I've been commuting/pleasure-riding on an upright putting in about 300 mi. a week w/loaded front & rear panniers (about 30lbs together) for a while now, and in the back of my mind I've always been looking to someday upgrade to a recumbent for some serious cross-country self-supported touring. While I've been looking at the BEAUTIFUL optima falcon (replacing the optima condor & dragon), it's wayyy out of my price range. I just stumbled upon the cruz bike conversion kits today- I love the idea of a FWB and I've got a few questions about the plausibility of conversions that I'd really appreciate some help with.
1. The biggest issue here for me is getting decent, reliable components in a donor bike. In the little time I've had to research, I've seen people suggest getting 20" kids bikes. Is this necessary/recommended? I'd much rather have a full size, decent used mtb with the option of 700c's. I think the beauty of the conversion is being able to save parts (esp. decent Mavic wheelsets w/Deore hubs) from my upright touring to use them in the conversion.
2. The front and rear suspension allow for skinny 700c's, minimizing rolling resistance and rotational weight- what, if any, conversions are required to put 700c's on a dual sus mtb frame? Is this typical for a conversion, or do people tend to stick with their original wheels?
3. I've read many of the threads surrounding stem conversion issues- admittedly, I am new to this and I end up a little confused reading the previous threads. This may be a loaded question, but what are the potential problems I could run into? It seems most used mtbs on craigslist are non-threaded stems, so that is likely what I'll end up with. A cost estimate for resolving those potential problems would be a godsend.
4. I may have rushed into the forums/asking questions without checking the site first, but are there any free manuals available to give me a better idea of the steps involved in a conversion? Just trying to make sure things will work out before investing.
Thanks so much in advance to any help you guys can offer.
1. The biggest issue here for me is getting decent, reliable components in a donor bike. In the little time I've had to research, I've seen people suggest getting 20" kids bikes. Is this necessary/recommended? I'd much rather have a full size, decent used mtb with the option of 700c's. I think the beauty of the conversion is being able to save parts (esp. decent Mavic wheelsets w/Deore hubs) from my upright touring to use them in the conversion.
2. The front and rear suspension allow for skinny 700c's, minimizing rolling resistance and rotational weight- what, if any, conversions are required to put 700c's on a dual sus mtb frame? Is this typical for a conversion, or do people tend to stick with their original wheels?
3. I've read many of the threads surrounding stem conversion issues- admittedly, I am new to this and I end up a little confused reading the previous threads. This may be a loaded question, but what are the potential problems I could run into? It seems most used mtbs on craigslist are non-threaded stems, so that is likely what I'll end up with. A cost estimate for resolving those potential problems would be a godsend.
4. I may have rushed into the forums/asking questions without checking the site first, but are there any free manuals available to give me a better idea of the steps involved in a conversion? Just trying to make sure things will work out before investing.
Thanks so much in advance to any help you guys can offer.
