Revised my article on bicycles; anyone have anything to add on recumbents?

by philg

I’ve revised http://philip.greenspun.com/materialism/bikes in preparation to buy some more bicycles: some more compact folding bikes to fit in the back of the Cirrus; maybe a high-end recumbent; and possibly a comfort/city bike. I would appreciate suggestions from more experienced cyclists, especially if made at the bottom of the page in question. Thanks!

11 thoughts on “Revised my article on bicycles; anyone have anything to add on recumbents?”

  1. I bought a Giant Halfway a couple of years ago, and I like it very much. It’s trivial to put in the car trunk for road trips, and is especially useful for getting around the airfield at glider camps where someone may land 2000 feet away and needs help to clear the runway quickly. (Perhaps it could fit in the back seat of a 2-seat sailplane, but it’s hard to imagine a real use for it there!) And yes, it certainly draws a lot of attention.

    I also rode it all over Denmark on a vacation: it folds up small enough to where it qualifies as standard checked luggage. Another thing I use it for is car repairs: put the bike in the trunk, drive to the repair shop, leave the car there and ride to work.

    Some downsides: smaller wheels -> less angular momentum -> less stability. And make sure that the adjustment screws on the frame hinge clasp are always VERY tight, or the bike may fold up on you if you hit a bump in the road!

  3. I’ve been the very happy owner of a Bike Friday Air Glide since 2000. It’s the only bike I ride. I’ve met the owners and their team…very good people in Eugene, OR. I describe them as radical cyclist engineers who re-invented the bicycle so you can take it with you anywhere. Packs and travels great, rides just like your favorite bike! They have all types to suit your style and needs… including tandems that come apart and go back together as a single!

    We like our Bike Fridays!
    http://www.pedal2paradise.com/weloveourbikefridays/
    http://bikefriday.com/

    Keep on cycling!
    Mark

  4. I have a Burley django that is great fun to ride, but a quick check shows that Burley has decided to get out of the recumbent business. It’s too bad. They made nice ones. Now they just make bike trailers.

    Recumbents are great for enjoying the scenery while you ride, and for getting comments from bystanders. My biggest initial reaction was the “Wow, I can see the sky and the scenery without hurting my neck” reaction. The second was getting used to all the stares and comments from bystanders asking “What kind of bicycle is that?”

    The biggest headache is learning to stay upright while riding slowly. At speed it is easy to learn. The low speeds (starting and hills) are a big challenge. I still have problems at low speeds.

  5. I have a Bike Friday and two Bromptons (wife). In my opinion nothing beats the Brompton in folding speed and folded size. It is also very comfortable. The only big negative: it is not a bike to be used off-road. The Brooks saddle is a great plus for that bike.

    The Bike Friday is more a bike that you can take apart than a folding bike. You can pack a Bike Friday in a regular size travel case. That is about the only claim to fame of that brand. Not a great bike, again, in my opinion. Certainly not worth the money.

    So, if you want a bike that can be carried in the back of a plane (I’m a pilot) and used to ride to the next town you should get a Brompton. The Bike Friday can do things the Brompton cannot so it could be a good alternative for long rides or off-road use. Both will fit in the back of a Cessna 172 (not that well, I must say).

    I have had a RANS Rocket for the past two years and I consider it one of the best recumbent bikes I have tried. The RANS V-rex is also a good alternative. I don’t think more expensive recumbent bikes offer many adavantages over the Rocket.

  6. For folding up in the back of an aircraft, you may want to have a look at the Strida, I know you can buy them here in Australia, not sure about overseas.

    http://www.strida.com.au/

    The greaseless ‘chain’ is particularly neat…

  9. Look at the new Bike Friday TiKit, http://www.bikefriday.com/tikit which holds out a faster folding and more compact design than the other Bike Friday models. Like the Brompton, it also uses the ISO 349 wheel size, not the 406 or 451 wheels used on the other Bike Friday bikes.

    Bromptons are nice, but are one size only, with the only adjustable part being a telescoping seat post and an optional horizontal slide for the saddle. The Tikit is made in a range of sizes. Compared to Brompton, pricing is roughly similar and maybe a little less, considering most 6-speed Bromptons come in around USD 1500 and the 8-speed TiKit is 1200 for an 8-speed model. Color choice right now is huge as long as you like black.

  10. There is also the option of the Swift, which does not fold as small as the Brompton or TiKit but is a higher-performing bike and rides much like a full-size bicycle with larger wheels. It is also a little cheaper than either Brompton or Bike Friday. It is available through its designer, Peter Reich in NYC as a steel-framed model, the original model, and also as an aluminum-framed model imported under the brand Xootr. The Xootr Swift has a derailleur gear system while the USA-made version comes standard with an 8-speed internal hub. There is another supplier of the steel Swift in Oregon, Human Powered Machines (http://www.catoregon.org/hpm/swift.htm). Cost is under $1000 for the steel version and about $700 for the Xootr. These bikes have a big following on the bikeforums folding bicycle pages.

    Another new folding bike design is a GoBike, designed in Canada (made in Asia, see: http://www.gobikeonline.com/). From Germany, there is the Reise & Muller Birdy line which is fully suspended and can come very highly optioned and are well regarded. Buying one in Europe would be a lot easier. If you are travelling to Japan, there are very innovative makes of folding bikes that are available only in that country made by Kuwahara called the Gaap.

  11. You might look at Mike Flanigan’s bikes he makes under his A.N.T. brand http://www.antbikemike.com. He is committed to the idea of the good city bike.

    If you want beautiful custom work, look at the bikes of Sacha White at Vanilla Cycles in Portland, OR. Andy Hampsden also makes a very nice commuter bike with disc brakes, the Commuteur Legere under his Cycles Tournesol brand. On his website, it is pictured in a red paint job. Another city bike source is Velo-Orange in Annapolis, MD that is coming up with porteur-inspired designs.

    For new folders, see the TiKit by Bike Friday, which is new and folds much more quickly than other Bike Friday models. There is a YouTube video of a rider smoothly transitioning from riding o folding to rolling then unfolding and riding again all in less than a hundred feet. I understand they can be ordered to size. Like the Brompton, they use 349 size wheels. They are also cheaper than the Brompton.

    Look at the NYC and Oregon-made Swift Folder and its asian-made (under license) clone the Xootr Swift. If you are travelling to Japan, there is a selection of folders available there that is not exported, including the Kuwahara Gaap, which is a very innovative design.

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