Recumbent try-out.

[armb]

Did quite a lot of gardening this weekend, and sold Nana Pam's lawnmower.
Spent most of this afternoon with Kevin at D.Tek (who don't have a website) in Little Thetford, trying out assorted recumbent bicycles (LWB, SWB, and CLWB) and tricycles (delta and tadpole (a KettWeisel).
Most plausible from a budget point of view was a Dawes (I hadn't realized Dawes sold a recumbent, it was a rebadged Batavus Relaxx, and didn't sell very well (heavy, and not enough gears for the touring it was marketed for), but Kevin thinks it makes quite a good starter recumbent, plausible for commuting).
Favourite from a "we could replace a car" point of view was the ICE trike.
I failed to ride a Challenge Hurricane, which I wobbled on in much the same way as when I tried Mike C's Ross, but I only had a very short try at the end on that, so, like the Ross, would probably manage after more practice.
I enjoyed the session enough that I might well try hiring a bike for a longer period sometime this summer.

[EDIT: Now with photos. (From my camcorder in "save a still on the memory stick" mode. We might get a decent digital camera this summer.)]

Comments

[armb.livejournal.com]

Also got some useful advice on folder (don't use 451mm rims just because the brakes will reach them and not 406mm, get a horseshoe thing that converts to cantilever/V-brakes and use 406), U+2 (if we're going to sell it, now is a good time), and dog scooters (illegal on public roads in the UK - he had a Blauwerk City on the wall, and sometimes sell 20" tyres to sled dog racers for their chariot things (England not often having enough snow for actual sleds)).