no more sore saddle.. no more sore wrists...alot more speed..
i am fairly new to biking in general, but i love it. spent alot of time researching and test-riding - I actually borrowed my boyfriends' custom Rans V2 for my first 380 miles on a bent..and I was able to keep up with him and enjoyed the rides. i test rode a bunch of different kinds- short and long wheel base. I am getting myself an '03 Rans Tailwind- that is my current favorite and what I can afford right now-a good stock bike that I can upgrade and customize. I have ridden a bike-e, lightning phantom, ez racer, wiz wheels, the list goes on, but i can't remember all of them.
i don't think that speed or lack thereof should be a reason not to go bent- there are tons of options and most of them are more comfortable than an upright bike, plus there's an ez-racer's bent on this link that set a land-speed record- http://www.easyracers.com/gold_rush.htm I couldn't believe it at first myself till I actually got some miles in and got pretty fast-of course this being florida- we don't have as many hills as some other places, but still being able to keep pace with other riders who were/are more experienced is a cool feeling. I even got to pass a few on one of our rail-trails. ! =) good luck in your search. i look forward to hearing what you decide to get.
=) Jen