Trek 1999 R200

Price Paid:  $700.00 at ebay

Favorite Ride:
San Isabel

Bike Setup:
stock

Summary:
Too bad trek stopped production. They were definately headed in a great direction. I love the mid-drive. FORTY very intuative gears!!! (keep the chain, cassette & derailleurs clean and the friction is not a problem. The Rans seat is the best I've ever had. (much better than the stock Vision seat) The R200 is extremely adjustable. I'm six feet tall and my ten year old son likes to ride my R200. It can easily be adjusted in minutes to fit either one of us. If you can't find the perfect position, your not trying. The R200 is very agile (responds quicker than the Vision.) The Cane Creek rear shock smooths out the ride wonderfully and is also very adjustable
TREK, PLEASE KEEP MAKING RECUMBENTS

Strengths:
as noted

Weaknesses:
Mid drive friction, see summary

Similar Products Used:
Vision R44 x 2

Price Paid:  $1200.00 at Wheel & Sprocket, Milwaukee, WI

Bike Setup:
The bike was set up by Wheel and Sprocket who are very experienced with recumbents. I further fine-tuned it myself to get it perfectly adjusted. This took some time over a couple of weeks of commuting.

Summary:
This is a reasonably good recumbent. I've been riding recumbents almost exclusively since June of 1995 and my riding is mostly 20 mile per day commuting and some summertime tours and club rides. I bought the bike because I was interested in trying ASS (Above Seat Steering) and checking out the comfort of the RANs seat. It turns out that after 4000 miles of riding this bike that I still prefer USS (Under Seat Steering) because it is ultimately more comfortable and it (USS) is, at the most, only 1/2 mile per hour slower than the ASS. In my opinion the aero advantage of ASS is overrated. (All my bikes have been unfaired.) The RANs seat is comfortable but the Vision seat is more comfortable. The bike is now out of production but it was a great value at closeout for $750 completely setup from Wheel & Sprocket with the Trek guarentee and 30 day service. At $1200 it was too expensive. But then the Haluzak for my wife was $1500 so who is to say.

Strengths:
1. Love the adjustability of the handlebar. If you can't find a good position for them, you haven't tried enough.
2. The mid drive gives lots of gears. You use them as 5 ranges of 8 or 9 closely spaced gears.
3. Rear shock is good. Never had problems with it holding air.
4. RANs seat is comfortable and very adjustable. Even better than on RANs bikes because it is easier to adjust seat recline.
5. The paint looks great and seems to be durable.
6. It is a Trek. Made in Wisconsin.
7. Shifting is good and precise if you adjust it properly.
8. Can be folded into a very compact package. I'd consider it for a European trip.

Weaknesses:
1. Higher than normal drivetrain friction.
2. Chain can drop off front chainwheel and mid-drive sprocket under certain conditions. Mainly fixed now (08/2001) by Trek and proper chainlength. (Do not have any slack chain!)
3. RANs seat. Too heavy, too high, too complicated. This was the RANs "fatass" seat that has a seatpad that is 3" thick and almost weighs a pound by itself. The seat and all the fittings weigh almost 6 pounds.
4. Bike is too high and too heavy at 34#. Blame the RANs seat for much of that.
5. Can't walk the bike easily. Need to steer with one hand and push on the seatback with the other hand when going over bumps.
6. The bike feels like it was designed by a committee. "Lets see how many desireable features we can put on this bike." But these features don't fit together as an organic whole.

Similar Products Used:
Homebuilt Easy Racer Clone, LWB, USS
Vision R42, USS, LWB and SWB
Vision R42, 20x20, USS, LWB
Infinity, LWB, USS
RANs Nimbus, LWB, ASS
Ryan Duplex Tandem, ULWB, USS
Haluzak Leprechaun, SWB, USS
Have test ridden most every other recumbent.

Price Paid:  $630.00 at Valleybikes.com (SOLD OUT)

Bike Setup:
Recumbent

Summary:
Its a fun bike, It was on sale for $600! So I had to get it. Compared with the high end $1500+ bikes, it can hold its own. Its a gas to ride, and definately something that keeps your interest and keeps you motivated to go out and ride it.

Strengths:
Fun to ride
Keeps you motivated to use it
no painful tiny mountain bike seats
comfortable, adjustable seat
Attention!

Weaknesses:
Steering wheel could be better
no accessories
came without a kickstand!

Similar Products Used:
none (Mountain bikes)

Price Paid:  $800.00 at Iron Mountain, MI, Bike Store

Favorite Ride:
WI, Firehouse 50

Bike Setup:
Stock

Summary:
Jury still out on weather it is faster than my 30 yr old Motobecane 10 spd.
If not for price, never would have bought it.
Happy with purchase.
If paid retail, would be seriously disspointed.

Strengths:
Comfy, fun to ride, wife loves it, lots of gear choices, grip shift.

Weaknesses:
Heavy, cheesy handlebar stop, small diameter wheels loose momentum rapidly.

Similar Products Used:
E bike, Vision.

Price Paid:  $1295.00 at Bikes USA (out of business)

Bike Setup:
As it came from the factory.

Summary:
A lot of fun to ride and a great way to commute.

For the next generation, Trek should try to reduce the weight somewhat and cut the price.

Strengths:
Extremely comfortable to ride--no back or ankle aches.
Midrange drive; rear shock.
Higher seat position than most recumbents--good for commuting/visibility. Less wind resistance=very fast on flat/downhill.

Weaknesses:
More difficult to maneuver at very low speeds than road/mountain bikes. Adjustment period before able to ride with confidence and speed--but well worth the effort.

Similar Products Used:
Tested Rans, Lightning, Bike E, Haluzak and other recumbents