is it one of yours, or not?

[hubgearfreak]

http://www.angletechcycles.com/bikes/hybrid/index.htm

[pioneer]

Who thought up that monstrosity, Mary Shelley?

It would kill your back after a couple of miles.

Only in America...

[Cullin]

I wonder how long the tubing would last with the angles they have it set to... Seat looks as if it would be comfortable, but that's about it.... reminds me of some of the bikes we used to have in the states.

[andyh2]

I've got one a Rans Dynamik with rigid forks. Wonderful bike. Very flexible can be set up lots of different ways 700 wheels with skinny tyres if you're more fast roadie oriented, 26" with touring tyres and rack, knobblies if you want to go off road.

I do use slightly different muscles for riding so a little adjustment to make, but handling wise it's just a bike. The seat tube angle means that the standard frame can fit a wide range of height and body shapes. Fits me at 6', 34" inside leg and my wife at 5'3", 29" inside leg. Also means you can get your feet down no problem when stopped. Feels very stable downhill. Best of all once set up it is just so comfortable.

Nicely made, haven't heard of breakages.

Looks wise it is a bit different to a standard bike, but hey aren't we all. If they were easily available, and reasonably priced over here, I reckon quite a few folk would find they suit very well. I suspect they're a bit pricey now with all the recent financial upheavals.

Makes me smile inside and out everytime I ride it. Not sure I can ask for more than that! Well I would like a rear dropout that would let me run an Alfine without a tensioner.

Happy to let people have a shot on mine if they're up Perthshire way.

[DaveP]

My first thought was that the riding position looked disastrous, but then I thought again.
Its sort of between standard and recumbent isnt it? Interesting rather than ill conceived.
I cant help wondering if it would benefit from a backrest

[paulah]

I cant help wondering if it would benefit from a backrest

like one of these?

[andyh2]

Twixt recumbent and upright was the original idea I think and the first crank forward (CF) model Rans did was the Fusion so I guess that name gives it away.

I find the riding position like 'sitting up properly' on a dining chair so don't feel the need for a back rest. In fact one of the things I didn't like so much about a full recumbent is that the reclining chair didn't allow for any change in position. There's a bit more scope for that on the CF more akin to a standard bike in that respect.

There's some difference when hill climbing, with a recumbent you can use the seat back to push off and with a standard bike you can stand up. On the Dynamik I've got I can stand, but to really make that work I need further forward bars which loses some of the comfort I get with swept back bars. On the Rans Fusion models the seat tube angle is even shallower and standing isn't really an option. What you can do though is to pull on the bars and that seems to increase power for uphills and accelerating. I'm not sure of the mechanics of that, but it works effectively.

Having absolutely no pressure on the hands and wrists is a nice bonus. For many of the US riders I think that was a major factor in going for a CF.

You don't get any of the aerodynamic advantages that many recumbents offer. In that respect a CF is much more akin to a standard upright bike.

They do look a bit odd, untill you get used to it, but when you ride it it just makes complete sense.

[Jeckyll_n_Snyde]

THE HAMMERTRUCK
Can't make up my mind if i love it or hate it.....time will tell.