Canada is a different place. Yes, they speak English. Yes, their currency is called a dollar. However, as a veteran of about a dozen Canadian odysseys, I can attest that Canada is not merely an extension of the United States.

For one thing, Canadians often seem a bit more practical than your typical big city American. You see, the home of hockey may have some beautiful cities and even more beautiful women (just take my word for it I’ve been there a lot), but overall Canada can be a pretty rough place. First of all, it’s freaking freezing up there in case you didn’t notice. And especially in the western part of the country, when it’s not snowing it’s more often than not raining.

These climatic conditions coupled with Western Canada’s undulating terrain might make cycling seem like a daunting task. This is even harder if you plan on using your bike as a primary source of transportation.

The folks at Cambie do ride in these conditions and a few years ago they set out to make a bike that would handle even these most brutal of conditions with a friendly Canadian smile. So was born the Recumboni.

NO, IT’S NOT A TOUR EASY

When many recumbent riders find this fairly unknown LWB, they often mistake it for an Easy Racers clone of some sort. I’ve even heard it referred to as the "Tour Easy clone from Canada" on the Internet before. I’ll admit that it may look that way in photos, but if you see one in person or get to ride one, you’ll see that just isn’t true.

Visually, the bike looks more akin to a RANS Stratus than a Tour Easy. The bike sits lower and has a more laid back seating position than an Easy Racers. Its handlebar configuration is also much more Hayes, Kansas than Freedom, California. This is a bike that looks serious. The frame features some pretty serious triangulation and bracing that definitely gives it a no-nonsense look. Clearly Canadian.

The Recumboni also differs from its more famous competition in price. Our test bike came in at about $1900 US (this will vary based on the exchange rate). Many of you may already be exclaiming that a Tour Easy is about the same with an MSPR of $1895. I must have forgotten to mention that the Recumboni’s price INCLUDES a Mueller Windwrap fairing with custom lettering, a Mirricycle mirror, fenders, a Blackburn rack, a pretty darn nice kickstand and a nine-speed drivetrain that is optional on the Tour Easy. All of these add-ons would push the Tour Easy’s asking price up to $2341 if you purchased all of those same options through Easy Racers.

Of course, the Cambie isn’t all pluses over the Tour Easy. The Recumboni’s drivetrain is a rather mundane, but functional mix of Shimano Deore and Tiagra and the seat probably isn’t quite as nice as a Koolback (more on that later). Also, some of the small details on the Cambie aren’t quite as pretty as it’s higher-volume competition from America.

A few other details jump out at you about the Recumboni. First of all, you’ll notice the front disc brake. This is still pretty rare on recumbents even more rare on the front of LWB’s. If you look closer, you’ll also notice that the Cambie has an excellent powdercoat job. It’s only available in black, but it’s a very shiny and smooth black.

You’ll also notice that this baby is BUILT! Everything is a bit overbuilt and the bike definitely looks like it should last a long time. Western Canada is a beautiful place, but is also has some pretty rough weather. This bike is definitely designed to take anything that Mother Nature can dish out and do it for many years.

HOW’S IT RIDE, EH?

Enough visual comparisons… Let’s get this baby out on the road and see if it sets itself apart where it matters.

During the first mile of my test ride, I could tell that this wasn’t a Tour Easy. The ride is actually more similar to RANS Velocity Squared than it is to an Easy Racers bike. It uses a more RANS-like steering configuration that has a tiller-effect somewhere between that of an Easy Racers (virtually none) and a RANS (quite a bit).

Low-speed handling was pretty good for an LWB. I could easily get the big Canuck turned around in the width of a narrow housing development street and didn’t have any problems with it while negotiating the local shopping center pedestrian traffic.

The bike’s handlebars don’t only cut down on tiller; they are also pretty good ergonomically. My hands hung naturally on the bars without feeling too scrunched up or too stretched out. The Deore Rapidfire shifters and brake levers also fell readily to hand.

I was also pretty pleased with the bike’s performance. It’s not really a featherweight (about two pounds more than our Tour Easy) but it has pretty good aerodynamics, which are enhanced by the stock Mueller fairing, and its slightly higher bottom bracket seemed to help my power output. I found my average speeds and top speeds to be nearly identical to those on my Tour Easy. High-speed handling is just as good as other LWB’s I’ve tested (IE – Very good).

The Recumboni’s seat isn’t very similar to much we see in America. It is a hardshell fiberglass unit, but it is also heavily padded. Overall seating comfort is good, but the seat is on the smallish side. This combines with the thick padding to create a sort of insecure feeling when you’re really laying the power down. I never felt like I was going to fall off the bike or anything, but my back did move around on the seat a little bit. I was a bit concerned about heat build-up with the unventilated seat, but the material that Cambie uses apparently has some wicking qualities and it was never really that bad.

Editor’s Note – Yes, the Easy Racers Cobra seat is of a similar design, but is not quite as thickly padded and is rarely seen anymore now that the Koolback is available. A RANS seat is an option on the Recumboni.

The Cambie’s frame is pretty stiff, but it doesn’t rough you up at all. However, it does help the power transfer and is probably a big reason why the bike performs so well.

The Deore/Tiagra grouppo did perform acceptably, but it was nothing to write home about. Shifting was predictable but a bit stiff. The gear range was acceptable with a 32-42-52 chainring set-up and an 11-32 cassette. Braking was excellent but was one thing that raised an eyebrow a little bit.

I love disc brakes and the Shimano Deore cable-actuated unit is a good one. However, the front of an LWB may not be the place for it. There really isn’t much weight up there and many riders have problems with overbraking and wheel slip with just a V-Brake in loose/sandy conditions. It seems that a disc might be more beneficial on the rear of the bike. It must be noted that all of this is theoretical on my part. I never actually did have the front wheel slip while riding.

DO ANYTHING OUT OF THE BOX

I get a lot of e-mails asking for advice on accessory purchases. One of the most common questions is, "I want to start touring and/or commuting on a regular basis. What am I going to need to start doing that?" If one of those e-mails ever comes from someone who just bought a Recumboni my answer will be, "Not a whole hell of a lot."

This bike comes with EVERYTHING! It’s got a fairing to keep you warm, fenders to keep you dry, a rack to carry your stuff, a mirror to keep you safe, bottle cages to keep you hydrated and even heavy duty tires to keep you off the side of the road. This is the garbage plate of recumbents. It has everything on it. Basically, the only things that it doesn’t have are items that are probably pretty personal choices (computer, lighting, panniers, etc…)

I used the bike on my regular commute almost all of the time we had it. It performed well and I never had a major issue with it. I can note that it also handled my B.O.B. Yak trailer with aplomb. The stock fairing is a big asset on cold mornings and the chain tube that runs along the topside chain keeps your pants clean while not causing any undue chain drag.

TOUGH CANUCK

If you’re looking for an LWB to tour and/or commute with, the Cambie Recumboni certainly deserves a good look. It’s a well-made, practical bike that still offers good performance. It’s slew of well-thought-out details, durable construction and long list of stock accessories combine to make the Recumboni a bike that is very easy to live with.

It may not be as flashy as its competition or have the long history or even have the same loyal group of customers, but the Cambie Recumboni is a very capable package that quietly does everything that is asked of it and more.

CAMBIE RECUMBONI

Highs – Good performance, Very well built, Every accessory you need, Great value

Lows – Some rough details, A little heavy, Unspectacular components

MSRP - $2600 Canadian

More Info – http://www.cambiecycles.com/