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Interview with Bob Bryant
By by Connie McAyeal, ERRC

An Interview With Bob Bryant, Publisher of Recumbent Cyclist News by Connie McAyeal, ERRC We are pleased and honored to bring you an interview with Bob Bryant, publisher of Recumbent Cyclist News (RCN), a world wide publication dedicated to recumbent bicycles."

Connie: I realize a book could be written about your life leading up to, and including the major role you have taken to further the use of recumbent bicycles. To educate, entertain, advertise, and spread the joy of these wonderful bicycles. I am glad you have agreed to share some of that story with us, and hope with these few questions we all can glean some of your life's story. The usual question I wonder about: Where did you live, and how old were you when you rode your first bicycle?

Bob: I was born on Earth Day in 1960 in Seattle, Washington. I grew up in South King County near Renton. I've been fascinated with all things human powered my entire life. I was a bicycle (and recumbent) fanatic before it was cool. My story starts in the Spring of 1969. For my 9th birthday, my dad took me down to the Schwinn store and bought me a British Racing Green Schwinn Stingray. We had the seat upgraded to a metallic gray (instead of the stock white seat) and it had a drag slick. (1)

Connie: Were you the type of kid who lived on your bicycle (riding to school, with friends, etc.)? If not, what type of riding did you do on that first bike, and those that followed?

Bob: When I was a kid riding my Stingray, the neighbor kids and I played pretend motorcycle gang. Starting at about age 12, I rode bikes or skate boarded everywhere. I started delivering newspapers by bike about that same time (1972). I did not want to "trash" my "good" bike, so I had several beater "paper route" bikes. These came from Al's Fix It Shop. I'd often scrounge in the shed behind Al's looking for Schwinn cruiser or nicer 10-speed frames. I had several odd hacked together bikes. One in particular was a 26-inch cruiser frame that I put small wheels on. It looked a bit like an Easy Racers bicycle. The bottom bracket clearance was so low that it was un-ridable; but my destiny was definitely set by these early events. In 1972 I graduated to a Schwinn Varsity 10-speed, and later to European 10 and 12- speed racers. I even had a fixed gear "Paris-Sport" racer back in 1976. Also that year I started bicycle commuting on a second hand Centurion Super Lemans 12-speed. I used to ride from Renton to Seattle on a fairly regular basis.

Connie: Did you have the glitch in your life (like most of us did) in your teens with that first car? If so, when did you take up riding again?

Bob: When I turned 18, cars became my obsession. I had my eye on a turquoise '63 VW Beetle with a ragtop sunroof. My parents thought I should have an American car. I ended up with a '69 Pontiac Lemans (GTO clone) with a 350/4-speed. This car should have been nicknamed "Bad News". I wrecked it right away. My parents made me sell it. The poor guy who bought it fixed it all up and ended up rolling it. Bad News.

Connie: Did you attend college? Did you ride a bicycle there?

Bob: When I was in college, I had an apartment, full time job and girlfriend. At that time, I was into sports cars. I had an MG, Austin Healey and a 240Z (not at the same time). The hassle and costs related to these cars got me to thinking about cycling again. It wasn't until after I was married and had a job that involved a lot of driving that I got back into bicycles. During the years 1982-1985 I went through three drop bar road bikes. That was what was ingrained in my psyche as what a bicycle should be. I rode a Schwinn SuperSport (sport touring), Trek 520 (touring) and finally a Specialized road bike. None of them were comfortable. In 1985 the bike buzz was mountain bikes. I looked at the Specialized Rockhoppers and Stumpjumpers, but thought they looked a bit crude and expensive. I also did not like the idea that they were made in some far off land. In 1986, I bought a Schwinn Cimmaron MTB. It had brazed ovalized ChroMoly tubes and was built in the USA. It is one of the finest bikes I ever owned. It was at this point in my cycling life that I wanted to have a really comfortable bicycle - one that was perhaps faster than the MTB. My favorite bike shop, Angle Lake Cyclery sold Alex Moulton bicycles (dual small wheel/full suspension). I dreamed about AM 14 SE's with Zzipper fairings and frame covers(2) for months. I came very close to buying one. Then one day, Angle Lake's owner Kelvin Clark, said, "Hey Bob, you really should try a recumbent." I took one look at this LWB USS DeFelice (Avatar-clone) and said, "No way." I was thinking to myself how geeky recumbents look. The experience did plant a seed with me.

Connie: And of course the biggie: When did you see your first recumbent? When did you first ride one?

Bob: I came back to Angle Lake Cycle a few days later. I was ready to order a Moulton. In a fluke, I just decided to try the recumbents.

Connie: What was that first experience like?

Bob: I rode a DeFelice, a Presto and a Lightning. It was a LIFE CHANGING MOMENT there on the side streets of Sea-Tac, WA. I became obsessed with recumbents from that day forward. Though I was certain that I did not want a SWB or LWB USS. My dad had owned a Harley when I was a kid. I had a Honda 50 mini-Chopper that I built up from a wreck with paper route money. I always liked the Harley mystique. I had seen the Easy Racers ads in the back of the bike mags. I quickly realized that the Easy Racers style of LWB ASS recumbent was IT for me, call it cosmic cycling energy pulling me that way. I always felt bad about not buying my first 'bent from Angle Lake. At that time, they didn't "get it" about the LWB ASS. For a big guy, you tuck behind that fairing, and you're no longer a big guy. You can be nearly as aero as Fast Freddy. It was the Spring of 1986 or 87, cannot remember for sure. After many phone calls with Gardner Martin, I ordered an Easy Racers Tour Easy sight unseen. I had never actually ridden one at that point. Shortly after I ordered the bike, I saw one and felt some relief. It was time to get serious. I ordered a bike stand, tools and a Bicycling Magazine manual on how to repair your bike. I was thinking that I was completely on my own with the purchase of this bike. One sunny afternoon, the UPS truck pulls into my driveway and unloads these two big boxes--my new Tour Easy. I unpacked the bike like it was a shipment of rare paintings from Sotheby's. I laid all of the parts out on the bench and spent a few evenings carefully assembling my bike. It was a near perfect fit. I loved the bike and a life long love affair with Chopper-style recumbents was set. With the Easy Racers, I experienced speeds and performance I never thought were possible with a bicycle. In recalling this series of events, I have come up with my 'recumbent light bulb' theory. Recumbents are a tough sell--UNTIL the light bulb goes off in your head and makes you think, "Wow, one of those might work for me." The answer of how we get people to this point has always eluded me, so I don't push it. I wait until they come looking for answers. A few years later I ordered a custom Counterpoint Presto from Angle Lake. This and my original Tour Easy and Gold Rush are my three favorite recumbents that I've owned.

Connie: Tell us about Marilyn. When & how did you meet her?

Bob: I met Marilyn when I was 18 and she was 17. We went to high school together, but didn't get together until after I had graduated. When we were kids we lived a block apart in Rainier Valley/Columbia City area of Seattle. Later our families lived a mile apart in Lakeridge (near Renton). Marilyn is the love of my life. We were punk teenagers when we met. We were bound for trouble. We have grown together, and made a life. We got married in 1982, and celebrated our 20th Anniversary this year! Marilyn is everything that I am not. She helps me work through some of the difficult situations that I deal with in road tests or bike manufacturer relations. She also works on a lot of behind the scenes RCN stuff, including finances and taxes.

Connie: And your children, and your plans for them, what kind of life you lead now�

Bob: We have two wonderful kids, Amy (13) and Dan (9). Both get around town by bike (sorry, not recumbents; their choice) and scooters (custom Push Peds). They have been home schooled since 2000. I won't get too into that, but if you are interested, I highly recommend reading Grace Lewellyn's Teenage Liberation Handbook and John Taylor Gatto's Dumming Us Down and The Idiots Guide to Home Schooling. We are very active in the local home school community. Amy and Daniel are members of a local youth drum ensemble. I am the parent volunteer (I never even saw a Conga drum until I came to Port Townsend). We just finished our first concert at the Seattle Center World Rhythm Festival this past April. The kids take several art classes as well as acting and drama. Both kids take a weekly "magazine" class where they actually put out a magazine. When we lived in Seattle, we thought we were on the big-time magazine fast-track. We bought a big house in Kent, and had two new cars. RCN really blossomed in 1997-1998. Recumbents were getting really popular. New manufacturers were making big plans and RCN was the only source on the planet. Many feel that we did our best issue ever with RCN#38 (1997 Buyers' Guide). These were also the years when RCN readership peaked. The phone rang day and night, with the fax machine going off at all hours. My stress level was pretty high and I started wondering where it was all going. In 1998 I was approached to sell RCN. I took the inquiry very seriously. The buyer was in the magazine business, had money and loved recumbents. I spent countless hours preparing the books, info and answering questions. I even flew to San Francisco for a meeting. The buyer then came to Seattle for a final meeting as what looked to be a certain sale. At the very end the deal fell apart. This was a tough lesson and turning point in our lives. Within a few months we put the house up for sale and traded off both cars for a small fuel efficient car. We decided to leave the Seattle area and downsize our lives. In the spring of 1999 we left Seattle in one small rented van. Everything in our big house was sold or put into storage. Our dream was to move into a little house in Port Townsend, a Victorian Seaport on the Quimper and Olympic Peninsulas and on the Straits of Juan de Fuca (about 3 hours NW of Seattle). We finally found our dream house in Port Townsend. It is a little restored 1943 bungalow right in town. We moved in this past March--after years of planning and a few false starts. We have a simple life here. We walk, ride bikes, hang out at the beach, Sea Kayak, fly kites, tend our yard and garden and we try to be active in our community.

Connie: What are your cycling goals (commuting, shopping on a bike, etc.) and how do you use the recumbent in your daily life now?

Bob: Everyone has cycles in their bicycling life. Back in the 1990s I rode with a wonderful rider group in Seattle and we rode fast and far. In the late 1990s, I rode Slumgullian over the Rocky Mountains on a SWB. Later Gardner built me up a super trick Black Gold with HED wheels. This was the fanciest and fastest recumbent I ever had. I was really fit and riding 200 miles per week. I was doing timed road testing of all of the recumbents we received to test on a country road between Kent's Lake Meridian and Black Diamond. I don't do this anymore. With our move away from Seattle, my cycling changed. The terrain here is more diverse. I have no use for skinny tire racers. Also, I sold my car a year ago. Marilyn drives a small station wagon that is paid for. It is driven < 6,000 miles per year. I walk or ride my bike almost everywhere. I ride in street clothes and regular shoes. I ride RCN test bikes mostly. Because I change bikes so much, I carry my tools, spares, etc. in a second hand LL Bean backpack. It straps to most recumbent seat backs, or I wear it on my back when riding a wedgie. I choose a bike to ride each season as my main recumbent. In 2000 it was an Easy Racers Tour Easy, 2001 it was a BikeE RX XXL. For 2002, it is a 2003 Sun EZ Sport Aluminum, a bike that I am very excited about.

Connie: What other jobs did you have before starting the first RCN?

Bob: I was born to be an entrepreneur. From my paper route, I went through 20 years of employment at the main Seattle area newspaper. I was always looking for a sideline business. I tried detailing cars, janitorial and even selling sports cars. All the while working at the newspaper. The bike newsletter idea just snuck up on me.

Connie: What gave you the idea to start such a publication?

Bob: Back when I wanted to learn about recumbents, there was just the IHPVA (Int'l Human Powered Vehicle Assoc.) and HPV News. There was little in HPV News about commercially built recumbents. The mainstream mags were nearly useless. Having a long history of unique niche interests and being a self-professed "info-junkie" I decided that somebody needed to write about recumbents. I started writing a column for HPV News back in 1986 or 1987. By 1989, the powers that be were no longer interested in my column (several editor changes and new leaders). I announced that I was starting my own publication and was pretty much laughed at. RCN was born in the Summer of 1990. With my electronic typewriter, a local copy shop and lots of rumors and ramblings I put out the first issue of RCN. I took a few hundred copies to the Portland, Oregon HPV races and gave them out. We truly built RCN one subscription at a time--little by little. I met Dick Ryan about a year before the '92 Yreka event. Dick started the RBCA (Recumbent Bicycle Club of America) and needed to find a newsletter editor. Dick, his brother-in-law and a friend ran ads in Bicycling, made up packets, patches and sold memberships. What they did not do was come out with a newsletter. So here I am sitting in Renton, WA with a recumbent newsletter going out to a few hundred subscribers. Dick had paid members of the RBCA and needed a newsletter. We struck a deal to make RCN the official publication of the RBCA. You could also subscribe directly through RCN; some people were on both lists and received double subscriptions. After a year or two of this, we exhausted the RBCA dues. Dick was busy running a burgeoning recumbent business and the other RBCA folks were ready to get out. No others stepped forward to take over the RBCA, and after what we'd seen with the IHPVA, we're not sure we wanted to head in that direction. Shortly after, Dick turned the RBCA database over to us. We just integrated members into our mailing list and went from there. I would still consider reviving the RBCA and turning RCN into a non-profit corporation if there was sufficient support for such an endeavor. I was 30 years old when I started RCN. We lived in a small house in Renton, WA. I worked very odd hours and wrote RCN during my time off. We had a little baby girl--Amy in 1989. We were broke and trying to get on our feet. With my odd schedule and with a new baby, starting a business was extremely difficult. Also at that time Marilyn tried to go back to work (she worked in mortgage banking). This did not work. It was at that time that I realized that it was important to develop this part time income (RCN) to keep Marilyn at home with Amy. During this time, I also started selling recumbent bicycles. 1991-1992, my other company, Millennium Recumbent Cycles was the largest recumbent dealer in the USA (at least that I knew of). We sold over $100K worth of recumbents from our garage in 1992. I was just trying to make ends meet, support recumbency with a marginally profitable newsletter, and keep my family fed by working all night at the newspaper. The bike sales were a way to actually make some money. I had people coming from all over the Northwest to buy bikes. Easy Racers were my favorite, and it showed in my sales of them. We had people come from as far away as Europe to see the nearly 20 recumbents in our garage. If you were judging RCN and Millennium by real life and real business standards, it would be easy to raise an eyebrow and think, hmmm, what is going on here. However, I have always published RCN for the reader (not for the advertisers; like many modern publications and those who gain revenue from ads alone). The words "conflict of interest" were being thrown around when talk of Bob Bryant, RCN and Millennium were mentioned. I sold bikes, and wrote about them, too. The conspiritorist agenda might think that I was formatting my editorial to sell more bikes. The fact of the matter is that I'm a guy working more than 40 hours; nights, weekends and holidays, plus writing RCN, plus selling recumbent bicycles. My detractors were giving me far too much credit. To cool everyone's jets, I decided to close down Millennium Recumbent Cycle. It was at that time that companies like Angletech and People Movers came on strong. In my pitch for Millennium, I must have been fairly convincing that regional, national and even international specialist dealers were acceptable because there weren't recumbent dealers in every town. This is still true to this day. You don't want to ask your local IBD who stocks Sun EZ's and BikeE's about Euro lowracers or trikes. There is always a need for specialists. RCN was going strong, though all of the work was wearing on me. To compensate for the loss of Millennium income, I took a job working more hours, nights, weekends and holidays as an assistant district manager for the newspaper. At this time I would get up at 1am, work until 10am, get home at 11am and run RCN from 11am-5pm, and go to bed at 6pm, sleep until 1am . . . In the mid-1990s I realized that something had to give. I was gaining weight, had migraines and had repetitive injuries to my neck and shoulders. In 1997 I decided to take a 6-month leave of absence from my newspaper job. I never went back.

Connie: Tell us some of the evolution of the magazine, from a newsletter to what it is today. From its original form, it's name changes and logos.

Bob: We started as "The Recumbent Cyclist Newsletter." When I decided that this could be big, and that I should be a recumbent version of Bicycling, I renamed it, "Recumbent Cyclist Magazine." My newsletter production education made me realize that magazines are slick and glossy because they are paid for by expensive ads. Newsletters are smaller, and black and white. RCN is really somewhere in between, but I changed back to, "Recumbent Cyclist News." There has always been talk about that word, "recumbent," that we are stuck with. We considered 'Bent! (nixed) and later tried "Laid Back" for one issue. When I ask readers what their opinion is, they overwhelmingly say leave it alone. There is perhaps one more incarnation of RCN coming. The latest newsletter design revamp is the first part of it (RCN#70). I will make the decision on whether to proceed later this year.

Connie: How did you make the step from a part time volunteer newsletter, to a full time job?

Bob: In this respect, it hasn't really changed. RCN is still written by volunteers (aside from my articles). We may be paying for articles within the next year. The change just happened. Each year I learn more about publishing. The biggest change was when I took over design, layout and hired a commercial printer back in the mid-1990s. We've never had any employees, just freelance proofreaders and a subcontractor who did scanning. I took over the scanning last year. We went from a paper proofreader to a digital file copy editor starting with RCN#68. RCN has always run profitably and has always been expensive. I didn't have a choice, I didn't have a line of credit to fall back on. In the heyday of RCN (1997/1998), I was so busy working, I didn't pay much attention to the bottom line. The move to Port Townsend made me start reconsidering every aspect of how we do business. I had been a subscriber to another micro-magazine, Bob Hick's, "Messing About in Boats" (MAIB) for years. I had sent Bob a copy of RCN at some point. Bob later got interested in recumbents and occasionally writes for RCN. MAIB comes out 24 times per year. This guy is amazing. In the heyday of RCN, I argued with Bob that my way was better (first class mail and high prices for subs, etc.). Somewhere along the way, I realized that Bob was right. We never really talked about it, but Bob became my mentor. He shared with me how he runs his business. I really needed it. I was working 120 hour weeks and had no life outside of bikes. Now I work less than 40 and have a terrific life. RCN had been printed in Seattle for years. I decided to move to MAIB's printer in upstate New York. This cut printing costs substantially. The folks in New York do a better job of mailing as well, so we mail from New York. We have streamlined our mailing procedures and cut costs. We are passing these savings on to RCN readers. If you dig small boats, check out Bob's "Messing About in Boats".

Connie: What was the recumbent market like back then?

Bob: Back then if you wanted to learn about recumbents, there was basically recumbent manufacturer brochures and RCN. There were a few shops, and the yearly speed events to attend. It was mostly amateur tinkerer/inventors who were looking for product vindication. In other words, I have done a lot of recumbent unpaid prototype and consulting work over the years. This made my job tough, and is perhaps why I liked Easy Racers so much (each model I've had since 1987 has been very refined). Most recumbents are pretty good right now. I like to think that I have had a hand in refinement, because I have done so much nitpicking over the years. The bikes have gotten a lot better. An example of this is the Easy Racers Kool Back seat. I like to think that I played a part in getting that "lawn chair" seat designed and offered by Easy Racers. The new EZ Sport could be a bike designed for RCN. From the lower price, the fat tires, cargo carrying capabilities and even the curvy tube frame. RCN correspondent John Riley wrote an article about this a few years back. I have had a lot of unique experiences testing recumbent bikes. I once broke my tailbone while testing a bike with a poorly designed USS system. A monotube LWB scissored on me because the designer didn't think to put a set pin in. Because I am a big guy, and a serious rider, I put more and unique stresses on the bikes. I have definitely made a difference. Unfortunately, some newbie manufacturers like to claim that they have started from a "clean slate." Many are making the same mistakes over and over again.

Connie: How does it compare to now?

Bob: Growth has come mostly slow and steady. We had a few growth spurts. The first one came after an early 1990's article about recumbents in US News and World Reports. The second came in the late 1990's after Bicycling's penile numbness article and subsequent coverage. Soon after Bicycling closed their west coast office, fired the recumbent friendly writers and went back to covering the more hard core cycling stuff (road racing and MTB's). Certainly aspects of the business are more professional, but more corporate as well (not always a good thing). Getting information out of some of these builders is really tough. Some seem to do what I call anti-marketing. We've all had the experience of requesting info on the Internet and getting no response. Having a good bike is one thing, but marketing is the single most important job. Determining your products strong points, who the target customer is and marketing to them. This doesn't happen much in the recumbent business. We offer free listings in our yearly buyers' guide and we're always looking for new products to feature. We have a very difficult time getting specs and photos�it's to the point of being ridiculous. About five years ago several manufacturers decided that recumbents were headed for the big time. Many ramped up to build lots of bikes. Several went to Taiwan, others built bigger factories. In the past (mid-late 1990s) there were waiting lists for recumbents. With the current ramped up production, certain models are readily available in quantity and some manufacturers have sales departments making sales calls. These are what we call "commodity" bikes. Often they are found on sale or on closeouts because too many were built. Not all imported or entry level recumbents are commodity bikes. The difficult part of being a manufacturer is guessing how many bikes you'll sell so you know how many to order in advance. I guess the bottom line is that this has changed the recumbent business.

Connie: Tell us about your office and where you work?

Bob: I've worked out of a home-office for 11 of the 12 years of RCN. During 2000 I had an office in a 100 year old building in downtown Port Townsend. It was wonderful, though I realized what an integral part of my business Marilyn is. Having her close by at home to help me out in a pinch means I need to be at home. My day starts at 6-7am. I don't use an alarm clock. I get up, grab a cup of tea or decaf coffee and switch on the trusty Mac. I get email and mailing lists done by 8am when I stop to read the paper and have breakfast. I usually work until 10am. I then walk or ride to the post office, get incoming mail and drop off outgoing mail. I usually ride again in the afternoons. I find that I have certain times of the week when I can be creative and write. It seems to be about 2-3 hours, 3-4 times per week. I don't push it. When I'm not in the mood, I do other stuff. I have a three year old Mac Powerbook G3 (soon to be replaced by a new iMac or Powerbook G4), an Epson 900 inkjet printer and a MicroTek scanner with Photoshop Lite. We write in Appleworks. I then lay it out in Mac Pagemaker 6.5. I scan all the photos for RCN, or accept jpegs and tiffs from the Internet or CD. When an issue of RCN is complete, it is mailed to the printer in upstate New York. It is printed on a web (newspaper) press, mailed and shipped from New York to points across the world. The Mac thing was just a natural choice for me. I was drawn to it after some good advice early on from Steve Roberts (Computing Across America) and others. I am naturally drawn to the underdogs and unique stuff. My interests have never been mainstream. I like small foreign cars (mostly the ones you can't get here), foreign or independent movies, counterculture and self published books and magazines etc., NPR, Jazz and World music. I like quality stuff, but like good value as much. I like to find the products where both value and quality meet. I've never been afraid to go against the grain in most aspects of my life. I am not a great writer, journalist, editor or publisher. My knack is being able to put it all together while working with limited resources. Trying to achieve a mailing list like we have now would cost a fortune. I am not sure that it is possible in today's world. RCN is an interesting business. It was literally started with $50. It makes us a modest income, but we have downsized and streamlined to the point where it is vastly more efficient than it ever has been before.

Connie: Personally I've noticed a huge increase in recumbents on organized rides (on last year's Portland, OR's Bridge Pedal (16,500 entries) you could rarely look out at the masses and NOT see a recumbent. Even commuting, or casual rides, recumbents are no longer an oddity. Word of mouth, and to a lesser extent, advertising I believe is the reason. But how does it make you feel to know you are a main contributor to the world of recumbents?

Bob: I feel really good about it. Personally, I planted lots of seeds in the Portland, Oregon area by attending early "Recumbent Musters" as well as the bike shows with a half dozen recumbents in my truck. I'm still in contact with people who bought recumbents from me in the early 1990s. I think that we have done an incredible job with recumbent awareness. They are less mysterious than they have been in the past. I do think that towns like Portland and others are more the exceptions than the rule, but any way you look at it, it's a good thing. Portland is a great bike city.

Connie: There are many negatives to your job I'm sure, but the positive is you have had a major hand in the reason a lot of us ride recumbents today. I would like to hear from you about this.

Bob: The fact that I have been able to help so many people learn about and get into recumbent bicycles is very rewarding. My mission is all about writing to the readers. Some may get us confused with a consumer magazine whose goal is to sell advertising, which these days often means a very limited amount of critical review and sometimes just reformatted ad copy that can be purchased. I pride myself on my yearly "How to Buy a Recumbent" editorial. I've been refining this for nearly a decade. I honestly don't care what people buy, whether it be a LWB, CLWB, SWB, trike, tandem, USS or ASS. My goal is to give readers enough information to make up their own minds. My success is when an RCN reader gets the perfect bike for them. I am quite surprised that the RCN competitors don't really try to help readers understand the differences between the bikes. This is one aspect of RCN that we are very proud of. I am fairly opinionated about what I personally like. I also don't like dealing with badly run companies, of which there are a few in recumbency.

Connie: What kind of training, or what kind of personality/skills do you possess that gave you what it takes to produce a magazine?

Bob: Gee, I think most of all you have to have passion for what you do and be willing to do everything and work really long hours. I still have a hand in every mundane RCN task including sealing envelopes and picking back issue orders. Certainly knowing about small publishing, page layout, the Postal Service, etc. is very valuable. Dealing with manufacturers regarding road tests, bike problems or past due accounts is difficult. Many times you are asking for ads, and then criticizing their bikes. Many recumbent manufacturers were once backyard experimenter/tinkerers. There are lots of egos involved in these bikes. Managing this has been difficult given my choice to be a recumbent critic rather than just write happy ADvertorials. Writing less critical articles certainly would have been a less stressful way to go. The problem for me is that I have to believe it to write it. My Pal Ron Schmid calls this my "99% truth policy."

Connie: What is the worst experience you've had with RCN?

Bob: People need to understand that RCN started as a fluke. I never expected to make a living from it. For the first six years it was run part time. We learned as we went (we still do). There are few peers to RCN (critical independent small publications that take ads and sell subscriptions). Now there are several. Our niche probably cannot support all of these. So the biggest negative are the relationships that ended on a bad note. I've tried to be fair, and I always thought that manufacturers would understand that you get what you get by sending me a test bike. So there are a few manufacturers out there who don't speak to me, don't offer us test bikes and think poorly of RCN. The common denominator is that they felt slighted by something I said or did years ago. In these situations, I always offer to print their side, or let them respond. Suprisingly, few take the time to do so. Despite what some may think, I don't hold any grudges, and I'd welcome back each and every person who has had a grievance with RCN during our 12 years and 70 issues of publishing. The worst thing about being a critic is that some people don't like what you write, and they hold it against you, seemingly forever. I hate this part of my job. Another bad experience was the time I tried to sell RCN. The upside was that it was the start of my new life and for that, I guess I owe the guy a thank you.

Connie: What is the best experience you've had with RCN.

Bob: I thought about this one for a long time. I consider my being a publisher of a bicycle publication to be a total gift. I love putting together the magazine. Thinking about each article and how it will fit into RCN. I love being self employed and maintaining my own (very flexible) schedule. For the most part, I feel like what I do is appreciated by recumbent riders. The single best aspect of our publishing RCN is very personal. I have been able to be my own boss, offer my wife the chance to work with me in our business, and work together home schooling our kids, and live an "out of the box" lifestyle--and my toys are tax deductible.

Connie: Tell us about your first encounter with Gardner Martin and some stories about your dealings with Easy Racers.

Bob: If I hadn't have started RCN, I would have liked to work at Easy Racers. I had an immediate and natural connection with this bicycle and Gardner Martin. I was just another picky customer at first. I spoke to him on the phone several times before he convinced me that I should buy one. As for RCN, I was really nervous to contact Gardner, so I didn't. After the first few issues came out, Gardner called me. He started advertising and the first Easy Racers Tour Easy review came out in RCN#6. Easy Racers has probably been the longest running and biggest supporter of RCN. I don't think we met face to face until the Yreka Speed Championships event back in 1992. I got to meet Sandra, Fast Freddy and the gang. The best time I ever had with a recumbent manufacturer was on a road trip back in about 1996 or 1997. Ron Schmid and I spent two days in Watsonville, CA. Gardner took us flying in his Citabria airplane, and let us try out the Gold Rush trainer and took some rides around Freedom and the surrounding area. We had some fantastic Mexican food and an all around great time. Gardner is one of my favorite recumbent people.

Connie: In your opinion what do you think will get recumbents "over the hump" meaning when will they take off like say the mountain bike did? Or do you think it will just keep increasing slowly but surely?

Bob: I don't think recumbents will ever be like MTBs in our lifetime. Recumbents will always be a small and specialized niche. In saying this, we have a lot of growth potential while still staying "small." As I have said in recent RCN editorials, with the recent recalls (and production disclosures) and some other conversations I've had with manufacturers, as it turns out, far fewer recumbents have been sold than we were originally led to believe. In other words, it appears that we were fibbed to by more than one manufacturer.

Connie: Do you think it is possible for the relatively small recumbent mfgs. to be able to keep up with the demand as it does increase?

Bob: The only people that need to keep up are those who want to play in the low end entry level market such as Sun and BikeE. The small companies need to build quality specialty niche products and make sure that they are profitable and that their bikes are near perfect (and worth the big prices).

Connie: Do you think any major (upright) mfg. will ever come up with a recumbent that would sell? Do you think they will ever take the time and effort (and money) to make this happen?

Bob: They sure don't have good track records so far. First Huffy's ReBike and then Trek's R200. The best example of a good entrance is with Sun Bicycles. Licensing the Gardner Martin designed EZ-1 was a coup for all involved. This was done right. I am impressed with Cannondale so far. I cringe at the thought that Trek will come back with another recumbent (mainly because of their attitude). I have been dealing a bit with the friendly folks at the Giant Bicycle Company. They have supplied us with a Halfway folder, Prodigy comfort bike and LA Free Lite e-bike for our new column, "The Alternative Cyclist." Rumor has it that they have a recumbent in the works. They build some BikeE's in their Taiwan factory. Giant's stuff is really cool and they are great to deal with.

Connie: Do you think any major (upright) mfg. will ever just buy out one of the established recumbent mfgs. (such as TREK has done with a number of small but popular upright mfgs.) ?

Bob: I can't believe they haven't. Just look at all that recumbent knowledge floating around out there. The one problem I see for these upright manufacturers is that their "clean slate" and not listening to folks like us, will cost them in the long run. Certainly we saw how bad it could be with Trek. An otherwise decent bike, with some bad design attributes and a really lame marketing department. Again, Sun Bicycles deserves some real credit for retaining Gardner Martin as designer of their line of recumbents. I think Cannondale is on the right track. People have criticized their choice of a CLWB and the high price. My response is that if it were a full suspension LWB, it would be considered a bargain at $2,000. We should see some really cool stuff coming from Cannondale if they stick with recumbents.

Connie: Is there anything else we didn't cover? Bob:I have a few other items that I'd like to add. There are many levels of being a recumbent enthusiast. You can ride Saturdays on the bike trail, ride with your family, ride with a club, tour long distances or even race your recumbent. Being part any one of these categories makes you a recumbent bicycle enthusiast. It should not matter what kind of recumbent you ride, how much you spend, what high-tech, wizbang doodads you've added, your age, race, size or what have you. We don't all need to agree on what constitutes the perfect bike to all get along and enjoy being recumbent bicycle enthusiasts. Another thing that I have done in my own life is to stop driving a car (as much) and to actually use my bike for daily transportation, errands as wells as fitness and fun. There are a lot of benefits to this. Do what you can for bicycling advocacy. I think Connie and Laurie are model recumbent riders in this department. In this age or road rage, traffic and SUV's we need to keep our roads safe for bicycling. Get involved with your local club or find a small way to make a difference. Finally, I hope readers will keep in mind that the recumbent niche is still really small. There are lots of small recumbent businesses (manufacturers, dealers, publishers) that need your support. The ERRC is very special, I hope that you will consider keeping your membership current. For that matter, I also hope that you will read RCN as well. There are lots of small recumbent businesses (manufacturers, dealers and publishers) that need your support. The ERRC is very special, I hope that you will consider keeping your membership current. For that matter, I hope you will read RCN as well. Bob Bryant � Port Townsend, WA (Bob@recumbentcyclistnews.com) recumbentcyclistnews.com Reprinted with the kind permission of ERRC, Laurie Smith and Connie McAyeal. You can obtain a printed copy of this issue (Bob Bryant interview, Summer 2002) for $5 to Connie McAyeal, PO Box 1688, North Plains, OR, 97133. To join/subscribe to ERRC, check out their website at: www.geocities.com/e_r_r_c More about Bob . . . RCN is the focal point for the Recumbent industry, whether you are a manufacturer, home builder, adventure seeker, researcher, or a dreamer. Bob Bryant has provided us with an avenue to share our love of these awesome machines, and know there are others out there that feel the same way. If there is disagreement, an avenue for discussion is provided to us all by his persistence. His persistence to hang-in there, year after year. He changes when change is needed, he listens, experiments, writes with his heart and allows us to do the same. Others come and go, the Internet came on board and chat rooms and web pages sprang up. All are a great addition, and we just can't get enough, but where is our base? It is RCN. Always there. Flipping through the pages of back issues is like flipping through a class year book. Rereading favorite articles, catching names of people we now consider our friends (which were discovered within its' pages). E-mail addresses for correspondence, recumbent rides and events have been built from names provided. Rider groups can be found, clubs formed, bike shops can be visited that we didn't even know carried recumbents. Tried and true, passing-the-test-of-time manufacturers, to new brands, new models, some of which we would never have been aware of � if not for RCN. New merchandise, new components, reviews, opinions, and possibilities. Our recumbent lives have been enriched. Most of us have probably not considered this, but do. Sit back and say to yourself, what would the recumbent industry, and my life be right now if Bob Bryant hadn't created RCN twelve years ago. Thank you Bob. Connie McAyeal - North Plains, OR (ohyesbent@hotmail.com)

Connie: I'd like to share with you what happened prior to my mom and I meeting you at Interbike in September of 1999. I'm calling this "Connie's Dream-State"� When we started publishing the ERRC and ordered our first batch of ERRC t-shirts, my mom sent a complimentary one up to you in the hopes you needed another recumbent t-shirt. Over the years, she'd ordered every available RCN back issue and read every single word of every single issue. Whether you realize it or not, your work has greatly enhanced my mother's life (as well as the other countless people out there who'd say the same). She has looked to you and your work for answers. She's used your Buyer's Guide for information. She's shared your enthusiasm (and hers) with many people (including me) and I think she just wanted to give you a little something back.

So, fast forward to Interbike� my mom and I had flown into Las Vegas to surprise Gardner with our 2nd ERRC edition. We'd never met him and thought that hand-delivering the ERRC would be a gas� Meeting Gardner Martin AND Steve Delaire, just about sent my mom to the moon. She was so excited, she could barely eat� and sleep, well that was TOTALLY out of the question, believe me� she kept me up most of the night until I collapsed from sheer exhaustion. As you know, Interbike is a sea of sensory overload. Way too much to see and way too little time to accomplish it. We were maxed out within moments of entering the convention center� two women lost in the maze of bicycle nirvana� and then, it happened. Walking toward us along the isle of booths was a man, wearing OUR ERRC t-shirt. I can tell you first hand that I don't think I've EVER witnessed my mom that speechless. Her brain wasn't firing. Her mouth wouldn't work� even her arm moved twitchily as she started to point and stutter. I'll never forget the moment my mom met you. Someone said to her, "Connie, that's BOB BRYANT!", as she stammered and sputtered and tried to regain some semblance of composure. What a site� my mom speechless (this never happens). I don't normally reprint what's already been in the ERRC, but in this case, it's a necessity� The following was on page 3 of our 3rd edition� my mom's take on finally meeting you� "Laurie & I were walking along the maze of booths, trying to take it all in without sensory overload, when I spied one of our ERRC t-shirts (I was ALSO wearing one at the time). I was having trouble getting words out, because I just couldn't believe my eyes (comment from Laurie: She was only able to mutter half-syllables and was pointing at the man in disbelief). There among the literally THOUSANDS of people at Interbike, was a man wearing OUR club t-shirt. All I could say was, "WHERE did you GET that T TTT TT-T-shirt???? (Additional comment from Laurie: This was after many attempts at remembering the English language). I heard someone say, "Connie� that's B O B B R Y A N T!" I honestly don't think I was EVER so shocked or speechless in my whole life (Another comment from Laurie: I can vouch for this� it's true!). I felt shock, elation, surprise, happiness and excitement all in the same instant! I was going on and on about that T-shirt with Bob Bryant standing there quietly smiling and taking it all in. A moment I'd waited for YEARS to take place and there I was acting like an idiot. I later asked myself� "In what situation COULD I have met Bob Bryant and NOT acted like one?"

So the finale to this unforgettably hilarious meeting, was dinner� All you can eat buffet with a huge table of recumbent elites� Bob Bryant, Gardner Martin, Steve Delaire, Kelvin Clark, John and Janice Schlitter, Ron Schmid, and even Jim & Linda Wronski of People Movers� How the hell my mom and I ever ended up at that table with all of you, I'll never know, but it was truly something. I know my mom was pinching herself under the table. It had been a totally unbelievably surreal day. Wo J

Who's responsible for creating the recumbent industry? In no particular order. Professor David Gordon Wilson is certainly high on the list. And all of the other people in the IHPVA. All the early builders that we know and are still around. Gardner Martin, Steve Delaire, Tim Brummer, the Schlitters, and Milt Turner. Later entrants into the business, BikeE, Vision, Burley and Cannondale. Lesser known names such as Dick Forrestall and Harald Maiecejewski (principals of AVATAR). Does anyone remember Gardner's partner, Nathan Dean? Can't forget Karl Abbe (or his predecessor Glen Brown). How about all the names that have disappeared. Via, DH, Lightning (Gene Lemle), Roulandt (stiffed me for $1,000), Linear, Infinity?, Rowbike?, Rebike? and Trek. I'm sure there are others that I can't remember at the moment.

Of course Bob Bryant has survived and prospered through most of the life of the industry and should be considered one of the major contributors to the growth of it. One of my attempts at trying to promote the industry was the creation of the Recumbent Bicycle Club of America. After a lot of effort on the part of myself, my brother in law Ted Pothier and a friend of mine, Debra Garth, I came to the conclusion that I had bitten off way more than I could chew. Fortunately Bob had just taken over the NWHPVA newsletter and came to the rescue. He took over our mailing list and combined RBCA with NWHPVA and RCN was the eventual end result. Being an editor (along with all the other tasks involved in a publication) has to be one of the most difficult jobs in publishing. It's impossible to keep everyone happy. (An acquaintance of mine who was an editor of a now defunct MTB magazine once did an article on 30 mountain bikes and ranked them 1-30, he received 29 letters from outraged manufacturers).

Over the years Bob has gotten criticism from a lot of people but has managed to maintain his integrity and call them as he sees them. Bob and I have had a lot of good times over the years when we got together at various bike events such as Interbike. Bob has done a great job with RCN and will probably be around long after mags such as Bicycling have bit the dust. Dick Ryan RyanCycles@erols.com

"Thanks Bob, for getting me into HPV's" By Jeff Potter I've always had a hankering for what I call innovation in cycling, but it took two things in the mid-90's to set me on the road to recumbents. We moved into the country, so I needed more speed to get to town in reasonable time. And my body started hurting when I rode my uprights, so I needed more comfort. I first read about the exciting potential of 'bents in "Richard's Bicycle Book", but that book was years old. I needed to know more. Then I discovered the Net and started searching for cool bike stuff. I was also publishing my "do it yourself" culture magazine called "Out Your Backdoor" where I report on cool bike stuff plus lots of other homegrown things. Then I found the HPV email list. That's where the name RCN (Recumbent Cyclist News) first popped up for me. I wrote away for a copy. Wow! HPV's had sure come a long way! Thanks to Bob's broad coverage of racing, R&D and new products, I saw that HPV innovation was a lively, happening scene. I passed on what I learned to my own readers. And I bought a Vision R-40! Both of my bike problems were solved, and I got the bonus gift of finding a friendly new scene! I subscribed to RCN when it was just a wee laddy. Bob helped us see that the HPV scene had neat advantages---and that it didn't need glossy pages to get the message across. People were sharing the best of what they knew and that made for a contagious spark. For instance, in the pages of RCN we saw helpful info from commercial builders and home-builders synergizing freely, helping each other. What an inspiration! After I saw my first Coroplast article in RCN, I bought some and built a full fairing for my R-40. What fun! That's just one example of how RCN can contribute to a person getting hooked on the open-minded HPV way to look at bikes.

I wrote an article about my adventures which Bob printed. He loves having readers write in. HPV'ers tend to use the Net a lot and sometimes they can be a bit thrifty (so they can buy more bike stuff!) but there's nothing like getting your hands on a real magazine to read about the latest and see the pictures, even if you think you've seen it all online. The allure of a good mag lives on. Bob and I share insights not only about bikes, but about small-press publishing as well. He freely helps to promote my little "OYB" zine, and he helped get out the word about a book I published, "The Recumbent Bicycle" by Gunnar Fehlau, the first book about recumbent bikes. He's open to taking risks with his magazine---but not at the expense of his integrity. I bet that many other alternative cycling publications have been inspired by the generous attitude of RCN as well! It's amazing how well this group of individualists gets along. I think that Bob's policy of polite openness helps. Bob is proud of his candid reviews, and he's open about his biases. Really, it's toleration and diversity in action. Many small magazines and small bike-builders have come and gone since I started reading RCN. It's been great to have Bob keep carrying the torch as a role model for persistent quality. Bob shows us that no ones does it alone, but that when push comes to shove someone *does* have to stand up and get the job done. Thanks, Bob! Jeff Potter (jp@glpbooks.com) http://www.outyourbackdoor.com OYB Sample $5�Send to: 4686 Meridian Rd., Williamston MI 48895

Bob Bryant? Although I've talked to him on the phone a few times, I've really only met him once. He was returning home from a trip somewhere and came by our shop in order to pick up a bike he wanted for a road test. When he showed up Bob was not at all what I expected. I expected an editor. Editors will nitpick over a single word and are perfectly capable of ripping the soul out of a piece in order to make it fit a given space. I'm a writer; editors are my natural enemies. (Now before you all get your knickers in a twist�nothing I say about editors applies to Connie or to Laurie�or, in fact, to Bob.) I did know that Bob was not your run of the mill editor as I had already done a couple of pieces on IHPVA events for RCN. I was very pleased when the issues came out to find myself reading my own prose instead of the edited version. But still, he's an editor. I admired Bob because I thought he was crazy and was making it work for him. Bob has some of the same attributes that I admire in Gardner. He had a vision and he followed it, even though the obstacles made it seem doomed (at least to people like me with no foresight). Bob wanted to be a source of information for the recumbent community. Never mind that there was no recumbent community when he started. He knew there would be one and he hung in. He had nothing more than his own work and his own vision and he charged right in. You gotta admire that kind of courage and determination. When he showed up, I was totally surprised by the twinkle in Bob's eye. Here was a man who clearly enjoyed life and intended to continue enjoying it. As best as I can tell from a short period of observation and by reading between the lines in RCN, Bob enjoys making a little mischief of the non-hurtful variety. He would be a great person to be telling stories with around the campfire. Would his stories be true? You can bet that some of them would. Some might or might not. And you'll never be able to tell which are which. I was looking forward to Bob's visit because he is the RCN and often knows things before others do. I was hoping I could wheedle some scoops or juicy info out of him. I'm pretty good at worming out information. But I was no match for Bob. He wasn't gonna tell any tales out of school. Despite my best efforts I got nothing! Finally, I think it's probably hard to get to know Bob well. I think that's one of the consequences of being the founder/editor/owner of RCN. I think Bob feels he needs to keep a certain distance. I admire Bob because he's just a huge risk-taker. He started a magazine for recumbent enthusiasts before people had any idea what recumbent meant. At the time, the community numbered in the dozens. Now that it has grown to thousands, maybe tens of thousands, when people call us wanting information, they often say they are doing research into recumbent bicycles and they often mention that the research started with RCN. I think that's a legacy of pride. I suspect that Bob feels the trade-off is entirely worth it. I also suspect that he would laugh out loud at me for saying so. Sandra Sims-Martin � Freedom, CA (info@easyracers.com)

Bob, you might not remember but I first met you at the Portland Bike Show in '91. You had a tiny recumbent booth set up with an Infinity and a custom pink Turner SWB. You said you'd make me a great deal on that pink SWB. An Infinity, well� I could live with that, but not a pink SWB. It just wasn't me. I returned home that night empty handed but armed with more 'bent information and excitement that, little did I know, would last more than a decade. Anyway, you gave me the inspiration to return home and start a homebuilt project. Moving forward several years� Through the craft of your pen, I remember one particular RCN issue where you drew attention to me being the fastest USA unfaired rider at the speed championships in '92. You know, the modified dumpster-bike that went almost 39 mph in the sprints. Or remember the time when you came down for Da Vinci Days for what was, then, the largest known gathering of 'bents anywhere in the USA? Great times. Great fun! We had a whole house full of recumbent folks that afternoon. You even stuck around. Even John Tetz blew into the celebration, literally, that afternoon aboard his modified F-40. Do you remember when we caught the picnic bench on fire with the barbeque that Saturday afternoon? I think the hamburgers were probably a little overdone that day. Late night videos, snacks, and designing the perfect 'bent. Late night rides down the street. Yes, thanks for the good memories. On another note, not many people know this but I think you're one underrated 'bent rider. For example, when you picked Ron Schmid and I up at the airport for the '97 Slumgullian Tour I hardly recognized you. You'd made your mind up earlier that year to lose 50 lbs. and that's exactly what you did. You looked terrific! A real inspiration to us all. You're a very determined individual. Remember the climbs on Slumgullian? You thought I was holding back to wait up for you? Well, I'm coming clean. I lied to you! I was sucking air more than you. I just stayed a few feet ahead so you wouldn't hear me gasp for air. By the way, you were an animal on those climbs and a wild man on the descents. You were fearless on that tour. Absolutely fearless. On a more serious note, thanks for providing the format and leadership that has mushroomed the recumbent industry from its fledgling state into what it is today. We are truly indebted to you in numerous ways. You are a legend in your own time. Best wishes, John "Rocketman" Williams � Corvallis, OR (johnnywilliams648@msn.com)

Back in the 80's I co-edited a newsletter for Counterpoint tandem and Presto recumbent owners called Counterpointers. We only mailed out to owners that subscribed, but we were occasionally listed in the IHPVA news as a resource. In June of 1989 I got a handwritten note from a guy in Seattle named Robert Bryant who was looking for any information on the Presto that we had. After exchanging a few letters and back issues, he wrote again in May of 1990 about forming a Seattle recumbent riders group. He had an Infinity at the time and was really anxious to get a Presto, but was bouncing ideas off me about improvements that could be made. His letter concluded with, "Your newsletter is excellent and so professionally done, keep up the good work." Can you believe that the guy that went on to do RCN actually thought I was a pro? Well, I've lost track of many of the letters that I got from Bob, but it was obvious even back then that this guy was going places. He pumped my little brain dry and the time came (just like in Kung Fu) where the student had surpassed the "master" and he went on to bigger and better. But for many years Bob and I exchanged our respective publications, first with Counterpointers, then the OHPV newsletter, until I "retired" last summer. And yet Bob is still plugging along making a living at something that most of us only dream of. Don't ever quit, we love ya! Rick Pope (retired President of OHPV) � Beaverton, OR (poper@pacifier.com)

I first got to know Bob Bryant in the latter half of the previous century and I liked him right from the first minute we met. Like many of you, I first met Bob through the pages of Recumbent Cyclist News. Unlike many of the RCN readers across the country, however, I live close enough to Bob that I was able to actually meet the man in person as well. At the time Bob was leading recumbent rides once a month from a park near his house down to a bakery in Black Diamond and I figured any man who leads rides to a bakery is the kind of man who is probably worth knowing. I was right. Now you have to understand that the Bob Bryant persona in RCN is not exactly the same as the real Bob Bryant. In print Bob comes off as knowledgeable, opinionated, funny, detail-oriented, and occasionally grumpy. In real life on the other hand, he's well come to think of it, that's pretty much the way he is in real life, too. But he's bigger in real life. Much bigger than what can fit into the pages of a little magazine. And I'm not just talking about big in size, although Bob is about 6'3" and a very strong rider; he's big in spirit as well. He does something very hard, astoundingly hard when you think about it, and he not only makes it look easy, he does it while still maintaining his sense of humor and perspective. And that is very remarkable. What Bob does is make a living publishing a magazine about recumbent bicycles. This is an absolutely incredible accomplishment. Most magazines fail and most of those that do succeed do so by catering to their advertisers. Yet for a dozen years Bob Bryant has been messing around with recumbent bikes, riding darn near everything that any little company or garage inventor has ever come up with and then presenting his findings in clear, straightforward prose. Nothing fancy. No color. No flashy website with daily updates and breaking stories. Just one guy taking the time to look at an odd little industry and writing down what he thinks. This isn't always pretty and it doesn't always please people. Some recumbent makers won't have anything to do with Bob because they haven't liked what he's had to say. Some subscribers have cancelled subscriptions because Bob wasn't sufficiently in awe of their chosen bicycle. But through it all, Bob is always Bob. He'll be the first to tell you that he's not always right. He understands that people can see things differently but one of the amazing things about Bob is that he's not only created a magazine, he's consistently kept it open to opposing points of view. It's said that freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one, but look at any issue of RCN and you'll see Bob turning over a good chunk of space to make sure people who disagree with him get a chance to have their voices heard as well. Bob knows his magazine isn't perfect and he's always looking for ways to improve it. And he knows the recumbent bicycle business isn't perfect and he'll look at ways to improve that too. I know this is a source of frustration for him, but also a source of pride. I know of at least a few occasions where Bob's gotten a test bike and in the course of working on the review, his dialogue with the bike designer has resulted in a better bike being built. Along the way, Bob winds up having to scrap the review in progress but he just grumbles, absorbs the work and moves on. I've been lucky enough to work with Bob. A few years ago our interests overlapped and intersected in such a way that I was able to write some columns and articles for him. Bob isn't a home-builder or the kind of guy who'd race a go-fast high-bottom bracket short-wheelbase bike, but he's a guy with good instincts of what will make a good story for his magazine and a uncommon good sense when it comes to matching writers up with material. Thanks to Bob, I got to share some of my adventures in homebuilding and racing fast bikes with the readers of RCN and along the way I got to tell the stories of some of the people behind the bikes, folks like Joe Kochanowski or George Reynolds or Chuck the bike mechanic. Behind every great piece of work, there's a human element, some person or group of people who for some inexplicable reason consistently put in the effort to make a difference. This is one of the things Bob taught me and for that I'll be forever in his debt. Recumbent Cyclist News has been and continues to be Bob's great work, his contribution to the world. It's an odd thing for anyone to have created and I don't think even Bob himself could tell you why he does it. I know those of us who count ourselves as Bob's friends often think that he must be about three days away from chucking it all. There are certainly easier ways to make a living. But Bob keeps on in what is very often a thankless job. I can't do much to lessen Bob's workload. For better or worse, RCN truly is Bob's very personal work. I can't lessen the work, but I can say, "Thanks, Bob. For all your years of effort, Thanks." Kent Peterson � Issaquah, WA (peterson@halcyon.com)

BOB BRYANT Bob loves bicycles! He loves trikes, too! Hey this guy has got a good habit. Best of all he made a business out of something he likes. Lucky Bob, huh? Well, yes and no. Being your own boss usually means having a tough taskmaster: Sometimes working overtime for no pay, sometimes not even getting a paycheck. Being the editor of a magazine means you get to write your own opinion about any subject you choose. Most readers are glad to have the editor's opinion, but there are always some who disagree. And they can be mean and hurtful in their disagreement. Bob tells it like he sees it in RCN. He's completely honest and says what he thinks. This is good for the consumer but sometimes a manufacturer takes offense at what was meant to be constructive criticism. Sometimes they pull their ads from the magazine. One manufacturer pulled his ads because he didn't feel his place on RCN's Top 10 Recumbents list was high enough. Bob doesn't pull any punches and sometimes this loses advertisers, but he feels it's more important to inform his readers than to play up to the manufacturers. He spares none of us. Once, a letter to the editor praised Bob's integrity by saying he "had the nerve to criticize Gardner Martin." We have someone special looking out for the recumbent community. We feel both potential buyers and the manufacturers should appreciate him and his work. Gardner Martin (info@easyracers.com)

I blame it all on my son. Why? Because he took me mountain bike riding. What fun! I hadn't ridden a bike in over 30 years, but it didn't take long to get used to it again. Soon I got myself a mountain bike and began riding all over the place. After a few months I realized that I preferred road-riding instead of single-track, and the idea came to me to do a grand ride across the country. But after a 50-mile test ride to see "if I could do it" it became apparent that I wouldn't be able to ride that far on a standard bike -- just too much pain and discomfort. So I looked around for alternatives. My daughter did a search on the Internet and got some hits about some unusual bikes called "recumbents" and found a reference to a publication called Recumbent Cycling News. I subscribed to see if I could get more detailed information. When I received my first issue of RCN, I couldn't put it down! It had just the kind of information I was looking for. I immediately sent for a bunch of back issues and began the process of learning about the recumbent world. Then my daughter and I went to Seattle to test ride a few recumbents. She took off like an old pro on her first ride, but I was a bit wobbly until I got the hang of it. From the test rides, the bike reviews in RCN, and the editor's rants and comments, I developed a feeling for what kind of recumbent might fit the kind of riding that I expected to do. After some long thinking and study, I decided that a Gold Rush Replica would be the bike for me. There was no way nearby, to get a test ride on one, but the many articles in RCN gave me the confidence to order one without seeing it first. Gardner promised to have one ready for me when I returned from my hike of the Appalachian Trail that summer. In the fall of 1997 my new GRR arrived -- it was everything I had expected. A week later I took it over to Kent, WA, to ride with the "Low Down and Laid Back Recumbent Riders." Shortly after I arrived at the meeting place, a little car pulled up with a long red Tour Easy strapped on it. The driver turned out to be the editor of RCN himself, Bob Bryant. I got acquainted with Bob and the other riders during the ride and lunch break. It was a good introduction to the world of recumbent riding! I did a lot of training rides in the following months preparing for the cross-country trip. Articles in RCN written by others who had ridden recumbents on long tours helped keep me inspired. Finally, the day arrived and I was off to Maine to begin my 4,300-mile ride across the country. A few days from the end of my journey, I pulled up to the only stop sign in a quaint little vacation town at the foot of the eastern Cascade Mountains. The street was crowded with parked cars and giant RV's, and the temperature was almost 100 degrees. Just then I heard a call from across the street, "Nice bike! My husband has a Gold Rush just like yours." I couldn't see who it was, so I got off my bike and walked it across the street to talk (it was quite unusual on my trip for anybody to recognize the kind of bike I was riding). I started to introduce myself when her husband walked up, a big fella with a week's growth of beard. I didn't recognize him until I heard his voice -- it was Bob Bryant! He was on vacation with his family, camping at a nearby lake, and they had ridden their bikes into town to do some shopping. We spent half an hour talking about recumbents, the biking industry, and my trip. It really felt good to meet a kindred spirit, someone who understood what I was doing. He later wrote in RCN that this experience made his day, making what he does seem real, and gave him a revitalizing boost. Well, Bob, it was your work (contained in many issues of RCN) that made it possible for me to attempt such a trip. Without the advice and information contained within it's pages, I may never have had the confidence to get a recumbent in the first place. I've had four years and 33,000 miles worth of enjoyment so far, and I expect to have many more. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND WORK, BOB!! Jim Giles � Quilcene, WA (thebindlestif@olympus.net) ~~~ Around 1990, Easy Racers started sending Bob Bryant bicycles for his road test articles. I remember we sent him one whose rear wheel I had built. He complained because it was a little out of true. I remember thinking to myself, "Wow, maybe UPS did it, or something like that." We sent him another bike, and he said it was also out of true. Suddenly I was going, "Uh-oh, well, what's the deal with this guy anyway?" At first I thought Bob was really riding us hard and, you know, being picky. Initially I thought he was kind of hard to deal with. But I learned to really respect Bob and I've learned to really respect what he has done with his magazine. He is the "consumer reports" editor for the recumbent world, and this is a good thing. He pretty much tells it like it is, and in an eloquent style. The industry needs him. There are a lot of bizarre vehicles coming down the road, and some of them are better than others. Bob has an open mind, and he's willing to give everything the benefit of the doubt. I like that about him. I wish him well, and I say congratulations to him. Fast Freddy Markham (fredee1st@aol.com)

"What About Bob?" By Kelvin Clark I have been given an opportunity to answer this eternal question. Here is my feeble attempt at some highlights. RCN. The comments I get about Recumbent Cyclist News is that people like to read it cover to cover. Unlike going to the post office, seeing Rodale's Bicycling, and sending it trash ward. It has matured into a journal of a great eclectic mix, from home builts, new product, touring pieces, and opinion that is thought provoking. In a world of mind numbing white noise, RCN stands out as a rare piece of character. "He has made us less closed minded." Ron Schmid (In response to the notion that some consider Bob closed minded about certain recumbent designs.) My recumbent experience goes back to 1979, and for many years my focus was on one design at a time, first Avitar 2000 based, then Counterpoint Presto. Bob brought in the Tour Easy one day. For the most part Bob has immersed himself in a given concept as presented by its creator, experienced it, and provided his deliberate view, in agreement or contrary to the precept at hand. After he had broadened my horizons over the years, Bob told me about 2 years ago that I had become too open�... In my experience, you can disagree with Bob, and it is still possible to continue the dialogue into the future. Particular. Anal, discerning����.. Bob has a bit of a 6th sense in some things. Front end geometry and the feel of a bike are things that Bob can pick up in an instant. In human encounters, with little patience for shallow PR, Bob savors the depth of the real thing. Risk taker. Bob has always been a risk taker from where I sit. The RCN experience is the obvious example. Eventually quitting the mainstream job to publish full time in an industry not known for its consistency is high-risk behavior. But look a little deeper, and you see this quality as a way of life. When he has grasped onto a concept, he is running with it while you are still pondering, whether it be what to ride, where to live, what is the best way to educate your children, what to drive, etc. Wheels. Anything with wheels holds a curiosity for Bob. Recumbent bikes, hybrids, cruisers, a Prevost bus, the scooters of recent times, and others. Hanging out. One of Bob's favorite types of real estate is the parking lot. This could be anywhere as long as there are bikes to ride in that parking lot, and a desire to hang out late into the night riding and visiting with the creators of these cycles. IHPVA Championships, 1992, Yreka, California. I was not at this particular event, but to this day it seems like it was the ultimate parking lot hang from many of those who were there, including Bob. Something about 2am on a small airport runway, talking about recumbents, drinking grape Gatorade, with recollections of the lecture by Gardner Martin earlier in the evening on HPV tandem design founded on sexual inspiration����.. Slumgullion Tour, 1997. I invited Bob to participate in our annual Slumgullion Tour here in Colorado, 1997. I don't think I can think of anyone who has come as prepared. The fear of the unknown (altitude & Rocky Mountains) and not wanting to be off the back were at work here. He had assembled a hill filled training regiment in Renton, Washington, and by the time he showed up in Colorado you needed a name tag to recognize the now 50-60# lighter and resculpted Bob. "I'm just going to come and cruise," said Bob. He ended up jammin' with the fast pack all 4 days. Interbike 1998, Anaheim, California. At the end of a trade show day, you hope for a cool dinner situation to rejuvenate your soul. On this particular year, there was a running joke about it being Bob's birthday, and there was one evening where the dinner table was long, and the guests around the table were from the vintage founders of the recumbent world to some less visible ones who are just now coming into the public eye. Bob was sung "Happy Birthday", lots of positive vibes with Dick Ryan there to bring everyone back to reality. The Cold Room. If you visit Bob's hotel room, remember Bob likes to keep his persona fresh, as in cool, as in�����..air conditioning to the max!!! Thebis and the angels dressed in white. Once upon a time a long time ago there was a trike called Thebis. I was invited to try this unique Delta style, rear steer machine out with Bob along the Green River in Kent, Washington. I think the other cycle along for the ride was a Ryan Vanguard. The Thebis was elegant, but a bit fragile. We were out about 5 miles from the van when the rear end quit driving. The day looked trashed, but to the east, 3 guys in white shirts are walking toward us over the hill! They stop to check us out, and recognize the part in question as a Boeing item, fix it, and walk away into ����we're back on the trail. Bob and the fam. Bob has been blessed with a flexible family. He has said that in marrying Marilyn, he married his best friend. He has the "it's cool to be a dad" outlook on parenthood, and after having moved around to different locals almost continuously, has found Port Townsend, Washington as community of choice. The drumming with the kids, the community activism militantly right and left simultaneously and making it all seem in harmony. Bob hangs more in town these days, and is not as quick to hit the road without a worthy reason. Well, that's it. As Neil Young said to Bob Dylan at Bob's 30th anniversary concert in 1992, to Connie and Laurie I say, "Thanks for having Bob Fest." Kelvin Clark � ANGLETECH (anglezoom@aol.com)