Due to rising fuel costs, and middle age spread. I've been looking to change from car to bike for my 18 mile commute, and have been looking at the options.
The choice has been influenced by my current bad back, and hence I have looked at recumbents, something like a HP Velotechnik Streetmachine seemed to fit the bill.
But retailers are even less common than eBike ones, so very difficult to arrange test rides, but more importantly there seems to be a massive image problem. When talking to my work collegues, and even the wife, the usual feedback is along the lines of "they're weird" or "aren't they for the disabled".
Such a shame when they seem to offer many advantages.
The other drawback for me is the two long hills I have to climb, and I don't want to crawl up in a low gear, or arrive at work in a bath of sweat.
A recumbent with electric assist appears very rare, and would probably be very expensive, so not really an option.
So looks like I'll be taking the conventional eBike route, but just wondered if others had faced this dilemma.
cheers,
Alan
The choice has been influenced by my current bad back, and hence I have looked at recumbents, something like a HP Velotechnik Streetmachine seemed to fit the bill.
But retailers are even less common than eBike ones, so very difficult to arrange test rides, but more importantly there seems to be a massive image problem. When talking to my work collegues, and even the wife, the usual feedback is along the lines of "they're weird" or "aren't they for the disabled".
Such a shame when they seem to offer many advantages.
The other drawback for me is the two long hills I have to climb, and I don't want to crawl up in a low gear, or arrive at work in a bath of sweat.
A recumbent with electric assist appears very rare, and would probably be very expensive, so not really an option.
So looks like I'll be taking the conventional eBike route, but just wondered if others had faced this dilemma.
cheers,
Alan