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Bikee
Hi. I'm not a recumbent cycler (not yet anyway), but have been playing with
the idea of purchasing a "not too expensive' one to play with. I don't see any easy way to "try out" recumbents in my neighborhood, and don't really have the time to travel hours to any of the 2 or 3 shops within 500 miles of LI, NY. I've noticed that there are a few Bikee's (or is it Bike E's) for sale now and then on Ebay. Are these bikes a reasonable place to start? What should one pay for a good to excellent condition specimen? Thanks for any info/advice. |
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#2
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Bikee
Richard Greenberg wrote:
I've noticed that there are a few Bikee's (or is it Bike E's) for sale now and then on Ebay. Are these bikes a reasonable place to start? That depends on what you want a recumbent bike /for/. The BikeE should make a good urban runaround but it's never, ever going to break any speed records, so if you want comfortable, clean local transport it would be a great place to start and if your interest in recumbents is from speed then it would suck a great deal. Recumbents vary even more than upright bikes, so its even more important to decide what you're looking to get from one before you go shopping. Pete. -- Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/ |
#3
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Bikee
Richard,
There used to be a shop on LI called Dr. Bike who sold recumbents. I bought my first and second ones from that shop. I believe that he sold the shop a while ago and moved west and I'm not sure if the current owner still sell recumbent bikes. I wish I could tell you more about the shop. It is a long trip to any of the shops in NJ or MD that sell a lot of recumbents but it is worth the trip if you happen to be going that way anyway. Regarding the BikeE, I've never ridden one so I'm giving you third hand information. They seem to have a pretty good reputation and there were a lot of them made. Also, if you are patient, you can pick one up on eBay for under $300. Most of them sell for more but if you keep looking you will find one that sells a bit less expensively. It is hard to go wrong at that price unless the bike has been abused or isn't in good shape. You might also consider the ActionBent bikes. They cost a bit more but they are still being made. I haven't ridden one of them either so I can't tell you about the bike specifically. Good luck, Jeff "Richard Greenberg" wrote in message news:c%i1f.2716$026.1245@trndny09... Hi. I'm not a recumbent cycler (not yet anyway), but have been playing with the idea of purchasing a "not too expensive' one to play with. I don't see any easy way to "try out" recumbents in my neighborhood, and don't really have the time to travel hours to any of the 2 or 3 shops within 500 miles of LI, NY. I've noticed that there are a few Bikee's (or is it Bike E's) for sale now and then on Ebay. Are these bikes a reasonable place to start? What should one pay for a good to excellent condition specimen? Thanks for any info/advice. |
#4
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Bikee
Thanks for the info. Most appreciated.
"Richard Greenberg" wrote in message news:c%i1f.2716$026.1245@trndny09... Hi. I'm not a recumbent cycler (not yet anyway), but have been playing with the idea of purchasing a "not too expensive' one to play with. I don't see any easy way to "try out" recumbents in my neighborhood, and don't really have the time to travel hours to any of the 2 or 3 shops within 500 miles of LI, NY. I've noticed that there are a few Bikee's (or is it Bike E's) for sale now and then on Ebay. Are these bikes a reasonable place to start? What should one pay for a good to excellent condition specimen? Thanks for any info/advice. |
#5
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Bikee
In article CjR1f.317$C62.137@trndny05, Richard Greenberg
wrote: Thanks for the info. Most appreciated. "Richard Greenberg" wrote in message news:c%i1f.2716$026.1245@trndny09... Hi. I'm not a recumbent cycler (not yet anyway), but have been playing with the idea of purchasing a "not too expensive' one to play with. I don't see any easy way to "try out" recumbents in my neighborhood, and don't really have the time to travel hours to any of the 2 or 3 shops within 500 miles of LI, NY. I've noticed that there are a few Bikee's (or is it Bike E's) for sale now and then on Ebay. Are these bikes a reasonable place to start? What should one pay for a good to excellent condition specimen? Thanks for any info/advice. Richard, also keep in mind the BikeE is no longer in production and the company went under. This may be trouble when break something and you need a part. |
#6
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Bikee
"Slugger" wrote in message ... In article CjR1f.317$C62.137@trndny05, Richard Greenberg wrote: Thanks for the info. Most appreciated. "Richard Greenberg" wrote in message news:c%i1f.2716$026.1245@trndny09... Hi. I'm not a recumbent cycler (not yet anyway), but have been playing with the idea of purchasing a "not too expensive' one to play with. I don't see any easy way to "try out" recumbents in my neighborhood, and don't really have the time to travel hours to any of the 2 or 3 shops within 500 miles of LI, NY. I've noticed that there are a few Bikee's (or is it Bike E's) for sale now and then on Ebay. Are these bikes a reasonable place to start? What should one pay for a good to excellent condition specimen? Thanks for any info/advice. Richard, also keep in mind the BikeE is no longer in production and the company went under. This may be trouble when break something and you need a part. Very good point. |
#7
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Bikee
"Richard Greenberg" wrote in message
news:c%i1f.2716$026.1245@trndny09... Hi. I'm not a recumbent cycler (not yet anyway), but have been playing with the idea of purchasing a "not too expensive' one to play with. I don't see any easy way to "try out" recumbents in my neighborhood, and don't really have the time to travel hours to any of the 2 or 3 shops within 500 miles of LI, NY. I've noticed that there are a few Bikee's (or is it Bike E's) for sale now and then on Ebay. Are these bikes a reasonable place to start? What should one pay for a good to excellent condition specimen? Thanks for any info/advice. Richard, as one who has riddent and owned a variety of recumbents, I have to recommend: Test ride as many as you can before choosing which one to buy. The various major types - LWB, SWB, CLWB, Trikes, etc - vary widely in their ride characteristics and capabilities. There are always trade-offs with recumbents. The key is figuring out which tradeoffs you prefer. That means lots of test rides. I've been very happy with my RANS Rocket SWB/OSS recumbent (Short WheelBase, Over-Seat Steering). You can find one for under $500 on Ebay (also check Bent Rider Online). It's a fun, practical, versatile, relatively quick, and "sporty" recumbent. However, the short wheelbase is a bit twitchy. Some would say too twitchy. For me, it's manageable; but I've wondered about getting a Long WheelBase (LWB) bike. They handle completely differently. As for the ActionBent offerings on Ebay (and elsewhere): There is an ActionBent enthusiast's group on Yahoo Groups, which I recommend that you join. They are responsive to questions from newcomers. If you're handy with a wrench, and not afraid to fix your bike, then buying online is a good choice. If you prefer not fixing your own bike, buy from a local/regional dealer, or find a mechanic locally. Recumbents can sometimes need some "dialing in" to get them working correctly. Maybe a Bike E will work for you. Maybe not. good luck |
#8
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Bikee
"Richard Greenberg" wrote
I've noticed that there are a few Bikee's (or is it Bike E's) for sale now and then on Ebay. Are these bikes a reasonable place to start? I've had a BikeE AT/XL since 1998. I've acquired two other 'bents since, but I still regularly ride the BikeE for errands and short trips. So, a BikeE is a reasonable way to start. But be careful, recumbents are addictive! %^) As others have pointed out, a BikeE isn't likely to set speed records, but in my experience, BikeEs are great utility bikes and fun to ride. They are very adjustable for rider height, but if you're 6 feet tall or more or a heavier rider, you probably want to look for an XL (extra-long) model. The weight distribution is better, I believe if the seat isn't adjusted too far back. What at first may seem like "squirrelly" handling will fairly quickly become responsive feeling. This is not a bike you can ride without hands, but a light touch on the handlebars is all that is needed. It will take some practice to hold a straight line at slow speeds. BikeE's are out of production, so any specialized parts will be difficult to come by. For the most part, however, I think they are quire reliable. Most parts, including the drive train are standard components and very maintainable. Finding one for $300-400 seems like a good price to me. There were many with very low mileage, for a time, but I don't know what the market is like today. Check the for sale message board at www.bentrideronline.com and the classified ads at www.hostelshoppe.com and other lists. Other "entry level bikes you might consider include the "EZ" line, RANS Tailwind, Rocket, etc... Good luck, Jon Meinecke BikeE, Tour Easy, Volae Sport |
#9
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Bikee
Slugger wrote: In article CjR1f.317$C62.137@trndny05, Richard Greenberg wrote: Thanks for the info. Most appreciated. "Richard Greenberg" wrote in message news:c%i1f.2716$026.1245@trndny09... Hi. I'm not a recumbent cycler (not yet anyway), but have been playing with the idea of purchasing a "not too expensive' one to play with. I don't see any easy way to "try out" recumbents in my neighborhood, and don't really have the time to travel hours to any of the 2 or 3 shops within 500 miles of LI, NY. I've noticed that there are a few Bikee's (or is it Bike E's) for sale now and then on Ebay. Are these bikes a reasonable place to start? What should one pay for a good to excellent condition specimen? Thanks for any info/advice. Richard, also keep in mind the BikeE is no longer in production and the company went under. This may be trouble when break something and you need a part. If an "orphan" is worth riding, then it is worth having replacement parts custom made. Ask me why I have considered this. -- Tom Sherman - Fox River Valley Hominid - The Other White Meat! |
#10
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Bikee
What Me Worry? wrote: ... I've been very happy with my RANS Rocket SWB/OSS recumbent (Short WheelBase, Over-Seat Steering). You can find one for under $500 on Ebay (also check Bent Rider Online). It's a fun, practical, versatile, relatively quick, and "sporty" recumbent. However, the short wheelbase is a bit twitchy. Some would say too twitchy. For me, it's manageable; but I've wondered about getting a Long WheelBase (LWB) bike. They handle completely differently....\ I will have to disagree about the RANS Rocket being "twitchy". Twitchy implies difficult to control due to a lack of dynamic [1] directional stability and/or non-linear control response. While the RANS Rocket has highly responsive steering and requires low control forces, it does not suffer from the aforementioned faults. [1] All single-track vehicles are of course statically unstable. -- Tom Sherman - Fox River Valley Hominid - The Other White Meat! |
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