Price Paid:  $0.00

Model Year:
2006

Bike Setup:
Stock for a 2007. Mine is a 2006 upgraded from v-brakes to discs by the dealer thus giving it 2007 specs.

Summary:
My bike is a Giro 26 with discs and dual 26in wheels. It is my first rebumbent. I am an older(57),taller(6-5), heavier (260#)guy. Learning to ride it was a snap. The seating position trumps any conventional bike: it is comfortable and it is easy to get a full, deep breath. Downhill handling is excellent, much better than a conventional bike. I used to be a little scared at 40mph, on my Giro 26, I want to go faster. Level gound is easy and the riding position is quite powerful. Hills are, well, hills. They're tough, at least for me. A couple times I have climbed from sea level to a 1000ft mountain pass in 8mi and never had to stop. I'd estimate hills are, say, 10% more arduous on a Giro 26 than on a conventional bike,for me. For a younger, lighter guy, the difference would be smaller, I'll bet. Low speed handling is not very good compared to a conventional bike becuase your feet are pretty high off the ground and the start-stop routine is a low level hassle.

Strengths:
Comfort and seat are easy on a rider's whole body, seating positiion allows full beathing, power stroke is good due to relationship between seat, handlebars, and crank. Well built. Reliable, non-fussy drivetrain, despite the long chain length. Disc brakes are best ever brakes on downhill runs at speed.

Weaknesses:
Weighs approx 33lb. No convenient holder for cigarettes. Sometimes my feet go to sleep (tingle) although I am correcting this with wider shoes. A ten-speed cluster would be nice.

Similar Products Used:
Many conventional bikes. This is my first recumbent.

Price Paid:  $1550.00 at Bike Center

Model Year:
2005

Favorite Ride:
West County

Bike Setup:
Mostly stock with Bachetta rear and mid-ship racks. I later replaced the Kenda tires with slightly wider and higher PSI Schwalbe Marathons. Also replaced stock platform pedals with generic SPDs.

Summary:
I got the bike for long-distance comfort, and so far it works. And I'm actually a little faster on it than on my Trek 520. It took a few hundred miles for me to get used to the handling, and it really helps to use clipless pedals with this bike.

I normally use it for weekend rides of 40+ miles, but I did do an overnight camping trip of 120 miles and found the bike to be suitable for touring. The bike feels very stable with bags on the rear and mid-ship racks, and handled well on steep and narrow bike trails and through sections with large, loose gravel.

Strengths:
Comfort (a major asset) and a little extra speed.

Weaknesses:
Twist shifters are stiff and noisy. The bike is also not as nimble as an upright road bike.

Similar Products Used:
1998 Bike E. I don't know why I bought it. Slow and clunky. Various touring and mountain bikes.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Favorite Ride:
Monterey Peninsula

Bike Setup:
OEM with some nice, model specific, accessories.

Summary:
I've been riding recumbents for about two years. My first was a BikeE CT which I rode for about a year and a half, and somewhere around four thousand miles, give or take a hundred. I was never completely happy with the BikeE but it was OK as a transition to the breed. I test rode many recumbents over a six month period and was most favorably impressed with the Giro. It's easy, quick handling, pleasant passive suspension, overall comfort and surprising speed got my attention right away. That impression brought me back to the Bacchetta Dealer two more times for longer rides. In between I tested other, similar recumbents but the Giro remained my favorite. After six months, riding my Giro several times a week, I'm very pleased with the bike's overall quality and reliability.

Strengths:
Comfort: Easy adjustment of seat and bar position with a large range of positions. Built-in passive suspension. Handling: Quick, intuitive steering with excellent stability. Speed: Small frontal area and fine components make this bike faster than I was expecting. Fit and finish is first rate.

Weaknesses:
None.

Similar Products Used:
BikeE CT. Test rides on many others.