Rans Rocket?

GoHabsGo said:

Hi all,

I've lurked here for quite some time and hope to get some feedback from
you pros about the RANS Rocket. I am considering this as my first 'bent
sometime early this spring probably around April.

When do the new models become available?

You should ask RANS about that.

Does anyone know if the newer Rockets will be much different than last
year's model?

You should ask RANS about that.

What are the most useful upgrades on a new Rocket, or is that something
that should only be considered after riding for a while?

Probably ride a while, unless there are some things you know you want and you can get a package deal. It's a shame to start tossing components shortly after your purchase. Lurk some more, and you will possibly find some components you really can't do without. There goes the budget!

What is a good price for a Rocket?

Start collecting prices on eBay now. You could also watch BROL. Others may chip in with sites to watch. These are pretty popular bikes, judging by how few have appeared for sale in the last several months.

Are there any other brands you would recommend over the Rocket that would
be in the same price range?

I humbly ask for you feedback if you have time.

Thanks,

Larry

Best advice I got was "ride everything you can get your butt on." It's not unusual to drive several hours, one way, to test ride 'bents. The good ones are not cheap, and it's your body that has to fit the bike. I started out looking at "entry level" LWB models. When I finally made a decision, after many hours driving and many hours on various bents, I bought a modified Strada.

Long way from an entry level LWB, however, nothing else produced that blissful grin for me.

You might also research the BROL forum. It is more active than this one.

Hull 697 said:

...
*-You might also research the BROL forum. It is more active than this
one.-...

That forum is full of self-congratulatory mopes and is also censored.

--
Tom Sherman - (In Transition)
Post Free or Die!

Richard Greenberg said:

Hi. I'm new to benting. About 3 months ago I decided to buy a bent and did
some research - and spent a day doing some test riding. I test rode a
Rocket, a VRex SWB, a Lightning something-or-other SWB, and a Veloteknik
comfort-something-or-other CLWB. I bought a Rocket and have been very happy
with it....

I am going to say it - I told you so! 😉

--
Tom Sherman - (In Transition)
Post Free or Die!

GoHabsGo said:

Hi all,

I've lurked here for quite some time and hope to get some feedback from
you pros about the RANS Rocket. I am considering this as my first 'bent
sometime early this spring probably around April.

When do the new models become available?

Does anyone know if the newer Rockets will be much different than last
year's model?

What are the most useful upgrades on a new Rocket, or is that something
that should only be considered after riding for a while?

Replace the stock brake pads with Kool Stop "salmon" pads [1] to
improve braking power and greatly increase the life of the rim (due to
reduced brake track wear).

Some people could use lower than stock gearing, and the stock Primo
Comet tires do not have the best traction on wet roads.

Fenders are necessary for riding in the rain. Get one of the seat back
bags and/or the HT rack [2] for light cargo, and the under seat rack
for touring.

Quoted message said:

What is a good price for a Rocket?

The RANS Rocket is still an excellent value at full MRSP.

Quoted message said:

Are there any other brands you would recommend over the Rocket that would
be in the same price range?

No.

Quoted message said:

I humbly ask for you feedback if you have time.

Riding a RANS Rocket is more fun than watching the Canadiens play
hockey. You will not find a more fun bike to ride unless you happen to
find a used Earth Cycles Sunset Lowracer [TM] for sale.

[1] See <http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/brakeshoes.html>.
[2] Regular racks interfere with the Sprint Braces (seat struts).

--
Tom Sherman - (In Transition)
Post Free or Die!

"Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hull 697 said:

...
*-You might also research the BROL forum. It is more active than this
one.-...

That forum is full of self-congratulatory mopes and is also censored.

--
Tom Sherman - (In Transition)
Post Free or Die!

As much as I disagree with Mr. Sherman on most things under the sun, I
certainly do agree with him about this. If you are faint of heart and
essentially more of a mouse than a man, then you might well be happier on
BROL. However, the give and take of unfettered opinions on ARBR is something
that we should cherish. BROL is dead and ARBR is not. That is the difference
and it is all the difference in the world. Even a horror like Ed Gin can not
turn me off of ARBR.

Regards,

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

"Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
[...]

Quoted message said:

Riding a RANS Rocket is more fun than watching the Canadiens play
hockey. You will not find a more fun bike to ride unless you happen to
find a used Earth Cycles Sunset Lowracer [TM] for sale.

Mr. Sherman's love affair with the Rocket has always puzzled me. I guess I
would actually have to ride it in order to know what he is talking about,
but it seems to me that a SWB is a SWB.

Do only the Canadiens play hockey or do not also the Canadians play hockey?

Regards,

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

Edward Dolan said:

"Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
[...]

Quoted message said:

Riding a RANS Rocket is more fun than watching the Canadiens play
hockey. You will not find a more fun bike to ride unless you happen to
find a used Earth Cycles Sunset Lowracer [TM] for sale.

Mr. Sherman's love affair with the Rocket has always puzzled me. I guess I
would actually have to ride it in order to know what he is talking about,
but it seems to me that a SWB is a SWB.

One has to ride a bicycle to truly understand how it handles - words
and equations are inadequate.

Quoted message said:

Do only the Canadiens play hockey or do not also the Canadians play hockey?

See <http://www.canadiens.com/> for the website of "Le Habs". In this
case "Canadiens" is the proper name of an organization.

Of course, I expect Mr. Ed is more familiar with "horse hockey". 😉

--
Tom Sherman - (In Transition)
Post Free or Die!

Hi. You mentioned that you think the Kool Stop Salmon brake pads are a good
upgrade for the Rocket.

"http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/brakeshoes.html

Are the pads found at the link above the ones you would recommend for the
Rocket as opposed to any of the other Kool Stop choices? Did you mount them
with some toe-in on your Rocket, or parallel to the rims?

Thanks, Rich

"Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

GoHabsGo said:

Hi all,

I've lurked here for quite some time and hope to get some feedback from
you pros about the RANS Rocket. I am considering this as my first 'bent
sometime early this spring probably around April.

When do the new models become available?

Does anyone know if the newer Rockets will be much different than last
year's model?

What are the most useful upgrades on a new Rocket, or is that something
that should only be considered after riding for a while?

Replace the stock brake pads with Kool Stop "salmon" pads [1] to
improve braking power and greatly increase the life of the rim (due to
reduced brake track wear).

Some people could use lower than stock gearing, and the stock Primo
Comet tires do not have the best traction on wet roads.

Fenders are necessary for riding in the rain. Get one of the seat back
bags and/or the HT rack [2] for light cargo, and the under seat rack
for touring.

Quoted message said:

What is a good price for a Rocket?

The RANS Rocket is still an excellent value at full MRSP.

Quoted message said:

Are there any other brands you would recommend over the Rocket that

would

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

be in the same price range?

No.

Quoted message said:

I humbly ask for you feedback if you have time.

Riding a RANS Rocket is more fun than watching the Canadiens play
hockey. You will not find a more fun bike to ride unless you happen to
find a used Earth Cycles Sunset Lowracer [TM] for sale.

[1] See <http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/brakeshoes.html>.
[2] Regular racks interfere with the Sprint Braces (seat struts).

--
Tom Sherman - (In Transition)
Post Free or Die!

"Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Edward Dolan said:

"Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
[...]

Quoted message said:

Riding a RANS Rocket is more fun than watching the Canadiens play
hockey ...

[,,,]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Do only the Canadiens play hockey or do not also the Canadians play
hockey?

See <http://www.canadiens.com/> for the website of "Le Habs". In this
case "Canadiens" is the proper name of an organization.

Of course, I expect Mr. Ed is more familiar with "horse hockey". 😉

The one sure way to get a response out of Mr. Sherman is to trip him up on
his use of the language. Canadien is of course the French for Canadian and
it will normally refer to the French Canadians of the Province of Quebec.

Regards,

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

Quoted message said:

Tom Sherman - (In Transition)
Post Free or Die!

PS. I like the "Post Free or Die" bit. It is a nice play on the "Live Free
or Die", the New Hampshire state motto.

Richard Greenberg said:

Hi. You mentioned that you think the Kool Stop Salmon brake pads are a good
upgrade for the Rocket.

"http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/brakeshoes.html

Are the pads found at the link above the ones you would recommend for the
Rocket as opposed to any of the other Kool Stop choices? Did you mount them
with some toe-in on your Rocket, or parallel to the rims?

I would get the "Kool Stop BMX Salmon" for a RANS Rocket since they
have the proper curvature to fit ISO 406-mm rims. [1]. The "salmon"
colored pads have the Scott-Mathauser compound (containing iron oxide)
which is superior to the compound used in black and red Kool Stop pads.

I toe the brakes in using the thickness of the commonly available
copper-plated zinc discs with a portrait of Mr. Lincoln on them as a
guide. You can get these discs at any US bank for $0.01/each. 😉

[1] These pads were not available when I exchanged pads on my Rocket,
so I have the "Kool Stop Thinline Threaded" pads instead.

--
Tom Sherman - (In Transition)
Post Free or Die!

"Edward Dolan" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

"Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:[email hidden]...
[...]

Quoted message said:

Riding a RANS Rocket is more fun than watching the Canadiens play
hockey. You will not find a more fun bike to ride unless you happen
to find a used Earth Cycles Sunset Lowracer [TM] for sale.

Mr. Sherman's love affair with the Rocket has always puzzled me. I
guess I would actually have to ride it in order to know what he is
talking about, but it seems to me that a SWB is a SWB.

Do only the Canadiens play hockey or do not also the Canadians play
hockey?

Both. The Canadiens are the NHL team. Canadians would refer to both men's
and women's national teams that are currently defending their Olympic gold
medals in Torino.

Thanks for all the feedback so far!

Are the brakes that bad that they need to be replaced? I guess I would
find out by a trial, eh?

How about the other components, such as derailers, shifters and pedals?
Are they adequate for a first timer? My current MTB has Shimano Deore LX
derailers with Gripshift shifters that have held up quite well for about 14
years. How would the Rocket's components measure up to these?

Also, I use toe clips on my MTB and wear regular shoes. Is this possible
to do on a 'bent or is there a preferred pedal system?

Thanks again,

Larry

GoHabsGo said:

Thanks for all the feedback so far!

Are the brakes that bad that they need to be replaced? I guess I would
find out by a trial, eh?

The brakes do not need to be replaced, just the pads. Kool Stop Scott
Mathauser compound (salmon color only) pads do not accumulate embedded
pieces of grit that will gouge the braking track on the rim the way
almost all other brake pads will. A replacement rim and relacing by a
competent wheel builder will typically cost $50+ per wheel. In
addition, braking power in the rain is much better with the "salmon"
pads compared to normal compound pads.

Quoted message said:

How about the other components, such as derailers, shifters and pedals?
Are they adequate for a first timer? My current MTB has Shimano Deore LX
derailers with Gripshift shifters that have held up quite well for about 14
years. How would the Rocket's components measure up to these?

The stock components on the RANS Rocket will work well enough (except
for the brake pads and pedals) I would not bother to upgrade them until
they wear out.

Quoted message said:

Also, I use toe clips on my MTB and wear regular shoes. Is this possible
to do on a 'bent or is there a preferred pedal system?...

Any bike with the pedals higher than the seat (e.g. RANS Rocket) needs
some type of foot retention system for anything but short rides.

--
Tom Sherman - (In Transition)
Post Free or Die!

Edward Dolan said:

"Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Edward Dolan said:

"Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
[...]
> Riding a RANS Rocket is more fun than watching the Canadiens play
> hockey ...

[,,,]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Do only the Canadiens play hockey or do not also the Canadians play
hockey?

See <http://www.canadiens.com/> for the website of "Le Habs". In this
case "Canadiens" is the proper name of an organization.

Of course, I expect Mr. Ed is more familiar with "horse hockey". 😉

The one sure way to get a response out of Mr. Sherman is to trip him up on
his use of the language. Canadien is of course the French for Canadian and
it will normally refer to the French Canadians of the Province of Quebec.

Yo Eddie,

Canadiens (sic) is the proper name of the Montreal NHL franchise, which
has the nickname "Le Habs". Since the original poster uses the display
name of "GoHabsGo", my comparison was naturally to the Canadiens (sic)
NHL hockey team. Duh!

--
Tom Sherman - (In Transition)
Post Free or Die!

"Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
[...]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The one sure way to get a response out of Mr. Sherman is to trip him up
on
his use of the language. Canadien is of course the French for Canadian
and
it will normally refer to the French Canadians of the Province of Quebec.

Yo Eddie,

Canadiens (sic) is the proper name of the Montreal NHL franchise, which
has the nickname "Le Habs". Since the original poster uses the display
name of "GoHabsGo", my comparison was naturally to the Canadiens (sic)
NHL hockey team. Duh!

No, here is what you wrote:

"Riding a RANS Rocket is more fun than watching the Canadiens play
hockey. You will not find a more fun bike to ride unless you happen to
find a used Earth Cycles Sunset Lowracer [TM] for sale."

You did not reference anything other than hockey. No mention of Montreal or
the NHL. Others can be excused this kind of sloppiness, but we expect more
of someone who writes legal briefs for engineering firms where every i has
to be dotted and every t has to be crossed. Canadien and Canadian belong to
two different languages. Since you were writing English for English readers,
we expect you to be consistent in the use of the language and not to be
jumping back and forth as suits your fancy.

Regards,

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

Edward Dolan aka Mr. Ed said:

"Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
[...]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The one sure way to get a response out of Mr. Sherman is to trip him up
on
his use of the language. Canadien is of course the French for Canadian
and
it will normally refer to the French Canadians of the Province of Quebec.

Yo Eddie,

Canadiens (sic) is the proper name of the Montreal NHL franchise, which
has the nickname "Le Habs". Since the original poster uses the display
name of "GoHabsGo", my comparison was naturally to the Canadiens (sic)
NHL hockey team. Duh!

No, here is what you wrote:

"Riding a RANS Rocket is more fun than watching the Canadiens play
hockey. You will not find a more fun bike to ride unless you happen to
find a used Earth Cycles Sunset Lowracer [TM] for sale."

You did not reference anything other than hockey. No mention of Montreal or
the NHL. Others can be excused this kind of sloppiness, but we expect more
of someone who writes legal briefs for engineering firms where every i has
to be dotted and every t has to be crossed. Canadien and Canadian belong to
two different languages. Since you were writing English for English readers,
we expect you to be consistent in the use of the language and not to be
jumping back and forth as suits your fancy.

Context Eddie, context!

--
Tom Sherman - (In Transition)
Post Free or Die!

I ride a paved but rough (in some sections) trail in the Chicago area (the
North Branch trail) and the addition of the RST suspension fork to my Rocket
has made an unbelievable difference. Since I added the new fork the ride on
my Rocket is much smoother than my LWB Stratus. Jordan at RANS agreed that
almost any 20 x 20 should have suspension.

"GoHabsGo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi all,

I've lurked here for quite some time and hope to get some feedback from
you pros about the RANS Rocket. I am considering this as my first 'bent
sometime early this spring probably around April.

When do the new models become available?

Does anyone know if the newer Rockets will be much different than last
year's model?

What are the most useful upgrades on a new Rocket, or is that something
that should only be considered after riding for a while?

What is a good price for a Rocket?

Are there any other brands you would recommend over the Rocket that would
be in the same price range?

I humbly ask for you feedback if you have time.

Thanks,

Larry

In all fairness I should say "Jordan at RANS agreed that the ride of almost
any 20 x 20 would be improved by the addition of a suspension fork."

"Bob Hill" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I ride a paved but rough (in some sections) trail in the Chicago area (the
North Branch trail) and the addition of the RST suspension fork to my
Rocket has made an unbelievable difference. Since I added the new fork the
ride on my Rocket is much smoother than my LWB Stratus. Jordan at RANS
agreed that almost any 20 x 20 should have suspension.

"GoHabsGo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi all,

I've lurked here for quite some time and hope to get some feedback from
you pros about the RANS Rocket. I am considering this as my first 'bent
sometime early this spring probably around April.

When do the new models become available?

Does anyone know if the newer Rockets will be much different than last
year's model?

What are the most useful upgrades on a new Rocket, or is that something
that should only be considered after riding for a while?

What is a good price for a Rocket?

Are there any other brands you would recommend over the Rocket that would
be in the same price range?

I humbly ask for you feedback if you have time.

Thanks,

Larry