Price Paid:
$3800.00
at Zach Kaplan Cycles o Model Year:
2004 Favorite Ride:
Bacchetta Aero Bike Setup:
My Aero is mostly stock with a few additions. I'm pedalling through Bebop pedals with a stock drivetrain. The SRAM Rocket Shorty shifters rock! I carry cargo in a Fastback Carbon slimbag that slides over the upper back portion of the stock M5 seat. Underneath the seat is tucked a Fastback waterbag for an M5 seat, which uses most 70 - 100 ounce water bladders. Just behind the handlebar to main frame tube junction is a "Bento Box" from TNi. It's a great little bag from the triathelete world that holds several energy gel packs, ID, & a cell phone.
The Sachs PC-59 chain shifts very well & runs smoothly on the Shimano drivetrain. I did switch the stock idler to a powerside over/under idler from TerraCycles. This idler runs the powerside of the chain over a 15t titanium cog. The idler spins on 2 ABEC7 bearings. I'd highly recommend an upgrade to this unit as it took the slight mushiness I felt out of the pedal stroke. That mushiness was inherent to the stock plastic idler.
Finally, my Aero rolls on HED3 trispoke aero wheels with Continental GP3000's. This is a straight up go-fast setup. The slight, & I mean less than 200 grams, increase in weight when I switched from the stock wheels set-up is nothing compared to aerodynamic benefit gained by the aero wheels. Not too mention, the HED3's look cool & I've always wanted a set since the "I can't afford anything college days". Summary:
I have to keep this review brief, as yesterday I tried writing one & my AOL link crashed about an hour into writing. Back in July of last year I contacted Zach Kaplan to have him order an Aero for me. My primary reason for purchasing an Aero was I wanted to make my own conclusions between the ongoing debate as to which is faster a highracer or lowracer.
Prior to the Aero, I spent about 3 years riding a Dutch built Baron lowracer that was imported by the long since defunct Yellowbike. My observations are as follows.
Though the lowracer seems to have a distinct edge over absolute top speed in an all out sprint, I believe the Aero only falls about a few MPH short. Figuretively, I've maxed the Baron out a 50MPH on one of my downhills, but just recently maxed the Aero out at 44MPH. Not a huge difference, but at those speeds the Baron's aluminum frame seems to flex enough that I bounce up/down due to the high pedal cadence. The Aero's oversized titanium frame is rigid yet smooth.
Without getting into a discussion of aerodynamics as it relates to wheel diameter & rolling resistance, I believe the Aero with the twin 650c highracer format has a very useable blend of low rolling resistance & wind cheating aerodynamics. The lowracing Baron rides so much lower that the Aero that it is in a layer of air that is usually less turbulent thus wind drag is lower. But, the small 20"(406ERTO) front wheel has greater rolling resistance than a 650c wheel.
Inherent to the design of a lowracer, the riders legs & feet will at times overlap the front wheel. This restricts turing radius while pedalling. There is a bit of front wheel overlap on the Aero. It amounts to very seldomly hitting only the very rear portion of my shoes while pedalling thru a turn.
The Aero has an excellent blend of both high & low speed stability. In my opinion too, the Aero just looks cool. Rich Pinto hit the nail on the proverbial head when he designed this recumbent. The Aero’s design looks balanced, the seat & handlebar relationship looks balanced & in the right place. With it’s awesome looks, the ride fits - awesome.
As far as my comparison between highracer/lowracer goes, I can say this. When I go out on my training rides, I just can't get myself to ride my other 'bents & always select the Aero. I, like many people in the constant search for the nearly perfect bike, have found perfection in the Aero at least for now.
If you're reading this review, you're probably open enough to consider a bike that's different & willing to spend some money for an excellent product. You won't be sorry if you decide on an Aero. If you're in the Bay Area of California, contact Zach Kaplan in Alameda. He's always been a great help & is a recumbent specialist. I've not had alot of interaction with Bacchetta the company except for a few emails. Suffice it to say, if I'm ever out in Florida I want to visit the factory. Heck, I was even lapped twice by John Schlitter; he was riding an Aero, I was on my Baron. Does that say anything to you about the lowracer/highracer debate. In that race, Zach lapped me once also, he too was on an Aero. Bacchetta is a great company, I need to invest. Strengths:
The main strength I've found in the Aero, is it's stability at both high & low speeds. I can ride up to a 4-way stop to an almost dead stop waiting for my turn w/o a hint of falling over, while still clicked into the pedals. During 30+MPH twisty decents, the Aero rolls thru like it's on rails screaming to go faster. Weaknesses:
No weaknesses that I've found. Ok, maybe this: I'd like to see a fixed length set of larger diameter carbon fiber rear seat stays with a bridge between the stays to increase overall seat rigidity. Not that the stock setup is overly flexy, but it could be more rigid. But this just goes more towards asthetics & a little bit of weight savings. Similar Products Used:
Windcheetah trike from Altrincham, England
-front Streamer fairing
Dutch built Optima Baron lowracer
-running HED Deep aero wheels, no tailbox yet
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