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  #1  
Old October 7th 05, 01:07 AM
Richard Greenberg
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Default 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  
Old October 7th 05, 09:20 AM
Peter Clinch
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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  
Old October 7th 05, 11:38 AM
Jeff Grippe
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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  
Old October 8th 05, 04:10 PM
Richard Greenberg
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Default 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  
Old October 9th 05, 08:43 AM
Slugger
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Default 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  
Old October 10th 05, 06:34 AM
What Me Worry?
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Default 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  
Old October 10th 05, 08:24 AM
What Me Worry?
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Posts: n/a
Default 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  
Old October 10th 05, 12:44 PM
Jon Meinecke
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Default 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  
Old October 11th 05, 01:09 AM
Sunset Lowracer [TM] Fanatic
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Default 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  
Old October 11th 05, 01:14 AM
Sunset Lowracer [TM] Fanatic
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Default 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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