Hi, everyone!

I'm doing research on the 'net and am planning on purchasing two
recumbents - one for me, one for my wife. I've narrowed the field
down to CLWB models due to storage and transport considerations. The
smaller the frame, the better. SWB models are a little advanced for
us newbies to start with.

I am looking at models from the following makers:
* Rans (Wave, Tailwind, Stratus)
* Bacchetta (Agio, Cafe, Bellandare)
* Cycle Genius (CGX)
* Maxarya (Ray-1)
* Sun (EZ-1, EZ-Sport)
* HP Velotechnik (Spirit)
* Cruzbike

I'm heavily leaning towards the Maxarya or Cycle Genius for my wife,
and the HP Velo for me.

Re: budget - obviously the less expensive, the better. But I
understand that a difference of a few hundred dollars can make a big
difference in quality and performance, so I'm willing to spring for
a slightly more expensive model, if the extra money can be justified.

I'm six foot and 220 lbs. My wife is five foot three and about 115
lbs. I have a couple of pre-teen kids that would probably get a
kick outta riding my wife's bike, so something that would easily
adjust to smaller riders would be great. Nobody but me would be
riding my bike, so adjustability isn't a major consideration.

I plan on riding a *lot* for recreation and exercise, so I'll need a
bike that meets those needs. I'm not a racer, don't plan on
impressing anybody but myself, and want something that will provide
years of reliable, comfortable riding. My wife and kids will be
occasional, recreational riders.

I live in central California, and I have found only one LBS that
sells recumbents - Sun models (I've not been overly impressed), but
a number of shops that are willing to build/service my bikes, for a
fee of course. If I could find a bike shop within a few hundred
miles of me, I'd consider making the trip to test-ride as many bikes
as I could.... I'm not sure how to locate shops in CA with a variety
of 'bents to sample, however.

Any advice, recommendations, hints, tips, warnings, or *anything*
that would help me make a decision would be greatly appreciated!

Hope to year from y'all soon! =)