New Gold Rush @ $3500? What?

I have been lusting after the Gold Rush for years. But as a true
procrastinator, I never made the $3K jump.... Now it's $3500! Well, I
guess that's it. With the Bacchetta Corsa @ $2200 and the RANS Formula
V2 at $2400, how can Easy Racers hammer the consumer with a $500
increase? I suppose they are guessing that the increase will not
significantly impact their sales targets... I wish I were one where
the extra bucks wouldn't matter.... But I am not.

Jim Reilly
Reading, PA

wrote in message
oups.com...
I have been lusting after the Gold Rush for years. But as a true
procrastinator, I never made the $3K jump.... Now it's $3500! Well, I
guess that's it. With the Bacchetta Corsa @ $2200 and the RANS Formula
V2 at $2400, how can Easy Racers hammer the consumer with a $500
increase? I suppose they are guessing that the increase will not
significantly impact their sales targets... I wish I were one where
the extra bucks wouldn't matter.... But I am not.

Jim Reilly
Reading, PA


Sorry if you are going to miss out on a Gold Rush. They seem to always seem
to be priced a bit above the competition. There are reasons why people are
willing to pay a little more for them.

I bought mine in '98 or so for something like $2,400 used and in excellent
condition with some expensive upgrades. I've never regretted it for a
minute even though that's the most money I've ever spent on a bicycle. I've
driven a lot of cars and trucks that were worth less than that.

It seems to me there are a lot of people always wanting to buy the latest
and greatest stuff so it might be a good time to look over the used market
for a GRR. I see a lot of used recumbents for sale at bagain prices with
only a 100 miles or so on them.

wrote:
I have been lusting after the Gold Rush for years. But as a true
procrastinator, I never made the $3K jump.... Now it's $3500! Well, I
guess that's it. With the Bacchetta Corsa @ $2200 and the RANS Formula
V2 at $2400, how can Easy Racers hammer the consumer with a $500
increase? I suppose they are guessing that the increase will not
significantly impact their sales targets... I wish I were one where
the extra bucks wouldn't matter.... But I am not.

The Gold Rush Replica [1] has more tubes and welds than the Bacchetta
and RANS bikes referenced, and is also assembled mostly by hand in a
small factory in California. In addition, the Bacchetta and RANS are
made in Taiwan in large, highly automated factories with the
corresponding economies of scale.

[1] "Gold Rush" without "Replica" refers to the Easy Racers fully
faired race/record attempt bicycles.
--
Tom Sherman - Fox River Valley

"We are discussing whether humans as prey are 'natural'. Clearly,
they are, or that mountain lion wouldn't have been trying to eat a
human." - M.V.

$kip wrote:
...
It seems to me there are a lot of people always wanting to buy the latest
and greatest stuff so it might be a good time to look over the used market
for a GRR. I see a lot of used recumbents for sale at bagain prices with
only a 100 miles or so on them.

I have known several Gold Rush Replica (GRR) owners who have purchased
a Titanium (alloy) [1] Gold Rush Replica (TiGRR [2]) as a replacement.
These used GRRs could reasonably be expected to appear on the market on
an irregular basis.

[1] Specifically Ti-3Al-2.5V alloy.
[2] Also known as (aka) "Ti-Rush".
--
Tom Sherman - Fox River Valley

"We are discussing whether humans as prey are 'natural'. Clearly,
they are, or that mountain lion wouldn't have been trying to eat a
human." - M.V.

Tom, the distinctions you made between the GRR (and yes, I did mean the
GRR and not the original) and the other bikes are good ones. I like
the idea of a largely handmade in the USA bike. Skip, I have been, and
will continue to keep my eyes out for a used bike. Thank you both for
your comments.

Jim

wrote in message
oups.com...
Tom, the distinctions you made between the GRR (and yes, I did mean the
GRR and not the original) and the other bikes are good ones. I like
the idea of a largely handmade in the USA bike. Skip, I have been, and
will continue to keep my eyes out for a used bike. Thank you both for
your comments.

Jim

Good to see Jim Reilly back on ARBR!

I once had a fever to get a Gold Rush myself, but I laid down until the
fever passed. Damn, that is a lot of money for sure. The main thing that
happened is I gave up on being fast on ANY bike. Once I gave up that ghost,
I realized that a plain old Tour Easy was good enough. So I stayed with my
home built one and that is still my main bike.

I would get a used Gold Rush, but only if the price is right. After all, it
is an antique model that has been around forever. You will be only
marginally faster than on a Tour Easy and it is not worth the extra bucks to
get a new one. But that aluminum polished one is an eye grabber I must
admit.

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

"HANDMADE in AMERICA" is a stamp you cannot find on many products
these days. Expect to pay a premium - that's capitalism - but, with
that money, consider that you support highly skilled jobs, finance the
continued development of new recumbents by a respected and
long-established company and - especially - you get a truly luscious
bike in the GRR. The design of the ER line is dated, true. I find them
classic, not antique, but that's just my opinion as an owner.

Several years ago, someone posted an informal (possibly invalid, I
dunno) study of the resale value of used Easy Racers bikes based on
data collected from eBay and back issues of the ERRC magazine. Don't
expect to find a bargain. The prices we get for our Tour Easy and Gold
Rush bikes are remarkably high. These bikes hold their value assuming,
of course, they are maintained well.

I have 20k miles on my four year old TE. I'd buy another one - or a GRR
- without any hesitation and the new models have upgrades like disk
brakes. I like how my TE rides and continue to lust after the GRR. And
there's a new single-tube model in development that should hit the
market just about the time I'm ready to buy.

david boise ID

I would get a used Gold Rush, but only if the price is right. After all, it
is an antique model that has been around forever. You will be only
marginally faster than on a Tour Easy and it is not worth the extra
bucks to
get a new one. But that aluminum polished one is an eye grabber I must
admit.

Hello Ed. And it's nice to be back. (Truth is that I have been around
just silently.) I think your point about giving up on the idea of
being "fast" is a good one. I have found over the last 6 years on a
recumbent that I am happiest when I am riding to enjoy the ride.
Period. As soon as I start looking at my "times" and average speed the
fun factor diminishes. It starts to become more like work! I forget
to enjoy the scenery, to stop for a photo, or even reach for a drink.
I become completely preoccupied with speed. In fact, the only reason I
ride my Strada is to go fast! It's not for comfort or ergonomics. For
those things, I am most comfortable and secure on a LWB, low BB bike.
This conclusion brings me to thought that I may want to replace my
tired Stratus (too small as I have come to conclude) and the Strada
with one bike. I think the right used Tour Easy or GRR will do just
the trick.

Jim

wrote in message
ups.com...
Hello Ed. And it's nice to be back. (Truth is that I have been around
just silently.) I think your point about giving up on the idea of
being "fast" is a good one. I have found over the last 6 years on a
recumbent that I am happiest when I am riding to enjoy the ride.
Period. As soon as I start looking at my "times" and average speed the
fun factor diminishes. It starts to become more like work! I forget
to enjoy the scenery, to stop for a photo, or even reach for a drink.
I become completely preoccupied with speed. In fact, the only reason I
ride my Strada is to go fast! It's not for comfort or ergonomics. For
those things, I am most comfortable and secure on a LWB, low BB bike.
This conclusion brings me to thought that I may want to replace my
tired Stratus (too small as I have come to conclude) and the Strada
with one bike. I think the right used Tour Easy or GRR will do just
the trick.

Jim

Hi Jim.

Well, if you are only going to have one bike you can splurge a bit I guess.
I have always drawn the line myself at $2000. I know my parents would be
turning over in their graves if they knew any son of theirs would ever spend
money so foolishly. But it is my only recreation and I do like to have at
least one very nice bike. I have many that are not so nice, but still I can
find something nice to say about all of them.

The Stratus is underrated by many. I have always liked the looks of it.
Frankly, I do not know why Easy Racer bikes are so damn expensive. I would
have gotten one 20 years ago if I hadn't been put off by the high price. But
when it comes to price, I never got out of the 1950's, so you can't go by
me.

I am 6 feet and so I can fit either the medium size or the large size when
it comes to bikes. I generally go for the large size as it just seems to be
a slightly better fit. When you buy a LWB in a large size it ends up being a
very long bike, but it has got to fit. You do not want to be all the way
back on the rear wheel.

My nicest bike at present is my RANS V2 which I got several years ago. The
high BB is a bit of problem for me and the older I get the more I like a
low
BB such as my Tour Easy.

I used to have computers on all my bikes mainly to keep track of my
mileage, not speed. But I have given up on that too and so I have allowed my
computers to die. I pretty much do the same kind of rides every day. I go
out for an hour or so and do about 20 miles and I am NEVER really fast
anymore. I have always been a 14 mph rider. Any faster than that I am
working
at riding - and I never want to do that anymore.

Riding a recumbent is all about fun. It is just about the most enjoyable
thing that it is possible to do. Every time I go out on my recumbents, I
marvel at how comfortable they are and how easy it is to get around on them.
The rest of the world does not know what it is missing.

Ed Dolan - Minnesota

wrote in message
oups.com...
"HANDMADE in AMERICA" is a stamp you cannot find on many products
these days. Expect to pay a premium - that's capitalism - but, with
that money, consider that you support highly skilled jobs, finance the
continued development of new recumbents by a respected and
long-established company and - especially - you get a truly luscious
bike in the GRR. The design of the ER line is dated, true. I find them
classic, not antique, but that's just my opinion as an owner.

No offense but in my opinion it appears that much more development of new
recumbents is being done by overseas (Europe/Asia) than here in the US
already. In fact the only company that seems to be doing it here is Reynolds
Weld Lab, everyone else is just doing varients of the same old thing.

For instance I'd love to buy a low-racer built in the US but with the
exception of one small manufacturer on the east coast I can't.