Bent sightings increasing

[Bill B]

I've been bent since 97. During the first year I think I might have seen 2 other recumbent riders
here in Memphis.Now in 2003 the sightings have increased.The bent population of Memphis now has
sevral tour easys,Grrs,P38s, a bunch of bike Es,3 or 4 RANS V2s and Stratus',linears,Visions,saw a
guy riding a green Giro,Ryan lwb, some EZ1s and a EZsport,EZ3[mine] and a new guy on a terra
trike3.4. We Memphis bent heads are slowly increasing in numbers.Hows it going in your neck of the
woods??????

 

[bentcruiser]

Originally posted by Bill B
We Memphis bent heads are slowly increasing in numbers.Hows it going in your neck of the woods??????

We seem to have an increasing population in the Tulsa area. We seem to have a large number of RANS, Vision and Burleys. There is also a good number of Easy Racer products (mostly Tour Easys and EZ products). We also have a few Lightning fully faired bents and a Rotator Pursuit, Reynolds Wishbone and someone with a recumbent hand trike.

 

[Jbr]

Here in mid Michigan I live in a town of about 60,000 people. This is where "Two Old Guys and a
Couple of Bents" hangs out(RCN #70). I have an EZ-1 and a new V-Rex and my friend has a home built
SWB. Now I have noticed another EZ-1, a Vision R-40, a long wheel base homebuilt, a lone Linear, and
a couple of tandems. There has been a remote siting here and there but it is difficult to get
everyone together for some kind of meeting and ride. I am hoping the Recumbent Rally West in Kazoo
will turn out more bent heads in my town. I have co-workers coming up to me and saying they are
seeing more bents around town now that they know of me and my bent. So maybe we have set a good
example for other riders in town and around. Ride till the cows come home.

JBR Long time lurker.

 

[Jerry Rhodes]

> We Memphis bent heads are slowly increasing in numbers.Hows it going in your neck of the
> woods??????

Much faster since I made the tail sock for the GRR, thank you.

I am the ONLY bent within 50 miles in any direction. I have always been a bit eccentric so my fellow
citizens tolerate me.

Extoling the virtues of bentdom is a exercise in futility. The locals are overwhelmed that I even
consider riding 5 MILES to work. Trying to get them to get on any kind of bike is useless.

Jerry

 

[pedal&pint]

Here in the UK, bike riders haven't been enlightened as much as you guys (and gals) over there.

Here in Bristol (400,000 pop.) I only seen 2 recumbents, before I got mine in June, so maybe its only when we get one ourselves we suddenly start noticing other 'bents?
I only know of two other BikeE's in the United Kingdom (i.e. one of them is in Northern Ireland)

I hope so, I'm trying my best to spread the word but I can't be everywhere at once! plus it's getting a bit lonely, but still fun fielding all those 'what the hells that?' questions.

Ah well, I'll just have to go on MORE rides...........

 

[Bruce]

Hee hee I think I've got you all beat. I live in a town of about 500 people. There are four bents
in town -- a RANS Rocket (mine), a Vision R45, a Lightning Thunderbolt, and a mystery bike which
I've only seen from a distance ('though I know the guy's a local) which looks like another Vision
of some sort.

They do seem to be catching on here.

Bruce Jamieson

Bill B wrote:
> I've been bent since 97. During the first year I think I might have seen 2 other recumbent riders
> here in Memphis.Now in 2003 the sightings have increased.The bent population of Memphis now has
> sevral tour easys,Grrs,P38s, a bunch of bike Es,3 or 4 RANS V2s and Stratus',linears,Visions,saw a
> guy riding a green Giro,Ryan lwb, some EZ1s and a EZsport,EZ3[mine] and a new guy on a terra
> trike3.4. We Memphis bent heads are slowly increasing in numbers.Hows it going in your neck of the
> woods??????

 

[Christopher Jor]

[email protected] (Bill B) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>... We
> Memphis bent heads are slowly increasing in numbers.Hows it going in your neck of the woods??????

Gotta love the desperation of those being shaken out of their rolling cubicles due to rising gas
prices! There was something on the news about who is benefitting from this. answer is - WE ARE!!!
The bike shops are doing quite well in a shaky economy, and those of us who do not have that big oil
umbilical cord are making out like bandits. EZ-3 is selling like gangbusters since a business here
sells them with motors. On Monday I saw 5 more that appeared in 1 week (those maroon colored newer
ones). Numbers of 'bents are increasing but being a lone pioneer is dwindling, and I am not too sure
what to do next. Maybe work with Zzipper faitings and start in with another rarity- fully enclosed
velomobiles as in europe.

Chris Jordan Sanra Cruz, CA.

 

[Bill B]

[email protected] (Christopher Jordan) wrote in message
> EZ-3 is selling like gangbusters since a business here sells them with motors. On Monday I saw 5
> more that appeared in 1 week (those maroon colored newer ones).

>
> Chris Jordan Sanra Cruz, CA.

hey Chris: Can you tell us more about the Motorized EZ3. Links?? Pics?? I wonder if they are using
kit motors or are they fabricating their own installations

 

[Risto Varanka]

Bill B <[email protected]> wrote:
: I've been bent since 97. During the first year I think I might have seen 2 other recumbent riders
: here in Memphis.Now in 2003 the sightings have increased.

I think it's a well established trend that bents have been slowly growing as a
hobby/pastime/market/whatever during the last few decades.

I live in our capital area, about 1 mil peeps spread over a good area of land. I recall seeing a
bent only twice in the wild, both times I was sitting in a bus... First like 2 years back and now
only 1 month ago.

The Finnish bent continent is formally organized and internet-enabled, so I know a good bunch of
people and what they are riding. The numbers are small but slowly growing. For example I'm one of
the new folks, been around for a year or so.

What Finns ride: http://www.davinci.pp.fi/osa8e.html . Sadly

and Windcheetahs! (Ok I see there's a Trice Micro in Espoo, but I've never seen or heard about it.)
Around here almost a half seem to be homebuilt, some of them quite well done and very interesting.

In Helsinki there's one bent shop that sells Sinner, Nazca and a good selection of other brands.
Sold maybe half a dozen, maybe a bit more this season. But I don't know all the riders, not all
participate in social activities...

We have maybe 20-30 bents in the area... One M5 Shockproof, one Trice XL, one Micro, one Steintrikes
Viper, two Optima Riders, two nice yellow homebuilt trikes, one CLWB Vision, some Nazcas, one
Leitra, some BikeEs, a Greenspeed bike...

--
Risto Varanka | http://www.helsinki.fi/~rvaranka/hpv/hpv.html varis at no spam please iki fi

 

[Christopher Jor]

[email protected] (Bill B) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...

> hey Chris: Can you tell us more about the Motorized EZ3. Links?? Pics?? I wonder if they are using
> kit motors or are they fabricating their own installations

Hi Bill,

Since Easy Racers is 14 miles south of here, the owner of Electric Sierra Cycles (
www.electricRECbikes.com ) had an axle adapter designed by Gardener Martin, I think, for the EZ-3.

don't know about pics yet. Looks like a plain EZ-3 with a backpack on the searback to me!

The motors are Currie kits. It went right on my S&B and TerraTrike without the EZ-3 adapters.

Chris J.

 

[Zamfoo The Magn]

I'm in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay area, in the "TriValley" area, encompassing the hamlets
of Dublin, Pleasanton, and Livermore. Probably 150,000 people or so in our valley.

I commute to work 12 miles each way on a purple '98 BikeE AT. I've only seen BikeEs around here--3
in Pleasanton (besides mine) and one from Livermore that I pass every day on the bike lane going in
the opposite direction (we always smile and say "Nice bike!" in unison every day--silly but it's
still fun to do).

I'd be surprised if there aren't more 'bents around here--they must be hiding in people's garages or
something.

We used to have a Linear USS tandem but sold it because it was too flexy. Going to buy a Barcroft
Columbia this fall. WOO HOO!

 

[Stratrider]

Jerry, I experience the same thing here in SE PA. I ride 5 miles to work one way. It's like I am
from Mars... You commute to work on a bike! Don't you have a car? Are you nuts? I get all responses.

Jim Reilly

 

[<Chas>]

"Zamfoo the Magnificent" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I'm in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay area, in the "TriValley" area, encompassing the
> hamlets of Dublin, Pleasanton, and Livermore. Probably 150,000 people or so in our valley.
>
> I commute to work 12 miles each way on a purple '98 BikeE AT. I've only seen BikeEs around here--3
> in Pleasanton (besides mine) and one from Livermore that I pass every day on the bike lane going
> in the opposite direction (we always smile and say "Nice bike!" in unison every day--silly but
> it's still fun to do).
>
> I'd be surprised if there aren't more 'bents around here--they must be hiding in people's garages
> or something.
>
> We used to have a Linear USS tandem but sold it because it was too flexy. Going to buy a Barcroft
> Columbia this fall. WOO HOO!

I'm in Fremont CA and ride frequently in the "tri-valley" area with a friend (Greg Dunn who rides a
V-Rex) and have NEVER seen another recumbent in the Dublin/Pleasanton/Walnut Creek area.

I think it's because we have so many great places to ride that recumbents are dispersed so thinly
that we never see each other.

I commute into Silicon Valley twice or three times a week and only have seen two other 'bents. One
is Larry K. on his new Bachetta Aero, and the other is a guy on a red ?Vision? But I know a dozen or
more 'bent riders in Silicon Valley from the 'net.

My $0.02 worth <Chas> On the Haluzak Hybrid Race

 

[Joshua Goldberg]

Today Me riding south about to turn Left and I see a Green BikeE going North about to make a Right
turn...we spot one another..we look like twins...stare and about the same second realize we about to
collide in the middle of the intersection. He straightens out and goes North and I make my Left. I
didn't even know BikeE made a Green color bent. This the 7th BikeE I have seen this summer so far.

P.S. I want to thank whoever it was here (forgot name) who directed me to Pat at Terratrike for a
much needed USS bar for my wife's Tadpole. Same bar from the 3.4 for only $45.00 (nice
price..cool bar).
**********************************
"<Chas>" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:HZA3b.291780$uu5.63840@sccrnsc04...
> "Zamfoo the Magnificent" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I'm in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay area, in the "TriValley" area, encompassing the
> > hamlets of Dublin, Pleasanton, and Livermore. Probably 150,000 people or so in our valley.
> >
> > I commute to work 12 miles each way on a purple '98 BikeE AT. I've only seen BikeEs around
> > here--3 in Pleasanton (besides mine) and one from Livermore that I pass every day on the bike
> > lane going in the opposite direction (we always smile and say "Nice bike!" in unison every
> > day--silly but it's still fun to do).
> >
> > I'd be surprised if there aren't more 'bents around here--they must be hiding in people's
> > garages or something.
> >
> > We used to have a Linear USS tandem but sold it because it was too flexy. Going to buy a
> > Barcroft Columbia this fall. WOO HOO!
>
> I'm in Fremont CA and ride frequently in the "tri-valley" area with a friend (Greg Dunn who rides
> a V-Rex) and have NEVER seen another recumbent in the Dublin/Pleasanton/Walnut Creek area.
>
> I think it's because we have so many great places to ride that recumbents are dispersed so thinly
> that we never see each other.
>
> I commute into Silicon Valley twice or three times a week and only have seen two other 'bents. One
> is Larry K. on his new Bachetta Aero, and the other is a guy on a red ?Vision? But I know a dozen
> or more 'bent riders in Silicon Valley from the 'net.
>
> My $0.02 worth <Chas> On the Haluzak Hybrid Race

 

[Mark Leuck]

"Bill B" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've been bent since 97. During the first year I think I might have seen 2 other recumbent riders
> here in Memphis.Now in 2003 the sightings have increased.The bent population of Memphis now has
> sevral tour easys,Grrs,P38s, a bunch of bike Es,3 or 4 RANS V2s and Stratus',linears,Visions,saw a
> guy riding a green Giro,Ryan lwb, some EZ1s and a EZsport,EZ3[mine] and a new guy on a terra
> trike3.4. We Memphis bent heads are slowly increasing in numbers.Hows it going in your neck of the
> woods??????

A few BikE's, couple of Visions and a couple of P38's, one guy was running around last year on a
home built low rider but he moved back to Russia I hear.

And as far as I know I'm the only Baron in north-east Texas

 

[Mark Leuck]

"Joshua Goldberg" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Today Me riding south about to turn Left and I see a Green BikeE going North
about
> to make a Right turn...we spot one another..we look like twins...stare and about the same second
> realize we about to collide in the middle of the intersection. He straightens out and goes North
> and I make my Left. I
didn't
> even know BikeE made a Green color bent. This the 7th BikeE I have seen
this
> summer so far.
>
> P.S. I want to thank whoever it was here (forgot name) who directed me to Pat at Terratrike for a
> much needed USS bar for my wife's Tadpole. Same
bar
> from the 3.4 for only $45.00 (nice price..cool bar).
> **********************************

Oddly enough today seemed to be full of bents in Dallas/Fort Worth, Vision Tandem (I think), 2 EZ
Racers, P38, RANS and an unknown trike at White Rock lake

Usually never see that many