Originally Posted by
KC8QVO
Oddly enough, I did a day trip today and ran in to a fellow rider on an Easy Racer. They are hard to miss with their long wheelbase, big rear wheel, and small front wheel.
I assume the long wheelbase slows the responsiveness of handling down and improves ride quality. However, with full suspension I would assume the ride quality would be even better - regardless of wheelbase? Or does it all depend on the rig? I can see where a shorter wheelbase would be more responsive, maybe that combined with suspension could be a bad mix.
My Easy Racer Gold Rush handled reasonably well for such a long wheelbase. Its limits exceeded my courage... I never felt that I was being held back by the bike in any riding situation. I also never thought it needed suspension even when riding on unpaved roads.
My RANS Phoenix is another matter. Its wheelbase is 8 inches longer than the Gold Rush. (700C wheels front and rear.) That means you're a lot further from the wheels when they hit a bump. When I first test rode mine I thought the tires were underinflated! I'm getting used to it- at first it felt awkward but putting the tires alongside paint lines is second nature now. I think it would make a great touring bike except when you schlep the bike into a motel to escape a rain storm. It's a long, long bike.