Giant Revive

Road one of these at the Chicago bike show. (Yes, I know it's not a real recumbent.)

(Giant Revive --
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/030.000.000/030.000.000.asp?bikesection=8828&lYear=2003 )

But, it felt pretty comfy, handled nicely, and was WAY easy to set-up (adjust seat position, handle
bars, etc.) I would have to agree that they may have come up with something along the lines of an
ultimate comfort bike.

Reportedly going for around $700? Seems fair to me. Heavy though, 37 pounds. A good bike to
recommend to folks who just wanna cruise around. And since it looks goofier than most of our 'bents,
maybe it'll draw some of the flack from the roadies.

Sj

 

I rode one around a parking lot today. I thought it was very nice. I think that the seat needs to be
tilted up quite a bit.

I am spoiled by my M5 seat and head rest. If your back isn't wrecked, the Revive is worth a look.
--
Bill "Pop Pop" Patterson Retired and riding my Linear, my front drive low racer and our M5 tandem.

See some Bikes At:

http://home.earthlink.net/~wm.patterson/index.html

PC

http://www.roadkillbill.com/r135.html

Class and Helicopter

http://www.calpoly.edu/~wpatters/

Reply to [email protected]

 

On Sat, 22 Mar 2003 04:12:42 GMT, Bill Patterson <[email protected]> wrote:

>I rode one around a parking lot today. I thought it was very nice. I think that the seat needs to
>be tilted up quite a bit.
>
>I am spoiled by my M5 seat and head rest. If your back isn't wrecked, the Revive is worth a look.

I took a Revive for a test-spin a couple of days ago. I really like the upright yet relaxed position
it offers. I also just love the bike's cool styling. While test-riding it, I found myself getting
lots of oohs and ahhs and attention from people on the street - in other words, the reception was
overwhelmingly positive.

I do have a few doubts: The handling seems a bit twitchy - does this have something to do with the
Revive's small tires and semi-recumbent design?

I also found my legs got really sore after powering up a small hill - this is probably due to not
having ridden any kind of bike for a long time and also not having developed the muscle groups that
bent riders are supposed to - or is it?

On balance I liked the bike more than disliked it. I wish the Revive had a bigger, cushier seat like
the BikeE does - the stock seat is a tad harder than I would like. Interestingly, the sales girl in
the bike shop told me that Giant manufactured bikes for BikeE. When BikeE went bankrupt, Giant took
what they learned from making BikeE's and invested the knowledge in the Revive.

The bike is certainly more comfortable than my LandGear diamond-frame hybrid, a bike I bought three
years ago and gave up riding because my 40 year-old bones and knees can't hack riding around on a
conventional DF type bike anymore.

I'd love to buy something like a HP Velotechnik or a Cannondale, but these are way out of my price
range. I figure if the Revive isn't the bike for me, then I'll have to try homebuilding a recumbent
- even though I have no welding tools and no training in welding!

Steve

 

[email protected] wrote: [...]
> I'd love to buy something like a HP Velotechnik or a Cannondale, but these are way out of my price
> range. I figure if the Revive isn't the bike for me, then I'll have to try homebuilding a
> recumbent - even though I have no welding tools and no training in welding!
[...]

The Rans Fusion might be in the same price range as the Revive, and it does have a large seat.
Also consider the EZ-1 bikes from Easy Racers/J&B. I think I recently saw used on on the net
somewhere for $350.

John Riley

 

I tried a Vision Thoroughbred yesterday. Similar geometry, but a simple, conventional-looking
design. Extremely comfortable, shock-mounted seat. I'm going to get one for my wife - she's not much
of a rider and liked the feeling of being able to hit the brakes and put her feet on the ground at
any time, without being pitched forward. If I were peddling short hops around an urban core, college
campus etc I think I'd ride something like this.

 

On Sat, 22 Mar 2003 11:01:30 GMT, John Riley <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>
>[email protected] wrote: [...]
>> I'd love to buy something like a HP Velotechnik or a Cannondale, but these are way out of my
>> price range. I figure if the Revive isn't the bike for me, then I'll have to try homebuilding a
>> recumbent - even though I have no welding tools and no training in welding!
>[...]
>
>The Rans Fusion might be in the same price range as the Revive, and it does have a large seat. Also
>consider the EZ-1 bikes from Easy Racers/J&B. I think I recently saw used on on the net somewhere
>for $350.

I went to Toronto today to check out the only bike shop (that I know of, anyway) in my part of
Ontario that sells recumbent bikes and trikes.

They had an Easy Racers EZ-1 Super Cruzer available for test-ride as well as the trike version of
the same bike. There was also a HP Velotechnik, an Optima Hopper as well as a Ligfietsen M5 City
Mate folding recumbent.

Surprisingly, the Velotechnik was a mixed bag. It handled well, but the high angle of the crank left
me feeling kind of scrunched up, even with the seat set back a little bit, and the seat felt
reclined too far back for my taste.

The M5 was nicer still, but my legs felt a bit hyper-extended, such that the bottoms of my feet were
hurting slightly with each crank of the pedals.

The best of the bunch, for my purposes anyway, was the EZ-1. The gel seat seemed to do as well
damping bumps as the suspension on the Velotechnik did. The EZ-1 was definitely superior to the
Giant Revive in terms of comfort and ease of use. Where I had to fiddle quite a bit with the Revive
to get sort-of- comfortable, I found I took to the EZ-1 fairly quickly and naturally. Interestingly,
I found myself riding faster on the EZ-1 than with any of the other bikes.

When comparing the Revive and the EZ-1, I have to say that I concur with someone else who posted to
this newsgroup saying that the Revive seems to offer the worst attributes of both conventional
diamond-frame bikes and recumbents. On the other hand, the Revive is one cool looking bike while the
EZ-1 is $200.00 cheaper.

There was one thing I found disconcerting about all of the recumbents, particularly the EZ-1 - the
relatively long wheelbase and small tires conspire to make the handling a bit twitchy and handling
tight turns a bit ponderous. Maybe I'm just not used to the way recumbents handle and so notice the
handling characteristics more.

Finally, the EZ-1 trike was interesting. It was initially hard getting started with it - it seemed
like it wouldn't go where I pointed it, and wobbled a bit. I finally figured the handling out and
was on my way. The trike is slower than its two-wheeled counterpart, and the wobbling does become
noticeable if you try to go fast.

Now if f I can just sell my LandGear 21-speed diamond frame bike for a half-decent price. I bought
it new in the summer of 2000 and rode it twice. My middle-aged body and knees just can't hack the
demands a DF imposes anymore!

Steve

 

[email protected] wrote:
>
> ... Surprisingly, the Velotechnik was a mixed bag....

Spirit, Wavey, Street Machine GT, or Speedmachine? (I would guess the Spirit is the bike being
discussed.)

> ... The best of the bunch, for my purposes anyway, was the EZ-1. The gel seat seemed to do as well
> damping bumps as the suspension on the Velotechnik did. The EZ-1 was definitely superior to the
> Giant Revive in terms of comfort and ease of use. Where I had to fiddle quite a bit with the
> Revive to get sort-of- comfortable, I found I took to the EZ-1 fairly quickly and naturally.
> Interestingly, I found myself riding faster on the EZ-1 than with any of the other bikes....

> There was one thing I found disconcerting about all of the recumbents, particularly the EZ-1 - the
> relatively long wheelbase and small tires conspire to make the handling a bit twitchy and handling
> tight turns a bit ponderous. Maybe I'm just not used to the way recumbents handle and so notice
> the handling characteristics more....

Steve,

There is nothing wrong with the EZ-1 SC, especially when its price is taken into consideration.
While it is not a performance bike, it works very well for its intended uses.

Upright bicycle riders are used to supporting a significant portion of their body weight with their
arms. Often they have problems riding recumbents at first since they apply too much force to the
handlebars and/or pull on the bars - either action will to over-controlling the bike.

My suggestion is to hold the handgrips with just the thumb and forefinger until one becomes used to
the lighter control forces required on a recumbent bicycle compared to an upright.

Tom Sherman - Various HPV's Quad Cities USA (Illinois side)

 

> I went to Toronto today to check out the only bike shop (that I know of, anyway) in my part of
> Ontario that sells recumbent bikes and trikes.<snip>

If you say which shop you went to- area people can direct you to more stores. I know of at least
three Toronto shops that have bents as well as more shops in southern Ontario. I am also aware of
various owners who are very easygoing about trying their bikes/trikes.

 

> On balance I liked the bike more than disliked it. I wish the Revive had a bigger, cushier seat
> like the BikeE does - the stock seat is a tad harder than I would like.

I seen the biggest, cushiest cruiser type seat at a local bike shop the other day which would
probably work on this bike. I kid you not, it's almost as big as the seat bottom off a RANS. I
believe it sells for $50. Just a thought to anyone who purchases a Revive and wants a more
comfortable seat.

Edward Wong Orlando, FL

 

Jay wrote:
>
> > I went to Toronto today to check out the only bike shop (that I know of, anyway) in my part of
> > Ontario that sells recumbent bikes and trikes.<snip>
>
> If you say which shop you went to- area people can direct you to more stores. I know of at least
> three Toronto shops that have bents as well as more shops in southern Ontario. I am also aware of
> various owners who are very easygoing about trying their bikes/trikes.

Sounds like he went to Urbane Cyclist downtown. There is also Bicycle Spokesman in Richmond Hill.
But for the price, the EZ-1 is hard to beat.

John Riley

 

in article [email protected], John Riley at [email protected] wrote on
3/23/03 7:00 AM:

>
>
> Jay wrote:
>>
>>> I went to Toronto today to check out the only bike shop (that I know of, anyway) in my part of
>>> Ontario that sells recumbent bikes and trikes.<snip>
>>
>> If you say which shop you went to- area people can direct you to more stores. I know of at least
>> three Toronto shops that have bents as well as more shops in southern Ontario. I am also aware of
>> various owners who are very easygoing about trying their bikes/trikes.
>
> Sounds like he went to Urbane Cyclist downtown. There is also Bicycle Spokesman in Richmond Hill.
> But for the price, the EZ-1 is hard to beat.

I was also thinking of Triketrails, which had at least four bent trikes last time I spoke to them.

 

> Steve,
>
> There is nothing wrong with the EZ-1 SC, especially when its price is taken into consideration.
> While it is not a performance bike, it works very well for its intended uses.
>
> Upright bicycle riders are used to supporting a significant portion of their body weight with
> their arms. Often they have problems riding recumbents at first since they apply too much force to
> the handlebars and/or pull on the bars - either action will to over-controlling the bike.
>
> My suggestion is to hold the handgrips with just the thumb and forefinger until one becomes used
> to the lighter control forces required on a recumbent bicycle compared to an upright.
>
> Tom Sherman - Various HPV's Quad Cities USA (Illinois side)

I just finished the 7 day bike florida tour with my EZ-1 SC and was very pleased with the handling
and agree with keeping a light touch on the grips. When one factors in the reasonable cost of the
EZ-1 it definately is a winner. I am new to bents with only 800 miles on this bike and this first
tour was made possible because i am now riding a bent.

peter m spirito

 

On Sun, 23 Mar 2003 09:54:39 -0500, Jay <[email protected]> wrote:

>in article [email protected], John Riley at [email protected] wrote on
>3/23/03 7:00 AM:
>
>>
>>
>> Jay wrote:
>>>
>>>> I went to Toronto today to check out the only bike shop (that I know of, anyway) in my part of
>>>> Ontario that sells recumbent bikes and trikes.<snip>
>>>
>>> If you say which shop you went to- area people can direct you to more stores. I know of at least
>>> three Toronto shops that have bents as well as more shops in southern Ontario. I am also aware
>>> of various owners who are very easygoing about trying their bikes/trikes.
>>
>> Sounds like he went to Urbane Cyclist downtown. There is also Bicycle Spokesman in Richmond Hill.
>> But for the price, the EZ-1 is hard to beat.
>
>I was also thinking of Triketrails, which had at least four bent trikes last time I spoke to them.

I went to Triketrails in Whitby, and yes, they did have at least four bent trikes of differing types
available. It's a well-run shop run by nice people.

I just have to sell my existing DF-type bike first, and I may well be paying them a visit!

Steve

 

Have U tried selling your DF on TBN?
------------------------------------
<[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> On Sun, 23 Mar 2003 09:54:39 -0500, Jay <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >in article [email protected], John Riley at
[email protected]
> >wrote on 3/23/03 7:00 AM:
> >
> >>
> >>
> >> Jay wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> I went to Toronto today to check out the only bike shop (that I know of, anyway) in my part
> >>>> of Ontario that sells recumbent bikes and trikes.<snip>
> >>>
> >>> If you say which shop you went to- area people can direct you to more stores. I know of at
> >>> least three Toronto shops that have bents as well as more
shops
> >>> in southern Ontario. I am also aware of various owners who are very easygoing about trying
their
> >>> bikes/trikes.
> >>
> >> Sounds like he went to Urbane Cyclist downtown. There is also Bicycle Spokesman in Richmond
> >> Hill. But for the price, the EZ-1 is hard to
beat.
> >
> >I was also thinking of Triketrails, which had at least four bent trikes
last
> >time I spoke to them.
>
> I went to Triketrails in Whitby, and yes, they did have at least four bent trikes of differing
> types available. It's a well-run shop run by nice people.
>
> I just have to sell my existing DF-type bike first, and I may well be paying them a visit!
>
>
> Steve

 

On Sun, 23 Mar 2003 20:06:32 -0500, "Joshua Goldberg" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Have U tried selling your DF on TBN?
>------------------------------------

Erm, what's "TBN"?

Steve

 

Toronto Bicycling Network TBN http://www.tbn.on.ca Free Classifieds for DFs and bents, go to TBN
Message Boards and then Buy & Sell (about 420 bikes & components now listed)
-------------------------------------------------
<[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> On Sun, 23 Mar 2003 20:06:32 -0500, "Joshua Goldberg" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Have U tried selling your DF on TBN?
> >------------------------------------
>
> Erm, what's "TBN"?
>
>
> Steve

 

>>>>> I went to Toronto today to check out the only bike shop (that I know of, anyway) in my part of
>>>>> Ontario that sells recumbent bikes and trikes.<snip>
>>>>
>>>> If you say which shop you went to- area people can direct you to more stores. I know of at
>>>> least three Toronto shops that have bents as well as more shops in southern Ontario. I am also
>>>> aware of various owners who are very easygoing about trying their bikes/trikes.
>>>
>>> Sounds like he went to Urbane Cyclist downtown. There is also Bicycle Spokesman in Richmond
>>> Hill. But for the price, the EZ-1 is hard to beat.
>>
>> I was also thinking of Triketrails, which had at least four bent trikes last time I spoke
>> to them.
>
> I went to Triketrails in Whitby, and yes, they did have at least four bent trikes of differing
> types available. It's a well-run shop run by nice people.
>
> I just have to sell my existing DF-type bike first, and I may well be paying them a visit!

If you are patient and money is an issue you could buy used. Online sources are one option. For
local used recumbents, Recumbent Cycling Ontario has a For Sale/Bents Wanted area
http://www.hpv.on.ca/buyand.htm Or do as I have and have a "standing order" with local homebuilders
and bike stores- " you have a used bent for sale- call me"

One more option- there is a loosely organized group of homebuilders in the region. If you want
contact info to join local lists or to get someone to help you build- let me know.

 

37 pounds?? my trike weighs less than that!

On 21 Mar 2003 17:03:59 -0800, [email protected] (Seth Jayson) wrote:

>Road one of these at the Chicago bike show. (Yes, I know it's not a real recumbent.)
>
>(Giant Revive --
>http://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/030.000.000/030.000.000.asp?bikesection=8828&lYear=2003 )
>
>
>But, it felt pretty comfy, handled nicely, and was WAY easy to set-up (adjust seat position, handle
>bars, etc.) I would have to agree that they may have come up with something along the lines of an
>ultimate comfort bike.
>
>Reportedly going for around $700? Seems fair to me. Heavy though, 37 pounds. A good bike to
>recommend to folks who just wanna cruise around. And since it looks goofier than most of our
>'bents, maybe it'll draw some of the flack from the roadies.
>
>Sj

 

Steve Nobody No matter what kind of bike you ride, whether it be DF or bent all your power has to go
through your knees. I guess you know that. The best advice that I can give you on that issue is to
not to press on the pedals so hard and run a couple of gears lower than you are currently using. You
should be able to ride at 14 mph in your middle ring in a middle (18-21) cog. Dave

[email protected] wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I took a Revive for a test-spin a couple of days ago. I really like the upright yet relaxed
> position it offers. I also just love the bike's cool styling. While test-riding it, I found myself
> getting lots of oohs and ahhs and attention from people on the street - in other words, the
> reception was overwhelmingly positive.
>
> I do have a few doubts: The handling seems a bit twitchy - does this have something to do with the
> Revive's small tires and semi-recumbent design?
>
> I also found my legs got really sore after powering up a small hill - this is probably due to not
> having ridden any kind of bike for a long time and also not having developed the muscle groups
> that bent riders are supposed to - or is it?
>
> On balance I liked the bike more than disliked it. I wish the Revive had a bigger, cushier seat
> like the BikeE does - the stock seat is a tad harder than I would like. Interestingly, the sales
> girl in the bike shop told me that Giant manufactured bikes for BikeE. When BikeE went bankrupt,
> Giant took what they learned from making BikeE's and invested the knowledge in the Revive.
>
> The bike is certainly more comfortable than my LandGear diamond-frame hybrid, a bike I bought
> three years ago and gave up riding because my 40 year-old bones and knees can't hack riding around
> on a conventional DF type bike anymore.
>
> I'd love to buy something like a HP Velotechnik or a Cannondale, but these are way out of my price
> range. I figure if the Revive isn't the bike for me, then I'll have to try homebuilding a
> recumbent - even though I have no welding tools and no training in welding!
>
> Steve

 

> I took a Revive for a test-spin a couple of days ago. I really like the upright yet relaxed
> position it offers. I also just love the bike's cool styling. While test-riding it, I found myself
> getting lots of oohs and ahhs and attention from people on the street - in other words, the
> reception was overwhelmingly positive.
>
> I do have a few doubts: The handling seems a bit twitchy - does this have something to do with the
> Revive's small tires and semi-recumbent design?
>
> I also found my legs got really sore after powering up a small hill - this is probably due to not
> having ridden any kind of bike for a long time and also not having developed the muscle groups
> that bent riders are supposed to - or is it?
>
> On balance I liked the bike more than disliked it. I wish the Revive had a bigger, cushier seat
> like the BikeE does - the stock seat is a tad harder than I would like. Interestingly, the sales
> girl in the bike shop told me that Giant manufactured bikes for BikeE. When BikeE went bankrupt,
> Giant took what they learned from making BikeE's and invested the knowledge in the Revive.

Even though it's a bit more money, the Healthrider Scootie seems like another good alternative to
consider. It is a 7 speed variant of the very highly regarded Scooterbike.

http://www.iconfitness.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prmenbr=979&prrfnbr=249169&cgrf-
nbr=248271

You may need to "re-assemble" the link onto your browser's address box if it's not entirely
underlined.

Edward Wong Orlando, FL