Planet Bike Hardcore ATB Fenders

I finally got around to installing some Planet Bike Hardcore ATB fenders on the RANS Street. I know I'm in the minority here, but I think a bike with fenders looks totally bad ass!

The front fender went on easily although I had to bend the left side strut a bit to clear the disc brake caliper.

A little more Planet Bike Superflash porn.

The rear fender also went on easily once I bent the left side struts around the disc brake caliper. Note that there is lots of coverage and clearance for 2.0" Schwalbe Big Apples. I love having a bike with fenders and lights so I can ride it anytime and in any weather. All the Street is missing now is a rear rack.

Dinotte 200L-AA

Dinotte's 4 AA LED light is bright small and robust. I like how it kind of disappears on the bike until you need it. I generally leave mine on all the time so I have it when I need it. I seem to often find myself out after dark when that wasn't part of the plan in the AM when I left for my ride. Since it uses standard rechargeable AA batteries you can buy new ones cheaply and share them amongst your other battery powered devices - much better than a proprietary battery. The velcro and o-ring mounting system is secure yet allows you to move it between bikes in a few seconds.

Planet Bike Superflash

My favourite rear light for the past year has been the Planet Bike Superflash. It isn't the brightest red blinkie available, but it's a great combination of inexpensive and effective. I find the strobe mode is ideal for getting driver's attention as it resembles an emerency vehicle flashing light. I couldn't get the mount around the massive seatpot on the Street so I mounted the light to the left side seatstay. If I'm doing a lot of night riding with the Street I'll mount another Superflash on the right seatstay for maximum visibility.

RANS Street in the morning...

RANS Ride & Carry Cargo System

EcoVelo Reports:

Ride Report 70808
Date: 7-08-08
Rider: RJS/KAD
Bike: Dynamik Duo

Testing For:
How the new RAC ( Ride And Carry) system works in the real world.

Conditions: Winds ENE 5 temps 84
Ride Distance: 7.25 miles
Calories: 346 (RJS)
Average V: 10 MPH
Max V: 25.1 MPH
Time: 43:24
Ascent: N/A
Average heart rate: 107
Max. Heart Rate: 133

Findings:
The numbers show we took it pretty easy, simulating an average couple out shopping. The distance ridden was not much, again within average reach. The handling is not affected, in fact the bike responds well with the added load. The downhill was fast, and of course the uphill had the feel of added weight.

The load was about 20 pounds of groceries, or $70 bucks. I wanted to haul a watermelon, and now that I know how well the bags keep shape with a load, we will next time.

I like several aspects of using the RAC on a tandem, it gets both of us shopping, and with some concern on how much we buy, that can mean a couple of things, less spending, and more trips. Note the calories even if double (700) is an example of a good return for the energy invested.

We did stop into a take and bake pizza place with the grocery load onboard. The pizza turned out easy to haul intact, simply letting it “potato chip” a bit worked to allow the pizza to fit inside the bag. If I were hauling a baked pizza in box, taking bungees would be wise, so strapping it to the top deck could be done.

I can see an insulated bag as Kelli our HR person suggest, to keep cool things cool, and maybe a built in bungee system to allow top loading. The RAC is the first proto, and has an open space between the bags, which is great for lifting the rear and droppind the kickstand. We will need to figure another way to drop the kick stand when heavy. Perhaps lifting bar the handle bars on a single seater will work.

Conclusions:
So far great, need more testing and try progressively heavier loads. Need to try how to raise and lower the kickstand with a heavy load.

Production should begin in a few weeks with a target price of $375 and some interesting features:

• Bags remove easy and fit on either side.
• Sides have net pockets and double small pockets for reaching down on a single to grab items like keys, phone, wallet.
• There is an oversized load flap that secures the load when an item or item extend above the bag volume.
• Reflectors, grab handles abound.
• The system will include an insulated bag big enough for a gallon of milk.
• They are hoping for a weight capacity in the 75 pound range. Will confirm with more testing.
• The rack itself is made of 1″ aircraft aluminum tubing, has two settings for installing on both geometries of their CF’s.
• They will be available in many colors with complimenting or contrasting trims, and are home-sewn in heavy Cordura at the RANS factory. All made in the USA.

If you have questions, ask away in the comment section below as I know Randy drops in here and I’m sure he’d be happy to provide answers.

The Street is rolling again...

I'm embarrassed to admit what an amateur I have been the last month with the RANS Street. I wanted to upgrade the brakes and tires which should have been a piece of cake, but I managed to drag it out in a month long ordeal of incompetence! Getting some Big Apples and installing them was easy. It was the brakes that caused me all the grief. I wanted to get rid of the perpetual squeal of the Tektro discs that were on the bike. It just ruined the whole ride for me to have an ear piercing squeal at every stop. I tried cleaning the rotors and pads which helped, but didn't solve the problem. Perhaps a better mechanic could have figured out what to do next, but in my limited repertoire my best bet was to install some equipment I was familiar with and worked well. My first thought was some Deore V-brakes...they are simple, cheap and for sure I can set them up to work quietly. I got some from my LBS and removed the discs on the Street before I realized the Street didn't have any canti-posts to attach the brakes to....damn! At that point I waffled between getting discs or getting the canti-posts and proceeding with the V-brakes.

In my defense I was really busy and went on several bike tours in this period so my free time to work on bikes was minimal. I eventually decided that I might as well stick with disc brakes after I factored in the hassle and cost of getting the canti-posts I needed. Then I waffled about which discs to use and where to get them from. I'm normally a very decisive person so this was a bit bizarre - nevertheless that's what happened. The whole while I kept reaching for the Street or had friends ask to ride it before I recalled it was out of business.

Well I'm happy to report I finally got everything installed and ready to roll. The sad part was not only did it take a long time, but I ended up using brakes I had in my inventory - a pair of the original Avid mechanical discs from around 2000. Essentially BB7s, but before they called them that. So now The Street is rolling on some comfy Big Apples and stopping fast & quietly with the Avids...crank forward nirvana.

Unfortunately I'm about to depart on a 3 week bike tour to the Canadian arctic, but the lovely and talented Anna has requested the Street to ride to work and to share with her friends. Although I'll have to wait a while to really enjoy the new upgrades at least I'll know that Anna and her friends will be putting lots of miles on this red beauty. Hopefully the Street won't hold a grudge and we can get some nice late summer riding when I'm back.

Randy's Citi Ride Report

RANS Citi

Randy Schlitter sent me this ride report:

Ride Report 61208

Date: 6-12-08
Rider: RJS
Bike: Citi…stock all the way!

Testing For:

Testing for ease and efficiency of stand riding, and simulate single speed riding, and what gearing would work.
Conditions: Winds N 8 to 10 to temps 76
Ride Distance: 20.16
Calories: 941
Average V: 12.1 MPH
Max V: 26.3 MPH
Time: 1:04:22
Ascent: N/A’
Average heart rate: 140
Max. Heart Rate: 175

Findings:

Heading north on the bypass I found lots of hills perfect for pulling in the stand position. I rode most the distance both ways, about 12 miles in the tallest gear. I found grinding was easy if you used you body weight, and are happy with 9 to 11 MPH. Ron Lieker was with me on his MTB, and tended to catch me on the climbs, but once I decided to put the hammer down I could put on the drop, it was hard not having more gears on the downwind leg, and the climbs really boosted my heart rate to the 170 level. If I climbed at an easy pace I could keep the rate down to 155.

What I like about this set up with the paperboy bars, and curved FWD riser, is the freedom of movement. I allows for very easy stand riding, which is handy to zip across an intersection or run up a hill. It would be the way to go if wanting to go single speed. Now what gears are right is a tough one. Almost every start with a standing ride, you need tall gears, but high winds and hills could be trouble if too tall. I am thinking somewhere around 34/18 and just living with less top end. A lot depends on the wheels, the big apples suck lots of power. But they do ride like you are on air ( you are! about 30 to 40 psi of it)

I did note an effective tuck with the bar set up, and I may try it on a Z-Pro. Even just the curved fwd riser is a good set up for those who want to stand ride and tuck at lot. ON my Z -Pro I do stand ride a lot, and tend to bang the thighs against the bar.

Conclusions:

As a stand ride model the Citi is one of our best, mostly due to the bars, and frame geometry. This could be had on any of Dynamik geometery bikes by installing the same bar and riser stock to the Citi.

This test confirms for me a single speed would be practical and fun. I think we should build one!

Xtrafied Street

I found these photos of an older RANS Street [note the straight down tube] on BROL. The resulting rig looks great. It's a smart combination of comfort, stability and cargo hauling capacity.

BROL member Zyzzyx is in the processing of buying a new Street + Xtracycle kit. I'm looking forward to seeing photos of the finished product and getting his review on how it rides.

Hanging Out

Stairs

Dwayne rides the RANS Street

My friend Dwayne is staying with me at the moment. He was immediately interested in the RANS Street when he saw it hanging in my repair stand and has been riding it extensively ever since. Dwayne is a fairly picky performance cyclist so I was a bit surprised to see him so smitten with a more laid back - dare I sat comfort bike. Talking to him about why he likes the Street he commented he was impressed with the quality of the bike and how much fun it was to ride. The only downside to his enthusiasm for the Street is I haven't had a chance to ride it since he arrived in town!...=-)

Crankforward Xtracycle?

Combining these two types of bikes could be very cool!

Street Blurr

Biking Crowchild Trail Bridge, Calgary, Alberta

Ian's RANS CFs on EcoVelo

Photo: EcoVelo

Alan Barnard's blog EcoVelo recently featured Ian's sweet RANS CF bikes including this S&S coupled steel Fusion. Crank forward bikes fit in very well with Alan's new focus on practical cycling. The problem with most "serious" bikes is that they are not ideal for the casual cyclist in many respects. Although I love my fleet the most approachable bike I have at the moment is my RANS Street. I can get just about anyone rolling on it without any drama.

I've had a S&S coupled bike project bouncing around my brain so seeing the photos of this nicely coupled Fusion is making it hard to resist the temptation to S&S a bike.

A week with the Street

RANS Street waiting patiently outside the bank, Calgary, Alberta

I've had the Street a week now and we are getting to know one another better. It takes a little time for two strangers to become friends. The Street exudes the sort of quality I'd expect from a company like RANS. The welds are clean and the frame is both strong and artfully designed. I like the beefy tubes that they used and the red metallic paint is amazing in the sunlight.

I had some issues with the disc brakes squealing quite loudly so I cleaned the rotors with rubbing alcohol. That helped a lot and I'll pull the pads for a bit of sanding which should completely resolve the problem. Other than that the Street has run well out of the box. Since my bike isn't built up with the stock specification I'll post some info on what I've got hung off the frame and any mods I'm thinking of.

I've already had a few friends and my boss inquire when they can borrow the Street for a test ride. It will be interesting to see what they think about the crank forward concept.

First Ride

Relaxing by the Bow River, Calgary, Alberta.

My first ride on the RANS Street quickly reminded me of being a kid again. The riding position was relaxed and the handling was effortless. The bike wants to be in motion and to explore, but there is no urge to go really fast or to get anywhere particular. The joy was in just pedaling down the road.

I found you can get out of the saddle and climb up hills with the Street, but I think the bike is better suited to the intelligent use of its wide range gearing. Like my Big Dummy it rewards consistent effort on the pedals more than sharp accelerations. Being able to put your feet down at stops while staying in the saddle was nice and adds to the relaxing nature of the ride.

I tend to be a fairly aggressive rider - even when I don't want to be - so sitting on the Street was a revelation. The riding positions made me shift gears mentally and put me in a very relaxed head space.

I lent the Street to my friend Kurt and was pleased how easy it is to adjust the bike for different riders. The angle of the seat post is really laid back and results in the seat height and effective top tube length changing at the same time. Another nice feature is the engraved scale on the side of the seat post. This lets you quickly set up the bike for a variety of different riders. I'l l probably note down what setting works for each of my friends so when they want to ride the Street I'll have it ready for them just the way they like it.

Rather than ride our normal routes we ended up just zooming around back streets we don't usually think about. Looking around and chatting - it was definitely a social ride. Eventually we stopped at a Vietnamese restaurant for dinner and Kurt remarked that our ride felt exactly like the way he used to ride bikes as a kid. I agreed and pointed out that instead of stopping by the corner store for a pop & candy we were grabbing some asian food and green tea. I'm glad I have a credit card now and don't have to ask for an allowance from my parents...=-)

RANS CF Flavours

Nanda Holz posted the following explanation of the various varities of RANS CF bikes on Bent Rider Online. It was really useful to me so I've reproduced it here:

"Regarding the micro flavors of the CF line-up, the base/foundation geometry are the Fusion, and Dynamik, from which all the other model sprout from.

The Fusion, and Cruz share the same lower LWB geometry except for the two curvy tubes, full length cables, and X7 vs. SX5 components on the Cruz. The Fusion Step Through prototype is a the same geometry but with a 9spd setup and easy use entry/exit frame design to make even the most noobie cyclist feel right at home. All will run disc and v-brakes and the standard Fusion and Cruz have rear 700c road caliper mounts (and the front fork fender hole can be drilled for a caliper...although it's not perfect, and only a 23mm tire will clear w/o filing the fork)

The Dynamik, Street, Citi, Trail, 700X, and D-Pro all share the same frame feature/geometry, except the Street has beefier curved tubes as does the Citi, and the Citi has no FD post. Also the Dynamiks have clearance in the rear stays for larger rubber and fenders where the Zenetik does not (28mm max). The Dynamik family will also accomodate disc, v-brake or caliper brakes.

The Zenetik, Road, Z-Pro, are all pure road bikes with straight rear stays, rear caliper mount, and rear disc tab. The Zen's do not have the downtube gusset that is present on the Dynamik, and have taller/longer headtubes then the Dynamiks...but are at the same angle." __________________
Regards,
~Nanda Holz
925.301.7043
www.spincyclz.com
onyourleft@spincyclz.com

Why a RANS Street?

RANS is a small company located in Kansas that designs and manufacturers recumbents, crank forward bikes and planes. Attention to detail and a love of bicycles is evident in all their pedal powered creations. Having owned a RANS Rocket recumbent and enjoyed it - I had confidence that their crank forward bikes would be equally fun to ride. Nanda Holz really sold me with his enthusiasm for RANS CF bikes and his latest touring CF which just happens to be a Street.

The Street intrigued me because it has a geometry that is part way between the more laid back CF bikes like the RANS Cruz and a typical diamond frame [DF] bike. I think it is going to be ideal for running errands, commuting and going on social rides with my friends. I also know quite a few people who want to come biking with me, but don't have a decent bike to use. I think the Street's wide range of adjustment will allow me to loan the bike to these folks and its comfort/ease of handing will hopefully convince some of them to get their own bike.

The folks at RANS were kind enough to send me a lovely metallic red Street to ride and review - thanks!

Why a crank forward?

I live in downtown Calgary and have quite a few friends that aren't serious cyclists. Maybe that's incorrect - they aren't performance cyclists. They love their bikes and they love riding, but our typical rides are very social, fairly slow and all about smelling the waffles not crushing your opponents in an aero tuck! My bike choices of late have been heading in the direction of more practical rides [Bike Friday Tikit & Surly Big Dummy] and they have worked very well for diminishing my need to drive and ramping up my enjoyment of practical cycling.

I get asked to help a lot of people find the right bike for them. I enjoy the process as I get to research bikes, test ride them and help someone find a ride that puts a smile on their faces - all without actually having to buy another bike...=-) Since most of the people I help are not looking to win the Tour de France or break the HPV land speed record they don't need a racing machine. What they do need is a comfortable, practical bike that is easy to ride, attractive [to them] and versatile for the typical urban cycling missions. Naturally crank forward bikes have become one of the obvious options I recommend to people.

The shape and concept of the crank forward appeals to mainstream cyclists who aren't ready to embrace the recumbent form factor no matter how comfortable and efficient. In an urban environment the upright seating and ease of stopping and starting are appreciated. The [almost] one size fits all adjustment range means more than one family member can ride a crank forward ensuring it sees lots of use. Best of all the relaxed handling of most crank forwards inspires confidence in new cyclists and those who ride infrequently.

Most people don't break down their enthusiasm for CF bikes to this level of detail, but they do know they feel relaxed on one and it puts a smile on their face. For a bicycle I'd call that mission accomplished....=-)