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RANS Stratus & Formula
Roger Zoul wrote: ... Today, I rode the Stratus XP XL - one in the size I'm going to buy (they only had the standard size before). This one is actually for another customer who had given his permission for me to ride it. He had it outfitted with Velocity rims, fat 1.5-inch tires, and had a 24-tooth small ring on front! I didn't really have a hill handy at the LBS that would need a small ring like that, but he lives in Charlotte, NC and there must be plenty of hills around there as here (Greenville, SC). The fats gave the rig a very different feel (it felt edgier if that makes any sense) from the 26s on the standard, but having the extra room seemed to be a good thing for me since the seat didn't have to extend all the way back. Sadly, I've already fallen in love with this bike. They are saying they could have one for me in by next week! One wonders if it was the fat tires that made the Stratus XP [1] feel "edgier", as the change in steering geometry is not that great. The setup of the handlebars and the amount of "tiller" will generally have a more dramatic effect, and RANS does offer a range of risers and handlebars to this effect [2]. I also rode a Formula V2. This one is similar to the SXP but the BB is much higher. Unfortunately, the model they had in stock is standard size, not XL, and with the higher BB, I felt very cramped on it. I did ride it, though, enough to get a feel for it. Climbing on it seems to use more of the glutes than the XP does. I have to admit that I felt was using more leg muscles on both of these than on my upright while climbing. I have big legs and I bet they'd get a serious workout on a serious hill (or, on many serious hills as we tend to have here) Also, the FV2 felt a bit twitcher than the SXP in both the standard and XL size. I felt a lot more comfortable on the standard size SXP than on the standard size FV2. Finally, my right knee started hurting after riding the FV2. I rode the SXP standard last weekend for a good while with no knee discomfort - same for the SXP XL, which I rode yesterday before riding the FV2 Standard. Did you have the bikes set up so the angle formed by lines from the BB to the seat and the seat base to the seat back were identical? The effect on pedaling going from a relatively open angle to a closed on is similar to changing position from the "flats" to the "drops" on an upright road bike. One thing I did notice....I could not hug the edge of the road on either of these bikes, especially while climbing. I needed a much greater margin from the edge than I do on my upright. Perhaps this is an experience (time in the saddle?). Also, the FV2 had a fairing (not clear plastic) on it initially. It seems to block the view of the road based on how the seat was inclined. I definitely would NOT like have like a 20-foot blind spot in front of my while riding. Simple geometry says that the longer the wheelbase, the more the front wheel will have to move laterally to bring the combined rider/bicycle CG to the balance point. In addition, you are likely not used to the greater tiller and lower control forces compared to an upright. So, where I stand now....I can probably get a SXP XL next week (they would be rushing this for me). But they also have a FV2 XL coming in next week already! The FV2 is about $300 less than the SXP. The FV2 has disc brakes, but I can add those to the SXP for about $100. Would disc brakes be something I might want - at 225 lbs? All the same arguments for rim versus disc brakes apply to both uprights and recumbents, so there is no need to re-hash them here. However, a LWB recumbent has considerably more weight on the rear wheel than an upright, so it can contribute more to braking. The brake cable run to the rear is also long and convoluted, so hydraulic discs would likely provide better braking modulation. If rim overheating and the subsequent risk of tire blow off will be of concern, it should be remembered that with a lower frontal area, less energy will be dissipated through aerodynamic drag. Oh...these bikes don't seem to come with a standard place to put water bottles! What's up with that? It seems as if I have to rig something to place water bottles. That seems wrong, IMO. As Jeff Wills mentioned, look on the back side of the seat frame rails. Water bottles in these locations are not hard to get to (easier than one mounted on the seat tube of an upright in my experience). The commonly used seatback bags also have space for a hydration bladder. [1] http://www.ransbikes.com/SXP07.htm. [2] http://www.shoprans.com/products.asp?cat=16. -- Tom Sherman - Post Free or Die! |
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