Bents - Bacchetta Giro and Rans Force 5 le

I've been wanting to replace my Trek 7300 bicycle for a faster and more agile one. I affectionately named the 7300 The Pack Mule or The Fat Wh*re depending on my mood at the moment. :-) I thought a recumbent would be a great ride. I think it would be a much more comfortable way to travel and would provide a unique way of doing so.

I decided to check out the Bike Rack in St. Charles, IL. They have numerous and different types of recumbents by Rans, Bacchetta, Bike EZ, Easy Racer, and Penninger. 

The first bike I rode was a Bacchetta Giro. Much wider tires than the Strada I rode a couple weeks ago. I noticed the difference right away. It felt fine, but the increase in rolling resistance was apparent. Not to mention that I started going up hill. It put me to work and my legs felt weak. I heard it takes awhile to get your recumbent legs, and I didn't have any at that point in time. I was comfortable in the bike and the lowered crank due to the smaller front tire was nice. But there was something missing...

Bacchetta Giro. Bikes this nice should not have to be dumped on the market.

The next bike I tested was the Rans Force 5 le. It is Ran's answer to the Bacchetta Strada. I had only sat in a Rans the 1st time I went shopping and I did not feel comfortable. I had heard a lot about Rans, about how they make airplanes and bicycles (just like the Wright Brothers). They are major players in the recumbent industry and I wanted to give them a 2nd chance. I'd also heard that the way you can re-position and remove the seat is a lot better than the Bacchetta. I thought this might be important as the seat may be difficult to maneuver into a hatchback or could operate as a sail if attached to the back or top of a vehicle. The salesman told me that the guy who started Rans is a brother to the guy who started Bacchetta.

The Rans Force 5 le is the grey one (center) and the Bacchetta Giro is the green one (right).

It wasn't quite a fair comparison as I started off going downhill this time. So I had the slow bike up hill and the fast bike downhill. Speed is good! Turning can be a trip in these short wheel base recumbents. You can't peddle or you hit your knees on the handle bar, your feet on the wheel, or both. I found that if I started into a turn with some speed, then didn't peddle at all it worked best. On a left hand turn, I kept my left leg straight out then used the brakes to adjust the speed. It will take some getting used to, but I don't think it will be a problem as I'm convinced this is the type of bike for me.

The salesmen was pushing the Rans Force 5 le pretty hard. He preferred Rans over Bacchetta for a number of reasons. Coincidentally, they are phasing out their Bacchettas plus he had the Rans in stock. How convenient... His reasons for preferring the Rans was due to the triangulation in the frame, the taller wheel, and lower crankset. He also suggested I could swap the handlebar for a more wrap around style at no charge. He also suggested 25mm Michelen tires that would be better for touring and would cost approximately $50. It all sounds good, but there's one important missing factor. I did not feel comfortable in the Rans. The seat didn't seem tilted right and the handle bars had my arms stretched out. Unless I can get those rectified I would not be able to purchase it. The Rans won this comparison hands down because of the speed, but I'd probably prefer the Bacchetta Strada over the Rans Force 5 LE. Even so, the difficulty of the Bacchetta seat bothers me. I also think the tires on both are too thin for all the limestone trails I do. Do I make a road bike a tourer, or do I settle for something like a Bacchetta Giro 26? The search continues...