Price Paid:  $1200.00 at Spin Cycles--Grants

Model Year:
2005

Favorite Ride:
Bacchetta--what else?

Bike Setup:
100% stone-stock. Just like the spec sheets show it.

Summary:
OK--so I am an aspiring recumbent rider. I have been riding and testing for a few weeks now. I rode the Burley Jett Creek, and thought I had found my bike. Then, I heard of a "sorta-local" store in my area that specialized in recumbents. Darned good that I did!

I met with the owner of Spin Cycles in Grnats Pass, (Oregon)--Craig. He listened to my commuting habits and experience with the Burley and said he would be happy to sell me one. He also cunninly suggested I ride a couple of his other bikes to make sure.

Craig pulled a BEAUTIFUL blue Bacchetta Agio and wheeld it to the back lot. As sson as I took off, something wonderful happened! The frame is stiff, but still soaks up bumps. I love the sure handling--it had none of the floppy steering feel at low speeds that my experience level had induced on EVERYTHING else I had tried. The brakes simply rock. I just got on and rode--there was no learning curve.

I took for home to study up on the maker. This brought me back to the shop the next day--to ride a Bacchetta Strada. WOW! The bike is FAST! I felt like I could ride it fast forever. There was a downside: It was scary at slow speed. This is something I had heard from others....and it is true. I think I would come to love the Strada, but for the price difference, the Agio has about 95% of the speed feel and adds entry level friendliness to boot.

C'on Bacchetta, how's a newbie to choose? :) Really, it's pretty easy. I'm choosing the less-expensive, more comfortable, more flexible bike--the Agio.

Huge downside to this: I will end up buying ANOTHER bike--a Strada. (Maybe Bacchetta got it really right after all) They are luring me in to their world with the siren's song of comfort + 95% speed, then hooking me again and again for more. Good business model, no?

I commute 20 miles a day, year round, on a Specialized Hardrock (mountain bike). It gets the job done and keeps me in shape, but I sometimes dread the discomfort. A recumbent seemed like it might fit the bill. Now I know which one!

Huge acclaim goes to the LBS: Spin Cycles. I have now ridden four of their bikes, sucked well over two hours of the owner's time (we rode together all over town today)...all for great advice and excellent mentoring for a newbie getting into the recumbent world. Looks like Bacchetta got their marketing, product, AND dealers spot on.

Strengths:
SUPER beginner friendly! Frame is awesomely stiff and inspires confidence at higher speeds and cadences--even for a rank recumbent beginner like me. The drivetrain is VERY quiet.

Brakes are super--dual discs. SRAM 5.0 is MUCH more refined than the Alivio-era Gripshift on my curent bike.

Even with the ease-of-entry, this is NOT a slow bike. In fact, I found I could ride it faster, easier, than the "Fast" bikes--just because it made me feel safe. Even riding busy downtown streets, I felt totally in control. I have no doubt, I will be able to take my new bike home and commute to work the very next day in total comfort.

Weaknesses:
There are so few nits to pick here! The only things I noted are that the long cable runs chafe the top tube--even though they are covered with a sheath. The shop will put on rubber donuts to help keep slap down.

The head badge adhesive seemed like it won't last long--which is too bad--becasue it is a nice badge. I figure if it gets edgy, I will silicone it on forever.

That's IT, sports fans--I can find nothing else to snivel about--and I am VERY picky of fit and finish! (I was especially impressed with the welding and finish on the frame.)

Similar Products Used:
Burley Jett Creek: (The former champion)--felt "spongy" in comparison to the Agio under my 6'4" of 280lbs. I really liked the smoothe ride, but the finish and ride just cannot patch the Bacchetta.

Rans Stratus: If I was going to buy one bike sight-unseen, this would have been it. It's frame was MUCH stiffer than the Burley, but it's steering felt even "floppier" than the Jett Creek at slow speeds. (I rode the 20" front wheel--the 26" is supposed to be more sensitive yet) Had I never ridden the Agio, this might have been the winner. The paint finish and stickers on this bike were just plain amateurish--not what I would have expected.

Bacchetta Strada: F-A-S-T feeling. Starting this bike from a stop is a bit odd for a newbie. Once riding, I felt I could go on forever-and could accellerate with absolute ease. I look forward to buying one in a few years to hunt for unsuspecting upright riders.