Recumbent - Rans Fusion

I'm looking for advice and ideas. I have a Marin MTB but am having wrist and other issues with it so I'm considering a Rans Fusion. There is no bike shop in this state that has one in stock so my question is this. I tried an Electra Townie and did not care for the difficult starts from a dead stop. Hard to get moving. I am looking for something fun to ride on street and trail and have read everything I can find on the Rans line. Still hard to know without trying one but I am understanding that the Rans are lighter weight than a Townie and are easier to get moving ? I appreciate any info....:)

Read all about Rans Fusion:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=64540

Thanks for the link to the info about the Fusion. It makes the Rans Fusion sound truely great but just wondering if anyone has tried or compared to the handling of an Electra Townie? My fiancee is concerned about buying a Fusion without trying it because of the issues I had with the Townie. The few people I have talked to have told me that they are not terribly different from each other and handle pretty much the same, which doesn't go along with what I have read.

Your experience about difficulty starting from a dead stop is probably going to be consistant on all recumbent or "crank forward" type bicycles.
Because the bottom bracket is located further away from your seating srea, you are less able to rely on your bodyweight to generate forward moving power.
The key to starting on a recumbent bicycle is to shift into easy gearing before the bike comes to a complete stop. It's something that becomes second nature as getting out of clipless pedals before you stop, if you use clipless pedals that is.

Well, that helps, seriously. I had a stroke a year ago, and no I am not old, but have made a very good recovery, Still, my balance isn't as good as it used to be and I actually got my foot stuck in a toe cage on my Marin and bit it HARD. Again, one of the reasons I am looking for something fun and easy. I love riding and I am determined to find a bike I can ride comfortably. Thanks again for your help.

What Cat0020 said is true - with a recumbent, and to a lesser extent a crank-forward bike, you cannot push off to start. You have to rely on pedal power. I've done parking lot rides on a Fusion, and it's definitely easier to pedal. The Electra is a tank. Its redeeming quality is that it's cheap. What part of the country are you in? Maybe there's a RANS dealer somewhere near that you don't know about?

I'm in south Florida. There is a dealer about an hour away but he has nothing in stock. I spoke to him this morning and he has a waiting list for Rans. I've contacted dealers listed in the Rans website but haven't found one in stock yet...Can't believe how hard they are to come by.

go here

http://www.crankforward.com/

A couple of things to look at. Starting from a dead stop will be easier with lower gearing. If you have a single speed bike, your bike shop may be able to swap out the front or rear sprocket to adjust that. My cruiser is 44:22 or so, and that makes for fairly easy starting for me.

With a multi-speed bike, consider a multi-speed hub instead of a deraileur system, simply because you can shift into low gear while you're sitting there.

You might consider just standing up when you stop, even though you don't see the need otherwise.

I'm looking for advice and ideas. I have a Marin MTB but am having wrist and other issues with it so I'm considering a Rans Fusion. ... I appreciate any info....:)
I have a 2006 Fusion. There have been some changes (steel to aluminum for one) but I think the frame geometry is still the same.

It is much better comfort than an upright bike, but I cannot stand and pedal at all, or even stand on the pedals and coast very well. Nice for moderate cruising but not being able to stand and sprint is annoying at times.

Also at 6'2" I am right at the top of the seatpost's range. All the current crank-forward frames have the same inseam range, but RANS is supposed to be coming out with a taller crank-forward frame this year.

If I bought another one, I would probably get a Dynamik.
~

Thanks everybody, for all of your help and advice. I just ordered a Rans Dynamik trail...

I was also looking at getting the Townie but haven't tried riding it yet. I love the look of the bike. I was curious what made you think of the Rans Fusion as an alternative bike.

I liked the idea of the crankforward and being as short as I am, being able to reach the ground with my feet while sitting. I owned a Townie for a short time and just found it to be rather heavy to move. I read a lot about these types of bikes and Rans kept coming up and they are lighter weight. I bought a RANS Dynamik Trail a couple of weeks ago and love it. I have owned alot of bikes in my lifetime but haven't enjoyed riding any of them as much as I do my Rans. GREAT bike !!

Cricket

Non-fusion owners are not passing along the one tip that will get you going FAST from a dead stop. You pull on the handlebars as you are pedaling and this adds torque to the drive wheel. This action means it is a full body workout compared to a recumbent that really is a partial workout. I am always amazed at the torque I can get down using this method.

Edit: Keep in mind that the 2004 Fusions were 26/20 and 2005 on are 26/26.

Darn, I got here too late. Cricket, you may need to get different handlebars put on the Dynamik. I have carpal tunnel syndrome as well, and today spent about 2 hours comparing the Fusion, a Dynamik and the Zenetik. I came home with the Zenetik because I was really wanting a road bike, but I'd have to say my next bike will be the Fusion as an alternative ride on some light trails. Of the 3 designs, the Fusion's handlebars sweep backwards closer to the body than the other two bikes, and for a shorter person, the Fusion would be the easiest to get on and off of with it's lower top tube and longer wheel base. Don't fret though. Just swap out the handlebars on the Dynamik if your hands give you any problems. You can get the swept back bars that Rans puts on their recumbents.

We own a Townie, and I won't ride it. It in no way compares to any of the Rans crank forward bikes. Riding a Townie compared with a Rans anything is like driving a suburban vs a sports car.

You're gonna love your new ride!

I have to agree with that post about pulling on the handlebars. It REALLY makes a difference. I wasn't worried about taking off fast with the Townie, but just keeping my balance in the first few seconds was a challenge for me. Not so with the Rans. Atleast not for me. Thanks for the tip on the handlebar issue. So far it hasn't proven to be a problem but it's useful information to have. I am going to start trail riding soon so we'll see how the wrists hold out....the only problem I have experienced is sliding forward on the seat. I have to scoot back every so often or I "bounce" on the edge of the seat. No big deal but I'm sure it's because I am only 5' tall.

I just bought a Fusion and I love it!

I've got a RANS Street (http://www.viks-crankforward.com/) and you do have to ride it differently than a safety bike. Using the gears more and adopting a less aggressive attitude. If you are the kind of rider who wants to race between traffic lights and accelerates like mad all the time I don't think the RANS crankforward bikes make a lot of sense. OTOH if you want a comfortable efficient ride that is stable and easy to manage that's exactly what you'll get from the RANS bikes. They aren't slow, but they aren't race machines either.

I have a Dynamik. I think you would be more comfortable on the all-new RANS Sequoia. Its designed and built specifically for taller riders. At 6'2" you're the perfect candidate for it!

CF's accelerate well and climb good. I think they might be a race machine with enough tweaking, which will lead the UCI to ban them for the same reason it banned 'bents: unfair advantage!

We had 2 Electra Townies with 26 inch wheels and the standard 2 inch tires until one fell off of the bike rack on the highway. Thankfully no one behind us was injured but when we made it back to the spot where the bike fell, it was a gone. Today we went back to the Townie dealer to look at a replacement and I had the opportunity to try a Dynatek, and several other bikes, including a Townie with 700cc rims and skinnier tires. I wanted to try a faster bike. I knew nothing about bikes a few months ago, when we bought the Townies. The Townie is a great bike. It is very comfortable but it is slow. The commuter model with the skinnier tires was better but not as fast as other non crank-forward bikes that I tried. I loved the Rans Dynatek bike. It was fast. I just did not like stepping over the top bar and I felt a little too stretched to reach the handlebars so I took a chance and ordered a Fusion ST. I will report back after it comes in. It was twice the price of the Townie commuter 700cc bile I tried but I know it will be worth it, especially next time I am 10 miles out in the everglades (Shark Valley) facing a head wind coming back. So now we will have one Townie 21 (our original Townie) and one RANS Fusion. If you want to go faster on a Townie you may have to have thinner tires put on it, like 1.5 inch. I heard that will help. Also, buy yourself a Yakima Top Bar for when you put a Townie on a rack.

A Rans Dynamik with the RAC system makes a good replacement for an Xtracycle. Its still fast over ground even with the rack and the panniers.

If you balance isn't that good anymore, why not consider a tadpole trike like the Greenspeed.

:)ensen.