Craigslist find (TW-Bents)

Howdy Folks! I just scored my first recumbent off Craigslist. It was from someone who did some headwork for trade and wanted to turn around and sell it. I got it for $100 because the story is, he bent the front fork with his heavy table on wheels in his shop. Who knows... Question is I need some stuff to get this thing up and running. It needs a new front fork obviously (can they be fixed?), and a number of little things including a tune up. It has been a no namer until today I noticed on one piece it says TW Bents. I've done a little research on it and am only finding newer bikes. No idea what model this is or where I can get parts. Can you all point me in the right direction? Maybe someone will know what model it is too! Hopefully I can figure out how to get a picture in this..

 

Hey I really appreciate your looking around. I've always considered myself to be a well experienced google researcher but like you, I could not find this exact bike. I'll look into checking with efunbikes, but as far as the fork goes I think I'm going to get a new one with a longer stem and convert it to above frame steering, just seems more natural that way. I see in your picture yours is above as well! This is a pretty sweet bike! Everything aside from the frame and the rims are a little messed up in one way or another including the seat. Its all usable or just needs tweaked. Regardless, this will be a super fun project! I've got a 50 mile ride coming up in May called Reach the Beach which I participated in last year on a Cannondale upright Crit bike, it worked well everywhere but the steep up hills sections. My brother and I collected over $1500 for the cause! I look forward to trying it on a recumbent!!!

 

Well I managed to get some welding done on it today. I used a fork and handlebar off of a little kid's 20 inch bike....I don't think the handlebars are gonna work besides they look super funny. I had to extend the tube that went into the frame. If I had a good front tire I'd give it a try. My seat is going to need some serious love. Kinda would like to replace it but I have no idea what direction to go. I might just get some new mesh and try and reinforce it somehow. Also I'm not sure how the chain is supposed to actually go. There is a spool on it that spins but doesn't really do anything....maybe it's been modified already. I'll get a new front tire and see how it goes!

 

I finally found a random picture of an identical bike! Anyone recognize the brand name? Action something...

 

I think it is an ActionBENT. There is no website, but the domain name is taken.











Anything look familiar?

Gary

 

I found some more info:
There is a Yahoo group Actionbent & Other Tawainese Recumbents - Yahoo Groups

Someone in Atlanta is selling one for a dollar. ActionBent Recumbent Bike - $1 (Atlanta)

There is thread on BentRiderOnLine titled What happened to Actionbent?

It looks like they made trikes for awhile.

Gary

 

Action bent is also Performer cycle. (www.performer.com.tw).

 

Since the original fork is gone, the original version of USS is also gone. I don't know how it can even be ridden with those BMX handlebars! Performer sells steering parts, or possibly you could use Volae (Hostelshoppe) parts. I'd definitely go with a 'hamster bar' setup like what's on the yellow Actionbent.

Actionbent, TWBents, and RecumbentUSA all sold the same bikes. There's nothing non-standard on them so you should be able to find parts to fit from lots of sources.

 

OK, so here is the skinny. The bike is an Actionbent, a company owned by Randy Schulman, in Redlands WA. Bankrupt, gone, kaput. They imported both two wheeled & three wheeled bents. Early models were manufactured by China Mascot/Taiwan Bents. RB Performer split off from that company some time around 2008. Actionbent sold bents from both companies for some time until 2012, when AB went Bankrupt. The same bents were sold by a number of internet retaillers, RecumbentsUSA, Ilove Bent, etc, BUT AB was the most successful & sold huge numbers for a 8 or 9 years.
Your bike appears to be an RB Performer Goal. Contact them directly for replacement parts. I have been told they are very helpful. Also there is a site where surplus Actionbent parts are listed for sale. Google "clearance recumbent parts". I have contacted them, but not purchased anything.
The seats were always the weak point. Designed for smaller Asian riders, they failed in a fair number of high mileage bikes. Any hard shell seat can be adapted, Volae, M5, Bacchetta, PowerOnCycling, etc.

 

I have had a couple of interactions with AB and some of their products were very nice, if you did not mind upgrading components and tinkering with minor stuff. I had a cheap fix for the seats that worked well for my 250lb frame for several K. I drilled 3 holes along the hollow ribs on the top side of the seat. I then filled then with all of the expanding foam I gould get in. Start the tube as deeply as you can insert it, spray as you withdraw. Do this in each hole and wait 24 hrs. trim off the excess foam as it will have oozed out your hole. Next fix was for water bottle, that thin skin just broke open if any pressure was put on the wb cage. Drill a 3/8 in hole (10mm for you special guys) completely through the seat where the bottles should hang. Pump some epoxy in the hole and slip a wooden dowel through the mess. Once it all dries, grind the wood down flush with the seat, lay a 2 layer fiberglass mesh cover in place, let it dry, drill into the wood and attach the wb holder with screws. It should be solid and my cage bent but never ripped out again. I did paint it and you can not even see a repair and the eat is stiff enough and has never cracked.

Jerry

 

I found mine on Craigslist as well, but someone had pawned it and I just called the shop and went and picked it up......looks like it was never ridden, I'm happy!!!