Established on the plains of western Kansas in 1974 RANS first product
was the pedal & sail powered - RANS made their first bike in 1974, the
pedal & sail powered "Sailtrike"
an innovative three-wheeled recumbent. It was lots of fun on the plains
of Kansas. Their recumbent bike line has grown to include a wide variety of
recumbents with Over-Seat-Steering ( OSS ). RANS makes 'bents in both
Short-Wheel-Base ( SWB ) and Long-Wheel-Base ( LWB ) models. The Bicycle
Man has been selling RANS bikes since 1995 and has been the largest RANS
dealer in New York State since the late ?90s. We typically stock the
RANS Stratus LE, V-Rex LE, V3, Stratus XP (in steel and aluminum) and
Rocket recumbent bikes. We also stock the Screamer recumbent tandem and
Fusion Crank Forwards. Most RANS bikes have strong, triangulated
chrome-molly frames made in Taiwan although an occasional Kansas-built
RANS will slip through during peak season.
All RANS recumbent bikes have the popular RANS seat. Many riders
consider this standard RANS seat the most comfortable recumbent seat
available. I am more comfortable on a RANS seat (or Lightning, Linear or
Bacchetta seat) after a three-hour tour than after a three hour drive in
our Dodge Caravan. I like to recline my seat quite a lot and the RANS
seat allows a lot of adjustment. I also like the small pocket in the
seat back where I can stuff a shirt or light jacket if I get hot on a
climb. All RANS bikes come with the Rad-loc seat clamp. This makes
adjustment easier and allows more recline. This is most noticeable on
the Stratus, which didn't allow much recline with the older seat clamp.
Some riders found the 2003 RANS seat foam too soft, they felt a ridge
behind their butts. RANS is providing firmer replacement foam which most
riders find more comfortable. This only affects ~10% of RANS seats made
in 2003. RANS now offers several seating options if you're inclined to
experiment. One option is the very light RANS Zephyr Seat. The Zephyr
has a carbon fiber base and a mesh back. It only weighs 4 lb. making it
1 ¾ lb. lighter than the standard RANS seat and almost ½ lb. lighter
than some composite European seats (with deluxe air pad.) This seat is
so adjustable, you can adjust seat base angle and seat back angle
independently. Some riders may find the seat base angle changing as they
ride, we had trouble clamping it as tight as we would like. The Zephyr
lacks the pocket and water bottle mounts found on the standard RANS
seat, a minor inconvenience. You will probably want to get a Camel-Back
type water system to hang on the back of your Zephyr seat, they work
great.
Another option is the new "Hoagie" mesh seat. This seat is shaped like a
European carbon fiber hardshell (another RANS option) but is made of
mesh stretched over a steel or titanium frame rather than a sheet of
carbon fiber. The new Sling Mesh seat is a new option for the 2009 model
year. The back of the seat is similar to the standard RANS offering but
the seat base lacks a seat pan. We're eager to try both the Hoagie and
the Sling Mesh.
Considering their wide variety of recumbent bikes it is not surprising
RANS is one of the the best selling quality recumbent in the US. They
are not for everybody but they are worth a look.
Shop Online for RANS Recumbent Bike Parts and Accessories
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Bryan Ball, Peter Stull and Doug Ploetz on a scenic ride in Allegany
County.
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