Bacchetta Cafe recumbent bicycle for sale

[Dingham]

On the For Sale forum https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=120973.0

[mr ben]

Thanks to Dingham I have been tempted over to the dark side...so far I've managed to pootle along a flat largely traffic free road, including aiming (successfully) for the gaps in the annoying speed bumps, and going round some corners.  By the end of maybe an hour I was really enjoying myself.   Now to find some more varied terrain.  I can see hill starts are going to be a challenge!  Off to scour this corner of the forum to benefit from your collected wisdom.

[McWheels]

Another convert! Great news.

Secondly, what have done with it since you got it? Photos please.

[ElyDave]

The first ever recumbent I rode was a Bachetta, I crashed it at ludicrous speed, and I was hooked. 

[mr ben]

I haven't really ventured onto public roads yet, here we are on the towpath:

I thought I'd more or less got the hang of starting off (on the flat at least), but I went out for a little practice last night and was struggling so ended up getting frustrated at myself, which was then a vicious circle as wasn't very relaxed, which I know I need to be to start.  I suspect more frequent practice would help, which after the next week or so of non-cycling related life stuff (who knew?) should be possible.
As a shy introvert I am not really enjoying all the attention!

Sorry if the image isn't working...I can only blame my somewhat neglected website, where it is hosted.

[fd3]

When I learnt to ride my SPM I had newborn twins and would get out for 10 mins every few weeks/months.  I really struggled to figure out how to ride the damned thing, but I also found that multiple attempts, even short time with a long period between attempts, helped with learning to ride the thing.  It's a muscle memory/spinal thinking thing so I think if you spend more time and start thinking about it you stop actually learning how to do it.

[Kim]

Reckon on at least a couple of hundred miles to get properly confident if you've not ridden a recumbent before, but you should get the hang of starting and stopping relatively quickly with practice.  I can't imagine the prospect of doing a Basil into the canal helps with the stress levels.

The attention is, unfortunately, an occupational hazard.  At least half of it is good-natured, if frequently unoriginal.  All things being equal, I'd rather that people  a) stare at me than drive into me  and   b) shout 'witty' remarks about the bike rather than sexist or homophobic comments.

[Lightning Phil]

Wow, impressed with rake of that fork. I’m sure you’ll pick up the stop / start soon enough and no longer need to think about it.

[ElyDave]

in my experience, the trick is not stopping/starting, more the trick of stopping/starting AND getting into the right gear for the next phase all without thinking.

I'll let you know when I get there

[mr ben]

Well I don’t have anything like the excuse of newborn twins! Yeah I am probably over-thinking it. I caught myself weaving pretty well to avoid some broken glass when I wasn’t paying attention. I have a bit of a psychological block with setting off on my upright too, which I think has come from some knee pain and losing confidence being able to ride out of the saddle.

Phil I know what you mean about the fork, it does look a bit odd but it also appears to have come like that!

I wasn’t too worried about falling in to the canal as it would at least be a soft landing!  If a messy one. You are right Kim, I have only had positive comments and not (yet) been called a ‘fucking poof’ (amazing how they can tell from one’s lane position

Thanks all for the encouragement. 

[Mr Larrington]

Wow, impressed with rake of that fork. I’m sure you’ll pick up the stop / start soon enough and no longer need to think about it.

'tis often A Thing with ASS LWB bikes.  Slack head angle and loadsa rake so the handlebars are not in a different postal district from the seat.