Give up or go Bent?

[Kim]

My suggestion would be not to spend vast amounts of money on your dream audax bike for your first 'bent.  Get something second-hand and well-behaved (which means it'll likely be touringish by default), and put some miles in.  That'll give you a far better idea of what you do and don't want than anything you read on the internet, and means you'll have some decent recumbent skills when you do upgrade to something a bit more awkward (be it low-speed handling, or ease of getting a foot down or whatever).

[ElyDave]

+1 ^^

I had a n ICE B2 as my first recumbent, heavy, low geared, twin 26" wheels as a "high" style i.e. perched up on top of the wheels.  I also ran it with twin 700c wheels, but that was absolutely on the limit of my getting a foot down.

I rode that for a year, then built myself the M5 low racer last year, with twin 700C wheels, where I can get a foot down easily, and a hand in an emergency. A year later I'd say I'm getting used to the handling of that, which is quite different, to the extent that I am now able to take a bottle out of a cage on the move, I'm reasonably adept in traffic, and I can now do a stop/start at a right hand uphill T junction without a panic.

[Blodwyn Pig]

In your quest for lightweight, 'rocket sled' machines, would I be right in thinking they have straight bladed forks? before you give up altogether, please try a classic steel lightweight bike, with radius forks and  a quill stem. (borrow one) I do believe you will be converted.  Good luck.

[strathy]

Do plenty of core exercises and change stem for one that raises your bars 3 or 4 inches higher than your saddle, looks wierd, but works for me with a prolapsing disc.
Older backs don,t bend as well as younger ones, and sloppy core muscles put more weight on your hands.