On the face of it, the Pelso-Brevet and Freestyle look similar, although I'm not sure the Pelso has the fore-aft seat movement which the Freestyle has.
I think the Pelso may have
some fore-aft seat movement, but nothing like as much as the Freestyle, though I'll check tomorrow
Both have extendable booms.
Are you sure? I thought that the boom on the Pelso Brevet was fixed, but available in 350mm / 13.8″ (MEDIUM) or 385mm / 15.2″ (LARGE) lengths - I'll have to ask which one the guy I'm seeing tomorrow has
Yes, I noted the modest heel strike too. Some people quickly learn to extend the leg in the direction of the tight turn during the turn, some struggle. Short cranks would help.
On a DF bike I usually use 170mm cranks, though am okay with 165mm cranks. Who actually makes cranks shorter than 165mm?
Doing a personal import on a frameset is quite straightforward, but if you wanted to purchase a complete bike through a dealer then LaidBack bikes might be happy to get one in for you. They seem keen on getting their hands on new models for "evaluation".
I might drop LaidBack bikes an email, though I guess it's possible one of Oxford's bike shops might be able to build up the bike from a frameset for me, Warlands perhaps, think they've worked on some recumbents before
I think big wheels, long wheelbases and no suspension is the way to go if you want to be quick.
I'd like to be pretty quick on the bike, as want to cycle with some of my roadie friends without holding them back too much
Balance is easier the higher off the ground you are too. That's the dilemma in the bent world if you're not tall. My balance and agility are compromised too so high racers are not an option for me. I had to look at LWBs instead, hence the RANS Stratus XP which I imported as a frameset.
Okay, I think my balance and agility are pretty good, it's just lower back pain (and sometimes neck pain) that's the problem for me when riding - well not just riding, these days I have lower back pain even when not riding, but it's worse when I ride DF bikes.