Turner Recumbents - Buyer Beware

As an avid cyclist encountered neck and back problems, I was advised by
a physician to consider a recumbent bicycle as an alternative. Having
tested several makes and models, I settled on a bike manufactured by a
small outfit in Tucson, Arizona called Turner Recumbents.

I met with the owner in person, Milt Turner. Outwardly he is a pleasant
person who is quick to tout the advantages of his frame design versus
those of other manufacturers. However, the location and condition of
his business establishment is rather suspect as he operates out of a
small storage facility that is quite disorganized and inappropriate for
visitation by those who might find pornography offensive.

This alone should have been sufficient cause to steer me clear of his
business. Unfortunately, my medical need for a recumbent combined with
the fact that his demo bike was comfortable to ride were enough for me
to overlook these warning signs.

I was advised the frame size I needed was in the latter stages of being
completed and would have to wait a couple of weeks. Not willing to buy
the bike sight unseen, I asked that he contact me when he received and
built this bike. That ended up being 3 months later wherein I made
another trip to Tucson.

Upon arrival, I tested this supposed newly assembled bike and found
that it was sorely in need of adjustment. Exercising great patience, I
spent over 4 hours, well into the late evening as he and I both
attempted to make the bike useable. Mr. Turner spent much of this time
reciting his commitment to customer satisfaction, and how he would
warranty his work. Since it was dark and getting quite late in the
evening, I reluctatntly agreed that the bike was sufficiently
fine-tuned. I bought the bike and returned to my home in Phoenix.

What followed was two months of aggravation that today has left
wondering how I could have been so foolish as to buy a Turner
Recumbent. In a nutshell, when I got the bike home I found that there
were several nagging problems with the chain, brake calipers, and what
turned out be used parts including the bottom bracket, chain rings, and
cranks. This necessitated I ship the bike back to Tucson. FYI, Mr
Turner was unwilling to shorten my drive by meeting me half way.

Today I own a bike that:
· Now has cloth rim tape after spending hours peeling away fragments
of clear threaded packing tape that was near imposiible to remove
· Some used parts
· A chain that gets wedged and jammed under the rear brake caliper
whenever the largest front and rear chain rings are used together
· A crank set that has been inexplicably downgraded from the then
advertised Ultegra set to Shimano 105s
· No warranty or receipt, nor a willingness to provide one

I have appealed to Mr. Turner to resolve these outstanding issues but
he has refused to do so. When mentioning to him that I would be writing
this review his response was, and I quote, "You take your best
shot".

It is truly unfortunate that an organization such as Turner Recumbents
is allowed to conduct business in this manner. In recent years, far
more reputable manufacturers have gone out of business. I sincerely
hope, for the industry's sake, that others do not suffer the same
fate as I have.

I ended up writig the Better Businees Bureau of Tucson. After three
attempts by the BBB to contact Mr. Turner via mail, he chose not to
reply to any of their correspondence.

Ultimately, several modifications were made to the bike. Even with
these modifications the bike can pretty much be summed up with one
word, "unrefined".

Up until last Sunday, I continued to ride the Turner Long at least
20-25 miles once or twice a week in the North Phoenix/Scottsdale area.
You may have seen me pulled off the side of the road trying to unpry
the chain from the rear brake caliper, or hear me coming with all the
rattling and creaking noises this bike makes.