THE BICYCLE SHOP EXPERIENCE

After 5 calls I found a shop and a competent sounding technician - "Derek" who was willing to take the time to answer all my questions, and also agreed to adjust my bicycle while I was there right in the shop.  The other technicians I called didn't sound competent and didn't understand my need to be there during the adjustment of the boom, etc.

In the span of about half an hour I had my derailleur adjusted, and the front brakes adjusted.  Derek removed the weird (That's the description I'll use) nut on the top of the left pad and replaced it with a more common nut from a set of used Tecktro Brakes he had in the shop.  He also had to replace the cable as it was too short (as previously mentioned).  Total damage - $30 USA for the "tune up" and $5 USA for the brake cable.  Not a bad deal for same day service while you wait.  I was so happy I immediately took my Trek Fuel 98 in for a broken spoke problem.  DEALERS - ANYONE CAN SELL A BIKE, BUT SERVICE WINS CUSTOMERS.  Okay I'm preaching - lets ride the darn thing!

MY FIRST RIDE ON THE SHOCKPROOF 559 TI

Ought oh!  What have I done? What have I gotten myself into?  Have I made a huge financial mistake? With basic black Shimano 105 components (See full M5 Shockproof Component list below) but it was more than $4,000 USA after shipping!  That's a lot to me considering the middle of the road component package (I was, and am a little envious of the Bachetta Aero because it is so much lighter, and comes with all High End components for about the same price).  I figure I got the same basic deal any other customer would have received - not counting being screwed on the shipping.

I began to pedal - I have only ridden one other recumbent before this one - a Sun something or other with a cushy seat and a low bottom bracket.  It was really easy to ride, but very mushy slow feeling.  This new Shockproof 559 felt entirely different.  My first impression was "this feels kind of squirrelly".  Due to my inexperience and slow speed stability problems I almost crashed before I was even out of the driveway.  I had trouble starting... but I just kept pedaling, and at 6 or 7 miles per hour the stability improves drastically.

Even so my first mile or so was scary stuff!  I thought for sure I was going to crash again.  I applied the brakes - SQREECH!  So loud a car that drove by with it's windows down gave me a strange look.  Perhaps the brakes need a while to "break in" (pun intended).  I kept pedaling.  Now I must say I'm a experienced rider (Just not recumbents).  I've been on a bicycle for as long as I can remember and never had a problem with any bike as far as handling and balance are concerned.  This was a different experience.  I kept pedaling.  I got more and more comfortable.

I decided to take one of my longer "usual" loops around town.  About half an hour into the ride I felt pretty comfortable on the bike.  However, I am still not all that comfortable with the handle bar position or the shifting.  I've never been a fan of "grip shift" shifters.  Hopefully I'm not violating some trademark there, perhaps it's twist shifters.  And the braking does leave something to be desired.  I find myself anticipating stops much more than on any other bicycle.  I would have loved a disc brake option but that adds weight.  Weight is bad?  Isn't it?  Maybe not.

MY FIRST DISAPPOINTMENT WITH THE TI 559

Weight!  I put my Trek Fuel 98 on the Bicycle shop scale (An electronic hanging scale designed for weighing bicycles).  This looked like a quality scale and it read 28.6 lbs.  Right on!  It's the largest frame they make 21.5" and full suspension, so I knew the scale was accurate.  I next put the Shockproof TI 559 on the scale expecting to see about 27lbs.  Wow was I shocked (no pun intended).  33lbs 2 ounces.  I did a slight double take.  The M5 website lists this bicycle at 11.5 kg (25.4lbs) with Shimano 105!  Now I expected my bike to be heavier as I had more spokes in the wheels, and the TI rack - I figured 27lbs would be about right.  NOT EVEN CLOSE!  This bike was a full 6lbs heavier than that!

I guess there really is some truth to weight not being as important in the recumbent world.  Just a word of warning with any bike, if you care about weight, buy from a dealer (In this case I had no choice as there were no dealers in the USA) ) and have them weigh the bike with the accessories you want already installed.  I'm definitely happy with the bicycle and will be keeping it as my main ride for some time to come.

OVERALL IMPRESSION OF THE TI 559 SHOCKPROOF

Scary at first for those of us with limited recumbent experience.  It's my understanding slow speed handling is not a strength of any recumbent design.  But even a person of average balance and skill will quickly become accustomed to starting and stopping.  After you get the knack of starting and you get up to say 5 to 8 mph the handling improves exponentially!   This bike feels like performance machine right up until you need to climb something steep!  If you ride in the flats you won't be disappointed with the performance.

I opted for the Specialized "Fatboy" tires.  These are fast easy rolling comfortable tires (I have them on my spare mountain bike).  A seasoned recumbent rider will probably take to this bike faster than I did, but I'm catching on quickly.  It's slow speed handling isn't great (as mentioned above this tends to be the case for recumbents in general), but at speed (and I'll report the actual speeds after I hook up the computer and go on several rides) it handles pretty well.  I am a little concerned about low speed stability from the very narrow handlebars.  I understand the ergo/aerodynamic ramifications.  It's a fair tradeoff, but slightly wider bars in my opinion would add to the feeling of stability.  I also found my wrists getting a little uncomfortable, and I wasn't about to take my hands off the bars.  Knowing this I think bars that are about 2" wider on each side would add tremendously to the "feel" of stability for a recreational rider like myself, while the racer will probably want to keep the tight aero bars this shipped with this bicycle.  Catch me in a month or two and I'll probably be saying "Boy I'm glad I have these narrow bars, I wish I could go faster!".

While riding (even on my very first ride) I was amazed at how much difference the riding position makes not only to comfort (I like the M5 Seat - I have a very long back and the large seat fits me well, if anything it might be 1 or 2 inches too short, but it feels good) but to the speed you can attain and more importantly maintain in a headwind.  It is so much easier to pedal into the wind.  I noted a rider about 300 yards ahead of me riding into the wind on his upright road bike, and within about 5 minutes of casual pedaling I had closed at least a hundred yards on him.  This bike may be too much for your riding goals, style, or budget, but recumbents in general will open your eyes to how much easier it is to ride in the wind.  The shockproof 559 Titanium excels in a head wind!  I think my first impressions were based a lot on fear of the unknown and as I ride this bike I'll like it more an more.

DAM SEXY AND FAST

Sexy is local slang we like to use among friends to describe things which are "cool", "innovative" and just easy on the eyes.  This bike has all of that!  I didn't mention that I'm fairly large at 6'4" and about 210lbs.  I felt very much at home with the dual 26" and really liked the M5 Seat (I've said that twice now!).  This bike feels very fast to me!  It's damn SEXY!

FINAL THOUGHTS

There are very few options in the dual 26" recumbent market right now.  I wanted and got dual suspension.  The ride is firm yet forgiving, when I push hard on the pedals the seat provides the support I need to really accelerate.  The seat is comfortable for my body (although a headrest would be nice) but it did seem to get a little bit hot.  I left a trail of sweat on the nylon covered foam pad.  I would sacrifice a little aero for the more secure feeling wider handle bars would bring - although not full on wide like the "tweener" bars on other bikes.  I really like the fact that my knees are nowhere near hitting the handlebars.  I did rub my right leg slightly on occasion against the chain housing.  And while this bike is not perfectly silent the chain noise didn't bother me much, I could barely hear it.  I usually ride with my MP3 Flash Player (iRiver) and ear buds so I couldn't really tell.  I set the volume very low so I can hear traffic.  I just like the rhythm of music when riding it helps me keep a nice smooth pace.  And a final thought about low speed handling.  Yes it's possible to have "heel strike" but only at very slow speeds and relatively sharp turns.

Good

Bad

COMPONENTS ON MY BIKE

Note:  Please feel free to link to this review as you see fit, but please don't copy it or repost it without permission.

Ti 559 Shockproof Review

Bike Reviews