Finally, push came to shove. A stressful job in the computer industry, along with plain old bad health caused me to search for a new way to get healthy and manage some stress. One day while searching the Internet for cycling resources I came across some recumbent sites. About the same time, I recalled a brief encounter years ago with a recumbent bike through a friend of my parents. The friend is a chiropractor. I remembered he was always talking about how comfortable recumbents were to ride.

My curiosity caused me to dig deeper into the Internet sites. I was amazed at the information that was available. At the People Movers site I found information on Recumbent Cyclist News (RCN). I called and had them rush me several back issues of RCN and started a subscription. I continued to explore web sites, read newsgroup postings, and exchange e-mail with recumbent cyclists until the back issues of RCN arrived in my mailbox. Several late nights were spent reading, then re-reading the magazines.

It was now time to get off the couch, take my newfound knowledge and ride some bikes. During a couple of business trips, I made stops at some recumbent shops across the country. The first recumbents I rode were LWB/OSS models. I started with this style because I’m a "big and tall" guy and thought this was the logical bike for me. What I found was that the bikes were incredibly cool, but none really felt just right. I suddenly felt my enthusiasm about getting a recumbent starting to wane because that "old feeling" wasn’t there for me. My disappointment was short-lived because my e-mail account was full of suggestions from enthusiasts across the world.

The best suggestion, heard from many, was to ride as many types of bikes as possible before making a decision. Kentucky is not the hot bed of recumbent shops, so many weekends were filled with trips to surrounding states for recumbent test rides. I started to get a little confused because I seemed to like the SWB/USS bikes better. My original thoughts when beginning this adventure was that a SWB/USS would be the last type bike I would like. These bikes were really a little intimidating to a first time rider like me. It actually happened to be the most comfortable style bike for me to ride. After spending several weeks doing research, both via the Internet and visiting bike shops, I bought my first recumbent.

My new Haluzak SWB/USS bike has renewed my enthusiasm in cycling. I’m slowly getting my legs back after years of inactivity. I remembered how much fun I used to have riding. Now, when it rains or I work too late to ride, I genuinely feel like I’ve missed a day of fun and fitness. Having spent the last five years in "couch potato" mode, this was a great reawakening to the joys of cycling.

The adventure of buying a recumbent was a fun and exceptionally educational experience. I learned a great deal about these bikes, but I learned even more about recumbent enthusiasts across the world. These enthusiasts, including recumbent riders, dealers and manufacturers, are passionate about their bikes. Many people spent a great deal of time helping me throughout this process without expecting anything in return. Even the bike shops I called or visited went above the call of duty. This was very refreshing. In my previous cycling life, I disliked visiting some shops because of the "racer" mentality. Every shop I visited to test ride bikes became one of my favorite bike shops. They were like old friends by the time I left their shops.

What did I learn from the experience of buying my first recumbent? The best advice I can give to a potential recumbent buyer is the advice I was given: Ride as many recumbents as possible before deciding on a bike. You may find what you think is the best bike for you, is in fact not what you will enjoy as much when you ride. Also, use the Internet and publications like RCN to enhance your knowledge of recumbents. Most importantly: get off the couch, go buy a recumbent and enjoy the thrill of the great outdoors and spending time with some new friends.

(Editor's note:  Since this was written in 1998 or so, Mark has bought and sold many bikes and trikes.  His current stable varies, but has included a custom-painted Bacchetta Strada, a number of models of Greenspeed trikes, and an Organic Engines Troika.)

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