Thrift Store Find - TWO Recumbent Bikes - $75 Each
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- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024
- I had a little time, so I hit a couple thrift stores. At the Goodwill, I found a BikeE recumbent bike for $75. A real bargain. And I rarely see recumbent bikes in thrift stores. So I bought it. After a brief struggle to get it into the back of my Honda Civic, I got it home. It was in good shape. But after researching the bike, I thought it should have a seat back. So I headed back to Goodwill to see if I could find a seat back that maybe got separated from the bike. I didn't find one. But, I found a second BikeE recumbent that hadn't been there before. This one had suspension even. Also $75. So I bought it too. I never did find a seat back for the one bike. But looking at the seat, I don't even see a way for a seat back to mount to it. So maybe that is the way it's supposed to be?
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Speaking of recumbent Trikes, which you're not, but maybe you can help. I have a regular Trike for which I bought a pair of used rear Hollow Hub 26" 144 Fan Spoke steel rimmed Wheels (minus their internal bearings, but that's another story). Unfortunately the rims are fairly well bent. Any idea how to straighten these monsters? Balancing yourself on these to make a start has no effect - strong! (which is of course the idea of having them).
OMG! That chain is so long, it probably weights like another bike!😅
You must be slipping RJ. This is my second comment/question that you have not addressed ..
Somewhere in the distance a Greywolf Howdy Howl to Rj can be Heard waving
Awesome find. It will definitely need a seat back, I don't see how a recumbent would be possible to ride without one, I found a video on here that shows what looks like the same model, sadly its pretty low res and you cant really see how the seat back attaches but it might give you an Idea of where to look. ruclips.net/video/II628Y08vko/видео.html
I bought one of these Bike E bikes new in 2001. Paid $1,100 for it. It was the suspension model. These were an attempt to mass produce a cheaper style of recumbent. The company went out of business a couple of years latter. They did have trouble with the quick releases holding the seat in place braking a lot. I still ride it occasionally.
Back in the 1980's down in Corvallis, OR, we were working on "Human Engineering", fitting tools to people not fitting people to tools. The "E" in BikeE was for Efficiency. The diamond shape frame on conventional bike was for strength not efficiency, On my mountain bike my hands go numb within 20 minutes and my tail bone in 20 and I get a crick in my neck. I can ride my BikeE all day with no discomfort. Set back and relax looking straight ahead. To turn the bike around, just stand up, lift the bike by the handlebars, and turn around. The bike's center of gravity is tight under the handlebars.
So much variety for a bicycle channel. Big belated thanks for all the DIY tools (besides the seat post remover - I'm not that brave!). All these odd thrift store and garage sale finds have also been really helpful with some older bikes I've acquired. THANKS!
You have to have the seat back! With recumbents you can't "stand on the pedals" for more power like to get started. You have to push your legs forward hard braced against the seat back. I have ridden BikeE's since around the 1980's and love them and continue to ride one up into my 80's. But the worst things about this bike is getting started moving and hills. Because you can't stand on the pedals for more power. You HAVE TO stay ahead of the power curve with gear shifting in advance of any power needs. Someone who didn't know better had to have removed that seat back, probably with a hack saw. It was part of the seat assembly.
Now the hardest question. Once you have the fun of fixing the bikes up and making another video, what are you going to do with them?
Asking for a friend who is addicted to bargain old bikes 😉
Probably sell them.
@@RJTheBikeGuy hello new to page want to ask you something pertaining to foot air pumps
How frustrating when you find things like that and they just have enough parts missing to not be usable. Always makes me wonder how people lose these things! Here in Australia it is one worse as those parts will either be impossible to get or insanely expensive to post!
My BikeE shock model came with a bag that drapes over the top of the seat back and rests on a sliding platform attached with skewers. I had to replace that plexiglass platform because it was fractured and weak. I've never seen a BikeE without a seat back and consider it a "must have" .
It HAS to have a seat back. It is not an option. See comment above.
Great to hear your enthusiastic voice talking about anything bike related RJ!!
Great bargain for both bikes, especially the grey AT model. You definitely need replacement seats or need to use your ingenuity to rig up seat backs for both. The AT’s seat back is not a BikeE original and must be something the previous owner just kludged together. These are low-end, out-of-print CLWB (compact long wheel base) ‘bents which are lovely for cruising, shopping, and relaxing comfortable rides. Check out Recumbent Seat Fix or Recycled Recumbent (sorry, can’t link or RUclips won’t post my comment) if you want a plug-and-play solution for those seats. I hope you’ll post a followup video about these bikes.
A 10 second riding video of this bike is missing.
All I care about now is that apparently missing bike seat back! We need a follow-up video on it!
I hope you are ok RJ, not seen you in a while.
Come back, we miss you RJ
Cool recumbents, RJ! I’ve actually owned both of those models. Solid bikes…you got a great deal!
All we need to see now is you riding it.
That's pretty wild. Definitely previously owned by a husband and wife. They look quite heavy... I hope you can figure out a seatback for the small one. I'd like to try a recumbent. Good to see another vid from you!
BikeE's are quite light. That missing seat back is just plain wrong. It could not have been manufactured that way. See comment above.
Someone threw bike-E out 😊the second one. First is cheaper, second with seatback,shock and your missing a plastic chain cover attached to the frame. The plastic round needs replacing for the seat rail to be safe. 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
Very cool bikes ❤🙏🇬🇧🇺🇸,I'm a mtb guy but I'll ride anything with air in the tyres
Well, don't know about the market for these. Seems like a lot of guys part out perfectly good complete bikes and sell them off on Fleabay - the sum of the parts is worth more than the whole bike - weird.
Uhhhh 👎
You must ride them!!
(I gave you a like in the video 😉)
Cool bikes thought I have one very similar...
They definitely look interesting. I have a lot of really bad veins in my left leg that I need to wear a compression stocking + bandage for, so I've been eying off a recumbent for a while.. if I could get that leg elevated somewhat on one. But still, a traditional bike beats walking for me, I do like the upright height on a 'normal' bike.
You got POTS or something else? I just got diagnosed with dysautonomia from a head injury. Bought a recumbent bc I cant excersize upright anymore.
The lower height gives much less wind resistance and the recumbent ride is much more comfortable. with some recumbents, your feet are practically above your head.
I am a recumbent rider. This bikes are interesting, for me they are not real recumbents, more like beach cruiser bikes. And they look very heavy, but anyway, looks like they are is a good shape!
That truly is a bargain.
The bikes are however, of a leisurely kind as stated in the video.
If you'd like a more realistic impression of riding a recumbent. You might want to look into a more sporty type. It takes a bit of getting used to, but you won't be disappointed,
Pay to have a seat fabricated. Thanks for showing yourself again. Sliding nicely into retirement, I hope.
The recurring theme of aluminium seatpost stuck in steel frame made me think of you when I was watching a vw video (steel piston rings seized against magnesium alloy frame) - do you think there's a way to dissolve the corrosion? ruclips.net/video/4nvr9qI_hZ4/видео.html
Hi! Sir.i have question?.how to removed a ATA index freewheel.hope your next video.you demonstrate it.
How about an update on these little guys? Hope they're not albatrosses around your neck. I've learned thrift store finds can become that.
I like to see one of them in action on a hill...
Can you sell them and at what price?
Definitely an interesting find. You clearly have the best thrift stores near you. I would have been tempted based on the novelty and the price. On the other hand, there is no way I am going to ride a recumbent bike. 😊
riding a bike E is not like riding other recumbents not sure what it is but I love mine and 75 buck is a steal mine has a high rise back rest my guess is they replaced seat and all.
you make awesome bike thank you for sharing the video
Theyre Semi-Recumbent bikes...not Full Recumbent
Your missing the back rest, unridable without that.
You did very well! Love how you get so excited. Nice to see ya back mr RJ.
I think you have a great wife. I can just think of what mine would do if I tried that.
Flags are ok to be seen. Flashers are for police/fire/emergency - on a call - or wankers.
You can buy seats with backs already attached
Very Cool. Lucked Out !!!
Ibam thinking that red one should have a back rest. You might be able to find a compelte seat with back on ebay. Riding in thaybposition would be extremely fatiguing without the back support.
I bought a recumbant at Goodwill about a year ago for $100. It was a Sun EZ Spprt CX, long wheel base, 26/20" wheels, 3x8 drive (no internal rear hub). Other than refreshing the seat bottom with a new lycra cover, it was was a solid purchase. Sold it for $350, I think.
I really enjoyed riding it because it was super comfortable. I'd have considered keeping it if I did a lot of open road riding. I didn't like how unwieldy such a long bike is and how it wasn't able to ride over curbs and other obstacles.
R J your starting to remind me of jordan belfort, sell me a pen
Did he say "Mrs. RJ The Bike Guy"? Haha!
Looks like a pain in a$$ to go up hill on these ? There is no weight leverage that you can apply like with normal bikes.
Recumbent riders gain their power by pushing against the back of the seat. I ride a Trice. look ‘em up along with all of the other recumbents. Comfort. Seeing more every day.
It's definitely more comfortable with a seat back, but I don't use the seat back when climbing hills on my BikeE anyway.
If you want a sporty bike, you might like trying a high racer. It's built a lot like a road bike, but a lot more aerodynamic. Recumbents are actually pretty fast for their class. The BikeE is mostly a beach cruiser, but a really fast beach cruiser. And I'm old enough that pain doesn't make me feel macho. Just sore.
I think they look like they could be bunches of fun!
Make a vid soon ,hope you and the wife are ok 🙏
The red one is a bikeE ct, there will be an S sticker behind the steer tube under the black bag, that stands for standard. The other one is a bikeE at, and it’ll have an xl sticker. I’m guessing the red one is newer. The newer ones where made by giant in Taiwan, the older ones were made in Oregon. The at is probably a 21 speed. The at has a low seat back which is older. The newer seat is pretty tall. I’ll have to look at mine, but I think the skewer is the connection point. They are fantastic as an ebike.
I also have a plastic bubble "windshield" for my BikeE. It goes from above the handlebars down to just above the front wheel. It really cuts down wind and drag.
"Mrs. The Bike Guy" ☺️
great buy-It should have a seatback
Suggest any hub for 13 speed
Put the seat right back, work out how to get the bars back, and you'll have a wheelie good bike :)
I'm the same, not my thing, but interesting.
I have been riding bicycles for years. In my mid 30's, I began to develop back and hip issues . Recently I went to a recumbent TRIKE. Since then . the issues have all but minimized .
I work at a community bike shop in Corvallis, OR, the home of the long defunct BikeE corporation. We get a fair number of these bike donated to our shop and many of them suffer from a common problem with the earlier models - broken seat backs. Once the seat back is broken the bike has no value and can't really be ridden so the one you purchased with the missing back was not a bargain, useful only for spare parts. My understanding is that replacement seats are not available so the only possible fix would be to weld up a new back for the seat. Probably not worth the trouble. There are much better recumbents out there anyway. I ride Cruzbikes which are incredibly fast and comfortable.
I wanting to do an Ebike conversion on the silver one you have. I'm about to buy one. You said said internally geared hub. Would that keep me from replacing the back wheel and gear when with a geared electric wheel?
No I did not like your bikes and I would not call them recumbent bikes, they look like something that some one did a diy and tried to make a recumbent bike out of some odd bicycle. Sorry but I must give a thumbs down.
I rode one about 20 years ago before they went out of business. It was a lot of fun. It led me to buy a recumbent. I actually ended up getting a much nicer recumbent and my wife liked it so much I had to go back to my old upright bike until I could afford to buy another one. I could never get her to ride a bike before that. It changed her life and she still rides it all the time. She doesn’t even drive often. I know they are not considered cool or sporty but you have to admit that people that have recumbents ride more than most people with more traditional bikes. I love to ride any bike and I usually ride my recumbent when we ride together.
Good for You! Nice score. 😁
Thank you RJ for all bikes videos
As we all get older and still love our old 35 years old 21 speed MTB bike, I like to see an video to convert it to a comfortable sit straight commuters bike, I and my wife,we both first like to change the handle bar, will you made an video for ideas and type of handle bar to be the best choices.
Sincerely
Cuong
last time your wife will take you along to the drs
Maybe the two was a male and female.
Now you’ve got two you’d better get riding them
The stays holding the back seat were failing, and a recall was supposed to happen. Bike-E just went out of business. I know of a rider that had the stays fail as he was riding over a set of RR tracks. Crotchety old guy, he was not hurt, but also not happy with Bike-E.
I just picked up a vision. Having fun rebuilding it. Got some wheels coming from velocity. Gonna be a sweet ride 😎
Those bikes new are hundreds of dollar
I also found a pair of these at a local resale place (can't call it a thrift store because the stuff is usually way overpriced) and I believe they were wanting over $300 each for them (as I said, this place is overpriced). Might have been interested in one but I went home and did my research and found that parts were non-existent. Hope you have better luck.
I didn’t get through all of the comments so forgive me it you’ve heard this. You have two different type of seats there. The one with the back is older and had an attached frame for the back. The other (red) had a comfort seat which had a back the used a skewer that attached it tot eh rail. Lots of plastic and it sucked. That’s probably why it’s missing. The red bike is a CT and the gray bike is an AT. The shock is probably in need of a rebuild. Otherwise, they look in pretty decent shape. Happy riding.
These would be $300 each at any of the dozen local Goodwill's around here, LOL...
The location where the bikes were purchased is what determines if $75 each was worth the price. You can always bolt something up or look around for something that can work for the broken seat. You don't have to rely on welding or going to a expensive welder or a engineer to fix it.
I would think most people would at the very least want to try out such a vélo. Always very helpful bike videos from you sir.
G from Georgetown, Ontario.
You're back! Just made my dishing tool out of Harbor Freight instant garage tubing! All thread with nuts on both sides provides adjustment. No, I didn't paint it blue!
Needs MOAR chain!
Does anyone know the seat post size for a 1974 schwinn breeze? I need to find a new lock for it so we can actually adjust the seat height but I dont know what size to buy
Seventy five for a recumbant?! Dude you hit paydirt. Congrats.
God bless Goodwill! Always find some treasures there! First stop on my expeditions around the country to pick up basics like tubs etc...
Those look like they have aftermarket "Tool-E"s - a custom drawer for storage that slides into the frame. The gray box at the back
What a bargain! I'm unfamiliar with the brand but they look like cycling's equivalent of the Commodore computers that were state of the art back in the 80s. I wouldn't be surprised if these bikes have some kind of cult following and become quite sought after.
Misses the bIke Guy :) :)
You saved me a whole lot of time and really educated me. Thank you very much I actually found a piece of brake pad was broken off of the original new ones that I put on. Thanks again.
RJ, your older "how to" videos for vintage bikes are great ... helped me overhaul the 70s classic I bought new. Looks and rides great! And I learned key maintenance for my much newer gravel bike that gets really hard miles. Thanks!
What a killer find RJ the bike guy I’ve done that a few times at the goodwill bins here in Salem ore
By the time you get them operational they won’t be a bargain. They were an entry level bike before they went out of business about 15 years ago.
oh the gray one!!!
Awesome sauce,.
I was hoping to score just exactly like that, in order to combine them into a quad (or trike), because dear wife has balance issues. Great finds!
Great scores !! I have an off topic question for ya. Have you ever tried getting lube back in to a sealed bearing?
Great 😊
how are bikes like this at your goodwills?! I was just in one this past weekend, all horrible junk department store bikes, mostly kids bikes.
Sorry to hear that. The good stuff goes fast. Gotta be there at the right time.
Same with bikes on Craigslist. Most are trashed Walmart bikes, not worth the bother even if free. But I found a real bargain a couple months ago, an almost new higher-end hybrid with lots of extras being sold by a frail older guy whose bike-buying enthusiasm overwhelmed his good judgement. Got it for my son-in-law and it's changed his life. Ya gotta be patient and keep looking.
Like
Try a sun seeker rec seat back frame and seat cover for that bike e with no seat back.
May need to do a little welding or drill holes for some bolts.
May you live in interesting times. Recumbents: can’t stand on the pegs; motoholes can’t see you. You can’t see them. Can’t ride Burundi-style (foot resting on the crossbar) - which I do all the time. Curious shifter. If you go back, would you buy a third? Ha ha.
I ride Trice tadpole. When people say you are so low…. I reply just about as low as a Corvette. Flags and flashers along with neon green clothing mandatory in my book.
Damn, you didnt tested. I'd like to see it functioning! 😆. Nice video👍
You need to check yourself after each ride on any 2 wheelers. Why? The Bruising between legs can be dangerous. My father pointed this out to me. I am a Diabetic with blood thinners and blood pressure pills. My Tadpole Catrike Dumont is wonderful. No more bruising,, no more balance issues, no more having to put any feet on the ground. Can travel at any pace, I prefer taking my time and enjoying the beauty of nature.
There is so many benefits of a Tadpole Recumbent over any 2 wheeler.
Hogwash! No we don't need to check ourselves after each ride. Sorry you have your problems but don't generalize to the rest of us.
My first thought was - how much would these hurt your back? That shock helps no doubt.
Two recumbent e bikes on the same day, you are truly blessed!
Iron Man RECUMBANT 2022!!
Really awesome find. Great bargain
congratulations.. thats a nice bike..
"Mrs The Bike Guy" 😂😂😂 too funny
On the 1st 1 looks like U could slide a peice of square aluminum tubing over the frame & with a welder & some engineering skills ya could make a custom back rest..
The frame is not square but more of a "T" shape. And, it needs to be adjustable to move forward for shorter legs and back for longer legs. But, not a bad idea.
I had never seen a derailleur paired with an IGH 🤩