Barcroft Cycles

The Barcroft riding position is what makes the bikes so comfortable, especially for long rides. Imagine a standard recumbent with a straight up-and-down seat and the pedals mounted lower than the seat. Now rotate the seat and pedals so the pedals are substantially higher than the seat and the seat back is more reclined. That's what we do, and there's a good reason. With the seat laid back, more of the rider's weight is carried on the back rather than on the bottom. Less weight on the rider's bottom means less chance for a sore butt. You can ride a century and simply be tired at the end. No aches, no pains, and, most important, no recumbent butt.

There's a big extra dividend: The comfortable, laid-back riding position is also more aerodynamic. More comfort and more aero is a win-win proposition.

Low and cool. Barcroft bikes are lower than most other recumbents, and there's a good reason for this: Low bikes look cool. Of course, there's also a practical side. A short person can easily ride a Barcroft Virginia GT, which has a seat height of roughly 19 inches. That's considerably lower than the seats of a Rans V-Rex or Haluzak Horizon, which are about 23 inches high. The Barcroft Dakota has a seat height of 21 inches. The low frame and seat make it easy to put both feet flat on the ground while stopped at traffic signals. With the Flip-it handlebars, climbing on and off the low bikes is a cinch.

The longer wheelbase makes for more stable handling. Most recumbent bikes with the cranks ahead of the fork have rather short wheelbases, sometimes less than 40 inches. Barcroft bikes have a 47-inch wheelbase. (The Haluzak wheelbase is 40 inches; the V-Rex is 42.) The longer length makes the bikes rock solid on long downhill runs. The long wheelbase also means you can brake the front wheel extremely hard without fear that the bike will flip over. Weight distribution is ideal: 50 per cent front, 50 per cent rear.

Why two different bikes, the Virginia GT and the Dakota? The same reason that supermarkets sell both chocolate and vanilla ice cream. Tastes vary. Some will prefer the lower bike, the Barcroft Virginia GT. It has a custom fork that allows a 20-inch wheel to be tucked under a low frame. Some riders prefer a slightly taller bike with a 20-inch front wheel able to take fat tires and big fenders, so we build that bike, too, the Dakota. The riding position of both bikes is the same; one is simply two inches higher off the ground. Although we position the Virginia GT as our hot rod road bike, a Dakota similarly equipped should perform equally well.

The best recumbent tandem available. The Barcroft Columbia is a compact tandem that is more nimble and easier to transport than any other high-performance two-seater. We think it may be the best recumbent tandem available. The Columbia is short enough (81 inches) to fit on a standard bike rack on the back of a car. It is also agile enough to make a U-turn inside a 12-foot circle. (Try that with any other recumbent tandem.) Yet it will carry two large adults with ease. The frame, made of two-inch tubes, is extremely stiff. This allows the bike to handle exceptionally well. The Columbia features Rans seats, Flip-it handlebars, disk brakes, and the exceptional White Bros. suspension fork.  Compared to other recumbent tandems in its class, the Columbia is shorter and lighter, it has a stiffer frame for better control, it has by far the best brakes and front suspension, it will turn in the tightest circle, it has the simplest, lightest and most trouble-free timing chain tension system, it has the best standard components, and it can be ordered in the widest variety of standard colors. Optional S&S couplers allow the bike to be disassembled into five easy pieces for shipment.

Barcroft Virginia GT

back to top

Barcroft Oregon

back to top

Barcroft Columbia

back to top

Accessories Available

Low Fast Comfortable Elegant