Thoughts on upcoming new Sun recumbents?

[Lars S. Mulford]

Howdy folks!

I'm curious as to how people feel about the new Sun recumbents coming out
for 2004? I understand that they're going to have:

CLWB with dual 20" wheels , OSS and rear suspension
SWB
tadpole trike
delta trike with USS

Evidently they're thinking of making them all in three different flavors;
hi-ten steel, cro-moly, and aluminum.

I'll be interested to see how the tadpole turns out. I know they've been
tinkering with the frame geometry a bit. You can see some pics of the bikes
here:
http://www.bentrideronline.com/Interbike2003.htm

I have seen and read of some rather harsh criticism of some of the Sun
bikes, but I'll say this about them. They're getting more people interested
in recumbents and that is a good thing. When I bought my Tour Easy and then
when my wife decided she really loved the bikes too, there was no way we
could afford to get her a Tour Easy. We were able to get her an EZ-1 Lite
and she really loves it. It seems a well engineered bike.

When we ride our recumbents, there are times that we get a vibe off of
people who see us; a similar vibe that we get when we're sailing. Many
times people make assumptions about you because of the hobbies and loves in
which you elect to participate. Sailing, at times, is viewed as elitist,
despite our being anything but! Sailing history and the perception of
people regarding sailing as a "yacht club" thing has done little to dispel
that. We sail affordable sailboats and eschew the notion that there is
something inherently elitist in sailing, period. But, people are oft times
reluctant to let those perceptions go... We've encountered similar things
when riding our recumbents. No doubt, my Tour Easy wasn't cheap, but my
wife's bike was certainly far more affordable and yet no less fun to ride.
I like the fact that Sun might be opening up recumbents to more mainstream
viewing and acceptance. Are their products top of the line? No. Are they
bottom of the barrel? I don't think so. Do they at least give folks a
decent chance at enjoying this wonderful experience without breaking the
bank? You bet.

I guess I just felt the need to say this, as I've read out so much stuff out
there on the 'net that decries Sun and their position in the recumbent
world. You know what? If they help people get their first start in
recumbenting, well I say go for it. After a time, I bet most riders move up
to different steeds and different companies, so eventually lots of folks
benefit.

Recumbent riding is a blast and good for you to boot! Who WOULDN'T want to
share such a great thing?

--
"Sea" ya!
--Lars S. Mulford
"You can find evil anywhere you look.
The question is, why are you looking?"

[Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to reply]

Lars S. Mulford wrote:
>
> I have seen and read of some rather harsh criticism of some of the Sun
> bikes, but I'll say this about them. They're getting more people interested
> in recumbents and that is a good thing.

I can't afford a $1000 bike and being able to get a $500 bike has meant
that I can ride a bicycle again -- I have occasional repetitive stress
symptoms, and if I ride a regular bike my hands go numb. No prob with
the bent. I used a Rebike and now use an EZ-1.


> I guess I just felt the need to say this, as I've read out so much stuff out
> there on the 'net that decries Sun and their position in the recumbent
> world. You know what? If they help people get their first start in
> recumbenting, well I say go for it. After a time, I bet most riders move up
> to different steeds and different companies, so eventually lots of folks
> benefit.

I tend to agree -- if you get more people interested, the market will be
bigger, and prices could go down. And then maybe the "intelligent
person" at the closest-to-me-bike shop won't feel like he can afford to
snub bent riders (even though he has one for sale in his store) and he
won't lose the business of bent riders like he did ours.

--
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

[Lars S. Mulford]

Howdy Melinda!

First, let me say that I remembered your helpful comments some time back
when I wrote on here about a heavy friend of mine who wanted to ride a bike
for the first time in his life. You'll be happy to know that he is plannig
to get a recumbent some time early thiscoming year! I took him to the bike
shop I go to a few weeks back and he actually rode! So thank you for your
comments and support! I'm going to get him writing on here when he's
established on a recumbent.

I agree with your assessment that as more people become interested and
involved, the market size will increase and price could well come down to
something approaching almost affordable! (lol)

Given that there has been little response to this thread though, one wonders
if perhaps some riders don't necessarily want that?

--
"Sea" ya!
--Lars S. Mulford
"You can find evil anywhere you look.
The question is, why are you looking?"

"Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to reply" > wrote in
message ...
> I tend to agree -- if you get more people interested, the market will be
> bigger, and prices could go down. And then maybe the "intelligent
> person" at the closest-to-me-bike shop won't feel like he can afford to
> snub bent riders (even though he has one for sale in his store) and he
> won't lose the business of bent riders like he did ours

[George MacKenzie]

I got to ride a prototype SWB Sun at the big HPV challenge event in
Portland, Oregon this year. At low to moderate speeds it was one of
the very nicest riding SWB bikes I've ever ridden - very neutral and
intuitive. I didn't get to sail down any hills though so I don't know
if it falls apart at speed.

The Sun's are functional bikes with likeable personalities, and they
are as much bike as many people need. This discussion reminds me of
one of my favorite quotes from the British motorcycling magazine Bike.
It goes something like this, "You'll look daft in flash kit when some
10 year old flies past on a nail."

George MacKenzie

[Don]

There is some older gentleman riding an EZ-1 Lite on the local bike
trail. He is kicking my butt. Apparently he has not read that the
Sun bikes are not very good. I think I will copy some of the posts
and give them to him. Maybe that will slow him down. I will have to
wait until he is at a rest stop.

A friend was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident and has enough
titanium in him to build a bike. He is afraid to participate in the
contact sports he used to play. An injury now could be very serious.
He wanted to get back into cycling so I recommended a recumbent due to
his injuries. Unfortunately they were out of his price range. The
local shop did not have the EZs.

I think it is great to get the price of bents down so more people can
ride. I think one reson bents are so expensive is I have yet to see
one with the really bottom quality components like some of the
department store MTBs have. And that is a good thing that should not
change. Those MTBs are the ones that never get ridden because the
wheels go out of true, or the shifters fail, or the brakes rub,
or....... A bent that is affordable and dependable is greatly
needed. I think the EZs come the closest.

Last comment, A young woman riding with a couple of others stopped to
admire my total custom Giro (built from a naked frameset) with
Thracian wheels. She apologized because she was only riding an EZ
something and just enjoyed the ride and did not expect to go fast. I
told her the truth. I thought her bike looked hot. It was the curved
tube model in gloss black and it was sharp. I also told her "If you
are smiling while you are riding then you are doing it right."
Don

George MacKenzie > wrote in message >...
> I got to ride a prototype SWB Sun at the big HPV challenge event in
> Portland, Oregon this year. At low to moderate speeds it was one of
> the very nicest riding SWB bikes I've ever ridden - very neutral and
> intuitive. I didn't get to sail down any hills though so I don't know
> if it falls apart at speed.
>
> The Sun's are functional bikes with likeable personalities, and they
> are as much bike as many people need. This discussion reminds me of
> one of my favorite quotes from the British motorcycling magazine Bike.
> It goes something like this, "You'll look daft in flash kit when some
> 10 year old flies past on a nail."
>
> George MacKenzie

[Tom Sherman]

"Lars S. Mulford" wrote:
> ...
> I guess I just felt the need to say this, as I've read out so much stuff out
> there on the 'net that decries Sun and their position in the recumbent
> world. You know what? If they help people get their first start in
> recumbenting, well I say go for it....

As long as they do not add fancy electronics to a heavy "comfort"
recumbent and charge $3000.00 US for it. ;)

Tom Sherman - Planet Earth

[Tom Sherman]

Don wrote:
> ...
> Last comment, A young woman riding with a couple of others stopped to
> admire my total custom Giro (built from a naked frameset) with
> Thracian wheels. She apologized because she was only riding an EZ
> something and just enjoyed the ride and did not expect to go fast. I
> told her the truth. I thought her bike looked hot....

You were obviously influenced by the "seat cover". ;)

Tom Sherman - Planet Earth