Lightning Bikes P-38 XT

The Legendary Lightning P-38

-Now with front and rear Avid disc brakes
-26×36×48 front gearing with 11–36 10-speed rear cassette provides an incredibly wide gear range
-Average riders can climb grades up to 10%

No less than legendary
The legendary Lightning P-38. With the efficient and unique, patented space type frame that is very stiff in the direction of pedaling forces, but at the same time very light and strong. Unconventional in design, yes. But also, comfort, safety, and speed many times greater than conventional bikes. Experience what thousands of Lightning riders have already discovered, the pure cycling enjoyment and exhilaration of the P-38.

The P-38 is Lightning’s flagship bicycle and it’s not hard to see why. Only the P-38 has had nearly 30 years of refinements and record-setting experience to bring it to its current state of development. The P-38 is one of the lightest recumbents made, at just 22–26 pounds (depending on size and components), and only its cousin the R-84 climbs better. If you’re ready for the best, the P-38 is ready for you.

Forget what you’ve heard about recumbents not being good climbers. Bicycling magazine dubbed its latest review of the P-38 “A recumbent that can climb!” After about a month of acclimation, a P-38 rider will normally match or exceed his previous performance on an upright. The key is training, as a recumbent uses slightly different muscles than an upright bike, especially during climbing. To see a Lightning climb hills, see the video on our Cyber Test Ride page.

Key P-38 design features
Each P-38 is custom built to match your size, weight, and color choice giving highest performance and comfort.
Race-proven design: has set numerous world distance records with optional F-40 fairing, and numerous speed records with non-production X-2 fairing.
Chromoly space frame design for stiffness, strength, and light weight
Compact overall size: no larger than a conventional bicycle
Standard 700c rear wheel for numerous tire choices
Patent-pending Ergofit seat integral to frame for strength
Oversized TiG welded stem and handlebars
Optional Ergospeed carbon midracer seat

The ROX frame upgrade has thicker tubing and a gusset under the seat, plus a very wide fork crown for tires up to 2.5 inches wide. Stock it comes with 2-inch wide Schwalbe Big Apple tires. The rear tire is 26-inch size to clear the seat mesh! Finally for heavier riders we can make the seat frame from steel, as is shown in this picture.