Tandems down to two

"bruce" <[email hidden]> wrote in :"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I am looking at a RANS Screamer or a Vision 82. I am 6'1'' and my wife the stoker is 5'2'' I would
appreciate any insight or pros and cons on these bikes. Regards Bruce

Pros : Lot of fun

Cons: Expensive!

Sorry 🙂

In article <[email hidden]>, bruce says...

Quoted message said:

I am looking at a RANS Screamer or a Vision 82. I am 6'1'' and my wife the stoker is 5'2'' I would
appreciate any insight or pros and cons on these bikes. Regards Bruce

We went through this process earlier this year. I am 5'9", my wife is 5'2". We tried the Screamer
and it just wouldn't work for her. By the time she got the stoker seat far enough forward to reach
the pedals, the BB was practically underneath her seat, and the position felt terrible. Lots of
people will now tell you that their stokers are just 5'2", and that the Screamer fits them just fine
- so you'll have to see for yourself. If it fits, and you like the ride, the Screamer is (by all
accounts) the more high performance choice of the two.

The Vision fit us both perfectly, but we were put off by the flexing of the monotube. If we HAD to
buy one it would have been the Vision, but we're still looking. That's a lot of money to risk on a
bike you might not like.

Steve Christensen Midland, MI

I would give the Easy Racer a serious look. Or the Barcroft columbia. I bought a BikeE E2 two years
ago. It is serving my needs very nicely, but I realize it isn't the fastest thing with two seats. I
am partial to Easy Racers products. You have to try them which can be difficult unless you live near
the hostel shoppe or something.

My wife and I have been riding a Screamer for the last seven years or so, just about when they came
out on the market. We've also helped another couple who wanted to know which tandem to buy. They
were serious tandemists, but not recumbent riders. It was an interesting experience to watch the
learning process. His name is also Bruce and he is as tall as I, at five-eleven. His wife is the
same height but my stoker is five-two. There seems to be no comfort issues for her, despite her
short stature and there were no issues for Bruce's wife either.

I like the Screamer due to the above seat steering, and the control of the balance of the bike at
stops that it provides. My wife keeps her feet clipped into the Shimano pedals at stops, Bruce's
wife drops a foot.

I had to put more padding in the seat for my scrawny bottom, but the new seats appear to be more
comfortable. Ours are first generation and the current set is third or fourth design, easier to
adjust, bigger base...

I had a chance to ride a Vision and felt the flex almost instantly. There may be flex in the
Screamer, but I've grown accustomed to it. There is steering flex which made me think I was wobbling
back and forth on the road, but that has disappeared over time. The Screamer has a flip-it stem,
which allows you to push the bars away as you mount and dismount, but I leave it in place, as the
pivot is aluminum and I see wear from the little movement I can't avoid.

I recently upgraded from cable brakes to Magura hydraulic rim brakes, as we bought a pre-production
prototype from Rans at a show. The difference is amazing in terms of braking capacity. I also own a
Gold Rush Replica with very strong shimano brakes and now the Rans stops as easily as the GRR. If I
didn't like to keep my momentum going so much, I'd spend all my time riding and hitting the brakes,
just to feel how well it stops!

As you may have guessed, I am a proponent of the Rans and if you find yourself in Central Florida
and want to take a test ride, send an email and we'll welcome you to do so.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Bruce
I am looking at a RANS Screamer or a Vision 82.

I'm stoker on Vision 82. We did test rides on several tandems, except Screamer. My general impression is that they are comparable.

🙂 Best thing about the bike is IPS. Second best is Vision seats. Third is flexible monotube frame absorbing bumps. Remarkably fast. Lots of fun, gets a lot of attention.

🙁 I'm overweight for it's stoker weight rating of 180 lb. 11' long, we transport it on a bike trailer. Bike weighs 60lbs dry, same as the competition. A couple DV frames have broken at the stoker's bottom bracket.

Keep your eye on Ebay. Last year several 'bent tandems went cheap at the end of the ride season in Sep-Oct.

This summer we bought the Hostel Shoppe's version of the VR85. We are very new to recumbents, so I
may not be the best source of advice on the topic. However, we do like the bike very much and all
this talk about flex puzzles
me. I think the ride is very soft and smooth and don't see any downside to that. BTW, I'm 5' 10"
and stoker wife is 5' 5" - everything seems to fit just fine.

There are a couple of things I wish could be improved. The most important is this "wheel slap" thing
where my heel gets hit by the front spokes when making sharp, low speed turns - I really hate that
problem. I'm not crazy about the seats. My single bike has an M5 seat and I really like that. We
started with USS and switched to OSS. I don't like the moveable handle bar when making stops.

Otherwise, this bike has allowed us to travel much further and longer than our upright tandem (which
is an excellent bike) because all the pain issues have evaporated.

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

Quoted message said:

I am looking at a RANS Screamer or a Vision 82. I am 6'1'' and my wife the stoker is 5'2'' I would
appreciate any insight or pros and cons on these bikes. Regards Bruce

Thanks for everyone's input, it helps to get some others prospective. I like the uss and ips on the
Vision but did not like the flex in the frame The vision was a pleasure too ride and I could learn
to ignore the flex The main minus I feel is my wife doesn't not have a good view straight ahead. On
the Rans she has a better view since I ride with my seat at maximum recline. We feel more in-sync
with this configuration. The Screamer was more agile but I am not sure how I feel about the oss. I
am planning another test ride to help decide. Thanks again for your comments.-- Bruce

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

Quoted message said:

I am looking at a RANS Screamer or a Vision 82. I am 6'1'' and my wife the stoker is 5'2'' I would
appreciate any insight or pros and cons on these bikes. Regards Bruce

I ride a Vision tandem with my 7 year old son as stoker. I'd say you have the pros and cons of both
bikes fairly laid out by other posters. I preferred the Screamer but the seat would have to come too
far forward to accomodate my son. Rolf at Hostelshoppe was very helpful in making my decision. I
wonder if the Sreamer would work better for you with a set of crank shorteners. That way the seat
would not need to come as far forward. Another option you may consider is the Terra Trike tandem. I
have ridden one. It's alot of fun but difficult to store and transport.

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

Quoted message said:

Thanks for everyone's input, it helps to get some others prospective. I

like

Quoted message said:

the uss and ips on the Vision but did not like the flex in the frame The vision was a pleasure too
ride and I could learn to ignore the flex The

main

Quoted message said:

minus I feel is my wife doesn't not have a good view straight ahead. On

the

Quoted message said:

Rans she has a better view since I ride with my seat at maximum recline.

We

Quoted message said:

feel more in-sync with this configuration. The Screamer was more agile but

I

Quoted message said:

am not sure how I feel about the oss. I am planning another test ride to help decide. Thanks again
for your comments.-- Bruce

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

Quoted message said:

I am looking at a RANS Screamer or a Vision 82. I am 6'1'' and my wife

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

stoker is 5'2'' I would appreciate any insight or pros and cons on these bikes. Regards Bruce

Bruce, Here's another important difference: The monotube of the Vision is so large that couplings
cannot be added. The screamer's tubes are within the size limitations. This only matters if you may
plan to break the bike down for a tour at a distant location. It is simply easier and cheaper to
transport the bike in small cases vs. two large cardboard boxes. So, if you plan to fly to New
Zealand and ride around the country you may want the Screamer. We have a Vision and the flex is not
a problem. I like it.

Lon

In article <[email hidden]>, LA says...

Quoted message said:

Bruce, Here's another important difference: The monotube of the Vision is so large that couplings
cannot be added. The screamer's tubes are within the size limitations. This only matters if you may
plan to break the bike down for a tour at a distant location. It is simply easier and cheaper to
transport the bike in small cases vs. two large cardboard boxes. So, if you plan to fly to New
Zealand and ride around the country you may want the Screamer. We have a Vision and the flex is not
a problem. I like it.

I thought the Vision tandem came with a joint already in the monotube, so that a coupling was not
necessary. (Perhaps the older models don't have this.)

Steve Christensen

Visions have always came apart ever since their first production. In fact that was the way you
adjusted the leg length for the stoker.

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

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, LA says...

Quoted message said:

Bruce, Here's another important difference: The monotube of the Vision is so

large

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

that couplings cannot be added. The screamer's tubes are within the size limitations. This only
matters if you may plan to break the bike down for

a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

tour at a distant location. It is simply easier and cheaper to transport

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

bike in small cases vs. two large cardboard boxes. So, if you plan to fly

to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

New Zealand and ride around the country you may want the Screamer. We

have a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Vision and the flex is not a problem. I like it.

I thought the Vision tandem came with a joint already in the monotube, so

that a

Quoted message said:

coupling was not necessary. (Perhaps the older models don't have this.)

Steve Christensen