The Belize Bike Co. near Montreal in Canada is marketing a semi-recumbent that has the attractive
feature of being able to be folded up to an easily-lifted and stored package. Today I was in
Montreal and tried one out (at Neron Cycles south of the city -- friendly people and patient with my
questions; I recommend them to any cyclists going through the area) and here is my report:

This bike doesn't weigh a ton (like the Giant Revive) and the fork isn't raked back so far. This
interested me from the pix on their website (www.belizebike.com) because I was hoping to be able to
ride it up hill standing on the pedals.

No such luck -- first, there were no hills. The area is totally flat. Second, I didn't have long
enough (only an hour) to learn a strategy of pulling myself upright while balancing and pedaling. I
also tried starting pedal-standing from a stop after leaning the bike against a handy tree, but
couldn't get the hang of it. Of course, this is not a recommended position for using this bike. But
the possibility was what interested me.

The folding design is quite clever. There are 6 steps that one takes -- 6 quick-connects and hinges
that one must undo in a certain order -- and they all have the sequence number clearly labeled next
to the hinge or connect. It took about one minute to fold it down or restore
it. When it is folded, the front and back wheels touch and are fastened together with a strap.

The bike has 6 gears in its Shimano cassette and 1 gear in its crank, and a transparent chain/gear
cover. The pedals also fold down and the seatpost with seat & back come out as part of the folding
process. The seatpost extends and retracts to provide the right distance to the pedals for most leg
lengths. Tires are wide and comfortable. There's an adjustable rear shock. Seat and back are
slightly padded -- not hard and rigid but not, of course, like my TourEasy Koolback.

The bike comes with front and back fenders and a rear rack. Not bad for under $500. I suspect there
are ways that the individual owner could upgrade it. But this bike would be good for light use: the
few miles from the commuter rail station, or a short trip to the store. The bike shop mechanic
thought its best use would be as auxiliary transportation that one could throw into the back of
one's SUV so it wouldn't get stolen off the outside rack or get rusted-out by salt air
. One of its labels is "not to be used for non-paved roads or for high speeds".

C.C.

Good review Carol. I must admit that just by looking at the photos I was not too impressed by how
the bike was built but the concept intregued me to say the least. For one, the way they "hang" the
seat off the seat post didn't look too strong. Since I am totally against "armchair reviews" I
abstained from forming my own opinions. I take it you liked the Belize so that's a good indication
that's it's a worthy entry into the semi recumbent market.

By the way, I can stand on the pedals on my Revive. The riser is very adjustable fore and aft so
moving it far forward gives the rider sufficient legroom to pull on the handlebar, get off the
saddle and "honk" it. One must be sure the quick release is tight so that the riser will not slip
back towards you. This could cause the rider to lose control. I'm certain Giant didn't intend for
the bike to be ridden that way but it can be done.

Thanks for sharing your experience on the Belize folding semi bent.

Edward Wong Orlando, FL

How much weight is not a lot?

Is this aluminum?

What gear ratios are on the bike?

Looks similar to the Y3K, although the seat is a little more swept back and uses straight tubes rather than curved tubes.

yes how much does it weigh? the big question

outdoorsathlete@yahoo.com (mike) wrote in message
news:<1b04ca7b.0310121711.2fbd11fd@posting.google.com>...
> yes how much does it weigh? the big question

I didn't have my scale with me, but folded up and hoisted one-handed, it felt like about 30
lbs. This is with rear rack and fenders. Not a heavy bike. Email direct to www.belizebike.com
and ask them.

As for the gear inches, unfortunately I didn't take the time to count teeth or hunt for the little
number on each gear. However, I can say this: the rear cassette was a 6-gear "Mega" Shimano. It rode
as if about 3 gears were missing from each end of my TE. So I found I had to keep on pedaling even
on the level. As I said, a bike for light biking.

I apologize for not doing a complete review with numbers and weights. My review was based on trying
it out for a half hour on the back streets of Brossard (south of Montreal city), after driving 5
hours from Boston. (then 5 hours back.) Not a bad drive, though, in Fall leaf season. Also
discovered that Lake Champlain islands, very flat and gorgeous scenery (mountains in the distance,
blue water all around) would make an excellent bike ride.

C.C.