ryan recumbent history

A bit of Ryan Recumbent customer history
Bob Reed was Trek's head engineer, he developed Trek's OCLV frames.
Bob helped me with some surplus suspension parts for a prototype bike.
Unfortunately he died in a car crash ending my unofficial association
with Trek.
Augie Nieto, owner of Life Fitness, one of the largest fitness
equipment companies in the world. Expressed some interest in the
company, but nothing ever came of it.
Vic Sussman, Vic was an editor at US News and World Report. Vic did a
big article in the magazine with a center fold spread picture of the
Vanguard and the Rebike. I spent years trying to get coverage on the
bikes and this was a really big deal for us. Bur unfortunately they
printed the wrong phone number for us resulting in some woman in Ma.
getting calls from all over the world.
Nordic Trac hired us to build a prototype recumbent utilizing an
automatic transmission and a band brake designed by the inventor Royce
Husted. They opted to go with a conventional df bike they named the
"Yankee" that was chosen as one of the best 100 products of the year
by Popular Science magazine in 1992.
Patrick Byrne, owner of "Overstock.com" rode our bike across the
country to raise money for cancer research.
Terry O'reilly, former Boston Bruin hockey player, owns two Vanguards
and a Duplex, has ridden in numerous charity rides.
Kurt Jensen, a part owner of Ryan Recumbents. He and his eleven year
old daughter rode our tandem across the country.
The enjoyment that our customers got from our products was one of the
few good things about the whole bicycle business experience.
Dick Ryan

"ryancycles" wrote in message
...
A bit of Ryan Recumbent customer history
Bob Reed was Trek's head engineer, he developed Trek's OCLV frames.
Bob helped me with some surplus suspension parts for a prototype bike.
Unfortunately he died in a car crash ending my unofficial association
with Trek.
Augie Nieto, owner of Life Fitness, one of the largest fitness
equipment companies in the world. Expressed some interest in the
company, but nothing ever came of it.
Vic Sussman, Vic was an editor at US News and World Report. Vic did a
big article in the magazine with a center fold spread picture of the
Vanguard and the Rebike. I spent years trying to get coverage on the
bikes and this was a really big deal for us. Bur unfortunately they
printed the wrong phone number for us resulting in some woman in Ma.
getting calls from all over the world.
Nordic Trac hired us to build a prototype recumbent utilizing an
automatic transmission and a band brake designed by the inventor Royce
Husted. They opted to go with a conventional df bike they named the
"Yankee" that was chosen as one of the best 100 products of the year
by Popular Science magazine in 1992.
Patrick Byrne, owner of "Overstock.com" rode our bike across the
country to raise money for cancer research.
Terry O'reilly, former Boston Bruin hockey player, owns two Vanguards
and a Duplex, has ridden in numerous charity rides.
Kurt Jensen, a part owner of Ryan Recumbents. He and his eleven year
old daughter rode our tandem across the country.
The enjoyment that our customers got from our products was one of the
few good things about the whole bicycle business experience.
Dick Ryan

You were relying too much on promoters and other charlatans and not enough
on the intrinsic value of your product. Build a good product at a good price
and the world will beat a path to your doorstep.

You failed because you were never able to get the price of your recumbent
reasonable. Only those who had more money than brains would ever want your
bike. Robert Bryant of RCN also needed to get the price of his newsletter
more reasonable and he would most likely still be in business. Why build
something if the cost of it is unreasonable?

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

ryancycles aka Dick Ryan wrote:
[...]
Vic Sussman, Vic was an editor at US News and World Report. Vic did a
big article in the magazine with a center fold spread picture of the
Vanguard and the Rebike. I spent years trying to get coverage on the
bikes and this was a really big deal for us. Bur unfortunately they
printed the wrong phone number for us resulting in some woman in Ma.
getting calls from all over the world.[...]

Did Vic work at USN&WR at the same time as Bill Cook of Barcroft?

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

On May 6, 3:21*pm, "Edward Dolan" wrote:

Only those who had more money than brains would ever want your
bike.

Ed, before I bought my Stratus in 1999, I confess I really wanted to
ride a Vanguard. At that time the Vanguard was $1800. Yes. big
bucks.... Sadly Ryan was being sold to Longbikes at exactly that
time..... when Greg Peek opened for business the Vanguard turned
Slipstream was $2500.... Game. Set. Match. $1800 was out there.
$2500 was out of the question. Since that time, I have ridden several
Vanguards and Slipstreams. After I installed a RANS seat ( I don;t
like the sling seat), and added a rear rack, I can't think of a
better touring machine!

Jim

"stratrider" wrote in message
...
On May 6, 3:21 pm, "Edward Dolan" wrote:

Only those who had more money than brains would ever want your
bike.

Ed, before I bought my Stratus in 1999, I confess I really wanted to
ride a Vanguard. At that time the Vanguard was $1800. Yes. big
bucks.... Sadly Ryan was being sold to Longbikes at exactly that
time..... when Greg Peek opened for business the Vanguard turned
Slipstream was $2500.... Game. Set. Match. $1800 was out there.
$2500 was out of the question. Since that time, I have ridden several
Vanguards and Slipstreams. After I installed a RANS seat ( I don;t
like the sling seat), and added a rear rack, I can't think of a
better touring machine!

Jim

Jim, I have spent the big bucks too - over and over, but I never felt good
about it. I always feels like I am spending at least $1000. too much. I
suspect Dick Ryan did the best he could, but I just can't help being
permanently ****ed off at the high prices.

Like you, I love recumbents, but we are a very small minority. In the early
days it was possible to get cheap recumbents, mostly as framesets, and then
build them ourselves at not much additional cost. Now there is hardly
anything available at all for less than $1000. A recumbent manufacturer who
tells me that $2600. is a bargain for a bicycle is going to get my wrath and
that is all he is ever going to get.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

"stratrider" wrote in message
...
On May 6, 3:21 pm, "Edward Dolan" wrote:

Only those who had more money than brains would ever want your
bike.

Ed, before I bought my Stratus in 1999, I confess I really wanted to
ride a Vanguard. At that time the Vanguard was $1800. Yes. big
bucks.... Sadly Ryan was being sold to Longbikes at exactly that
time..... when Greg Peek opened for business the Vanguard turned
Slipstream was $2500.... Game. Set. Match. $1800 was out there.
$2500 was out of the question. Since that time, I have ridden several
Vanguards and Slipstreams. After I installed a RANS seat ( I don;t
like the sling seat), and added a rear rack, I can't think of a
better touring machine!

Jim

Trying to fill in some blanks here, I take it that you did purchase a
Vanguard or Slipstream somewhere along the way for $1800 or less. Then you
installed a Rans, oops RANS seat to replace the sling seat and put a rear
rack on the bike. So considering the Stratus vs. the Vanguard what do you
like most and least about each bike?

On May 10, 3:10*am, "Wilson" wrote:
"stratrider" wrote in message

...
On May 6, 3:21 pm, "Edward Dolan" wrote:

Only those who had more money than brains would ever want your
bike.

Ed, before I bought my Stratus in 1999, I confess I really wanted to
ride a Vanguard. *At that time the Vanguard was $1800. *Yes. big
bucks.... Sadly Ryan was being sold to Longbikes at exactly that
time..... when Greg Peek opened for business the Vanguard turned
Slipstream was $2500.... Game. *Set. *Match. *$1800 was out there.
$2500 was out of the question. *Since that time, I have ridden several
Vanguards and Slipstreams. * After I installed a RANS seat ( I don;t
like the sling seat), *and added a rear rack, I can't think of a
better touring machine!

Jim

Trying to fill in some blanks here, I take it that you did purchase a
Vanguard or Slipstream somewhere along the way for $1800 or less. *Then you
installed a Rans, oops RANS seat to replace the sling seat and put a rear
rack on the bike. *So considering the Stratus vs. the Vanguard what do you
like most and least about each bike?

Sorry for the blanks... I never owned either the Vanguard or
Slipstream. The Stratus @ $1600 was too nice a bike to justify
paying 900 more for the slipstream. I was trying to describe (though
quickly and poorly) how I would customize the Slipstream for me. As
for comparison, I have been on a Vanguard and a Slipsteam. I have
come to prefer a higher BB so the Slipstream is my preference. As for
the Stratus vs the Vanguard/Slipstream, for me the RANS seat is a
hands down winner. Period. As for steering, the underseat steering
provides ultimate comfort for me. That's why I suggested to ED that
I'd love to tour on a Vanguard/Slipstream. In 1999, the Stratus came
with a "T" bar. After eventually replacing it with Calhoun's Evo-Pro
Bars (this was before RANS came out with their version) I would come
to realize how horrible the "T" bar was for me. Finally, let me
really mix it up..... If I could could go back to 99, with my current
knowledge of what I like and with the bikes on the market at that
time, I would choose neither the Status or Vanguard. I would have
gotten a Tour Easy for $1800. No question. I could not find one to
ride here in the Northeast USA in 99. If I had that would have been
the bike..... The steering, while not USS, is just right. The bike
is comfortable and fast enough for most!

Jim

"stratrider" wrote in message
...
[...]
Finally, let me
really mix it up..... If I could could go back to 99, with my current
knowledge of what I like and with the bikes on the market at that
time, I would choose neither the Status [Stratus] or Vanguard. I would have
gotten a Tour Easy for $1800. No question. I could not find one to
ride here in the Northeast USA in 99. If I had that would have been
the bike..... The steering, while not USS, is just right. The bike
is comfortable and fast enough for most!

I had to laugh at Jim's remark concerning the Tour Easy. I have a dozen
recumbents and I consistently ride my Tour Easy the most. This is a bike
that I built from plans, but it turned out very nice.

In the end, you want a recumbent that handles easily above all else. Any
recumbent that is the least bit squirrelly will come to irritate you. The
Tour Easy is totally predictable and, like Jim says, is comfortable and fast
enough.

I liked USS well enough at first, but I found that hanging my arms down at
my sides eventually proved uncomfortable. I now prefer OSS and would no
longer even consider USS. Those days are gone forever.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

"stratrider" wrote

If I could could go back to 99, with my current knowledge
of what I like and with the bikes on the market at that
time, I would choose neither the Status or Vanguard. I
would have gotten a Tour Easy for $1800. No question.

Tour Easy is my second recumbent. After about three
years with my BikeE AT, I wanted something better for
longer distances and perhaps faster.

I could not find one to ride here in the Northeast USA in 99

Me neither, in north Texas. I bought my Tour Easy
in late 2000 shipped from a dealer in Virgina, sight
unseen and seat unridden. I wasn't disappointed
then and not now.

The steering, while not USS, is just right. The bike
is comfortable and fast enough for most!

Fast is relative and domain specific. %^)

For a couple of years, I sometimes ran narrow,
high-pressure tires on my Tour Easy to be "faster".
Now I run medium touring tires on it all the time.
I have a third recumbent that is setup as my
"fast" road bike, a Volae Sport.

I haven't bought a bike in 5 years. If I were tempted
today, it might be for a low racer, or perhaps a tandem
like the RANS Seavo... There's used Fold Rush
currently for sale that I might consider for a more
transportable touring setup.

We're planning a bike vacation/tour in The Netherlands
this summer. I'll rent a "Dutch" recumbent for a week
or so. Hopefully, I'll get to test ride several makes
and models. If the US$ were in better shape, perhaps
one could be coming home with me...

Jon