I’m getting stared at by the neighbors. Passing motorists point and laugh. It’s all fun though.
I bought a new bicycle. It’s a Bacchetta Agio. It’s a very strange looking bike. People who ride these are considered weird by other cyclists. I love it.
The balance is much different on a recumbent bike. I’m still getting used to it. I will start commuting to it once I’m not so wobbly at low speed. I’m still riding my hybrid bike, but have been taking the new bike out in low traffic areas to get used to it.
It has a few drawbacks:
- Harder climb hills
- More difficult to haul on my car
- Larger turning radius
- Instability at low speed
- You can’t “bunny hop” it over curbs
On the plus side:
- A recumbent is faster
- It’s much more comfortable
- It’s very attention-getting
This particular bike has disc brakes. They don’t feel nearly as strong as I thought they would. They are just different, and shouldn’t be affected by getting wet.
The bike is currently back in the shop getting a rear rack installed, so I can use my panniers on it for commuting.
That’s a pretty good looking bike, especially for a recumbent. It looks less “freaky” than those heavily reclined, short wheelbase recumbents.
Yeah, I looked at different style of bikes before choosing this one. This is a Bacchetta Agio:
http://www.bacchettabikes.com/recumbents/bikes/agio.htm
It’s built to be a touring bike. The somewhat-upright position is comfortable, even on long rides. It’s not as aerodynamic as the heavily reclined bikes, but I wanted a sturdy, comfortable commuting bike, not a racer.
That one looks like your sitting higher up than other bikes like that. Looks comfy as hell but I would worry about visibility. I would give anything to commute to work.
My head is about the same height on that bike as when driving a car. I’m not worried about being visible.
I’m probably noticed more often riding it (because it’s weird looking) than I am when riding my other bike.
Having sold a couple of the Agios when I worked in a shop, I can say they are nifty rides. I prefer my 1996 Ryan Vanguard, though I consider any bike one rides to work a cool bike.