Yet Another Cycling Forum

General Category => Freewheeling => The Dark Side => Topic started by: Bolt on 14 October, 2017, 12:12:14 am

Title: Recumbent test/training ride in the West Midlands?
Post by: Bolt on 14 October, 2017, 12:12:14 am

Does anyone know if an opportunity exists to simply "have a go" on a recumbent, ideally in the Walsall, Wolverhampton area?  This request is on behalf of my sister in law who is unable ride a DF but has discovered exercising on some form of stationary "bent" trainer at her local gym.  It would be great to get her out on the road!

Title: Re: Recumbent test/training ride in the West Midlands?
Post by: Blade on 14 October, 2017, 12:38:49 am

If you're able to get to Wolverhampton, you're more than welcome to try out my trike.

Title: Re: Recumbent test/training ride in the West Midlands?
Post by: Kim on 14 October, 2017, 12:59:40 am

https://www.quest88.com/ comes up on the ICE dealer list.  Looks like they've got some Hase stuff too.  (Trikes are probably a good starting point, as you don't have to learn to balance them.)  Otherwise you're going to be travelling much further afield (London, Ely, Edinburgh, that sort of thing), as recumbent dealers are somewhat rare.  If it comes to that, you could do a lot worse than a visit to D-Tek.

What's her issue with DFs?  Arms?  Balance?  Back problems?  Saddles?  That'll have some bearing on what might be suitable.

The York and Mildenhall rallies are good places to spot recumbents in the wild, chat with their owners and maybe have a go, but it's the wrong time of year for that.  BHPC meets similarly, though they tend to be more at the ludicrous racing machines end of the spectrum.  I dare say we could arrange for some of YACF's resident darksiders to congregate for a pootle if it came to it...

Title: Re: Recumbent test/training ride in the West Midlands?
Post by: andytheflyer on 14 October, 2017, 11:29:51 am

I'm a few miles N of Whitchurch, so about 45m N of Wolverhampton.  I have 20/26 Performer and 700c Performer recumbent bikes.  The 700c would be a bridge too far, but she's welcome to try the 20/26, if that's of interest.

Title: Re: Recumbent test/training ride in the West Midlands?
Post by: cycleman on 14 October, 2017, 07:01:57 pm

I would be happy to join a yacf pottering day should one be arranged  :)

Title: Re: Recumbent test/training ride in the West Midlands?
Post by: fd3 on 23 October, 2017, 10:12:55 am

I’m right by Cadbury’s in south Brum, happy to let you have a go on the speedmachine, but not sure it is the first choice for a starting rider.

Title: Re: Recumbent test/training ride in the West Midlands?
Post by: TPMB12 on 23 October, 2017, 01:13:12 pm

I bet there's a lot of ppl 3 hours or more from the nearest recumbent dealer wishing to try one out. I fit into that category too. Based near Lancaster.

How far from peak district are you? There's West country recumbents somewhere in the south of the peak district I think.