C y c l i s t R e c u m b e n t The RANS Fusion - Steve Briggs

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GrassHopper [gra:s'hoppe] lat. lucustæweight: fully suspended specimen from 30.9lbs / biosphere: country lanes, dirt roads,outdoor cafés / its occurrence indicates ahealthy environment / profile: compact,luxurious, fast, carries up to 8.6 times itsweight / skeleton: stiff full suspension aluminumframe / support: BodyLink ® seat withergonomically shaped seat base, length adjustableback rest and flexible joint for maximumlumbar support / colors: dormantapple green, steel blue, carmine red andcustom colors / observation: first appearancein spring 2004, available worldwide fromrecumbent dealers now.GrassHopper ASSGrassHopper USSHP Velotechnik recumbents Kriftel Germany mail@hpvelotechnik.comPlease visit www.hpvelotechnik.com for details and a list of our US dealersIn some European countries where bicycles are more viewed astransportation and not just recreational toys, some of this equipment isstandard. HP Velotechniks (RCN advertiser) is a good example. Evensome of the raciest designs have rack and fender options.Sadly, there are exactly ZERO recumbents sold as transportationbikes or commuters. Hopefully this will change. In contrast, there aremany upright commuter offerings these days. While many recumbentscan be outfitted for transportation, tracking down good quality parts(from the above list) that work well and are durable can be difficult.Gearing should be a lower range, say a 22/34/44 MTB-style cranksetcombined with an 11-32 cassette making for a very useable 17-100gear-inch range (the 17 will be good for low speed climbing towing atrailer with groceries, and the 100 will be good to pedal up to 30 mph).A wide range 7/8 speed internal or derailleur model would work finefor some riders who donʼt ride up steep hills.This bike should have a 20/20 26/20 wheel combo to keep thelength reasonable, and make it fairly tall. An upright seating positionfor a good view of the road and traffic would be ideal. Somethingalong the lines of the old RANS Nimbus (a taller and shorter Stratus-likeLWB) would be ideal. (I loved the Nimbus.) A low bottombracket is a must for practical commuters in street clothes (and thosenot using clipless pedals). A chain guard would also be useful.So you see we have a lot of work cut out for us. As bicycle riders,we can start using our bikes as transportation — not just as recreationaltoys. Hopefully the manufacturers will provide some ready-toridecommuter recumbents. Lets not let this opportunity slip by. ◆• Transportation Bicycles (uprights)• ANT: www.antbikemike.com• Bianchi (Castro Valley, Milano & Rollo): www.bianchiusa.com• Breezer: www.breezerbikes.com• Brompton: www.bromptonbicycle.co.uk• Koga-Miyata: www.kogausa.com• Novara (Fusion): www.rei.com• Specialized (Globe): www.specialized.com• Trek (T200/300/400): www.trekbike.comGeneral commuter bicycle website: www.nordicgroup.us/commutebike/This isnʼt meant to get you to buy an upright bike, but to demonstratewhat is possible and current in transportation bicycles.Note: If you have a commuter recumbent, or story about using yourbicycle as transportation, please write to us:bob@recumbentcyclistnews.com.J A Y ʼSPEDAL POWER• Burley• Bacchetta• Easy Racers• RANS• Greenspeed• HotmoverWe ship worldwide. Call for CatalogTel. 215-425-5111Visit us at: www.jayspedalpower.comSeptember/October 2005 20
12th Annual Midwest Recumbent RallyBy Mike SternRecumbent enthusiasts from all over converged on August 12- 14, 2005 in Stevens Point, WI, for the 12th Annual MidwestRecumbent Rally, hosted by Hostel Shoppe. This year350 people attended, well above last yearʼs tally of around 300. Theevent, organized by Rolf and Barb Garthus, principals of the HostelShoppe, and provided free of charge to participants, provided the sameroutes and same meeting points as last year. Friday afternoon was anIce Cream social ride of about 20 miles. On Saturday morning riderscould do a 22- or 39-mile route, and Sunday morning ride offeringsvaried from 12 up to 60 miles. Maps were also available for independentrides. And the Gods shined on this yearʼs participants as day afterday the experts forecasted rain almost everywhere in the Midwestexcept for the Rally location. Mornings broke in the high 50ʼs rising tothe high 70ʼs during the day under beautiful blue skies.The most talked-about subject was the presence of a writer forBicycling magazine. In the past this publication has largely ignoredrecumbency. While it was being debated whether Rolf and Barb askedthe writer to attend or whether the magazine sent the writer, the importantpoint was that he was there. Rolf loaned him his multi-hued VolaeTeam and couldnʼt get the bike back. A new Volae Expedition (Volaeʼsnew touring model) is being shipped to Bicycling for testing.With 350 riders you would expect a large variety of bikes, and therewere. Noticeably on the increase this year were the trikes: Catrike,WizWheelz and Greenspeed tadpoles, and Hase and Sun deltas. Tandemswere also well accounted for: Screamers, Visions, and an M5,together with a Greenspeed tandem and an Organic Engines Troika.The number of sponsors was up this year too. In addition to Volae, PatFranz of Terracycle, Jerome Hediger of Greenspeed/Hediger Cycles,and representatives from Schwalbe tires, WizWheelz and from theEurope in Your Backyard tours were on hand to answer question andprovide test rides.Highracers were in plentiful supply among participants. It appearedthat the Volaes outnumbered the Bacchettas, which was the oppositeof last year. RANS Force 5‚ were also seen. Among the LWB entries,Tour Easys were plentiful. One of the bikes that got a lot of attentionwas a bright yellow Longbikes Slipstream. A newbie from Minnesotaflew down to the Rally for the purpose of buying a recumbent. Hetried the highracers and handled them very well, but when he saton the Longbikes, as he said, “I was home.” And there were at leastseven Haluzaks spotted. For a SWB underseat steering bike theyperformed very well. One was decked out in a small fairing and abodysock. But the one that got the most interest was a homebuilt allwood-framed recumbent. Whoever said recumbents were boring?The routes were all well paved. Wisconsin, at least in the area ofStevens Point, seems to have well-maintained roads with little traffic.You could ride for 20 minutes before seeing a car. And the routeswent through the lush green forests of the area. Each dayʼs rides weresomewhat hillier than the previous day, but nothing that was beyondthe ability of all riders to handle.An experimental Volae Sport with a RANS steering stem wasalso available for test rides. Volae is at least experimenting with thismodification for those who want a highracer but feel uncomfortablewith tweener bars. The modified arrangement brought the bars a littlecloser to the body than the normal begging hamster steering. Thebars were a little higher, both due to the higher bottom bracket to seatheight of the highracers, but there was no noticeable tiller steeringor fork flop. The bike rode smoothly, was very responsive, and waseasier to start and stop due the absence of the possibility of bar/kneeinterference. Erich Hartman was responsible for the experimentalbike and the effort he put into it really showed. I would expect to hearmore about this in the future.At the conclusion of the three days most people were reluctant toleave. More than a ride, or a rally, this event has become a happening,a place to join up with other recumbent riders, to share good times andlaughs, to exchange knowledge about bikes, to see what others are doing,and to just chill out and have fun. Parting comments werenʼt “solong” as much as they were “see you next year.” Year in and year out,this is a great recumbent event.For more information on the rally, visit: www.hostelshoppe.com/recumbent_rally.php ◆HEDIGER CYCLESTrimuter • Big Wheel • Hed TurnerOptional Power Assist · Trikes with 20” or 26” rear wheelHed TurnerBike Technology FromA Different AngleStock and Custom Spec'ed RecumbentBikes, Trikes and Tandems!B a c c h e t t aAero• Bacchetta• Easy Racers• RANS• HP Velo• Greenspeed• Haluzak• Challenge• mC2• Altitude• Quadraped• Ti Trikes• Tandems• Aerotrunks• Bags• Wood fenders• AccessoriesCall 800-793-3038www.angletechcycles.comTrimuterTel. 618-654-6740Visit Our Website: www.trimuter.com21 Recumbent Cyclist News
Page 1 and 2: R e c u m b e n tC y c l i s tNewsR
Page 3 and 4: RRecumbent NewsRANS STRATUS XP UPDA
Page 5 and 6: Left: TheBionX kitfor a freewheel (
Page 7 and 8: cially, it seems, if he drives an S
Page 9 and 10: fast as most of our test bikes in t
Page 11 and 12: 2006 RANS Dynamik Duo tandemPhoto c
Page 13 and 14: excellently, though speed is about
Page 15 and 16: BIKE: SpiderBUILDER: BurleyORIGIN:
Page 17 and 18: fenders required custom cutting man
Page 19: Bicycle Miles Per GallonBy Chet Rid
Page 23 and 24: ike, or fast recumbent.CF climbing
Page 25 and 26: website. I recommend it. Thanks aga
Page 27 and 28: Short Cranks: Slicker, Quicker & Ea
Page 29 and 30: Sidebar: Short CranksBy Bob BryantS
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C y c l i s t R e c u m b e n t The RANS Fusion - Steve Briggs

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