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What abt crank forward bike like RANS?



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 29th 08, 10:32 PM posted to alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent
[email protected]
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Default What abt crank forward bike like RANS?

Age 50...... daily aches and pains

What's everyone think abt crank forward bikes like
these RANS models? Could you tour on one.... off road?

see link

http://www.ransbikes.com/Dynamik07.htm
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  #2  
Old July 30th 08, 12:27 AM posted to alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent
DougC
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Default What abt crank forward bike like RANS?

wrote:
Age 50...... daily aches and pains

What's everyone think abt crank forward bikes like
these RANS models? Could you tour on one.... off road?

see link

http://www.ransbikes.com/Dynamik07.htm

I have a Fusion.
Random points.....

It's easy to ride, feels and balances pretty much like an upright bike,
I use it as the "guest bike" because people can just get on it and go,
unlike recumbents. Also it still looks mostly like a normal bike; I've
noticed a lot of people who tried them seem reluctant to be seen riding
any of my recumbents, but weren't too worried about the Fusion.

Overall in riding comfort, it is "between" uprights and recumbents. The
seat is a lot better than a bicycle saddle (I ride it without padded
shorts) but is not as good as a recumbent seat and only allows one
riding position, which can get on you after an hour or so. The seating
can be very upright, depending on how you position the handlebars. There
is no hand pressure or neck strain to speak of.

I can't pedal mine standing up, and can only really stand on the pedals
for brief periods. You also cannot scoot backwards off the seat at all,
because the way the bike is designed--the BDC of the cranks is your max
leg extension.

I find the Fusion good for casual riding, but not for going very fast.
You only have one riding position, and so you can feel that your chest
catches a lot of air. If I was going to buy another one I would
definitely try the Dynamik, which leans you forward a bit more. The
Fusion has quite a bit of wheel flop, and riding it no-handed is pretty
difficult unless you're rolling pretty fast.

The wheelbase is longer than a normal bicycle, but somebody somewhere
mentioned that if you flip the front wheel/handlebars around backwards,
it will fit into a standard bicycle rack (on the front of an urban bus).

I am 6'2", and the (2006, steel-frame) Fusion was just barely big enough
for me. I have the seatpost over its maximum by about 2cm. RANS has a
larger-size frame in the works, and IIRC it's the "steeper" head-tube
angle. I also made my own rear rack, because the seat would have
overhung the rack if I had used the kit that RANS was selling.

Speaking of the seatpost, it kept sliding down.
Many people have had this problem, and (as of some months ago, I haven't
checked lately) I did not see that RANS had offered a good solution for
it. I found that a MTB seatpost clamp can be placed and tightened around
the (1-3/8" diameter) seatpost, butting against the top of the frame's
seatpost tube, and this clamp can be tightened separately--PERMANENTLY
preventing this slipping. My solution is not that elegant but WORKS, I
weigh 275 lbs and the seat doesn't slip down at all now.

By the by, RANS has their own website/forum just for these bikes (if you
were unaware):
http://www.crankforward.com/

------------

I would warn you:
If you have a bad back at all, it is very important to test ride before
buying /anything/. Even if that test-riding involves some traveling, it
is a good idea. A bike that feels perfectly comfortable to someone with
no back problems can easily bend you just the wrong way, and you can't
tell by looking at the pictures.

Good luck.
~
  #3  
Old July 30th 08, 01:08 AM posted to alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent,rec.bicycles,misc
Edward Dolan
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Default What abt crank forward bike like RANS?


wrote in message
...
Age 50...... daily aches and pains

What's everyone think abt crank forward bikes like
these RANS models? Could you tour on one.... off road?


The short answer is no. They are no better than an upright for comfort and
infinitely worse than a recumbent. Either get a recumbent or forget about
it. Only a nut like Tom Sherman thinks they are an OK bicycle. RANS really
screwed up!

Crank forward bikes are for riding around the block - period! If you want to
tour off road, get a mountain bike.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota


  #4  
Old July 30th 08, 03:40 AM posted to alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent,rec.bicycles,misc
Wilson[_5_]
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Default What abt crank forward bike like RANS?


"Edward Dolan" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
...
Age 50...... daily aches and pains

What's everyone think abt crank forward bikes like
these RANS models? Could you tour on one.... off road?


The short answer is no. They are no better than an upright for comfort and
infinitely worse than a recumbent. Either get a recumbent or forget about
it. Only a nut like Tom Sherman thinks they are an OK bicycle. RANS really
screwed up!

Crank forward bikes are for riding around the block - period! If you want
to tour off road, get a mountain bike.


Sounds to me as if it puts all your weight on your butt. Similar to a
"comfort bike" that's built for casual riding of an hour or less or until
you butt tells you to stop. If you want to tour get a Tour Easy (recumbent)
or an upright touring bike. Get a mountain bike for riding hard pack
gravel roads or Jeep trails.

  #5  
Old July 30th 08, 04:56 AM posted to alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent
[email protected]
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Default What abt crank forward bike like RANS?

DougC wrote:

If I was going to buy another one I would
definitely try the Dynamik, which leans you forward a bit more


Wow... thanks so much for the report Doug!!
  #6  
Old July 30th 08, 08:27 AM posted to alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent
Jon Bendtsen
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Posts: 168
Default What abt crank forward bike like RANS?

wrote:
Age 50...... daily aches and pains

What's everyone think abt crank forward bikes like
these RANS models? Could you tour on one.... off road?


I dont know that model, but if you want to tour off road, then
i recently discovered a recumbent bike made for off roading.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uVpw2QYupQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ekefr3xH3y8

They show it on off road tours here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV8jRkVyWAg

The bike is called Azub Hardcore

http://www.azub.cz/en/hardcore.php

But they are pretty expensive, prices from 2376 euro.



A much cheaper option might be to go the cruzbike kit
option and build it yourself. Find a viable y-frame
doner MTB with a good front suspension and put the
cruzbike kit on it. I have the stock cruzbike freerider,
and while it has front suspension, it is not made for
offroad tracks, but it might be sufficient for offroad
touring.

The kit costs $400, and then you need a doner bike, but
you can usually get them cheap. Try the cruzbike.com
forum or the yahoo forum if you want to see and talk to
other kit builders.



JonB
  #7  
Old July 30th 08, 05:57 PM posted to alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent
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Posts: 970
Default What abt crank forward bike like RANS?

DougC wrote:

Overall in riding comfort, it is "between" uprights and recumbents. The
seat is a lot better than a bicycle saddle (I ride it without padded
shorts) but is not as good as a recumbent seat and only allows one
riding position, which can get on you after an hour or so. The seating
can be very upright, depending on how you position the handlebars. There
is no hand pressure or neck strain to speak of.


The seating would be my concern as well

Since you are so upright..... wont your but really
start hurting after awhile or so?
  #8  
Old March 19th 10, 12:35 AM posted to alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent,rec.bicycles,misc
DougC[_2_]
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Default What abt crank forward bike like RANS?

On 7/29/2008 7:40 PM, Wilson wrote:

"Edward Dolan" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
...
Age 50...... daily aches and pains

What's everyone think abt crank forward bikes like
these RANS models? Could you tour on one.... off road?


The short answer is no. They are no better than an upright for comfort
and infinitely worse than a recumbent. Either get a recumbent or
forget about it. Only a nut like Tom Sherman thinks they are an OK
bicycle. RANS really screwed up!

Crank forward bikes are for riding around the block - period! If you
want to tour off road, get a mountain bike.


Sounds to me as if it puts all your weight on your butt. Similar to a
"comfort bike" that's built for casual riding of an hour or less or
until you butt tells you to stop. If you want to tour get a Tour Easy
(recumbent) or an upright touring bike. Get a mountain bike for riding
hard pack gravel roads or Jeep trails.


I have a 2007 RANS Fusion.
It is not as comfortable as a recumbent, but it is still way nicer than
a regular bike. Also it still looks pretty normal, and is as easy to
ride as a regular upright bike. Everyone who has tried riding mine liked
it and found it easy to ride, though most gagged on the price.

I don't think that a 50-mile ride on it (at a casual pace) would not
bother me--but then, a 100-mile ride on a recumbent (also at a casual
pace) is no problem either.

.....As it happens I haven't been taking any really-long (~100-mile)
wandering rides since I got it.
~


 




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