here's my latest stretch cruiser

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y29...ikes001-41.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y29...ikes002-24.jpg

still haven't got to the full on recumbent yet. i think i'm gonna need a successful frame jig idea to gel (tried a few times but haven't made anything decent enough) before i get a handle on it.

You won't find a nicer production Crank Forward than this one.....
http://www.bentrideronline.com/messa...ad.php?t=91147

I guess the advantage of the Crank Forwards are transportablily,,they must fit car bike racks right ?
I got a like new used Tour Easy for $1000.
They do look somehwat comfortable but from what I see looking at them and being a TE rider,
they are not a bent yet they are priced like one.

I see where they could be nice for an urban bike, for short range rides, I see where they could be more
sidewalk friendly, more adept at tight turns like around crosswalk poles and stop signs that are too close
to sidewalk turns.
I see that you would NOT be leaning on your wrists so there would be no pain there.

No back rest to lean back and relax into for hours in the saddle or to push against for power,
and no DF advantage of standing up on the peddals ??

I'd shure like to ride one just to understand the appeal of these bikes,,I just dont see it..

I have sun sunray with a backrest. Very comfortable. Use it for long rides. A Raleigh Gruv for store runs,misc. I think you either like or not. I live in town.The smaller size does make them"sidewalk friendly". I have had them a few years. It is hard to beat a recumbent. Just no in my budget!!!

Ah But once you ride a true LWB recumbent nothing else is anywhere near as comfortable..

I often burn up some hard miles then continue sitting on my bike drinking water and resting...


http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=288076

I am not big on CF's but sure do agree. On a visit to Hays a Fusion test ride just kept going and going and going.

Someone is going to get a fine bike at a great price even if you don't follow through on the abandonment.

Can the CF riders describe what sort of riding you would and would not do with a CF bike?

Would you use one to go fast? What is your top speed on a CF (on flat ground, of course)? How long can you maintain 25 mph on one?

Would you use one for hill climbing? Suppose you're on a 10% grade, how is the CF for that?

I've never seen a CF, so I'm pretty ignorant about their uses.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8089/8...79790fb5_z.jpg

here's a crank forward adaptation of a folder. The hinge was broken so I just welded it shut. Welded 2 pieces of 1/2" x 1" tube where a platform sits and where this old bin sits.
Also welded another bottom bracket shell about 5" forward for a more cruiser type ride

The crank forward design on this bike as well as use of a LWB recumbent are the only things that has resolved groin numbness. The cruiser folder is not as comfy as the bent but easier to wheel into an apartment via an elevator.

These are just odd....but I like the way you think. Great job!

The advantages of CF or 'cruisers' are three: 1) can flat-foot from a seated position, so easier for novices 2) seat can be very big since a wide seat won't interfere with pedaling. 3) upright position is more comfortable to some people, for instance w/ neck problems.

I would imagine crank forwards being used when speed is not an issue. Riding on MUPs, slow family rides, impromptu rides to store/restaurant/etc... I'm sure you can think of more. This is a step closer to recumbents than 'comfort' bikes.

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q...oto_0004-1.jpg

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q...photo_0006.jpg

Got me a Worksman Y3K, which is no longer in production due to poor sales. But I built the Fairing myself. Actually , that's not true, my Daughter and her friend designed the fairing, which is based on a semi-truck roof spoiler, but the lid tilts, so it can be tested at different angles. 54 degrees worked best, which really isn't too pointy, but an aerodynamic nose doesn't need to be really pointy unless you got a supersonic jet.

I've won two races on mine, so yes - they can go fast. I've had mine at over 33 mph in a sprint on flat ground. Not sure how long I could hold at 25 - never tried - but that really has more to do with the "engine" than the bike itself. My CF (a RANS Zenetik) climbed surprisingly well. You can't stand on the cranks to mash, but you can get good power to the cranks and even use your upper body and abs for leverage.

Found a Rans Fusion on Craigslist dirt cheap, decided to give it a try and couldn't be happier. I've ridden uprights for ages and recumbents for 20 years, including short wheelbase, compact long wheelbase and long wheelbase models. If you had asked me only a year ago whether I had any interest in a crank forward, I would have said absolutely not. But this bike has done the impossible. I no longer have any interest in recumbents anymore. I'm just as comfortable if not more so on the Fusion seat than any recumbent seat I've ridden, although I haven't tested that at century distances yet. It's almost as nimble as a short wheelbase recumbent, but has most of the stability and comfort of a long wheelbase. It's a lot easier to store than a long wheelbase at only 6.5 feet long rather than 7.5 to 8 feet. The 26" front wheel takes bumps better than the little front wheels of most recumbents. I can climb better on it than any of the recumbents I previously owned. It may not be as fast as a performance recumbent, but I don't care. If you don't like extra attention, this bike is good since most people don't give it a second look as I pass by, unlike recumbents that often get a stare or a laugh. As Bryan Ball wrote in his review, it has "hoppability," that quality that makes it the bike you reach for when you want to take a quick, unplanned ride. It quickly became my favorite bike and I've sold my recumbents.

My RANS Zenetik easily became my favorite bike. I put thousands of miles on it in only a few short months. Sadly, I had a crack develop in the frame. This past week I took it to a welder to see what could be done. He seemed pretty confident, so we'll see. But I'm definitely hoping to get my bike back.

Did you contact Rans? I think the frame is covered under a lifetime warranty, unless you invalidated it by abusing it or by exceeding the weight limit.

I'm not the original owner. Once I told them that, they stopped responding to my emails. I understand that the company is under no obligation, but I would think that a lifetime warranty is just that - a lifetime warranty. Who originally purchased the bike should be irrelevant.

Many (most???) bike manufactures do similar things: The warranty only applies to original owner.

I'm not saying I like it, but I understand why a lot of companies would choose to do it that way.

I know of no bike manufacturer that extends a lifetime warranty to a 2nd owner. Seems to be standard policy in the bike industry. TerraTrike has a program where a 2nd owner can extend the warranty for 3 years for $150. http://shop.terratrike.com/Extended-...p/tt990053.htm

I believe the reason manufacturer's have this policy is it will push some potential buyer's to purchase new instead of used. Knowing with a new bike if something catastrophic happens, it will be covered by the manufacturer.

I understand why they do it. Really I do.

But if I was a manufacturer and I was willing to put a lifetime guarantee on my product, I'd want it to really be a LIFETIME warranty.

Not only that, if one of my products failed, I'd damn sure want it returned so I could take a look at it and see if there are any flaws, either in design or in production.

http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/y...psad785b33.jpg

I thought that crank forward means that the crank is in front of the headset and forks. The Lightning R-84 is an example..

The R-84 is a short wheel base recumbent bike. Crank forward (sometimes called semi-recumbent but some people distinquish between them) means the crank is more forward than a regular DF bike (see here
or here). This thread on BROL is probably the most useful.

Electra refers to Flat Foot Technology. Both feet on the ground with butt on the seat. (At rest)

I gave my son, who is going off to college, my old mountain bike mostly so I had an excuse to acquire a CF. My generosity bought me cover from any flack my wife may have been inclined to throw my way for buying another bike. She doesn't feel like I get enough use out of a bike to even bother having one, let alone an expensive one. My dream bike would be one of the RANS products, but I haven't bought near enough cover to manage one of those. But I did manage to find a Giant Revive on eBay at a good price. I think my wife is pleasantly surprised to see me actually getting some use out of it. It's more comfortable by far than the mountain bike or it's predecessor a road bike, feels a lot safer and i feel like I sit up high enough to see and be seen. I didn't buy it for performance, it's good I didn't, but it does what I've been looking for.

A trick I used when I was working all the time and my bikes were getting dusty on the wall and I found my used Tour Easy that I had to have, my dream bent. I'd get up early on my day off before anyone else and ride the bent around the sub division a few times then park it in the way. She saw it moved about often and assumed I was riding it a lot. I was not above just moving it to the other side of the garage during the week XD

Looks like a good option for big clydesdales looking to ride something. Not sure how much power you can put through them without a backrest with some of the angles even if not as extreme as a full recumbent.