Land Rider Autoshifting Cycle

[Dunleyg]

Hi all, I have seen on TV and the Web a "new" bike called the LandRider. It seems like a average bike in quality but has a "autoshifting" derailer that uses weights and flywheels to keep you in the "right" gear. Does anyone have one, or seen one in action? Any chance someone has read or could write a review? The website http://www.lrbikes.com is strangely absent of details. In fact the web site seems more like a ad for a "propel potato peeler (As seen on TV)" than a web site for a professional bike. Thanks

 

[kaikane]

The only thing I've noticed is that there seems to be ALOT of them for sale on ebay.

 

[dgregory57]

I have been seeing their infomercials for at least a few years, and have yet to see one on the road... So they must have a really high profit margin built in to keep paying for the TV time. Either that, or garages are full of them.

I think it would interrupt my ride to have my bike decide that I need to be in a different gear when I am cruising along comfortably.

EDIT:

Also, when I see the infomercial, the riders are all riding at a pretty low cadence, so I find myself wondering if the derailleur is adjustable to allow me to pedal at 85 RPM like I like, instead of the 50-60 that they seem to be set for...

 

[Biker506]

Hello, We have been biking for a number of years and about 8 years ago we bought two of the Landrider bikes for around $400.00 each. The first couple of years they worked pretty well for us but the maintenance on the bikes is getting very difficult, For one thing they have a proprietary belt that you can only get from Landrider/ When these small belts break there is no shifting at all, at a price of about $20.00 including shipping. These small belts must be replaced every couple of years, also my wife's bikes flywheel, the part that autoshifts the bike has worn out which means the bike does not shift at all either. You can replace the whole assembly for $52.00 including shipping. More work involved and money. The autoshift on my bike does not shift at all but the derailleur (flywheel) seems to be working properly but the bike will not shift. I have replaced my Landrider Bike with a used aluminum framed bike which shifts like a dream and is 1/3 the weight. We are talking to the local bike shop to see if they can replace the Landrider autoshift assembly with a regular bike Derailleur. The bikes are heavy as a tank, but my wife does like the height of the handlebars and the height of the seat and frame so we hope we can make some changes so we can use the bike once again.

 

[Biker506]

I have been biking for years and did buy a couple of landriders for my wife and I about 8 years ago. It seemed like in the beginning they shifted okay but the older they get the more problems we are having with the bikes. Now after years of adjusting, changing belts, adjusting and cleaning and lubeing. Our bikes are both just plain worn out, or at least the shifting mechanism is. Neither one of them is shifting and take it from a soon to be former Landrider Bike owner. We are about finished with them. They gave us a good couple of years but I went with a 21 speed aluminum framed bike that shifts like a dream. If you need to know anything about the Landrider bike just let me know what your question is!!!

 

[kdelong]

A Friend of mine bought a Landrider several years ago. She rode it a total of 8 times before she pulled her old Trek out of retirement. The Landrider is extremely heavy. It was heavy enough that it was difficult to put it on the bike rack on her car. It is made of straight gage high tensile steel. There is no over ride for the auto shift if you want to spin in an easier gear for awhile. Her auto shift tended to stick in a single gear when the bike was under load which was not good on hills. No down shifting to be had. She ended up walking up more hills than she rode. Basically this is a cheap bike with the gimmick of a rather expensive auto shift mechanism to try and make it appealing. Note that the website does not give you any specifications such as the material that the bike is made of or the make of the wheels or brakes or any of the other components.

 

[Biker506]

The link above is a computer infomercial for Landrider Bikes, You wouldn't expect any negative comments there because it is sponsored by the Landrider Company. They would be good product if they were: Lighter, and their autoshift tecnology was more durable. One problem is on windy days you breeze along with the wind but on the return trip against the wind the bike becomes rather hard to pedal. The little rubber belt either breaks, slips or the derailleur goes out of adjustment and the bike stops autoshifting. They are very heavy and they are very hard to lift for an older person. Forget about getting them up on a rooftop carrier!!

 

[anddelt]

I am asking more for help here than I am commenting on the Landrider. My wife had a stroke in 1995 that left her without much use of her right hand. She can hold on to a bike handle bar but nothing else. We bought her an Autobike and it has served her very well until this year. She would go for short rides every other week or so when it was good riding weather.

She would like to purchase another bike with automatic shifting. We have looked at the Land Rider and the Nirve Ultraliner. Would there be a preference between the two? Are they both considered bad?

Any suggestions?

 

[oldbobcat]

Originally Posted by anddelt .

My wife had a stroke in 1995 that left her without much use of her right hand. She can hold on to a bike handle bar but nothing else.

We've switched over many bikes with internally geared hubs to left-hand shifting. The numbers on the detents are upside-down but it doesn't take long for most people to learn shifting by feel.

 

[JanetJ25]

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND DO NOT BUY THIS BIKE. My husband and I purchased two of them after seeing the commercial about them. I received my bike in a timely manner. But a week later, my husbands bike still had not arrived. I phoned them for three days and go the same excuse from Debbie that "Karen" the customer service supervisor was working on where my husband's bike was and that I would get a call. Three days later no call and I called and got the same excuse, was transferred to Karens voice mail and she never returned my call. I called back and told them I would call the attorney generals office if I did not hear back to the status of the bike. No phone call again. I called back and asked for Karen's supervisor and "Debbie" pretended she did not have that information, that Karen was the only one she knew to send me to, and then hung up on me. To make a long story short, I called back EIGHT more times, was accused of cussing out people at Landrider, however, I was smart enough to be recording the conversations. I did not curse at anyone but was forceful at trying to collect the name and number of Karens supervisor. I was finally told "they weren't allowed to give out that information, only Karen"

So, I called and asked to speak to billing, lo and behold "Debbie" is also the billing department. I asked her to pull up my account and credit us not only for the undelivered bike but also for my bike that had been delivered and asked for them to arrange to have it picked up as my husband and I both wanted to same bike. She told me that she "had done her job" and that if I didn't understand that, to call someone who could." That's what I was trying to do,but they wouldn't give me the info. She also told me that I would have to pay to return my bike and I told her that I was not going to do that. She promptly hung up on me for the 7th time today.

Needless to say, this is not how you handle customer service, especially when there is a legitimate concern that I have been charged for two $500+ bikes and only received one. Nobody there seems to care or want to help. So a word to the wise, DO NOT DEAL WITH THIS COMPANY.

 

[alienator]

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND DO NOT BUY THIS BIKE. My husband and I purchased two of them after seeing the commercial about them. I received my bike in a timely manner. But a week later, my husbands bike still had not arrived. I phoned them for three days and go the same excuse from Debbie that "Karen" the customer service supervisor was working on where my husband's bike was and that I would get a call. Three days later no call and I called and got the same excuse, was transferred to Karens voice mail and she never returned my call. I called back and told them I would call the attorney generals office if I did not hear back to the status of the bike. No phone call again. I called back and asked for Karen's supervisor and "Debbie" pretended she did not have that information, that Karen was the only one she knew to send me to, and then hung up on me. To make a long story short, I called back EIGHT more times, was accused of cussing out people at Landrider, however, I was smart enough to be recording the conversations. I did not curse at anyone but was forceful at trying to collect the name and number of Karens supervisor. I was finally told "they weren't allowed to give out that information, only Karen" So, I called and asked to speak to billing, lo and behold "Debbie" is also the billing department. I asked her to pull up my account and credit us not only for the undelivered bike but also for my bike that had been delivered and asked for them to arrange to have it picked up as my husband and I both wanted to same bike. She told me that she "had done her job" and that if I didn't understand that, to call someone who could." That's what I was trying to do,but they wouldn't give me the info. She also told me that I would have to pay to return my bike and I told her that I was not going to do that. She promptly hung up on me for the 7th time today. Needless to say, this is not how you handle customer service, especially when there is a legitimate concern that I have been charged for two $500+ bikes and only received one. Nobody there seems to care or want to help. So a word to the wise, DO NOT DEAL WITH THIS COMPANY.

I can't say I'm surprised. Infomercials are not exactly credible sources of factual information about a product or the company marketing that product.

 

[oldbobcat]

Originally Posted by Biker506 .

They gave us a good couple of years but I went with a 21 speed aluminum framed bike that shifts like a dream. If you need to know anything about the Landrider bike just let me know what your question is!!!

You said it better than anyone else could. Thanks for your informative, authoritative post.

 

[MikeonBike25]

I have a Landrider bike and the problem I have is just what you mentioned. You can pedal like mad on the bike trail and be passed up by 70 year old grandmas talking on their cell phones! There needs to be a lower gear for flat terrain so you can generate some speed with less pedaling.

 

[karryuunf]

I need to be in a different gear when I am cruising along comfortably