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We no longer stock Challenge recumbents but can special order them. If you
are looking for a versatile recumbent with a reclined composite Euro
type seat we carry models from HP Velo, Oracle, Bacchetta, Volae and
Optima recumbents.
We like to sell recumbent bikes when customers can try them first. With
Challenge this is difficult because dealers are so far apart. If you can
not try a Challenge recumbent before deciding we could order one for you
and send it to you. Spare parts and warranty parts can take longer to
arrive for recumbents made in Europe like Challenge.
Bicycle Man llc was a Challenge dealer from 2000 to 2007.
Challenge Recumbent Bicycles
The Challenge “Endurance” line of bikes has been on the market since
1994. They are a bit heavy but have a reputation for durability and flat
land, open road speed. The Challenge “Endurance” line has been used for
touring, racing and commuting. When the Hurricane was introduced in 1994
there was nothing else like it. The design and look of the bike were
unique and “cool”. Its low height and low wind resistance made the
Hurricane one of the fastest production recumbents available at the
time. The original Hurricane is now one of their “endurance” bikes. The
bikes in the Endurance line are still at the core of Challenge bikes. As
the saying goes, “if it doesn’t break don’t fix it”.
A lot has changed since then; there weren’t any production high-racer
recumbents in 1994. In response Challenge brought out their SL line of
recumbents in 2004. Their goal was to build sub 10kg (22 lb) bikes at
sub $4000 prices. There are two ways to build a light bike. You can use
high-end components and get correspondingly high-end durability or you
can lighten the frameset and custom parts. This takes more trail and
error and engineering cost but can give you a light bike with standard
105 level components (which are actually pretty light.) If you want to
go even lighter you can combine the light frame and super light
components but you will spend more, the sky is the limit!
The SL- Super-Light series uses new designs and new manufacturing
techniques. Some of their aluminum and carbon chain idlers have been
unreliable but we expect newer versions to be better. The SL-models
weigh on average about 21lbs. Challenge designed the SL line to catch up
with Titanium and carbon fiber recumbents. Challenge is using new
manufacturing processes to remain competitive. They have innovated in
several key areas to retain their handling and aerodynamics while
cutting the overall weight of the bike.
We always recommend trying a recumbent before you buy it, to be sure you
like it. This is especially true of exotic bikes like Challenge. It is
doubly true for low-racers.
We also carry these recumbent brands:
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