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Bacchetta
Recumbent Bicycles
Bacchetta began in
2002 with three SWB bikes, now they have 7 models and 2 sub models.
These include 5 SWBs, 1 MWB and 1 LWB. They are made from Chromoly
steel, aluminum, titanium and carbon fiber and range in weight form ~30
lb to ~20 lb.
The Giro, Strada, Corsa and Aero’s are Bacchetta’s signature SWB OSS
bikes and lean toward performance. They share relatively high
bottom-brackets, relatively reclined seats and approximately 47-48"
wheelbases. They also have the Bacchetta “Tweener Bars”. These bend down
90 degrees to give a vertical grip area. I like the Tweeners adjusted
about 60 degrees from horizontal, comfy & relaxing.
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The Giro and Strada are versatile steel
bikes. They share many components including the comfy seat
(foam base, mesh back), handlebar/stem and custom steel
frame tubes. Their seats and handlebars allow a very wide
range of adjustments to fit most tastes. The Giro has fender
clearances and a wide variety of tires available for
commuting, touring or maybe some racing. The Corsa uses 650c
wheels so light fast tires are not a problem but wider,
rugged rubber for commuting or tours is pretty much not
available. |
The Corsa, TI Aero Carbon Aero are all dual 650c" wheels bikes with a
more radical, more laid-back rider position and a higher bottom-bracket.
They put the rider in a faster low wind resistance position. The Aeros
are single purpose, no compromise go-fast-bikes. They have either the
Bacchetta Euromesh seat or a composite hard-shell seat. The Euromesh has
the option of mounting 2 water bottle cages on the back, the composite
seats do not. I find the foam stays put better on the Euromesh.
Bacchetta uses a new mesh back seat on the Giro and Strada. It is a
modified version of the mesh back seat John (see below) designed in
1994. The big difference is that at the top of the back the seat curves
up behind the rider's shoulders. This is to better support the rider and
holds them in place better when sprinting or climbing with the seat
reclined. The seat's molded base has a 2" foam pad covered by a
waterproof "SPENDURA" cover. To adjust for rider leg length you release
a single quick release under the seat. It loosens the self-lubricating
Delrin clamp, which slides easily and clamps securely. The seat
adjustment is easy and when clamped is secure. It works well when clean,
see below. Combined with the available frame sizes these bikes will fit
most riders. Shorter riders, under about 5'6" will find the seat on the
Strada to high to easily get on and off of. Because of this the Strada
only comes in medium and large sizes. Recline is adjusted by the
standard remove-pins-and-adjust-telescoping-aluminum-sprint-braces
method. The seat back is a bit taller than most and curves up behind
your neck & shoulders for better support when reclined. The recline
adjustment allows for a very laid back aero position which works well
with the high seat back & neck support. Shorter riders won't get the
advantage of the neck support curve. Riders under about 5’4” usually
don’t find it fits them very well. The seat will be a bit high, they
might try a Burley Django or Hepcat or a more expensive Lightning P-38.
On a fifty-mile ride I found the recurve seat does not fit me well. The
seat back ends uncomfortably behind my shoulder blades (I'm 6'3" with a
long torso.) The lumbar support isn't quite as comfy for me as a RANS or
lightning seat. As always test riding is the best way to find what works
best for you.
The frame's chain stays and ovalized main
tube are drawn to Bacchetta's specifications in Taiwan. They
use the same high quality tube supplier as Santana, Vision &
Burley. The airfoil shaped main tube is fat enough to
provide lateral stiffness for sprinting and high-speed
stability. Its shape also keeps the Delrin clamp from
leaning to either side, a great design synergy.
On the Café, Giro and Strada the stem/handlebar combination
allows a wide range of adjustment. You can set your hand
position forward with your arms extended (the more aero
position) or, except on the Café, you can bring the bars
back closer to your chest if you prefer. The forward/aft
pivot has an adjustable stop. It also has a friction
adjustment, which allows you to nearly lock it out if you
prefer a more rigid handlebar. It works very well but you
may occasionally need to retighten it. The ends of the
handlebars may hit your knees in sharp turns but I quickly
got used to that. Novices sometimes find this objectionable.
More experienced recumbent riders sometimes don't even
notice this. I like the hand positions available with these
handlebars very well. |

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The Aero is a single purpose, no compromise go-fast-bike.
Bacchetta uses a
new mesh back seat on the Giro and Strada. It is a modified version of
the mesh back seat John (see below) designed in 1994. The big difference
is that at the top of the back the seat curves up behind the rider's
shoulders. This is to better support the rider and holds them in place
when sprinting or climbing when fully reclined. The seat's molded base
has a 2" foam pad covered by a waterproof "SPENDURA" cover. For race
enthusiasts a smaller, lighter pan and pad will be available in the
future. To adjust for rider leg length you release a single quick
release under the seat. It loosens the self-lubricating Delrin clamp,
which slides easily and clamps securely. The seat adjustment is easy and
when clamped is secure. It is as good as any adjust/clamp system on the
market. Combined with the available frame sizes these bikes
will fit most riders. Shorter riders, under about 5'6" will find the
seat on the Strada to high to easily get on and off of. Because of this
the Strada only comes in medium and large sizes. Recline is adjusted by
the standard remove-pins-and-adjust-telescoping-aluminum-sprint-braces
method. The seat back is a bit taller than most and curves up
behind your neck & shoulders for better support when reclined. The
recline adjustment allows for a very laid back aero position which works
well with the high seat back & neck support. Shorter riders won't get
the advantage of the neck support curve. I don't think a small Giro will
fit a 5' rider well. The seat will be a bit high, they should consider a
Burley or Lightning. On a fifty-mile ride I found it does not fit me
well. The seat back ends uncomfortably behind my shoulder-blades (I'm
6'3" with a medium-long torso.) The lumbar support isn't quite as comfy
for me as a RANS or lightning seat. As always test riding is the best
way to find what works best for you.
The Agio, Corsa and Ti Aero and Carbon Aero you do not have the option of
moving the bars forward and back. They move up and down some but that’s
about it. On the Agio taller riders may find t handlebars a bit far to
comfortably reach, especially if you like the seat reclined much. I did.
The Corsa and Aero’s some rides find the bars are either close to their
shins or near their line of sight, or both.
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The Agio and Café do not have the “Tweener”
bars. Their bars have a slight bend and are quite narrow.
Some like it, some do not. The whole discussion about which
handlebars you like best is another try before you buy
topic. |
Here are a few
issues we have found with Bacchettas:
The rear cable guide is positioned quite close to the brake making cable
housing length critical. Carefully cutting t rear brake cable to length
pretty much eliminates this.
It would be nice if their recurve seat came in 2 sizes for differing
height riders.
Bacchetta does not allow us to ship their bikes to customers in the US.
If you live to far away to come test ride and pick up a Bacchetta bike
and cannot find a Bacchetta dealer in your area we could ship a
Bacchetta to a bike shop near you for final assembly and adjustment.
As always we recommend extensive test riding if possible. We encourage
you to support dealers who offer you test rides if there is one in your
area.
Click here for a
Bacchetta Owner's Manual (requires Acrobat Reader 1.22mb)
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