My First Recumbent

When I started randonneuring in 2002 I was riding a very second-hand upright bike built up from a frame acquired from a pawn shop fitted out with parts from what I had available under my house.

It had served me well, having been used as my daily commuter and tourer over a number of years.
During my first 400 I suffered from should and neck pain and decided I needed to do something about that.

I had been interested in recumbents and wanted to build one but lacked the necessary workshop and skills.

After a lot of reading I contacted Ian Humphries in Sydney and visited him while he was building a recumbent tandem for a ride across Australia.
I ordered a custom built FlyingFurniture PBP Special which I took to France in 2003 for PBP and two months of touring before and after the event.

The bike handled exceptionally well and I was very happy with it, apart from being unable to keep it upright on unsealed surfaces. The narrow high pressure tyres were fast but gave a harsh ride on the road and dug into soft gravel.
Fitting 2″ BMX tyres after I got home made it more comfortable but considerably slower.

I sold the bike after moving to NZ in 2005 and tried many other designs, most of which included suspension.