New to me . . Burley, HepCat

Hi again everyone,
A while ago I posted for some help on SWB 'bents and got a lot of good feedback. Thanks to that feedback I was looking for a RANS V-Rex in the price range I was willing to spend. Well, I found a bike on Craigslist that I could not pass on and I now own a Burley HepCat. I was told that it was bought new, rode 50 miles (computer had 80 miles on it) and was stored for years. This bike is in showroom condition!! HepCat with Vision seat bag, computer and kickstand for $600, I think I got a deal.

After a couple of hours in the basement getting the seat, handlebars, brake levers and shifters adjusted, I think this is going to be a more comfortable bike than I thought. I had to fix the speedo wire that was nicked in a couple of spots, had corroded and broke in two. I cut out the bad section, spliced the two together and used heat shrink tubing for the repair. I also mounted the speedo up on the bars as compared to the weird mount using the top water bottle cage bolt then I installed a water bottle cage.

The only numbers I found on the frame is V2300, by the derailleur. Is this the VIN #? Does anyone know anything about VIN #'s on Burley bikes?

Now, if this snow would just go away so I can ride my new bike . . . and my Tour Easy. Will not get rid of the TE !!!

 

Since I live in Knoxville, TN (Home to the University of Tennessee) I really like the color of the bent!!!

I think you will enjoy it.

 

I'm glad it was orange . . . matches the orange Polar water bottles I have!!!

 

My UT colors fit right in here in Tulsa since OSU (Oklahoma State University) colors are orange and black. A lot of my UT stuff is actually orange and black with white lettering. When wearing my UT jacket I am constantly pointing out the big white T on it

 

short ride . . 1st on the HepCat

Well, I took my HepCat for a short ride, only 8 miles. It was only 32 degrees out and I looked like a bum with my attire, as I have no fancy biking clothing. I had my sweatshirt, windbreaker and TIG (welding) gloves . . thank goodness there weren't many people on the trail !!!!

A couple of things I found on my ride is:
-the rapid-fire shifters were sluggish, stiff and didn't want to shift back down past 5th gear, also had an issue with jumping gears. My LBS said he's seen this a bunch of times and the issue is thick lube/grease in the shifters . . when cold they act up. He's going to clean them out and use a light lube on them.
-I found the front shifter cable to be a bit long and looping back toward me. When I was peddling my leg would hit the cable and would tap against the frame, both irritating and will wear the paint on the frame. LBS is going to shorten the cable a bit.
-I also noticed a couple of my plastic seat sliders are cracked, I just ordered the aluminum sliders to replace all 4.

What a nice bike. I hope I like it as much as I think I'm going to!!! I still have my Tour Easy and think I now have a couple of really nice bikes. I know they are not the absolute cream of the crop . . but really nice bikes. Best of both worlds now with both a LWB and a SWB.

 

got the HepCat back

I picked up my HepCat from my local bike shop today and . . .
-Shifters heavy grease removed, lightly lubed and working like they should, downshifting and shifting just fine now.
-Rear derailleur realigned . . . perpendicular to the wheel (was off a little) and is not jumping gears anymore.
-Front shifter cable shortened, not in the way and hitting the frame.
-Had new brake cable boot thingies installed (don't know what they are called) and all new cable ends are now orange (looks great . . . those little details make a difference)
-Waiting for the new aluminum seat sliders to install. I'll put a little more angle on the seat bottom at the same time.
-Bought some Bike Lust, I'll shine her up a bit and wait for some dry weather to get the her out for a good ride!!!

It is amazing what the guys at a good bike shop know how to do . . I know just enough to be dangerous!!! Thanks to the Brad and West at B&W Bicycles!!!

Oh, and bought some light weight black gloves and black mid-weight jacket, I'll look a little better out there on those cold days!!

 

Sounds like your HepCat is ready to roll. You will love the bent and now that it is in "tip top" shape, it will be a joy to ride.

Now if you lived in Tennessee like I do, you would be riding it already!!! But in 2 months you should be ready to roll it out and have FUN!!!

 

Styling...

Hey, don't let anyone tell you different style means A LOT! Having a nice looking bike is good, but the rider needs to look good as well to really feel good about the whole riding experience.

 

I agree, a nice clean bike is everything to me. I have seen so many bikes that are being used and I'm sure maintained . . but absolutely filthy. I don't get it, but as long as they are happy . . I just wan't mine spotless!!!! I just bought Bike Lust to keep my bikes looking their best.
BTW, I received the aluminum seat sliders today and installed them already. Thanks for the great service!!!!

 

You are welcome, providing quality service is one of our goals as well as providing a quality product.

 

Hey John, just wondering if you have had a chance yet to get a ride on your new burley? I am new to the bent community and was wanting some input on your thoughts of the burley. I am looking at buying a hepcat as well. Same color as yours. I love the way they look and the color is great. thanks. chris

 

Chris, I have had it out twice as you could tell from previous posts. The weather here in Michigan is not cooperating for bike riding, being winter even tho it's a mild one. My first ride was just an itch and I just had to get it out (glad I did, found a few things that needed work) and the second ride was to see how much better it was after the tuneup. I only have about 20 miles on it so far and it is a very nice bike, very sharp looking and made in the U.S.A. The only thing I'm not sure of is the seat, while it is comfortable, I'm not sure for how long (as in distance or AIS (*** in seat) time wise). Edge Recumbents now owns the old Burley designs and I understand that their new seats are much more comfortable . . but at $300, I won't be getting one any time soon.
Now, that being said, it is not as comfortable as my Tour Easy and not quite as easy to ride but feels like it will be faster. If you have been on the HepCat and can ride it, it will only get better. It's hard to tell you if you are going to like it or not . . I like mine but right now, not as much as my Tour Easy. I need to ride it as much as I ride my TE this year to really be able to compare the two. I'm still happy I bought mine and can't wait to get more miles on it.
I hope this helped somewhat.
Good luck,
John