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Well, I ended up buying the bike in Soquel, which was a Tour Easy from about 15 years ago... it was in excellent shape, fully equipped, and it was a steal at $600. Even if it didn't work out for me, I figured, it was a good investment, since I could probably sell it at a modest profit.
After a few wobbly trips, though, I think I'm getting the hang of it quickly. It fits me well, and it flexes my knee only to the limit of its comfortable range... if I can keep a 100-degree flex in my knee, I'll be fine. I'll start out by taking it between the parking garage and Hutchison, and maybe across campus... then into town a bit later, to ensure I'm ok with traffic and the streets... and after I've built up some stamina, I'll try the trip out to FPS and back.
It's been a while since I've been in the saddle, and this bike requires so much more of the thigh muscles (all of them, nearly) than an upright bike. I used to feel it in my calves on the cruiser, but not with this one. It'll take working up to long trips, definitely. I'm getting flashbacks of using the recumbent exercycles at the gym. :)
It's such a cool bike, though. Black, with a nice solid vinyl seat that provides a full back. And it flies when it's in the right gear. Wow, I love it. It even fits into my car without a fuss, after removing both quick-release wheels. The sole hassle there is that the back brakes aren't quick-release as well, but when they're properly adjusted, it's easy to get the tire past them anyway. After a bit of practice, it shouldn't take me more than five minutes to pull it out and assemble it at the train station. Though getting it on the train may require removing the wheels again to reduce the 7' length...
It came with a cupholder on the front, and a good luggage rack, and even a cat's-eye headlight. I may want to change the handlebars for a wider version -- one where my hands are a little further apart than shoulder-width for better control -- but otherwise it's perfect. I need to change out the tubes as a precaution, and I've already adjusted the back brake which was too tight; after that it's road-ready. Oh, and I should get a flag for visibility. I have a D-lock (my spare) and a cable lock my dad lent me, though I ought to buy another so I can give his back soon.
Future project: a removable rain-canopy made from flexible plastic rods and light waterproof material. :)
Now I just have to figure out what to name it.
Edit: The more I think about it, the more I like "Lunokhod". If for no other reason than the multiple people who thought I was loony to buy a recumbent at all. :)
After a few wobbly trips, though, I think I'm getting the hang of it quickly. It fits me well, and it flexes my knee only to the limit of its comfortable range... if I can keep a 100-degree flex in my knee, I'll be fine. I'll start out by taking it between the parking garage and Hutchison, and maybe across campus... then into town a bit later, to ensure I'm ok with traffic and the streets... and after I've built up some stamina, I'll try the trip out to FPS and back.
It's been a while since I've been in the saddle, and this bike requires so much more of the thigh muscles (all of them, nearly) than an upright bike. I used to feel it in my calves on the cruiser, but not with this one. It'll take working up to long trips, definitely. I'm getting flashbacks of using the recumbent exercycles at the gym. :)
It's such a cool bike, though. Black, with a nice solid vinyl seat that provides a full back. And it flies when it's in the right gear. Wow, I love it. It even fits into my car without a fuss, after removing both quick-release wheels. The sole hassle there is that the back brakes aren't quick-release as well, but when they're properly adjusted, it's easy to get the tire past them anyway. After a bit of practice, it shouldn't take me more than five minutes to pull it out and assemble it at the train station. Though getting it on the train may require removing the wheels again to reduce the 7' length...
It came with a cupholder on the front, and a good luggage rack, and even a cat's-eye headlight. I may want to change the handlebars for a wider version -- one where my hands are a little further apart than shoulder-width for better control -- but otherwise it's perfect. I need to change out the tubes as a precaution, and I've already adjusted the back brake which was too tight; after that it's road-ready. Oh, and I should get a flag for visibility. I have a D-lock (my spare) and a cable lock my dad lent me, though I ought to buy another so I can give his back soon.
Future project: a removable rain-canopy made from flexible plastic rods and light waterproof material. :)
Now I just have to figure out what to name it.
Edit: The more I think about it, the more I like "Lunokhod". If for no other reason than the multiple people who thought I was loony to buy a recumbent at all. :)
