RANS Stratus & Formula

Roger Zoul wrote:
...
Today, I rode the Stratus XP XL - one in the size I'm going to buy (they
only had the standard size before). This one is actually for another
customer who had given his permission for me to ride it. He had it outfitted
with Velocity rims, fat 1.5-inch tires, and had a 24-tooth small ring on
front! I didn't really have a hill handy at the LBS that would need a small
ring like that, but he lives in Charlotte, NC and there must be plenty of
hills around there as here (Greenville, SC). The fats gave the rig a very
different feel (it felt edgier if that makes any sense) from the 26s on the
standard, but having the extra room seemed to be a good thing for me since
the seat didn't have to extend all the way back. Sadly, I've already fallen
in love with this bike. They are saying they could have one for me in by
next week!

One wonders if it was the fat tires that made the Stratus XP [1] feel
"edgier", as the change in steering geometry is not that great. The
setup of the handlebars and the amount of "tiller" will generally have
a more dramatic effect, and RANS does offer a range of risers and
handlebars to this effect [2].

I also rode a Formula V2. This one is similar to the SXP but the BB is much
higher. Unfortunately, the model they had in stock is standard size, not XL,
and with the higher BB, I felt very cramped on it. I did ride it, though,
enough to get a feel for it. Climbing on it seems to use more of the glutes
than the XP does. I have to admit that I felt was using more leg muscles on
both of these than on my upright while climbing. I have big legs and I bet
they'd get a serious workout on a serious hill (or, on many serious hills as
we tend to have here) Also, the FV2 felt a bit twitcher than the SXP in both
the standard and XL size. I felt a lot more comfortable on the standard size
SXP than on the standard size FV2. Finally, my right knee started hurting
after riding the FV2. I rode the SXP standard last weekend for a good while
with no knee discomfort - same for the SXP XL, which I rode yesterday before
riding the FV2 Standard.

Did you have the bikes set up so the angle formed by lines from the BB
to the seat and the seat base to the seat back were identical? The
effect on pedaling going from a relatively open angle to a closed on is
similar to changing position from the "flats" to the "drops" on an
upright road bike.

One thing I did notice....I could not hug the edge of the road on either of
these bikes, especially while climbing. I needed a much greater margin from
the edge than I do on my upright. Perhaps this is an experience (time in the
saddle?). Also, the FV2 had a fairing (not clear plastic) on it initially.
It seems to block the view of the road based on how the seat was inclined. I
definitely would NOT like have like a 20-foot blind spot in front of my
while riding.

Simple geometry says that the longer the wheelbase, the more the front
wheel will have to move laterally to bring the combined rider/bicycle
CG to the balance point. In addition, you are likely not used to the
greater tiller and lower control forces compared to an upright.

So, where I stand now....I can probably get a SXP XL next week (they would
be rushing this for me). But they also have a FV2 XL coming in next week
already! The FV2 is about $300 less than the SXP. The FV2 has disc brakes,
but I can add those to the SXP for about $100. Would disc brakes be
something I might want - at 225 lbs?

All the same arguments for rim versus disc brakes apply to both
uprights and recumbents, so there is no need to re-hash them here.
However, a LWB recumbent has considerably more weight on the rear wheel
than an upright, so it can contribute more to braking. The brake cable
run to the rear is also long and convoluted, so hydraulic discs would
likely provide better braking modulation.

If rim overheating and the subsequent risk of tire blow off will be of
concern, it should be remembered that with a lower frontal area, less
energy will be dissipated through aerodynamic drag.

Oh...these bikes don't seem to come with a standard place to put water
bottles! What's up with that? It seems as if I have to rig something to
place water bottles. That seems wrong, IMO.

As Jeff Wills mentioned, look on the back side of the seat frame rails.
Water bottles in these locations are not hard to get to (easier than
one mounted on the seat tube of an upright in my experience). The
commonly used seatback bags also have space for a hydration bladder.

[1] http://www.ransbikes.com/SXP07.htm.
[2] http://www.shoprans.com/products.asp?cat=16.

--
Tom Sherman - Post Free or Die!