Dirt Cheap Recumbent

By Author: Alan W. Jarrettq
Total Articles: 1
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A dirt cheap Recumbent Bike! Am I crazy? Does that sound crazy to you? Just because you've looked in some stores, and some online sites, do you think dirt-cheap is too cheap? How about impossible, is there a vote for that? Sure! All you doubters stand and be counted. Let me tell you how you can have a recumbent bike for $299...or less!

You saw them on sale for $1200, $1700, $2500 and more. Where are they on sale for $299 or less? You can't find one on sale for that price...at least in one piece. Who is going to give away a recumbent dirt-cheap?

OK! OK! I know it sounds hard to believe, and for some it will be hard to achieve. Here's the deal. As soon as some of you read the next few lines you'll be gone. Why? Because you're going to have to sweat and work for this.

Notice it does not say, "free" anywhere. Some will be more than up to the test, so for those ready for the challenge of having one of these incredible machines for your own riding pleasure...read on.

Just for the asking! It sounds a little overconfident doesn't it? Well, I can tell you it worked for me so it can work for ...
... just about anyone who's not afraid of the "asking" part. Is someone going to give you a recumbent for $299 just by asking? Nope! So what's the catch?

Would you believe you can make a recumbent bike from a Road Bike frame, and about the only things you will need to buy are a front wheel, tire and tube, about 8' of galvanized electrical conduit, gear and brake cables for a tandem bike (available at almost any LBS), and maybe a seat.

Now assuming that you have some simple tools, like a hacksaw, tape measure, files, and a way to sand the frame and galvanized conduit, you're just about ready to go. The only thing missing so far is a Road Bike frame.

Some plans call for two Road Bike frames. I have successfully made two homemade LWB recumbents using just one Road Bike frame each time. Check out the latest http://www.recumbent-bikes-truth-for-you.com/homebuilt-uss-recumbent.html USS Homebuilt Recumbent.

About the only benefit of using two Road Bike frames may be not having to splice in a piece of top tube from another source. That was the only piece I used from a trash bike, just that piece of top tube and nothing else. There wasn't much else usable. A plain old piece of any steel tube of the right size would work just as well.

As long as the frame has not been wrecked, one will do. The key is finding a good frame with components that are in reasonably good condition. So where do you find this frame?
Well, here comes the asking part.

I just happen to spot two old Raleigh Road frames someone had put out for trash. When I asked the owners if I could have them, they said, "sure!" Normally you wouldn't pay any attention to something like that. It's amazing how they suddenly "pop up" when you start looking.

But let's say you can't find any like I did. Many bike shops will take old bikes on a trade for a new one. They don't give much of a discount, and they usually don't fix them up to resell. They wait for someone like you who's looking for an old bike for parts.

Parts! Keyword there. If they think you want to repair it then they're much more interested in selling you something new. I picked up a perfectly good frame from a LBS for $25, and I was able to use most of the major components to make a recumbent.

Garage sales are great for bargains. I had a neighbor who had this really nice, perfect condition girl's road bike that I picked up for $10! The daughter had a car now and the bike was just taking up space. That scenario gets repeated every weekend in someone's garage.

You have to know just a little bit about frames to make sure you're getting a good one, and not just a cheap department store variety. The easiest way to know a good frame is to look at the cranks! Click here to go to Nashbar.com
to see a variety of cranks. Cranks are what the pedals are attached to. If you were going to buy them new, the Shimano Sora Triple gives you a great range of gears.

If they are connected to the chain ring with bolts, it generally indicates a frame with decent components. If the crank is one solid piece you don't want the frame, at any price. You also want a road bike frame, and not a www.performancebike.com mountain bike frame.

A www.performancebike.com road bike frame will have a top tube that goes straight back from the head tube to the seat tube (the Mountain Bike tube has more of a downward slant). It is the only tube that is horizontal with the ground, or the topside of a triangle. Just because the bike may be in very good shape, doesn't mean you can't get it for a steal!

People put these out when they are tired of looking at them in their garage. They will all but give it away just to get rid of it. Now and then you may find a real bike rider who knows the value of what they have, and you may as well just go on. As for the others, when you convince them you don't need it for anything but parts and no one else is buying, you'll get the deal.

Road Bikes have a decreasing appeal. After riding one for five miles or so, the seat starts to hurt real good. After that, every time the bike comes into view the memory of the pain comes flooding back. As a result, in time the pain becomes greater than the value of the bike, and then it's time for the bike to go. So you can wheel and deal at the garage sales.