Revive (after attending a bike fair), but I went to my bike store today
and ordered the 21 speed version. My dealer is not a Giant dealer, but he
can order directly from Giant just the same. I'll know tomorrow when he
expects delivery.

I already know what changes I will make - rasing the nose of the seat and
raising the saddle tray (?) in the rear so it is parallel to the ground.
I will also get my hands on some material and have cushions made for the
seat.

[Edward Wong]

Good deal Dave!!! Let us know how you like it when you take delivery of it.
Welcome to our growing group of Revive owners;-)

Edward Wong
Orlando, FL



"DH" > wrote in message
...
> Edward, I know I said I would wait until the middle of Oct to order my
> Revive (after attending a bike fair), but I went to my bike store today
> and ordered the 21 speed version. My dealer is not a Giant dealer, but he
> can order directly from Giant just the same. I'll know tomorrow when he
> expects delivery.
>
> I already know what changes I will make - rasing the nose of the seat and
> raising the saddle tray (?) in the rear so it is parallel to the ground.
> I will also get my hands on some material and have cushions made for the
> seat.
>
>

[revivederek]

Please keep me posted. I'm sure you will have as much fun with your
Revive as we are having.
I'm still trying to get a revive owners page going.
Send me a pic' with you revive.
Derek

[revivederek]

Just got back from 10 mile ride, It's a bit nippy out there. But isn't raining.
The washer mod must of done the trick, because my butt did not slip forward once.
Have a nice day all.
Derek
http://www.revivedx.com

[bentbiker]

FWIW, what about a thick rubber washer, it might add a tad bit of
cushioning also.

revivederek wrote:

> Just got back from 10 mile ride, It's a bit nippy out there. But isn't raining.
> The washer mod must of done the trick, because my butt did not slip forward once.
> Have a nice day all.
> Derek
> http://www.revivedx.com

[Edward Wong]

Funny I did a 10 mile ride this late afternoon/early evening on the Giant
too. My commute to work and back on my full recumbent is about 10.4 miles
round trip so I'm doing 20 miles a day during the week most of the times;-)

The addition of a washer under the front of the seat has worked well for me
too. It's a cheap and simple modification that has increased my riding
enjoyment 100% plus!

Happy trails,

Edward Wong
Orlando, FL

"revivederek" > wrote in message
m...
> Just got back from 10 mile ride, It's a bit nippy out there. But isn't
raining.
> The washer mod must of done the trick, because my butt did not slip
forward once.
> Have a nice day all.
> Derek
> http://www.revivedx.com

[revivederek]

A rubber washer is a great idea! Most of your weight is on the back of
the seat, so I don't think it would smash down over time.
Just remember not to tighten the center bolt to tight, the seat
plastic might crack around that screw that sticks out of the seat.
Derek
http://www.revivedx.com

[kozmocat]

I've had my Revive for about 6 weeks now and I've got about 400km on it.
Just the standard model but I did add the Topeak Panoram cyclometer (had
to order the XL-wire version) and Giant saddlebags and supports. My
commute is only about 15km round-trip, 4 days/week :) but I've parked my
motorcycle in favor of the Revive. Curently living in Taiwan and
planning an island tour with my wife later this winter (too hot in the
summer). I was a little disappointed with the selection (only blue or
silver-ish in the low end and no DD-doing the mountains here will be a
challenge) considering their factory is here.

It's great to hear from so many other satisfied Revivers!



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[kozmocat]

I bought my revive in Taiwan and I am having the opposite seat problem.
The front of the seat is a little too high. Maybe they introduced a fix
and overcompensated? I've got the seat slid back as far as it goes but
after a long ride (>40km) I'm a bit bruised from the front edge of the
seat. Of course, I've only got 400km on the bike so maybe my thighs
aren't broken it yet!



--
>--------------------------<
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[revivederek]

Hello,
Sounds like maybe your sitting to low.
Try moving your seat up a little and maybe pull your handal bars back a bit as well.

Hope that helps.

Derek
http://www.revivedx.com
Join The Reviveolution

[bentbiker]

have any of the "revive guys" ever tried the semi recumbents from
CCM/Evox? I know RANS and Vision offered a similiar bike also, wondered
how they all compared?

revivederek wrote:

> Hello,
> Sounds like maybe your sitting to low.
> Try moving your seat up a little and maybe pull your handal bars back a bit as well.
>
> Hope that helps.
>
> Derek
> http://www.revivedx.com
> Join The Reviveolution

[Edward Wong]

bentbiker > wrote in message >...
> have any of the "revive guys" ever tried the semi recumbents from
> CCM/Evox? I know RANS and Vision offered a similiar bike also, wondered
> how they all compared?

I tried an Evox once. It was last year. I spent maybe a grand total
of 4-5 minutes in the LBS's parking lot so it wasn't long enough to
get a good feel for the bike. It was fun though. Felt twitchy at low
speeds but I imagine at higher speeds the steering will firm up. You
might want to check in Bent Rider Online's bike review archive. Bryan
Ball did a writeup on the Evox some time ago.

At that particular shop, the Evox was selling for $499 which was
reasonable but I've seen them for as little as $299-$329 on the web.

Edward Wong
Orlando, FL

[revivederek]

kozmocat, The Revive has put fun back into riding.
It's not just a bike you have in your garage and you ride it sometimes.
The Revive is a bike you think about riding in you sleep.
When you get up in the morning, you can't wait to get on it.
Glad your having fun as well.
I'm trying to get the Revive owners page going.
If you like you could E-mail a photo and I will add it.
Take care.
Derek
http://www.revivedx.com
Join The Reviveolution

[Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to reply]

revivederek wrote:
> kozmocat, The Revive has put fun back into riding.
> It's not just a bike you have in your garage and you ride it sometimes.
> The Revive is a bike you think about riding in you sleep.
> When you get up in the morning, you can't wait to get on it.

Sounds like my Rebike and my son's EZ-1.

--
I know God will not give me anything I can't handle.
I just wish that He didn't trust me so much. - Mother Teresa