Opinion: Tour Easy vs Stratus

Looking for opinions here.

Having owned older variations of both of these LWB recumbents in the
past, they both had issues that made me try other recumbents over the
years.

The Tour Easy was my 1st LWB recumbent. It was very fast on the flats
and downhill. I could eat up the miles with ease. Of course, I was
in pretty good shape back then. I did not like the Cobra seat, I
liked the better back support the mesh seat gave me. At the time,
there was no other seat available. The only narrow 451 tire available
was the IRC, which did not hold up well. Biggest issue for me was the
size of a LWB. I was not used to hauling such as large bike around -
especially with a small car.

After going through a number of SWB recumbents, I returned to a LWB
Stratus that I picked up used at a good price. Having owned a couple
of SWB RANS bikes, I had come to love the RANS seat. The Stratus'
seat was just as wonderful. I outfitted the Stratus for speed with
lighter wheels and narrow tires. Even with the narrow tires, the
Stratus rode like a dream - very plush. It was however a handfull at
slow speeds and up steep hills in the lower gears. Most of this I now
belive was due to the long T-bar and all the "tiller effect" it
generated. It did not have the wonderful steering the Tour Easy had.
It was however more ergonomic for my bad wrist.

Well, I developed Bacchetta fever and ended up with my last SWB, a
Giro. Within a few months I realized my mistake, an eventually sold
the Giro.

This brings me to where I am right now. Bentless and in search of a
new LWB. I am trying to decide between a 2004 Tour Easy and 2004
Stratus. Both have thier virtues and shortcomings. The big draws of
the TE are the speed, durability, and steering. They also have the
reputation and following. Most people I ask tell me to get the TE.,
even though it is almost $400 more. It does come in a number of
sizes. I'm on the border of a small and small/med size (not quite
sure which one to get).

The Stratus has seen much improvement for 2004. the improved seat,
new seat clamp, bars and riser look to have resolved most of the
issues I had. I like the design of the Stratus - how the seat moves
lower as it is adjusted forward to the cranks. A great design for
short riders. This gives me less of a difference between seat and BB
height than the TE. I'm not sure the Stratus is as fast as the TE.
(I like to go fast). It is difficult for me to guage the two bikes.
It has been a number of years between the time I owned both bikes. I
was older and in worse shape when I owwned the Stratus. I have yet to
find a shop with both bikes for a back-to-back test ride.

So, any thing I am overlooking or have not considered? Comments
welcome.

How about a Rotator?? Recent review in BROL was favorable. The machine has a
reputation for fast, and recent changes claim to have fixed slow speed
handling. It's a monotube, like the Bacchetta, but longer.
Miles of Smiles,

Tom
"rocketman58" wrote in message
om...
Looking for opinions here.

Having owned older variations of both of these LWB recumbents in the
past, they both had issues that made me try other recumbents over the
years.

The Tour Easy was my 1st LWB recumbent. It was very fast on the flats
and downhill. I could eat up the miles with ease. Of course, I was
in pretty good shape back then. I did not like the Cobra seat, I
liked the better back support the mesh seat gave me. At the time,
there was no other seat available. The only narrow 451 tire available
was the IRC, which did not hold up well. Biggest issue for me was the
size of a LWB. I was not used to hauling such as large bike around -
especially with a small car.

After going through a number of SWB recumbents, I returned to a LWB
Stratus that I picked up used at a good price. Having owned a couple
of SWB RANS bikes, I had come to love the RANS seat. The Stratus'
seat was just as wonderful. I outfitted the Stratus for speed with
lighter wheels and narrow tires. Even with the narrow tires, the
Stratus rode like a dream - very plush. It was however a handfull at
slow speeds and up steep hills in the lower gears. Most of this I now
belive was due to the long T-bar and all the "tiller effect" it
generated. It did not have the wonderful steering the Tour Easy had.
It was however more ergonomic for my bad wrist.

Well, I developed Bacchetta fever and ended up with my last SWB, a
Giro. Within a few months I realized my mistake, an eventually sold
the Giro.

This brings me to where I am right now. Bentless and in search of a
new LWB. I am trying to decide between a 2004 Tour Easy and 2004
Stratus. Both have thier virtues and shortcomings. The big draws of
the TE are the speed, durability, and steering. They also have the
reputation and following. Most people I ask tell me to get the TE.,
even though it is almost $400 more. It does come in a number of
sizes. I'm on the border of a small and small/med size (not quite
sure which one to get).

The Stratus has seen much improvement for 2004. the improved seat,
new seat clamp, bars and riser look to have resolved most of the
issues I had. I like the design of the Stratus - how the seat moves
lower as it is adjusted forward to the cranks. A great design for
short riders. This gives me less of a difference between seat and BB
height than the TE. I'm not sure the Stratus is as fast as the TE.
(I like to go fast). It is difficult for me to guage the two bikes.
It has been a number of years between the time I owned both bikes. I
was older and in worse shape when I owwned the Stratus. I have yet to
find a shop with both bikes for a back-to-back test ride.

So, any thing I am overlooking or have not considered? Comments
welcome.

I don't think there's any question. Buy the TE. Or save your allowance
a few more months and get the Gold Rush. Neither of those bikes would
ever end up feeling like a mistake unless you've really got your heart
set on the Ti or the Calfee carbon.

If I was a Rans Stratus owner, I'd be saying, "There's no question,
buy the Rans."

But if I was still shopping for a long touring machine, I'd compare
the TE with the Velocity , not the Stratus.

david boise ID

"rocketman58" wrote

new LWB. I am trying to decide between a
2004 Tour Easy and 2004 Stratus.

With a "handle" like rocketman58, I can see why you might
be attracted to fast bikes! %^) Is the 58 a reference to
chronology?

For allegedly faster LWB, maybe Rotator or TiRush or
Calfree/Markham's Stiletto, budget permitting on the later
two! %^) Or maybe you'd consider a body socked
TE/GRR.

I have only LWB experience with TE, not the Stratus, so I
can't offer any direct comparison. I bought my TE sight unseen
and seat unridden (no dealers within 300 miles) and have been
very happy with it, though it's not perfect for all situations
(no bike is).

You're in a much better position to compare. I presume
you're comparing both bikes with front fairings and that
you've test ridden both on the sort of routes and distances
you ordinarily ride and that there are no show stoppers.

Assuming you ride regularly, rationalizing $400 difference
is trivial. But thinking of cost as a weighting factor may
help clarify your preference. If the Stratus were $1000
less than the TE (or vice versa), would the decision be
a "no brainer"? What if they were the same prices?

If in the end the decision is very close, then the "theory
of good enough" comes into play. Bike design and buying
decisions are always compromises. Buy the one that
comes in your favo[u]rite colo[u]r and ride, ride, ride! %^)

A recumbent, even Ti or carbon, is cheaper than
bypass surgery...

Jon Meinecke

In article , rocketman58
says...

Looking for opinions here.

Having owned older variations of both of these LWB recumbents in the
past, they both had issues that made me try other recumbents over the
years.


I would first ask what BB height you are comfortable with. I really don't like
low BBs, as on the TE or Stratus, and when I went looking for a LWB I wanted a
higher BB. If you want a high BB LWB, consider the RANS V2, Rotator Pursuit, or
perhaps the Longbikes Slipstream. If you want a low BB LWB, the TE, Gold Rush,
or Stratus are the obvious choices.

If you're on the small size, the Stratus is nice, in that it does lower the seat
as it slides forward. But if you like to go fast, how about a GRR?

These are all great bikes, so you can't really go wrong.

Steve Christensen

(rocketman58) wrote ...

Looking for opinions here.


If the Chicago area is anywhere within reach for you, you should drop
in at The Bike Rack in St Charles. Besides being a great bunch of
folks, they have the Tour Easy, the Stratus, a very nicely redesigned
Tailwind, and the Velocity 2 (my personal favorite) side by side on
the floor.

The V2 is a fast, yet very comfy bike, at a bargain-basement price
(relatively speaking, of course). I'd recomend a test run on one
before you decide.

FWIW.

Steve Baker
Windcheetah K628
RANS V2 (getting #2 tomorrow!)

(rocketman58) wrote in
om:

Looking for opinions here.

....

I've wondered about this in the past too. I have a Stratus, selected in
large part because of the price difference. Sometimes I think the TE is
more of a true classic, and slightly better looking, sometimes I think
the same things about the Stratus.

Since then, I've looked at both more closely, and I don't think there's a
whole lot of difference; what differences between the two actually do
exist are, IMO, pretty darned subtle. In terms of speed, I would be
really surprised if there wasn't as much difference between individual
examples of a given design as there is overall between the TE and the
Strat. I'd like to see the scatter on those plots :-). Certainly one's
choice of tires will make a pretty big difference.

Size:
It took a while to get used to the size, but to be quite honest, I don't
even notice it anymore. Mostly I use it for commuting, and only very
rarely have I had to pick it up and turn it around. Like riding a
motorcycle, you just get used to it. If I want to take it somewhere I
find a way. Let's keep things in perspective, it's waaaay smaller than
an EZ Tandem, for example.


Stability:
I have ridden it on some dirt paths, some small gravel, through some
snow and just a couple hundred feet of re-frozen sluch (icy ruts). I
take it slow and concentrate on finesse (much like what one does while
flying or sailing) and do fine. On chip-seal or irregular pavement it
really shines, and above 20mph it is as sweet as anything I've ridden. I
can start from a dead stop, and while I can't do a track stand, I have
gotten the speedometer to read 0 kilometers/hr before I've dropped a
foot.

Conclusions:
If you look back through the archives, Zach Kaplan posted something on
the Stratus/V2/TE/GRR debate a year or two ago. IIRC, he was pretty
impressed by the Stratus, but had more experience riding a GRR. IMO,
however, if you'd taken some time away from bikes, and rode a TE and a
Strat in the dark, you'd have a hard time telling them apart.

This doesn't help a bit, does it? OK, try this, years ago I had a Campy
equipped Trek, but sold it and got a Cannondale with an Asian grouppo. My
fastest group ride (to date) was on that Trek, but my fastest solo ride
(also to date) was on the Cannondale. I enjoyed them both, but honestly,
I'd have been better off just getting a new set of wheels.

So.... Which one do you want to look at in the morning?

Reads like you already know what you want: Stratus. Go for it!

Steve (2002 TE owner - got it for touring)

rocketman58 wrote:

Looking for opinions here.

Having owned older variations of both of these LWB recumbents in the
past, they both had issues that made me try other recumbents over the
years.

The Tour Easy was my 1st LWB recumbent. It was very fast on the flats
and downhill. I could eat up the miles with ease. Of course, I was
in pretty good shape back then. I did not like the Cobra seat, I
liked the better back support the mesh seat gave me. At the time,
there was no other seat available. The only narrow 451 tire available
was the IRC, which did not hold up well. Biggest issue for me was the
size of a LWB. I was not used to hauling such as large bike around -
especially with a small car.

After going through a number of SWB recumbents, I returned to a LWB
Stratus that I picked up used at a good price. Having owned a couple
of SWB RANS bikes, I had come to love the RANS seat. The Stratus'
seat was just as wonderful. I outfitted the Stratus for speed with
lighter wheels and narrow tires. Even with the narrow tires, the
Stratus rode like a dream - very plush. It was however a handfull at
slow speeds and up steep hills in the lower gears. Most of this I now
belive was due to the long T-bar and all the "tiller effect" it
generated. It did not have the wonderful steering the Tour Easy had.
It was however more ergonomic for my bad wrist.

Well, I developed Bacchetta fever and ended up with my last SWB, a
Giro. Within a few months I realized my mistake, an eventually sold
the Giro.

This brings me to where I am right now. Bentless and in search of a
new LWB. I am trying to decide between a 2004 Tour Easy and 2004
Stratus. Both have thier virtues and shortcomings. The big draws of
the TE are the speed, durability, and steering. They also have the
reputation and following. Most people I ask tell me to get the TE.,
even though it is almost $400 more. It does come in a number of
sizes. I'm on the border of a small and small/med size (not quite
sure which one to get).

The Stratus has seen much improvement for 2004. the improved seat,
new seat clamp, bars and riser look to have resolved most of the
issues I had. I like the design of the Stratus - how the seat moves
lower as it is adjusted forward to the cranks. A great design for
short riders. This gives me less of a difference between seat and BB
height than the TE. I'm not sure the Stratus is as fast as the TE.
(I like to go fast). It is difficult for me to guage the two bikes.
It has been a number of years between the time I owned both bikes. I
was older and in worse shape when I owwned the Stratus. I have yet to
find a shop with both bikes for a back-to-back test ride.

So, any thing I am overlooking or have not considered? Comments
welcome.



--
Steve Fox
McKinleyville, CA
http://SoTier2003.crazyguyonabike.com

O
\ _____,%)
(*)-'------------(*)

(rocketman58) wrote in message . com...

[...]

Well, I developed Bacchetta fever and ended up with my last SWB, a
Giro. Within a few months I realized my mistake, an eventually sold
the Giro.

Rocketman58, I would be interested to know why you gave up on SWB
without getting into an extended discussion of SWB vs LWB. I strongly
suspect you have just one reason why SWB (your Giro) did not suit you.
I myself am strictly a LWB man and I have my own reasons for
preferring them, but I do not want to prejudice your answer by giving
them. I think it is always very interesting why someone gives up on a
recumbent after he has gone to the considerable effort and expense of
acquiring one.

Our experience with LWB is similar. As others have noted in their
posts in response to yours, you may want to consider the RANS V2 as it
does combine LWB handling with SWB comfort. It is the higher BB that
makes this possible.

Ed Dolan - Minnesota

Maybe a Rans V2? It is a faster LWB version. BB is higher than Stratus or
TE. Stratus handling can be better with upgraded handlebar setup from
Calhoun cycles.

Guy

"rocketman58" a écrit dans le message news:
...
Looking for opinions here.

Having owned older variations of both of these LWB recumbents in the
past, they both had issues that made me try other recumbents over the
years.

The Tour Easy was my 1st LWB recumbent. It was very fast on the flats
and downhill. I could eat up the miles with ease. Of course, I was
in pretty good shape back then. I did not like the Cobra seat, I
liked the better back support the mesh seat gave me. At the time,
there was no other seat available. The only narrow 451 tire available
was the IRC, which did not hold up well. Biggest issue for me was the
size of a LWB. I was not used to hauling such as large bike around -
especially with a small car.

After going through a number of SWB recumbents, I returned to a LWB
Stratus that I picked up used at a good price. Having owned a couple
of SWB RANS bikes, I had come to love the RANS seat. The Stratus'
seat was just as wonderful. I outfitted the Stratus for speed with
lighter wheels and narrow tires. Even with the narrow tires, the
Stratus rode like a dream - very plush. It was however a handfull at
slow speeds and up steep hills in the lower gears. Most of this I now
belive was due to the long T-bar and all the "tiller effect" it
generated. It did not have the wonderful steering the Tour Easy had.
It was however more ergonomic for my bad wrist.

Well, I developed Bacchetta fever and ended up with my last SWB, a
Giro. Within a few months I realized my mistake, an eventually sold
the Giro.

This brings me to where I am right now. Bentless and in search of a
new LWB. I am trying to decide between a 2004 Tour Easy and 2004
Stratus. Both have thier virtues and shortcomings. The big draws of
the TE are the speed, durability, and steering. They also have the
reputation and following. Most people I ask tell me to get the TE.,
even though it is almost $400 more. It does come in a number of
sizes. I'm on the border of a small and small/med size (not quite
sure which one to get).

The Stratus has seen much improvement for 2004. the improved seat,
new seat clamp, bars and riser look to have resolved most of the
issues I had. I like the design of the Stratus - how the seat moves
lower as it is adjusted forward to the cranks. A great design for
short riders. This gives me less of a difference between seat and BB
height than the TE. I'm not sure the Stratus is as fast as the TE.
(I like to go fast). It is difficult for me to guage the two bikes.
It has been a number of years between the time I owned both bikes. I
was older and in worse shape when I owwned the Stratus. I have yet to
find a shop with both bikes for a back-to-back test ride.

So, any thing I am overlooking or have not considered? Comments
welcome.