The Laid Back Cyclist

In the late 90s/early 00s, one of the hottest racing recumbents was the Rotator Pursuit. Built by Steve Delaire in Santa Rosa CA, the Pursuit was THE recumbent low-racer before that bike category even existed in the USA. Unlike most low-racers, the Pursuit seats you in a low position relative to the ground, and yet keeps your back upright for a better view of the road. Pursuits are also infamously known for their overly sensitive handling (aka “killer tiller”). A couple of years ago, I was fortunate enough to get my hands on this piece of recumbent history thanks to Recycled Recumbents. I’ve since sold the bike but finally found some time this weekend to write this brief review.

There are several versions of the Pursuit with differences in wheel size and frame material. My particular Pursuit is a dual-20” steel frame model in red. The long mono-tube frame design gives the bike a streamlined look and an inherent suspension. From end to end, the bike is 83” long with a 63” wheelbase and weighs around 30 lbs. The bike arrived equipped as it would have been two decades ago with Shimano 105 derailleurs and v-brakes, Weinman 4019 wheels with Shimano LX hubs and Schwalbe 28 mm tires.

The Pursuit’s seat is one of several unique aspects of this bike. It is made of a mesh fabric connected to a steel frame with rigid paracord along the back. That part is fairly standard. However, the base of the seat is laced in with stretchy 3/16” shock cord, and the result is incredible. The seat is firm on the lower back where you push from and acts as a soft shock absorber under your rear. Hose clamps secure the bottom of the seat to the bike frame. That’s something you don’t see every day. The clamps work fine, but you’ll need a flathead screwdriver to adjust the seat position. The rear seat stays are clamped in place with small bolts that require a wrench to adjust. The seat is meant to be upright, so the recline angle adjustment is fairly limited.

My favorite feature of this bike is the drivetrain. To give the small 20” wheels a wide gear range, there is a second mid-drive cassette instead of a front derailleur. The rear cassette is an 11-30 Shimano 105 8-speed controlled by a right-handed twist shifter, while the mid-drive is a 12-34 6-speed connected to a rear twist shifter that is mounted upside down on the left side of the handlebar. This combination gives the rider a total of 48 gears to choose from with an impressive range of 20 to 150 gear inches. That many gears may seem intimidating at first, but if you just imagine the bike with a typical front derailleur system using 6 instead of 2-3 chainrings, you adapt to it quickly.

One cannot discuss the Pursuit without mentioning the steering and “killer tiller”. The original fork geometry gave the bike a reputation for quirky handling that scared away customers. Around 2000, Steve made some changes to the fork to improve things. I’m not certain, but I suspect the unit I have uses this improved fork. That being said, this bike does not handle well when moving up an incline at less than 10 mph. I found myself fighting to keep the bike upright when riding up steep hills.

The Pursuit shines when on  flat, smooth asphalt. It is extremely stable and fun to ride at high speeds, and you can even equip it with a fairing to reduce your drag. While Steve ended Rotator in 2008, you can still find his bikes for sale every once in a while. The lightweight titanium version of the Rotator is a true unicorn worth grabbing if you come across one. As for me, I had to let go of this bike after a short period. My rides tend to be too hilly for the bike, and my lower back didn’t appreciate the upright seating position. Despite our brief time together, I feel fortunate to have experienced this classic ‘bent first hand.

To hear a bit more about recumbent bike history as told by Rotator’s Steve Delaire, take a look at this short video.