Post by HarvE on Apr 16, 2005 12:44:18 GMT -5
April 16, 2005...I purchased a new 2002 BikeE CT (standard size) less than 24 hours ago! Here's my story. Here in Manitoba (Canada), every summer for the past four years we (my wife, my four daughters, and myself) have vacationed in August for a week near a resort town that has a thriving bicycle rental business for visiting tourists. The first year we came into town my children were smitten with the idea of renting one of those 4-seater/4-wheel bikes, and so it has become a tradition for them to spend one afternoon on one, every summer. In the back corner of their lot, containing many dozens of bikes, were two (late 90's) BikeE AT's and, having seen a few wacky looking recumbant bikes around the city where we live, I was curious to try one out. I have rented one, for a single afternoon, annually for the past four years, as I rode around keeping an eye on my kids as they rode their curiously designed 4-seater. These were the first BikeE's I had ever seen, and I immediately fell in love with them as soon as I tried one out. Throughout the year, whenever we spoke of our favorite vacation moments, the kids would name visiting camp-friends, or kayaking, or back-packing...but I would always say "renting that bright red recumbant bike". I have experienced a yo-yo of emotions over the years related to my discovery of the BikeE. Firstly, I was frustrated when I couldn't find any bike stores, in the city where I live, that sold recumbants. Then I was happy to find many for sale on the internet. But then, YIKES, I learned the price. They were three or four times the cost of my modest (but loveable) generic mountain bike. I have a Nishiki Barbarian...heavy, especially in its decked-out, accessory-laden state, but silent, smooth, and as clean and pristine as the day I bought it, about a decade ago. I was saddened (wasn't everyone?) to learn of the company's demise. I watched, in frustration, as the stock of remaining BikeE's evaporated from bike retailers on the internet. Last year it I thought I might just be able to afford one, and I found a new 2002 AT at a bike shop in the United States, but a number of factors frustrated me. I was nervous, just never having purchased anything over the internet in the past. Shipping from the U.S. to Canada became slightly complicated. The currency exchange rate was working against me. Then I learned I had to pay importation duty to import a bicycle into Canada. I gave up, and accepted that my relationship with the bike would be as a brief annual rental. Coincidence stepped in recently when a local book-dealer showed interest in purchasing my collection (which had grown to a cumbersome size, and for which my interest had been diminishing over the last few years), which provided a little extra income, and that same week I wandered into a bike shop that I had never known existed, while visiting the opposite end of my city. There were three RANS lined up, and a beautiful, brand-new, charcol BikeE CT was up against the wall. I inquired as to the price, and was told that they had that they had been trying to sell that bike since just before the company went out of business in 2002. I hadn't thought of the CT model before, partially because I had never seen one in real life, but also because they were even more money that the AT's I was dreaming of. I tried it out down the street behind the bike shop and, wow, it was even more comfortable a ride than the CT. The owner of the store was consulted and I bought it for around half price. I even convinced them throw in a Sigma computer (which they mounted on the side of the steering stem for me) because I was taking this 'unsellable' bike off their hands.
I brought the bike home from the store yesterday afternoon, and spent some time, after the kids were in bed last night, searching the internet for any available add-ons I might find (not an easy task, as I'm sure many of you are aware). Mostly I am trying to figure out the best way to add a water bottle cage, mount a rear-flashing light, and possibly, buy a rear pannier bag. Before I went to bed last night, I stumbled upon this message board and joined up (this is the first message board I have ever tried using...my daughter is giggling as I type this...as she was recently explaining the concept of 'chat-rooms' to me...another computer experince I've never attempted).
My BikeE spent the night in the middle of my living-room, because I'm nervous that it might dissappear out of my garage, if you know what I mean. I'm going to have to improve the locks accessing the garage, and maybe rig a bike-locking system that is bolted directly into the side of my house, something I should have done all along for the many bikes that live at my house.
Hey...thanks for the opportunity to share the history of my interest in BikeE.
Take care everyone.
HarvE
I brought the bike home from the store yesterday afternoon, and spent some time, after the kids were in bed last night, searching the internet for any available add-ons I might find (not an easy task, as I'm sure many of you are aware). Mostly I am trying to figure out the best way to add a water bottle cage, mount a rear-flashing light, and possibly, buy a rear pannier bag. Before I went to bed last night, I stumbled upon this message board and joined up (this is the first message board I have ever tried using...my daughter is giggling as I type this...as she was recently explaining the concept of 'chat-rooms' to me...another computer experince I've never attempted).
My BikeE spent the night in the middle of my living-room, because I'm nervous that it might dissappear out of my garage, if you know what I mean. I'm going to have to improve the locks accessing the garage, and maybe rig a bike-locking system that is bolted directly into the side of my house, something I should have done all along for the many bikes that live at my house.
Hey...thanks for the opportunity to share the history of my interest in BikeE.
Take care everyone.
HarvE
