Lightning recumbent with Rans z seat

[Paupie]

Has anyone ever used a Rans seat on a Lightning bike? I like every aspect of my Phantom but the mesh seat. I'd like to modify the seat pan of the '06 z seat so I can use it on the existing seat clamp and not have to drill any holes into my frame. Have any of you done this or something similar and if so would you share how you did it? Thanks.

[MaxBender]

The seat stays on my P-38 are a fixed part of the frame, and connect to the seat up at the top. If you remove the seat, the stays still come up at the same angle.

On a RANS, the seat stays, or "Sprint Braces" are separate peices that bolt on at the chain stays and pin on to the seat.

If the Phantom is similar, I don't think you could adjust the angle of the set stays without some serious frame hacking.

[Paupie]

But that's not the case with the Phantom, if I understand what you are saying. The seat stays are attached to the frame just like on the Rans and Bacchetta 'bents.

[MaxBender]

Couldn't tell from Phantom pictures if the seat stays are part of the frame, or bolted to it.

I do agree that Rans seats are comfier than Lightning.

[Paupie]

Yeah, well that's one of the things I want to study when I go to the big August recumbent event at Hostel Shoppe in WI: all the different seat configurations and the McGuiveresque things peopel do to their rigs.

[Dchiefransom]

Couldn't tell from Phantom pictures if the seat stays are part of the frame, or bolted to it.

I do agree that Rans seats are comfier than Lightning.

The seat stays on my Phantom are bolted on. It looks like the hole is the same size as all other types of attachments back there. I'm betting you'd just have to adapt the seat clamp somehow to the Phantom frame. On another 'bent site, many people have used an extra clamp on the Rans seat mount to keep it from sliding.