2006 Rans Cruz

Back in Bought for the then-soon-to-be-wife after my failed experiment with the Trek. I wanted to get something that she would be able to ride around on and enjoy, but would also be appropriate for anyone else who I wanted to take out regardless of their height. There are few bikes out there that fit a sizable number of riders. Most are in the realm of the cruiser bike, like the Electra Townie and such, which are fine bikes, but I wanted to get her as efficient a bike as possible so she wouldn’t have to work harder than me to keep up on rides. After a little research, I was led to Rans, which is a small mid-west manufacturer of recumbent bikes (and small aircraft). I found a fairly local dealer, and we went out to test ride it, which led to an order on the spot. The frame has a subtle metal flake in the paint that EXPLODES when it’s lit by full sunlight, and the finish (both the frame build and the paint job) is the nicest of any bike I’ve owned. I enjoy taking it out for a ride myself every now and then, and it brings something a little different to the party. The upright posture is nice for trips 40 miles and less where you can get away with not wanting to shift your weight off your rear end at all. People lighter than myself could probably enjoy it for quite a while longer than that. It was a little oppressive for me after 40 though. The cool thing about this bike is I like the upper body workout you get from pulling on the handlebars to crank up hills and such. My arms always feel sore the next day when I ride for any distance. As far as speed goes, it holds it’s own against any of the other bikes I’ve ridden aside from the Surly. From the looks of the way Rans has expanded this line in the 2 or 3 years since we bought the Cruz, they’re having a lot of success with this model.