Here you go whilst still fresh in memory.
The shop is about 1.5 miles from Edinburgh Waverley station and if you've got a Brompton a perfect distance to ride across to.
Started off in shop drinking tea and discussing riding experience, a walk round and discussion of the different recumbents in the shop including Nazca tandem one (very cool looking). We talked about my Shermer's Neck back in June. He did say you had to relax on the recumbent or you may find you're tensed and the neck isn't as relaxed as it should be. We talked about potential uses of the recumbent. Asked what I'd like to try, a single model a lot or a selection. I went for a selection and decided on three, a Nazca Gaucho, Performer Saki, Nazca Fuego. I didn't want to do too many in the time available else you spend too much time swapping between them and not really getting an impression of any. I'd taken my spd shoes with me but he advised wearing my trainers
He got me sitting on the Gaucho in the shop and explained to have the brake on when you sit into the bike. If you don't do this it can roll backward and you end up falling off. A bit like cross country skis (don't lean back). Practised getting on and off the bike and applying the brake a few times as the step over is higher than you think.
Went outside and sat on the Fuego. Boom adjust to my leg length. We took the Fuego down to the close by canal. Started off on some gravel with the firmer canal cobbles to the right including the canal water. Sat on Fuego, brake on, right pedal at 12 o'clock, David holding on to the rack. Set off wobbling in various directions but upright whilst David help correct it. Told to aim at building objects in my vision, keep legs straight, small steering inputs etc. Repeated a few times till I was able to cover about 50-100m unassisted and mostly in a straight line. Then got Gaucho and repeated same exercises.
We then headed off on a technical loop to practise slow speed manoeuvres. Turning through bollards, turning left up steep hill before a very sharp left onto a cobbled section (not the pictures that was a smooth section of this bit), right hander, a downhill, more bollards, narrow exit. Practised this on Gaucho, Saki, and Fuego. This is where the photos below were taken to give a comparison of ride position. We then returned back to the shop and had half a cheese sandwich each.
Then chose two of the three to go out on a longer ride with. About 3 hours riding in this section I think. David would ride one I'd ride the other then swap over. David would sometimes ride in front and sometimes ride behind or alongside to watch how I was doing in terms of steering, balance, position etc. Here we had a really good long ride. We went through Holyrood Park (piccie below).
We climbed and descended on road, went on cycle tracks went uphill through a tunnel with a barrier and sharp uphill ramp at the end (I was told if I stalled I'd fall off the bike and I had a choice to go for it , I did and made it!) we went up a steep gravelly hill with a sharp right just when you think you're there. We joined and rode in Edinburgh traffic, we joined cycle tracks, we entered junctions, we did roundabouts, we did traffic lights, we stopped at a café, we went through the meadows with lots of fresher students and some dogs. We did more cobbles. We did more bollards and obstacles. We did steps. We did uphills we did downhills, we did rough we did smooth. In other words we did lots of real world riding and their challenges rather just empty flat or downhill roads with loads of space.
I didn't fall off either bike. I did stall a couple of times on the steep gravelly hill with the sharp right hander. I caught my foot when making the right turn and I lost momentum. Then I entered a groove / hole in the slope and that brought me to a halt as well. I managed to hill start from there and get going again without getting off the bike.
We returned to the shop around 5pm via a café on the canal. David then let me go out on the bikes by myself whilst he dealt with email and phone calls from other customers. Took both the Gaucho and Fuego back out and had a play at how slow I could ride before putting a foot down, practised more hills, more technical, how fast could I ride cobbles, how much could I lean etc. That took about another 30-40 mins or so. We then had a chat about gearing options, different types of bars, luggage options, some of the other bikes in the shop an M5 and Shlitter Encore etc.
Then we went to pub before my evening train back home. David riding the Fuego and me riding my Brompton. (hint Bromptons with a big bag on the front aren't aero don't try and keep up on the downhills...) Couple of pints then he took me to a turn off where he headed home and I descend back to the railway station.
Are recumbents comfortable, yes, do you relieve all pressure on your hands, yes, did my neck ache after 5 hours, no, are they fun, yes. That stay relaxed advise was spot on. Lightly grip the steerer with gentle inputs and body and bike lean.
Some things to ponder and see what else is out there that's reasonably fast, fun, and practical. I must say though I was impressed with the quality and ride of the Nazca's. They felt like machine that you'll just keep on riding, riding and riding. I do like the feel of steel. I took them both far far faster down cobbles than I'd do on my road bike. David at Laid Back bikes was also a pleasure to deal with
An excellent day out.
More details and impressions of bikes below.
http://Nazca Gaucho 28 
This is a high riding recumbent that was rolling on 700c road wheels with 28mm rubber. So you could swap the wheels between your road bike and this if you wanted. It has rear suspension. The front fork had been swapped for an Enigma one that took a disc brake, the rear is rim brake only. It doesn't take a rear mudguard. The front depends on the fork. It was running SRAM X9 gearing with a triple at the front. Tiller steering with trigger shifters. It had a large carbon seat and Ventisit pad. It doesn't take a rack and luggage is limited to bags that fit over the back of seat. a customer had worn a black stripe a bag when it had come into contact with the rear tyre. It has a 8 degree range of recline unless you fit a different seat of connecting rods to get it even lower. Rear suspension via air shock. Steel frame, carbon fork.
Initially it felt harder to keep balanced on but this was just the initial swapping between recumbents. You have to lean it further over to go round turns than the lower recumbents. It has a greatest turning circle and is the least manoeuvrable if you have to turn round or get through tight gaps. It felt like it has the best rolling on rough surfaces. The seat was the best fit for me of the three bikes and you could really sink into it and relax. The recline, and crank height meant my knees were getting in the way of my forward vision but not excessively so. You were just aware of them going up and down. There is overlap between the front wheel and my feet. Caught it a couple of times but neither time caused me to fall off and it was only during tight turns. After a while I learnt to lean more and steer less. Potentially the best climber on paper but in reality see Fuego. Road type gearing ratios kept it honest. Happy in all the recline positions but the highest mean less disruption from knee motion being in my forward vision. It feels like you're sitting on the bike rather than in it.
Uphill I could keep pace with David on the Fuego but rarely gained. I just wasn't able to put enough pressure through the pedals. A mixture of recline position, geometry, BB height, my body length. See Fuego for more thoughts on this. Downhill it was a hoon but had to lean quite far over on some corners to keep my line. Excellent uphill traction on the gravel.
This bike grew on me over the day but lack of mudguards and luggage options and not as easy to transport as lower rider hold it back in my mind. Depends what you're after I suppose.
Weight wise it's meant to to be lighter than the Fuego but I picked both up and other than weight distribution couldn't really feel there was a big difference.
Performer Saki
This is a Taiwanese equivalent of the M5. It has no suspension, runs 700c x 23mm tyres (no room for wider tyres), titanium steerer etc. Sits between the Gaucho and Fuego in terms of height and recline. Feels like you're sitting in the bike. Aluminium frame, steel fork (?)
This ride was cut short as the titanium steerer twisted out of alinement with the wheel on a sharp bend which fortunately I managed to get a foot down and stop. The steerer clamp wasn't the best even after tightening. The chain also dropped off. To be honest with the limited 23mm tyres and clearances, lack of suspension coming through the seat on the cobbles, needing to dodge defects in the road due to those narrow tyres, and limited luggage options that was just the tip of it.
I didn't feel this was a robust enough bike with a good enough finish that'd last long on the kind of roads I like. I decided after the initial rides to drop this one from further riding.
Nazca Fuego
This is the lowest of the lot. It was the medium frame with a medium glass fibre seat with Ventisit pad. Running a 26" rear and 20" front. The tyres were Schwalbe Kojak 35mm at both ends. Disc brakes front and back. It has mudguards back and front. Rear coil suspension. Shimano XT gearing 48/36/26 and 11-34 at the back. Tiller steering with thumb shifters.
The easiest by far to balance on. Feels like you're sitting in the bike. Best turning circle due to the small front wheel. On the flat with no pedal input it'll perhaps edge ahead of the Gaucho by 0.5mph (perception on speed as left GPS with Brompton but did roll ahead of Gaucho). On down hills on smoothish roads definitely pulls away. Climbing hills I was expecting to be slower than the Gaucho. Initially this was true and David would pull away on the Gaucho. But once going up the hill I found my self changing down to higher gears as I sped back up. I think two things at play here. One it had lower gearing and as spinner it's my natural tendency to switch down to the lower gears. Two. It must just be the combination of the seat, recline, the bike geometry, and my body but I found I could push back into the seat pad much harder than on the Gaucho. As a result I was able to put much more power through the pedals to propel it uphill. Excellent uphill traction on the gravel. It was easier as slow speeds and stopping and getting a foot down trivial. Forward visibility nigh on perfect in all recline positions and as I expected traffic was absolutely fine. Like others have said you get more space than upright bikes and you're easy to see anyway. Only problem is pedestrians!
Seems to be slower off the mark than the Gaucho but that might be perception and gearing when I set off than reality. I wished I'd brought my small Garmin Edge 500 in a pocket and pressed the lap marker as I swapped bikes. But certainly within 20-30 yards you'd be up to speed with the Gaucho.
So you can see this is my favourite. I'd certainly want the large seat and that probably means the large frame to keep everything sweet. A little lower would the result and I'd be fine with that.
