Turner Recumbent Bicycles

Turner Recumbents has been manufacturing quality Short Wheel Based (SWB) recumbent bicycles since 1982. Beginning with the Hypercycle, Milton Turner, along with Julian Smith, began to produce an easy to maneuver, sporty, fast, and comfortable SWB recumbent bicycle. Later, as Milton went on to form his own company, he was able to play a significant role in helping to establish the recumbent bike trend in America.

With over over twenty one years of recumbent building experience, Milt has had the chance to work closely with cyclists to observe what works best in recumbent designs. This experience has led him to the use of composites for compound, adjustable, curved seats with lumbar support. It also led to a new straight frame design which makes the frame stiffer and transmits the power of the legs straight out to the pedals with very little loss in energy. The result is a family of bicycles that provide the maximum in comfort and yet retain their high-performance qualities.

The Beginnings
Milt Turner's first Hypercycle

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The Bikes

There are two product lines to represent both the short and long wheel base frames: the T-Lite and the T-Long, respectively.

For those new to the sport of recumbent riding, the shorter frame provides more maneuverability, while for extended cruising, the longer frame provides exceptional comfort and stability.

The T-Lite Short Wheel Based (SWB) bike is an evolved concept which blends the very best of all the previous models with an eye towards the owner who wants performance as well as comfort with a hot-rod appearance. This bike frame is completely redesigned and combines a stiff frame with a very clean uncluttered look.

All Turner frames are entirely made in the USA.

T-Lite

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The T-Lite comes standard with mid range Shimano components, a fiberglass seat shell, 20 " (405mm) front wheel, and a 26" rear wheel. A 16" (349mm) front wheel is used on an adjustable boom version for people having an inseam of 27" or less. A triple crank set, an eight speed rear cassette, bar end shifters on bar end extensions, and Velocity Thracian wheels are standard.

At present the bike comes in black, blue, silver, and plum in your choice of short, medium, long, and extra long frames.

The T-Long is a long wheel based bike designed from the ground up to be a comfortable, fast, uncompromising performer. This bike handles like a short wheel based bike, and in fact is more maneuverable than many SWB bikes on the market.

T-Long

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The basic frame design of the T-Long is taken from the T-Lite SWB frame, and combines all the desirable traits of the T-Lite with the luxurious ride of a LWB. This frame offers the fexibility of three diffferent configurations: both short and long wheelbase with 20" (406mm) wheel and as a LWB with 26' (559mm) wheel. LWB steering requires a remote steer tube and rod which come with the TLong. To convert to SWB (20' front wheel only), the fork is moved to the middle head tube.

At speed, the bike is in it's element. The steering, while sensitive at low speeds, is very firm and stable at high speed.

The frame is fully triangulated and stiff, yet it soaks up the bumps very well. The seat height is lower than the SWB at 18" and allows most riders to be able to place both feet comfortably on the ground when stopped. The wheelbase of this bike is 63" for a medium frame, which makes it much shorter than other LWBs on the market.

This is the long wheel based bike as it always should have been!

Basic transportation on a comfortable recumbent: The Transport.

Transport

The Transport takes comfort to the next level.

Steering is over-the-seat and a special design approach in the frame minimizes the "tiller-effect" so often found on other manufacturers' models.

The Transport has 20" (406mm) wheels on both front and back.

Finally, a recumbent tandem that is fast, comfortable, yet safe to ride! The latest creation from Turner is the T-4-2: the most technically advanced and safest tandem on the market.

T-4-2 Tandem

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With two riders providing twice the power as an ordinary bike, much higher speeds on a tandem are possible. Safety becomes paramount, especially when a front-tire blowout, or slipping on a sharp turn, can turn a good day into a disaster. But with the T-4-2, the extra front, in-line wheel provides a critical safety backup. A flat will just slow you, not throw you.

The second front wheel provides this safety without compromising speed or agility. That is because both front wheels are connected by the steering bar, so that even the tightest turns at speed are "locked-in the track" for maximum traction and control, similar to a rollerblade skate. Both front wheels have their own brakes, controlled by a single caliper, thereby increasing front braking power by 100%. All told, there are four sets of brakes, with the driver controlling all three wheels, and the stoker rider also controlling the rear for the ultimate in braking safety.

The frame design follows the Turner philosophy of "strength through triangulation," not the flimsy, flexy designs often found in the other tandem bikes on the market. Whether used for romantic rides in the sunset or power-pedalling across the flats, this bike is built for dependability, durability, and efficiency. As with all other Turner bikes, the tandem follows the tradition of providing maximum comfort to the riders. The T-4-2 has firm padding on an ergonomically designed composite seat to provide maximum logitudinal power to the pedals along with a luxurious ride. The T-4-2 is sold by custom order only.

All Turner Bicycles are manufactured and constructed in the United States.

Fairings

For those who require a bike that is maximized for speed, we offer both front and rear fairings for the T-Lite models, and currently, a rear fairing only for the T-Long. Fairings have been estimated by some to offer as much as a 15% increase in speed due to reduced air drag.

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Usually added by racers to ensure the edge in competition, they are often added by more casual riders just for the kick of blowing by the "wedgie" (standard, diamond-frame) riders.

Rear fairing shown
with locking door

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