New bike on the way :D

[Hotdog]

Today I put a deposit down on a new bike, should have it in a couple of weeks

Fundamentally it's a steel framed touring bike (I'm expecting some mutters of approval from a few of the regular forum goers on that point ), though I'll mostly be using it for commuting plus weekend group rides. This is a bike I plan to ride pretty much every day whatever the weather, so I've gone for disc brakes and mudguards. It comes as stock with robust 26" wheels and 'sensible' 26x1.25 tyres however the frame and fork have clearance for 700C wheels so a second set of lightweight racy 'weekend wheels' is an option for a later speed upgrade.

Oh, and it's a recumbent Specifically a Bacchetta Giro 26. Yes, I'm afraid I'm turning to the Dark Side

[europa]

What a beauty Disc brakes on the front too. Velly nice.

How much is it costing you?

Richard

[Hotdog]

What a beauty Disc brakes on the front too. Velly nice.

How much is it costing you?

Yep, can't wait to get my hands on it

The downside of niche products is of course the price, and so it's a bit of a stretch for me. The bike itself is $2690, and I've added a few extras such as the lighter, more sporty Euromesh seat as seen on the Strada (a no cost option), a Solo Aero seat back bag to carry my commuting load ($150) and Bachetta mudguards ($60). All in all it's almost a factor of three more than I've previously paid for a bike, hence the delayed delivery while I save up the last few cents required.

[Halfanewb]

Grats on the new bike!

most recumbent bikes i have seen are the low to the ground trike affairs more like a grownups version of the big wheels, this one is so excellent! its no wonder it did spectacularly in its class.

did you get to test ride one? how did it ride? how was the center of balance? how was the cornering? what was it like starting and stopping?

[rdp_au]

Hotdog,

My humble homegrown Bentech and I welcome you to the Dark Side! Barchettas are seriously nice machines. Wish I could afford one.

If you're like me, it will take you a while to get used to riding recumbent, especially in traffic, but once you do, you'll wonder why you waited so long!

If you ever get up to the north shore around hornsby, let me know - it would be nice to ride with another recumbenteer..

Cheers,

David

[Bnej]

I thought about going for this one at one point:

http://www.flyingfurniture.com.au/hpvelotechnik%20grasshopper.htm

[Mulger bill]

Onya Hotdog, that's one serious looking 'bent

I'm with Wasanewbie here, can we get a review once you're aboard?

Have fun mate.

Shaun

[bigbuzz73]

Today I put a deposit down on a new bike, should have it in a couple of weeks

Fundamentally it's a steel framed touring bike (I'm expecting some mutters of approval from a few of the regular forum goers on that point ), though I'll mostly be using it for commuting plus weekend group rides. This is a bike I plan to ride pretty much every day whatever the weather, so I've gone for disc brakes and mudguards. It comes as stock with robust 26" wheels and 'sensible' 26x1.25 tyres however the frame and fork have clearance for 700C wheels so a second set of lightweight racy 'weekend wheels' is an option for a later speed upgrade.

Oh, and it's a recumbent Specifically a Bacchetta Giro 26. Yes, I'm afraid I'm turning to the Dark Side

Mate, that looks like an absolute weapon! I've never seen anything like it... I've always thought recumbents were for University professors, touring Japanese cyclists, and nerds in general! Your bike causes a BIG rethink: it is SOOOOOOO cool!
The car drivers will freak when they see it! Good onya!
Wayne

[Hotdog]

Tried to post the following early evening yesterday, but the internet connection here died. Possible something to do with the water pouring through the ceilings.

When I first started thinking seriously about I liked the look of the HP Velotechnik Grasshopper and Speedmachine too, but as I did a bit more research several things pushed me towards the Bacchetta 'high racers'. Unlike some recumbents, high racers climb fairly well (important in Sydney). The straight boom frames are relatively light and they use big wheels instead of heavy suspension systems to smooth out the ride. The other main factor was that because of their height high racers mix fairly well with upright bikes, it's easy to chat and high racers and upright bikes can draft off each other reasonably effectively.

After thinking about recumbents for a long time I finally made a trip down to Canberra over the weekend and went to see Ian at Flying Furniture for some test rides. To begin with he had me spend a minute or two coasting short distances downhill on a Giro 20 to get used to balancing it. On an upright bike you do most of your balancing by shifting your weight, while on a recumbent weight shift is limited and so steering is more important, especially at low speeds. As a result I was a bit wobbly at first, but after coasting a couple of times I could track in a straight line and could move on to pedalling. Once I was moving, and remembered to ease my grip on the handlebars, sit back in the seat and relax, the ride was great. In fact it felt a little like flying, perhaps because you can't see what's keeping you off the ground (the front wheel is hidden by the boom)! Starting uphill instead of downhill took a little bit of getting used to, but was mostly a matter of confidence (raising one foot to the pedal and committing to a big push to get you moving, then bringing the second foot up) and I got OK at it fairly quickly.

Over the course of an hour and a half I test rode the Giro 20, a Giro 26 and a Corsa. The Giro 20 has a 20" front wheel and so is lower to the ground, good for short legged people and for lessons on how to balance a recumbent. The Giro 26 is a dual 26" wheel tourer/commuter, and despite the pedals being significantly higher didn't feel precarious or awkward in comparison with the Giro 20. The Corsa is a lighter (and pricier) aluminium bike with dual 650C wheels and an emphasis on performance, it certainly felt more responsive but it's limited to skinny tyres and gives a harsher ride when the road surface is poor (like it is in much of Sydney).

David, I do sometimes ride in the Hornsby area on Bike North rides. I'll let you know next time I'll be in the area.

I'll definitely post some pictures and a bit of a review once I get the bike. My gf took a few pictures during the test rides but I'd left the camera on manual focus and she didn't notice so they're all blurry to various degrees, I may post a couple of the better ones anyway.

[LuckyPierre]

... I've always thought recumbents were for University professors, touring Japanese cyclists, and nerds in general! ...

So, what's changed?

[Hotdog]

Well, I'm neither a university professor nor a Japanese cycle tourer so I guess I'm just a nerd in general

[europa]

I guess I'm just a nerd in general

And the problem is ...

Richard
with definite nerdish tendancies

[heavymetal]

Tried to post the following early evening yesterday, but the internet connection here died. Possible something to do with the water pouring through the ceilings.

My tent does that too. I've yet to find a solution.

I would be very interested in reading your ride report and review when you get the new bike.

Kev.

[McPete]

I've been gaining interest in recumbents in the last few days, I'm looking forward to reading your comments about this, although I'm more looking for a trike... 2 wheeler recuments just seem a bit...scary?

[Hotdog]

I've been gaining interest in recumbents in the last few days, I'm looking forward to reading your comments about this, although I'm more looking for a trike... 2 wheeler recuments just seem a bit...scary?

When I was doing my test rides Ian was getting a bunch of trikes out for his next appointment. I must say they do look like they'd be a serious amount of fun. There are both advantages and disadvantages to having that extra wheel on a recumbent, though. Obviously it's quite a bit harder (but not impossible) to fall off a trike! This also makes starting and stopping complete non-events, and enables you to climb hills as slow as you damn well please without wobbling. They are, in general, very low to the ground though, and I'd be wary of riding on busy urban roads on anything which was entirely below the windowsill level of an SUV...

[Hotdog]

A few photos of the bicycles I test rode, I find photos of these bikes with someone actually on them gives a much better idea of the riding position. All of these are with the seat quite vertical though, you'd generally recline it more once you were used to the bikes.

First the 26"/20" wheel steel frame/alu. fork Giro 20 that I started with until I got the hang of balancing...


This is the dual 26" wheel steel frame/alu. fork Giro 26 that I ended up ordering.


Finally a photo of the dual 650C wheel aluminium frame/carbon fork Corsa which proves I did actually ride these things rather than just sit on them.

[rdp_au]

Hotdog, any update on when the new beast makes her presence felt? Will you be picking it up directly from Ian Humphries or will it be shipped to Sydney?Looking forward to hearing your initial impressions.

Cheers,

David

[Hotdog]

It's being shipped to Sydney. On Tuesday I got an email from Ian saying he would ship it on Wednesday (i.e. yesterday) but I haven't heard anything more yet. I'm hoping that it'll arrive tomorrow or Saturday morning so I can give it a go this weekend

[europa]

News Flash: Maniac seen terrorising Sydney streets. When finally stopped by police, he complained that the coffee cup holder kept slipping but apart from that, the ride was perfect. Police expect to release him some time next millenium.

Richard

[Hotdog]

Coffee cup holder, eh? Now you've got me thinking... Maybe I should fit one of these...

Plenty of other ideas on the Bicycle Coffee Systems page.

[europa]

Now why don't those things surprise me. Personally, I can't think of anything worse than trying to drink coffee during a ride. I'm not even too sure about the stopping at a coffee shop bit - I don't mind a coffee after the ride, but not while I'm half way through it.

Richard

[Hotdog]

Now I must disagree on the stopping at coffee shops during rides thing, I'm rather fond of that. A nice muggacino, a tasty snack, a sit down and a chat can be a good motivator for those last few big hills before the coffee stop on a long group ride and gives you a boost for a little while after.

Riding along with a mug of coffee attached to your handlebars is probably take it a bit too far though, while it might be fun for a while seeing the looks people give you while your sipping on your hot beverage waiting at traffic lights (or zooming down a steep hill...) I couldn't face drinking coffee while riding hard.

[mikesbytes]

If your going to ride with your legs in that postion, then don't wear baggy pants.

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[Hotdog]

Yeah, the ballooning, flapping parachute effect would be really annoying with baggy pants. And I don't want to even think about the possibility of scooping up bees/wasps/etc while cycling along!

To begin with I'll probably just wear the cycling nix I already have, though the chamois will be a bit superfluous. Running/climbing/triathlon/rowing gear would work well, same snug fitting technical fabrics but without the bulky pads. There are also a handful of companies that make recumbent specific cycling gear that looks the biz (e.g. Boure, Bacchetta ), though it's (surprise) a bit pricey.

[mikesbytes]

Well, I hope you didn't go comando