My neighbor and LSR pal Dan Schaaf recently decided to look into recumbents, due to various aches and pains...   He had already focused on either the CA2 or CarBent, and did some more reading of various articles out there, including the semi-recent ones about other Rando people switching to 'bents. He took advantage of a recent visit from John Schlitter to attempt to test ride the CA2, and apparently had one UGLY time of it trying to learn the balance, even with John and Steve P's help.
 
I invited him over yesterday to do some testing of the SXP, and Chas also came over with his V3, since he's still struggling a bit with startup balance.  I fitted Dan to Terrie's SXP, and his xseam is about 47" -- so the seat was all the way back, even on the XL frame.  But he was so... how do I describe it...  "shellshocked"?  "traumatized"? by his previous balance problems on the CA2 that he was rather hesitant to even start rolling down the driveway on the SXP...  But, with a bit of nudging, he got going...
 

 
Chas rolled out on his V3, to do his own work on startups and general balance in turns... but the two of them gave each other a WIDE berth...    
 

 
We just cruised around my neighborhood, then Dan switched to the V3 for a while, getting the feel for the change in balance of the higher pedal position...  While Chas switched to the SXP, and I rode the CA2...  While I was on it, I noticed that the rear DR wasn't shifting properly...  which was probably contributing to Dan's issues on it...  We started working on starting techniques and balancing...
 

 
Then we put Dan back on the CA2, again working on starting techniques and circling, while Chas did more of the same on the V3...
 

 
By this point, Dan was feeling better about his balance on the CA2... the progression of different bikes had help "calibrate" him somewhat.  Then we headed out into the Wilds of Rowlett...  
 

 
We spent time in a school parking lot, just doing circles, more starts, etc... and both Dan and Chas felt better about getting into closer proximity....
 

 
Did a little more cruising around the area on city streets, then I took them to the Rowlett Drag Strip....     a short new paved section of Kirby Road where they're putting in Hwy 190, that only construction trucks currently use...  but nobody but us cyclists were on it, now!  Dan got the CA2 up to 20mph for the first time, but Chas smoked him....  
 

 

 
After that, we headed back to the house, lesson over... But both Dan and Chas felt better about their balancing skills -- especially Dan, who said he felt "1000% better" about his future as a 'bent rider!!!
 
Matter of fact, he came out to the Plano Eastside Ride today, and after getting the RD tweaked by Aaron at PCF, he did a healthy 38 miles on the bike, with minimal to no startup problems whatsoever, and was holding 20+ mph through many sections of the ride (on platform pedals!).    As Sharon Stevens quipped, "We've created a monster!!!"
 

 

 
When we got back, we went over to PCF to try the Xstream, as a LWB comparison for reference, now that Dan has gained much more confidence in his overall balance...
 

 
So overall, it was a very productive last 24 hours for Dan, and I'll bet that Chas had fewer issues on the Airport Ride that he did this morning....
 
Class Dismissed!!!!  
 
 
 

Excellent work there Professor!  I'm glad he's feeling better and enjoying bent life.  More will come!
 
Take Care,
Nelson.

Where did you get the CA2.0?

Quote:

 
Steve?  Yours?

But it is not.  Well some day.....

I went out in the Garage, it is still hanging there, safe and sound.