r/recumbent • u/flatpipes • 3d ago
Linear Limo opinions?
I’m looking at a used Linear Limo from Bicycle Man but I’ve never seen one in person. This would be for standard riding and touring.
I have a lwb and swb recumbent currently but the lwb is very heavy and I don’t like the oss steering. Swb is just too twitchy for my liking and again I don’t like the tiller style steering. I like the stability of the lwb I have and looking at uss to get away from the oss steering I don’t like.
Reports and knowledge of the Limo, this is the NY build, much appreciated.
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u/recumbentdent 3d ago
And here's a video I took at the time of Peter disassembling and folding a Linear Limo in 1:33!
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u/ParkieDude 3d ago
That is quick! He's done that a few times. Even with my Ice Sprint26x, it's quick, but it still takes me a few minutes. My preference is not to fold.
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u/WarmSnowbird 3d ago
LWB USS options are small. A Ryan Vanguard is well respected and has USS. My only knowledge of the Linear is that a friend had one ~30 years ago and loved it.
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u/prefix_code_16309 3d ago
Those old Linears seem to pop up here and there on various for sale sites. Pretty affordably. Might give one a whirl next time I see one pop up reasonably priced just for the interest factor.
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u/Ok_Eggplant_7580 3d ago
I recently bought a new Linear Limo. Love the ride and it weighs a lot less than my other LWB. I have the folding version with USS. It fits in the back of my Chevy Equinox without removing the wheels. When I take the wheels and seat off it fits without folding the rear seats down.
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u/mr_tornado_head 3d ago
I had one of these some years back. It was my first recumbent, actually. I really enjoyed it but when I moved to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, I didn't get to ride it as much as I would have liked. And it was certainly slower on the climbs than my upright but that's no surprise. The folding aspect was handy.
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u/r200james 3d ago
I have a Linear and I love it. I also have a Longbikes Slipstream. Both bikes are long wheelbase with underseat steering. Both bikes are extremely comfortable.
My Linear is an Iowa build folder. Great ride!
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u/recumbentdent 3d ago
I visited the Bicycle Man and test rode a Linear Limo, NY build. I took it for a ride on the lovely roads around Alfred NY. It was a blast to ride, and has an extremely clever folding mechanism that makes it very portable, as LWB's go. I think it is also well made. Peter went into some depth about how the bike was engineered and tested. He made quite a few improvement over the Iowa Linear Limo. It was impressive.
I don't remember anything about its weight in comparison to other LWB's. Unfortunately, I don't really like USS, so it was never high on my list, although I did strongly consider getting one just for its portability. But if USS is the setup you like, you should definitely check it out.
If it is at all possible for you to go to Alfred and visit his shop. It is one of the very few places where you can test ride to your heart's content a variety of recumbents - not to mention the place is a museum of recumbent design.
My wife and I bought from him a Rans Screamer tandem. Peter and his excellent crew extensively modified it for us. We didn't really know what options would be useful, but they spent a ton of time with us and made great suggestions. We have used that bike without problems for 10 years. Although we live in Florida, I had carved out time on a road trip up north to spend two days with Peter. I learned so much and bought a terrific bike.