kenhreed

I have narrowed down my purchase of my first recumbent to the Sun EZ sport CX $899.00 or the Burley Koosah $809.00 ( on sale ) I rode both and they felt pretty similar. The Burley dealer claims that the Koosah is far superior (frame, components, etc ) to the EZ sport CX. I don't know enough about bikes to judge this accurately. Note* I want to use it for 20-30 mile rides with a very occasional longer ride. I also would like to add panniers and possibly a fairing down the road. Anyone who has had either bike or can share any information, either positive or negative please help before I make a big mi$take. Thanks in advance, KenHReed

dfulton

Kenhreed,

The dealer is correct, the Burley is the better buy. Bentrideronline.com just published there readership "Bike of the Year" and the Jettcreek/Koosah won. It isn't a perfect bike, but will last you longer, and has better components than the EZ. $899 seems a bit high for the EZ, they sell for about $750 around Denver.

Darren

LarryJay

I don't know which is the best bike. I bought my EZ Sport about six weeks ago and love the bike. It was easy to get used to and enjoyable to ride. I do 20 to 35 miles a ride several times a week and love every minute of it. Whatever you buy, you will love it. Good luck.
Larry

John Ben

I have the Burley Koosah and the Jet Creek. They are the same except for some better components on the Jett Creek. I can not tell the difference. They ride the same. The bike is built to last. It is easy to ride with the low bottom bracket. It is not the fastest bike, but good and tough for pounding around town, gravel, grass, pot holes, I do not think you can wear it out. It weighs 38 pounds. It is made in USA. The JC is also voted the bike of the year on the bent rider site. The seat is like a motorcycle seat but could be a little larger. A good beater bike.

steveknight

I tried them both today and the burley was a bit smoother I thought.

randy z

I just purchased my first recumbent in May. Not knowing anything about them prior to shopping, the bike shop pointed me to the EZ Sport and Burley Koosah for a test ride. I ended up buying the EZ Sport, for the following reasons. First, the EZ Sport looked much more substantial than the Koosah, and being 6'5" and 260 lbs I wanted something that looked sturdy. The Koosah's single tube zig-zag frame just looked too flimsy,although I understand the frame has a lifetime warranty (as does the EZ Sport). Second, the EZ Sport's seat was also much bigger, and it came with adjustable support struts, something that's optional on the Koosah. Also, it adjusted very easily, where I had a very difficult time adjusting the Koosah's seat - it didn't want to slide on the track very well. Third, the EZ Sport's components seemed slightly better. It has a Shimano Sora crankset, Alivio rear derallieur, Sram Centera shifters, and Shimano V brakes. When you look at the component websites, it appears that the EZ Sport's components are a step above what comes on the Koosah. Fourth, I didn't like the Koosah's tiltable steering mast, and in particular I didn't like the fact that it all rested on the head of a little allen bolt. Fifth, I liked the water bottle set up on the EZ Sport better, being mounted on the handle bar within easy reach vs. the bottle mounts on the Koosah's seat. I DO like the fact that the Koosah is made in the USA, whereas the EZ Sport is made is Taiwan. In the end, it all comes down to what feels good to you. I don't think you can go wrong with either bike, and whichever one you choose, I think you'll get great enjoyment from it. Good luck and have fun.

kenhreed

Thanks for the detailed feedback, I'm going to go with the Ez sport. Now that you pointed it out, the steering on the Koosah did seem to be a bit "flimsy", although I'm sure my 240 plus pounds couldn't bend a sturdy allen bolt........(lol)

randy z

Kenreed,
Let me know how you like the EZ Sport. One footnote to my previous message. The lower seat frame on my EZ Sport snapped right at the hinge joint. I took it back to the bike shop and they replaced with another seat, no questions asked. I asked if that was a problem they've encountered with the EZ Sport and they said no.

Randy Z

trestlehed

I have an EZ Sport LE that I've had over a year now. Love it! Before buying it I did a lot of recumbent
research on the internet. What sold me were the testamonials of experienced bent riders. Several had owned 2 - 3 different recumbents for a few years. Then they tried the EZ Sport or Tour Easy and they
said thess were the bikes they had been waiting for.

Just test ride a bunch of different bikes. And remeber, don't go cheap. You get what you pay for in the long run.

pepmaxine

Last year I purchased an EZ-sport CX. I have been very happy with it. It doesn't look at all like the bike I bought because of the accessorizing I have done. Over the past year I have added Aerospokes, clipless pedals, a RANS seat, and recently a Windwrap full fairing, which I can highly recommend. Besides the fact that it looks very nice, it is very effective both for protection as well as aerodynamics. They are apparently also easy to install.

dgholmes59

pepmaxine,
I also have the EZ-sport CX with a Mueller Windwrap full fairing. I bought it in August 2006 and have almost 2400 miles on it. As comfortable as the Sun seat is, I was surprised you put on a RANS seat. Is it much better than the Sun seat?

bkaapcke

When I bought My EZ Sport AX I weighed 285 lbs. Now I weigh 235, and the bike stood up to it well. VERY sturdy bikes. This will be my third year, and I still love it. I was seriously thinking about upgrading to a Tour Easy. $2200 and the component level is about the same. Also, they have odd tire sizes which are hard to find. So, I upgraded the components of the Sport instead. New wheels, rear derailleur, cassette, chain, chainrings, tires and bottom bracket. This bike really responds well to upgrades. I now have a really nice bike. You too will wonder why you ever rode anyting else. bk

pepmaxine

I found that when I became more comfortable in the recumbent position and started reclining the seatback more that I started sliding. With the RANS seat the seat part tilts when the back is reclined, ensuring a more comfortable position. It does make a noticable difference, especially on longer rides (60+ miles)

dgholmes59

pepmaxine,
Did you have to make any modification to the EZ sport or the RANS seat to use it on the bike? I notice after about 30 or 40 miles I get recumbutt a little. Does the RANS seat help with this or did you have this problem at all? About how much does the RANS seat cost? Sorry for all the questions, but you have me interested in another addition to my bike as well.

pepmaxine

Ask all the questions you want, that's what this forum is for, right?
The RANS seat is $310 or more, and yes, adjustments had to be made to mount it on the EZ-Sport. The bike shop did it for me. I can take some pictures if you want, and they are willing to write up instructions for you if you are interested. It took them a while to figure out the best way to do that, and I am not very technical, so I'll leave the details up to them.
The difference (besides more comfort) is that it does raise the height of the seat. I have no real problems with recumbutt. On long rides I tend to shift my weight and position more often, and the RANS seat allows you to do that. To me it was worth the investment. It is truly a step above. If you are interested in instructions/pictures send me a private e-mail, and I can send it to you (I have no idea how to post pics here)

bkaapcke

I made my EZ Sport seat a lot more comfortable by taking it to an uphostelry shop and getting it padded with much firmer foam. I also had the top made flat, and put a layer of thinsulate on top of the foam. Thinsulate is closed cell and won't absorb sweat and get funky. The cost; $50.00. The comfort, Priceless.