We see lots of questions asked about the Blackbent, but the bike is just so new that no one has been able to spend enough time with the new version, the BB3 to really have a good sense of what this bike is all about. I've had mine for about a month now and I'm still learning lots about it. Straight away, I will say it is fast and it is fun.

In many ways it is a vast improvement over its predecessor, the BB2. However, working out the squeaks and rattles and fine tuning it so that the two us feel like one unit has been frustrating at times. Unlike some of my BikeEs or Linears that have come out of the box ready to roll with a minimal amount of tweaking, the BB3 felt like a frustrating bucket of bolts until I was able to work out the kinks. And it has been more than worth it.

And it continues to reinforce this notion. For example I just kowabunga discovered that it fits on a standard bus rack! Talk about a whole new world of options. I now have a machine that I can take to cities serviced by trains and buses. Outfit it with panniers, and presto voila, it also doubles as a mobile suitcase, office, and clothes closet, etc.

And unlike the BB2, when it is in tight turn situations it evens has excellent manners. Slow speed parking lot turns are no longer an accident waiting to happen where the BB2 used to feel like a total egg shell balancing act. It is here that that the BB3 being a short wheel base lets you really feel the benefit of this shorter axle to axle length.

I've ben using it a lot lately for-a lot of my short trip errand work and the many seat extrusions that some might think makes the bike look like a homebuilt experiment actually serve as great hooks upon which to hang cloth shopping bags, my heavy leather purse (filled with tools, my digital camera, pocket Mailer, bike pump, pens and etc) as well as my kyrptonite and occasional grocery bag with handles.

I am even surprised at the reaction I get from not just kids but people from who think its expensive. Great beginner bent. Killer Price: 700 bux!!

Martin Krieg
79 TransAm Upright
86 TransAm Recumbent