Could have sold a bunch
From: Mike Farmer, Mission, Kansas
Good Stuff: All of it
Bad Stuff: low speed wobble
How I Ride: all types
Just finish riding 236 miles on the C&O Canal and Great Allegany trails. A pleasure and fun. I could have sold at least 15 bikes. Everyone's butt, neck and back was hurting that I met on the trail. I told them I will never ride a butt buster again. A great ride on a great bike.
Great bike
From: Karl Schurr, Sydney
Good Stuff: Puts a smile on my face
Bad Stuff: Broken riser
How I Ride: Commute
I have had this bike now for almost two years and it still puts a smile on my face every time I ride it - which is most days. I use this bike as a commuter. I have upgraded the brakes and shifters to the 2011 specifications - great improvement on the original specs. Unfortunately the riser broke when starting off at traffic lights - a bit disconcerting. Replaced on guarantee.
I really like the feeling of safety on this bike. With 2 rear vision mirrors i can see behind way better than on my previous hybrid. Braking is more secure with legs in front - no fear of going over the handle bars. I bought the underseat racks and Ortleib panniers and so far been on one camping trip including dirt roads on which the bike performed very well. The additional weight in the middle of the bike makes it handle even better. I recommend this bike highly.
Wouldn't trade for the world
From: Brian, Destin, FL
Good Stuff: Comfort, frame strength, brakes
Bad Stuff: Lack of/price of accessories, ride can be rough
How I Ride: 2-3 Hour weekend rides
Bought 4 years ago and absolutely love it. After months of research decided on Bachetta. Best all around value. Originally wanted Underseat Steering, but the Bachetta steering works just fine. Especially suited to maneuverability and controllability of urban commutes. Great for long open road riding. Don't like so much for stop and go urban. Difficult if not impossible to look behind you. No curb jumping or zig zagging around obstacles, vehicles. Not as sexy as a challenge, HP Velo, but still sexy and half the price. Just a good, solid bent. Love the disc brakes. Was torn between faster, more roadie oriented corsa, or aero, but really wanted disc brakes. Solution was a mavic speedcity wheelset. http://www.mavic.com/en/product/wheels/road-triathlon/wheels/Speedcity. Basically Road bike wheels that you can mount disc brakes on that are sturdy enough to go on a mountainbike. Expensive, but the 700 X 26c wheels are really fast. Kinda like having two different bikes (touring and racing) and cheaper than the more expensive, lighter bachetta road machines. The bachetta handlebars are great for tight turns and urban maneuvering and I get their aerodynamic advantage, but for long rides, it does get tiring to have you arms always outstretched. Different style handlebars with hands close to chest and arms to side would be more comfortable. Don't buy the kickstand. Expensive and not easy to figure out. Also requires cutting. Bought the rack which was overpriced and pretty much useless. Also not easy to figure out. Needs good, quality saddlebag and rack accessories for long tours. Can't seem to find them. Was able to rig a 25lb backpack on the back, but CG shift to rear made front end very like and contributed to an unstable ride. They have the terracycle rack that looks like you could sling a small amount of stuff underneath, but can't find on website any kind of bag or pannier that would go with it AND it is $130. ARE YOU SERIOUS! Euro mesh seat is comfortable, but neck gets painful/uncomfortable on long rides. A head rest would be the most useful accessory for me but can't find one on Bacchetta.com and the aftermarket ones are like $100 bucks. Come on guys. Ride super nice and smooth, but bumps or off road with no way to stand up and let your legs take the shock, it is all transferred to your body. Can rattle the teeth a bit. Fun to ride and see people's expressions. Definitely attracts attention and gets comments. Overall, highly satisfied customer and would recommend to anyone. 5 stars, but have to say 8 out of 10 due to weak accessory lineup and pain in my neck on long rides due to no headrest. Fix that and I give the whole experience 10 out of 10.
Great 1st 'Bent! Versatile
From: Chris Roy, Orange County, CA
Good Stuff: comfort, handling, disk brakes, wheel clearance
Bad Stuff: chain grease on right leg
How I Ride: club rides, commuting, errands, solo distance
This is a great 1st recumbent! It can be anything; fast roadie w/700C wheels, bullet proof commuter, tourer, I even put knobbies on mine and ride dirt roads/trails.
Yes it will feel strange if you've never ridden a recumbent before, mostly twitchy. Tip: purposely go out and ride slow, make figure 8's, tight U's, starting/stopping, whatever. You will soon gain confidence. I love mine now, totally stable.
For the chain slap on bumpy roads: Coast with your right leg back and the chain might bump your shoe, not your leg. Minor issue.
Had it 5 months/1400 miles.
Fast, tippy, buying experience not so great
From: Scott Noyes, Essex, VT
Good Stuff: Speed, comfort (except neck)
Bad Stuff: Tippy, tippy, tippy - have not mastered uphill starts
How I Ride: 3K/year, Primary and 2nd-ary roads, mostly mts.
My wife and I both ride 26ATTs. We have taken several falls, all at slow speeds. “Tippy” is an understatement. After 3K miles I still need the Flintstone start uphill. The comfort level is on par with our Greenspeed’s X5. Shifting is great. Speed is awesome. It is nothing to hit 20 mph on the flats (not that we have too many flats in VT). The bike can hold plenty of touring weight with rear panniers, but that puts a lot of weight on the rear tire. The addition of headrest and under-seat water bottles is our next purchase. The bike store (name withheld) we purchased the bikes from was not professional and verged on rude. Overall, I won’t trade them for anything else on the road.
OK commuter
From: M Brand, Cambridge, MA
Good Stuff: handling, seat
Bad Stuff: gearing, build quality
How I Ride: commuting & long distance
3mo/3000km review: Handles very nicely. Great seat, tho' tensioned mesh is crooked. Seat clamp slips -- known issue. Gearing is too low for fast flats & downhills; credit aerodynamics. Had alarming fork shudder; found brakes were misaligned and mounting bolts were only finger-tight (!). Universal rack very unsatisfactory. Fenders rattle. Handlebar ergonomics excellent. Tires flat-prone. Idler surprisingly good. Climbs & corners well. Chain bounces against leg on rough streets - yuck. Overall: comfy, smooth, maneuverable, but not a ready-to-roll purchase experience.
Finally! The right bike!
From: Andrew Watkinson, Prince George, BC (Canada)
Good Stuff: Fast, comfortable, and versatile.
Bad Stuff: Better with a headrest.
How I Ride: Commuting, light touring, exercise.
Bacchetta has hit all the high points with this bike. It is a nice balance of light, strong, and easy to ride. It has quality components throughout. Disc brakes means you can change wheels easily. It performs well right out of the box. You can dress this bike for commuting and touring or switch wheels for all-out speed.
The bike loves to go fast, and aerodynamically it's very slippery.
My sense since day one has been that it just feels right. It has been an excellent value. 5 Stars, no regrets.
Love It
From: Simons, Old Greenwich CT
Good Stuff: riding
Bad Stuff: hmm, nothing really
How I Ride: pleasure exersize
I enjoy riding this bike so much, I caught the recumbent bug when I rented a Vision and looked at the most popular models on the market and fell in love with the Giro 26
Recent Convert
From: DAVID GRAHAM, OXFORD, ENGLAND
Good Stuff: WELL MADE, COMFORTABLE, AND FAST
Bad Stuff: SETTING UP MUDGUARDS
How I Ride: B ROADS AND LANES
Great bike , tried many types, but this bike is tall enough to put you at eye level with car drivers whilst still being fast and relaxing to ride.Also ideal spec for rubbish back roads, but has the option of converting to a fast 700c bike. Sold my fixie !!
Love it
From: mike farmer, mission, kansas
Good Stuff: All of it
Bad Stuff: gears slip at times
How I Ride: trails and paths around KC, Katy Trail.
I test rode one in Florida this winter. I tried many other types. This one felt the best. I love the speed and toughness. Still learning the little touches to feel totally confident at all times. I will never go back.
