I am giddy as a kid on Christmas

[midnight armadillo]

My new bike arrives in the mail next week. I've gone from not owning a bike in 15 years to buying a road bike locally, selling it, and then buying this new-to-me bike from someone across the country. Some wrist issues made the regular bike too uncomfortable and I decided to separate the biking from the medical problem. It's a Rans V-Rex recumbent, similar to the ones still in production:


I am so antsy with anticipation, I can't wait to ride it. Next year I plan on riding the PMC with some friends and driving to work as little as possible, for the rest of this year my more modest ambitions are to ride as much as I can until the roads get too icy.

[enigmatic]

1. Oh, that's sweet

How good does it handle compared to a Mountain or English Racer? That's sharp...

[midnight armadillo]

2. Well, I haven't ridden it yet...

...but I have ridden a similar bike, the Bacchetta Giro 20. The wheelbase of the V-rex is a hair under 43" which is the same as a mountain bike, so it should be pretty zippy. You steer more by leaning than turning, like on a motorcycle, and the handle is pretty comparable to a regular bike.

It feels weird though, balancing while laying down. I will spend at least a week in office park parking lots before venturing onto quiet side roads. I figure 2-3 weeks before I'm ready to mix it up in real traffic. A helmet mirror is a must since it's hard to look behind you on a recumbent.

[jobycom]

3. Chain lube might cost as much as gas!

:rofl:

Teasing. That's a nice bike. I've never been into recumbents, but a friend of mine swears by them. It took a few weeks to get his legs used to the different motion--he described it at first like doing leg lifts--but after the break-in, he wouldn't go back.

Enjoy that puppy!

[machI]

4. Will it come with

<>

Some assembly required?