Advice on the Street Machine GT recumbent?

[Roy Grant]

I'm leaning towards buying a Street Machine GT recumbent. I considered
a Tidal Wave from actionbent as well, but am tempted by the rear
suspension. For an under seat steering bike, is it worth the money?
Are there better options out there for comfort and durability for a
casual rider (1000-2000 miles/year)?

NOTE: this is my second attempt at posting here, apologies if a
similar duplicate appears, it seems to have been lost.

 

[Cletus Lee]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> I'm leaning towards buying a Street Machine GT recumbent. I considered
> a Tidal Wave from actionbent as well, but am tempted by the rear
> suspension. For an under seat steering bike, is it worth the money?
> Are there better options out there for comfort and durability for a
> casual rider (1000-2000 miles/year)?
>
> NOTE: this is my second attempt at posting here, apologies if a
> similar duplicate appears, it seems to have been lost.
>

A /fine/ machine, though a little heavy.

Is there an echo?

I had a bike with front suspension and the same bike later with a different fork. I can't really
see a benefit to having suspension on a road bike that can justify the additional weight. Climbing
with a recumbent is really telling. There are lots of things you would really like to have on a
bent besides weight.

--

Cletus D. Lee
Bacchetta Giro
Lightning Voyager
http://www.clee.org
- Bellaire, TX USA -

 

[Mark Leuck]

"Roy Grant" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I'm leaning towards buying a Street Machine GT recumbent. I considered
> a Tidal Wave from actionbent as well, but am tempted by the rear
> suspension. For an under seat steering bike, is it worth the money?
> Are there better options out there for comfort and durability for a
> casual rider (1000-2000 miles/year)?
>
> NOTE: this is my second attempt at posting here, apologies if a
> similar duplicate appears, it seems to have been lost.

I've ridden the Speed Machine and found it a very good ride so I'd imagine
the Street Machine would work as well or better.

I also rode 2,000+ miles on a Vision R50 with both front and rear suspension
and it too was a great ride, you might try looking for one on Ebay

 

[Bob Stan]

On 3 Sep 2004 08:56:36 -0700, Roy Grant wrote:

>I'm leaning towards buying a Street Machine GT recumbent. I considered
>a Tidal Wave from actionbent as well, but am tempted by the rear
>suspension. For an under seat steering bike, is it worth the money?
Assuming you ride on fairly decent roads, I think the value of suspension is
overrated, plus you pay a significant weight penalty, not to mention adding
one (or two) mechanical devices that must be maintained. YMMV

 

[Just zis Guy, you know?]

On 3 Sep 2004 08:56:36 -0700, [email protected] (Roy Grant) wrote in
message <[email protected]>:

>I'm leaning towards buying a Street Machine GT recumbent. I considered
>a Tidal Wave from actionbent as well, but am tempted by the rear
>suspension. For an under seat steering bike, is it worth the money?
>Are there better options out there for comfort and durability for a
>casual rider (1000-2000 miles/year)?

The SMGT is very well built and I reckon it would last forever with
that kind of distance - I know at least one owner who commutes some
thousands of miles per year on his and it's holding up well.

Rear suspension is Good for road riding, IMO - I have it o my bike and
whenever I hit a pothole I am glad I do

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

 

[Peter Clinch]

Cletus Lee wrote:

> I had a bike with front suspension and the same bike later with a
> different fork. I can't really see a benefit to having suspension on
> a road bike that can justify the additional weight.

Depends on the roads. I can overtake a fitter friend on her carbon
framed Look racer on "interesting" backroads around here thanks to the
Streetmachine's suspension. And it pays even more when you're loaded
up. On roads with a good supply of bumps and potholes (and the sort of
roads I like to ride on to get away from it all often do) it makes the
bike /more/ efficient, as well as more comfortable.

> Climbing with a
> recumbent is really telling. There are lots of things you would
> really like to have on a bent besides weight.

IME, which includes a fair bit of climbing with touring loads as well as
empty, everything on the Streetmachine adding the weight is useful. And
that includes the suspension. Well done, it makes a real difference.
Indifferently done, I would agree it's pretty pointless, but HP Vel know
how to do it right. You can put a rigid fork on it if you like: a
dealer we visited in NL had one delivered from HPVel like that, 'cause
he didn't like front sus.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/