And the Search Begins ...........

Whizzer

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Since this is a chat room, thought I might share my recent experience and on-going search.

Last week my Bride said she might be interested in riding my recumbent trike. We got my trike out to see what had to be done to accommodate her position on the seat so she could properly reach the pedals. Since I barely fit the trike and she, being two inches shorter than I, simply did not fit. I grumbled a bit knowing it is next to impossible to find the correct boom length to accommodate her and expressed this along with the comment it barely fit me but had lived with it for two years. She thought it might help her strengthen in her lower body and provide exercise.
The trike left her slouching down far in the seat and stretching to reach the pedals, an unsafe position.
As we had our daily mid-morning coffee and tea, she said, "since you are borderline with the trike and it doesn't fit me at all, why not sell it and look for another one."
Those words were music to my ears as I had this thought for several months about fibbing one that fit properly for a variety of reasons but recumbent trikes do not come cheap and trying to sell mine was cloaked in uncertainty. It wasn't long before I sat down and typed out an advertisement offering the trike for sale to place on the community bulletin board. I typed the ad on a 3 x 5 card and before starting my daily morning ride placed the card under my helmet as my shirt had no pocket. The plan was to post the notice for sale on the bulletin board while passing by during my usual morning ride.

Less than a quarter mile into the ride I stopped to offer morning greetings to a neighbor and he began asking me about the trike and added he was thinking of buying one. I managed to sneak in that mine was for sale and ready to go. His comment was he had to talk it over with his wife and as I rode away, my thoughts were, "Uh-huh. I've heard that before," and figured this is when he would begin avoiding me because his wife said, "no!" and continued in my circuitous route, stopping to post the notice.

At the end of my ride, just as I pulled into the driveway, my cell phone rang and it was the guys wife who asked if I had any offers on my trike. I replied the notice had been posted less than two minutes ago and she said, "Well, don't!! We'll take it and pay full price! I'll be there in ten minutes with a check!" You coulda knocked me over with a fender!! In my wildest dreams was it ever expected the trike would sell so quickly.

And thus, the trike was sold!! So now I must find another one and hope it will be adjustable enough to accommodate both my Bride and I. Once we see how she likes it, maybe then we'll break open the piggy bank and get one for her so we can ride together. After all, for nearly 59 years we've done everything from buying and starting businesses to raising a family and working side by side so why not ride trikes together.

Now, all that is left to do is find the right one. More on this as the search evolves.
 
And here I thought the seats on those moved fore/aft for different height riders.
 
And here I thought the seats on those moved fore/aft for different height riders.
They do on some models. Most of the adjustment in later years come from a retracting boom. Earlier models had different sized booms and little seat adjustment front to back but the angle could be changed. The one I sold has three boom sizes to accommodate riders from 5'4" to 6' 4" and a weight limit around 250 lbs. The main issue is getting the proper length of leg extension. Keeping the seat within a specific range has to do with weight distribution and handling.
 
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