Vision
Recumbents
Vision Recumbents
is out of business. Their assets were sold piece-by-piece at auction in
March of 2004. We still have seat covers and seat frames available for
sale. Finding other replacement parts like USS handlebars and USS front
forks is getting difficult. Consider this before you buy a used Vision.
If you are looking for a comfortable, stable, Under Seat Steering (USS)
recumbent made in the US with good parts availability consider
Linear
Recumbents.
Advanced Transportation Products (ATP) built the Vision line of recumbents
in Washington State. ATP went out of business in early 2004. Their
corporate assets were sold piece-by-piece at auction in March of 2004.
They had been the largest recumbent manufacturer still producing all their
bikes in the US. Their line included the R-40, R-42 and R-45 rigid bikes;
the R-50 series suspension bikes; the R-60 series high-racers and the R-80
series recumbent tandems. If you are looking for a comfortable, stable,
USA made recumbent with Under Seat Steering consider the
Linear
Recumbents.
Most riders are very comfortable on the Vision seat. The Vision seat
bottom a foam pad over a triangular sling. It works well for most riders
but a few heavier riders really dislike it. I think it is one of the most
comfortable, but I’m skinny. The seat back is breathable mesh and is fine
for most riders. Some riders miss having a lumbar curve to support their
lower back. Over all I am quite comfortable on Vision seats.
The Vision USS handlebars can be a bit awkward for two reasons:
-
Many riders find
the hand position to be a bit far back; these customers (the majority)
prefer the hand position on the
Linear
Recumbents which have more
adjustable handlebars with mountain bike type bar-ends.
-
Vision USS
steering has quite a bit of “tiller.” You steer by moving the handlebars
from side to side. When you do a "U" turn on a Vision the handlebars swing
sideways, one side disappears under the seat. To do a “U” turn you pretty
much have to take one of your hands off the bars, most riders find this
annoying. It is not as noticeable on their SWB bikes but gets
progressively worse on their MWB, LWB and tandem bikes. Some Vision LWB
and tandem owners never do a “U” turn. I can do a “U” turn on a Vision USS
tandem in less than 3 lanes but it is a feat of balance requiring my
undivided attention. This is not an issue at speeds over ~ 5 mph; you only
turn that sharp at slow speeds (“U” turns & parking lots.) The sideward
movement of the handlebars also stops you from adding bar ends to improve
your hand position. The bar-ends would hit the seat, severely limiting
steering. Other USS recumbents, like the Linear and Longbikes avoid this
by using “indirect” or “linkage” steering.
Vision unsuspended
(without suspension) SWB bikes climb pretty well. Most riders find the LWB Visions harder to
balance at very slow speeds, like on steep climbs. This is especially true
on a dirt road. Vision rear suspensions tend to “bob” with hill-climbing
pedaling effort, making climbing harder. The newer R-50 series rear
suspension bikes “bob” a bit less than the older 40 series bikes with rear
suspension. The R-40 rear suspension bikes also flex laterally, making
high-speed handling poor. Pre 1998 Vision SWB bikes were pretty unstable.
In 1998 they lengthened their wheelbase about two inches, a great
improvement.
On most Vision bikes the pedals adjust to fit your leg length like Haluzak
and Lightning bikes. This helps keep the riders weight balanced between
the front and rear wheel. In 2002 Vision introduced a new design with a
quick release adjustment and automatic chain tensioner. This makes
adjusting to different riders extremely easy on their SWB models. The MWB
R-40 is more difficult to adjust because each time it takes two open-end
wrenches to adjust the steering linkage. Most Visions also have two seat
positions, for shorter or taller riders.
The CLWB R-30 series is the exception. It uses the more common method: the
seat adjusts, not the pedals.
Vision
Recumbent Seat Parts
These fit Vision recumbents with 26" rear wheels. |
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| Vision seat frame |
$165.00 |
| Vision seat mesh |
$95.00 |
| Vision seat pad |
$15.00 |
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| Postage/handling adds $9.50 per order |
We have Vision Parts & compatible parts for R-40, R-42, R-45, R-50 and
R-80 + R-82 For Sale Online.
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