I had a Bacchetta Giro. I traded it for a Bacchetta Bella. It's just long enough that my heels won't hit the front wheel if I turn sharply while pedaling. The Giro is a little simpler design, thus stiffer and nicer looking to my eye. The Bella has more comfort, and for me, a better riding position The SWB Bacchetta Giro 20 has the "straight" design you didn't like in the video, but that gives the most stiff and light frame. I thought the Bella seat is more comfortable. The Giro's steering was also twitchy for my taste. It looked the coolest, though, with the 20" wheel in front (they also make one with both wheels at 26"), an aluminum frame and bright yellow paint. Everything involves a trade-off!
The Bachetta is a great bike. With lwb bikes and most recumbents, they can be easily moved by tipping them vertical on the rear wheel and grabbing the seat back like a wheelbarrow. LWB's and the classic small front wheel SWB recumbent are my recommendations for city riding due to viability and maneuverability. While not suited for city riding, the Troxy ZR should be a great commuter for long commutes. Low aero drag is VERY practical. Commuted on a Performer High Racer for may years which has a similarly race focused layout. Note, my favorite "bag" is to fit the seat with a hook and run a Dutch style full coverage rear fender. Lets you hang any bag with a handle off the back. (including grocery bags and backpacks)
American bikes lack the engineering sophistication of their German cousins, but the Bella's a long wheelbase, cushioned seat and large rear wheel go a long way to make up for the lack of suspension. Of course I would like to see them add it -- at least at the seat.
I've been looking at the Cruzbike Q45 with suspension and all forward chain drive. Have you compared it to other recumbents yet? I enjoyed your comparisons.
@@SmallWheelWonder The Cruzbike V20 is the fastest bike on the road (no faring). The Q45 is a good off-road/on-road touring bike. Nothing "awkward" about it and "ugly" is to each his own.
I have a Cruzbike v40 here in the UK. It’s a nice bike but being front wheel drive, hard to ride in a straight line, especially uphill. Pretty unnerving on busy,narrow UK roads. Much nicer on traffic free bike lanes.
@@tufty7026 I think you mean S40 or V20. They don't make a V40. The coordination on the CruzBikes get much better with experience. I've been riding them since 2016 and I feel like I can ride them as well as a DF bike.
@@SmallWheelWonder You can't really compare a Q45 with e.g. a Toxy SpeedMachine . It is like comparing a touring bike with a time trial bike, it just doesn't make sense. The best recumbent bikes is already problematic, since it all depends on why you want to have one in the first place and what you plan on doing with it. If you want to go on a world cycling tour, the Toxy Speed Machine is super awkward and 100% unfit :P
At the last segment of video, the fast yellow bike, what kind of handlebars is that? I tried googling short handlebars but got nothing. I'm new to all things recumbent. ty
Most velomobiles and racing recumbents have that narrow setup. It is not really a bar, and most of them seem to be made by the manufacturer of the bike.
How about Azub? I have an Azub Max USS full suspension with 26" wheels, Ventisit pad, and Rohloff hub. I love its comfort, aerodynamics, and solid frame construction.
The Dutch Ligfietsen M5 Carbon did not make this list because it is an ugly design with a high center of gravity. They did make an excellent velomobile (www.m5-ligfietsen.nl/uploads/randomizer/top_img2.jpg), but it is not available for purchase :-(
@@SmallWheelWonder ... interesting, I think mine's beautiful. Somewhat lavking in some areas, but light; stiff; comfortable. A pleasure to ride at speed :) Thanks for your videos btw, well constructed and interesting :)
The Sun CX Sport is roughly equivalent to the Bacchetta Bella in dimension and design with great quality at a fraction of the price. The Bacchetta medium wheelbase models are matchless in design and quality and a bargain, used.
@SmallWheelWonder I don't know. I went to look at a used rans long wheelbase, and I could squeeze the 2 lower frame rails together toward each other with one hand, and one was already bent. I realize that they served as tension rails, but I didn't like it.
You left out my favorite recumbent, the CruzBike V20 Vendetta. I can't ride any other bike. They also have other models. All are front wheel drive with standard roadbike chains and components.
@@SmallWheelWonder Again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think they look great and I prefer 26 inch wheels. Good thing we live in a capitalistic society that can provide everyone with what they want.
@@billweberx This is a small wheel channel - perhaps the only one - but I do welcome the opinions of the big wheel crowd. Like most, I also started out with full size machines before catching the small wheel bug.
Some points. Velomobiles don't fold. If you live in an apt like me then it has to fold to get it in or out. Similarly, tricycles are better with steep hills. I live in a mountains area and I can't desc the difficulty to get a bicycle going up an 15% grade if you come to a stop because it wants to go backwards or sideways such as if you to yield. So a tricycle would be better. As for weight, I have loaded my bicycle up so much than it's extremely lap sided and that if I didn't have exceptional balance form years of cycling then I couldn't drove it. Bicycles are better if you have to go on a bus, it's just easier to get out the door, transport them etc... However, now lets talk about safety. Velomobile aren't safe period on public roads as people fail to recognize on what they are and the extreme lay down position. More of a upright bicycle/tricycle are easier on the body more egro and are safer. The problem with the extreme lay down position is it's a death sentence if you get rear ended. Also lets say one gets right hook, left cross, etc... you want to get on the hood of the car vs all of the weight and force on your side. If you crash and have over seat steering then you are going to hit the pole thus breaking your leg or pelvic. Like always get underseat steering. Just my thoughts.
@@SmallWheelWonder its extremely fast and comfortable. All parts from normal bikes can be used. The high seating position is also far better in traffic. You need to rethink you opinion, you seem very biased.
Sadly most recumbent look ridiculous to the point user should wear a mask or bag over the head. The Bacchetta Bella looks the best but the cost is way too out of reason. I bought a Bike E 22 years ago new the top model for $600. Sold it years ago but just required a Bike E and loving it again. The Bella is the most similar bike to the Bike E but looks like my Bike E is still superior in every way. Majority of recumbent then and now seem to be designed by mad scientists. Hands down the Bike E is the very best recumbent ever made sadly my fellow Americans are/were too stupid to recognize that and they went out of business.
bachetta has (at least) one major downside ..... on a shopping bike you get a clear view OVER cars. with the bachetta your vision is restricted .... AND so is your visibility. EPIC FAIL imo
@@SmallWheelWonderI like the front drive and low center of gravity and profile of Roxy along with adjustable seat options on their site. Ever tried to attach a mini wheel trailer to one of these? Thinking about adding a hub drive to rear wheel and use it for cruising.
@@joepulaski2960 Never owned one, but my dream ride would be a 1000 Watt motor in the rear and a Rohloff hub in the front to cruise at 50 MPH and pass some cars ;-)
Recumbent bikes are ergonomically wrong! Here's why: Stand straight and lift one leg. Now sit down on a chair and stick one leg out horizontally. Move that stretched leg up and down and feel how much more muscle power it takes and how much more fatiguing it is compared to the vertical leg lift. Resting your feet on the bike paddles does not make any difference. Pure physiology!
Have you ever tried a recumbent? To me it sounds like you have no clue of what you are talking about. Please try a recumbent before answering my comment.
@@AlveHenricson A recumbent bike looks great, but aside from the well known advantages, it has inherent disadvantages, that maybe should be addressed. From a previous discussion, with Cory Bikes: Hi Garret, thanks for your expert facts (or opinion). You are a physicist, and I want to believe you, but we are still comparing the strain on the leg and gluteal muscles when cycling on a normal bicycle and a recumbent one. Obviously, the paddles, in both cases, give releave to the muscles, but if you do the simple test by sitting in a chair and rest your slightly stretched legs on a (slightly higher) table, you can immediately feel the extra strain on the upper and especially the lower leg muscles. Same thing happening by resting your feet on the paddles. And, mind you, this is separate from the cancelling effect that you describe with two paddles going up and down simultaneously. You still have to lift the weight of your leg muscles.This strain is considerably less when your legs are moving up and down beneath the torso on a normal bike. Just physics. As far as I am concerned, you still have some convincing to do! So, Alve, your expert opinion, please!
@@Leonardo-ql1qu So you have not tested riding a recumbent, just playing with words, are you? I on the other hand I have been riding recumbents for years all over Europe both in summer and winter, short and very long rides. Thanks to my experience I know that the body position on a recumbent bike is the only correct seating position for long and extended bike rides. And as i mentioned, please don't answer with theoretical humbug, try first a recumbent and a whole new world of possibilities will open for you, I promise. 👍🏼
It's not about the effort to raise your leg. It's about the comfort of not carrying all your weight split between your taint and wrists I can stronger over time riding in a non optimal pedaling position. But I'm not gonna ride any length of time if I'm getting sore after 15-20 minutes of sitting on a conventional bike.
