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ryan recumbent history

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Recumbent bicycles
Published
6 May 2008
Last activity
13 May 2008
Original author
ryancycles
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  1. A bit of Ryan Recumbent customer history
    Bob Reed was Trek's head engineer, he developed Trek's OCLV frames.
    Bob helped me with some surplus suspension parts for a prototype bike.
    Unfortunately he died in a car crash ending my unofficial association
    with Trek.
    Augie Nieto, owner of Life Fitness, one of the largest fitness
    equipment companies in the world. Expressed some interest in the
    company, but nothing ever came of it.
    Vic Sussman, Vic was an editor at US News and World Report. Vic did a
    big article in the magazine with a center fold spread picture of the
    Vanguard and the Rebike. I spent years trying to get coverage on the
    bikes and this was a really big deal for us. Bur unfortunately they
    printed the wrong phone number for us resulting in some woman in Ma.
    getting calls from all over the world.
    Nordic Trac hired us to build a prototype recumbent utilizing an
    automatic transmission and a band brake designed by the inventor Royce
    Husted. They opted to go with a conventional df bike they named the
    "Yankee" that was chosen as one of the best 100 products of the year
    by Popular Science magazine in 1992.
    Patrick Byrne, owner of "Overstock.com" rode our bike across the
    country to raise money for cancer research.
    Terry O'reilly, former Boston Bruin hockey player, owns two Vanguards
    and a Duplex, has ridden in numerous charity rides.
    Kurt Jensen, a part owner of Ryan Recumbents. He and his eleven year
    old daughter rode our tandem across the country.
    The enjoyment that our customers got from our products was one of the
    few good things about the whole bicycle business experience.
    [censored] Ryan

  2. ryancycles aka censored Ryan said:

    [...]
    Vic Sussman, Vic was an editor at US News and World Report. Vic did a
    big article in the magazine with a center fold spread picture of the
    Vanguard and the Rebike. I spent years trying to get coverage on the
    bikes and this was a really big deal for us. Bur unfortunately they
    printed the wrong phone number for us resulting in some woman in Ma.
    getting calls from all over the world.[...]

    Did Vic work at USN&WR at the same time as Bill Cook of Barcroft?

    --
    Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
    The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

  3. Edward Dolan said:

    Only those who had more money than brains would ever want your
    bike.

    Ed, before I bought my Stratus in 1999, I confess I really wanted to
    ride a Vanguard. At that time the Vanguard was $1800. Yes. big
    bucks.... Sadly Ryan was being sold to Longbikes at exactly that
    time..... when Greg Peek opened for business the Vanguard turned
    Slipstream was $2500.... Game. Set. Match. $1800 was out there.
    $2500 was out of the question. Since that time, I have ridden several
    Vanguards and Slipstreams. After I installed a RANS seat ( I don;t
    like the sling seat), and added a rear rack, I can't think of a
    better touring machine!

    Jim

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

    Edward Dolan said:

    Only those who had more money than brains would ever want your
    bike.

    Ed, before I bought my Stratus in 1999, I confess I really wanted to
    ride a Vanguard. At that time the Vanguard was $1800. Yes. big
    bucks.... Sadly Ryan was being sold to Longbikes at exactly that
    time..... when Greg Peek opened for business the Vanguard turned
    Slipstream was $2500.... Game. Set. Match. $1800 was out there.
    $2500 was out of the question. Since that time, I have ridden several
    Vanguards and Slipstreams. After I installed a RANS seat ( I don;t
    like the sling seat), and added a rear rack, I can't think of a
    better touring machine!

    Jim

    Trying to fill in some blanks here, I take it that you did purchase a
    Vanguard or Slipstream somewhere along the way for $1800 or less. Then you
    installed a Rans, oops RANS seat to replace the sling seat and put a rear
    rack on the bike. So considering the Stratus vs. the Vanguard what do you
    like most and least about each bike?

  5. Wilson said:

    "stratrider" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

    news:[email hidden]...

    Edward Dolan said:

    Only those who had more money than brains would ever want your
    bike.

    Ed, before I bought my Stratus in 1999, I confess I really wanted to
    ride a Vanguard.  At that time the Vanguard was $1800.  Yes. big
    bucks.... Sadly Ryan was being sold to Longbikes at exactly that
    time..... when Greg Peek opened for business the Vanguard turned
    Slipstream was $2500.... Game.  Set.  Match.  $1800 was out there.
    $2500 was out of the question.  Since that time, I have ridden several
    Vanguards and Slipstreams.   After I installed a RANS seat ( I don;t
    like the sling seat),  and added a rear rack, I can't think of a
    better touring machine!

    Jim

    Trying to fill in some blanks here, I take it that you did purchase a
    Vanguard or Slipstream somewhere along the way for $1800 or less.  Then you
    installed a Rans, oops RANS seat to replace the sling seat and put a rear
    rack on the bike.  So considering the Stratus vs. the Vanguard what do you
    like most and least about each bike?

    Sorry for the blanks... I never owned either the Vanguard or
    Slipstream. The Stratus @ $1600 was too nice a bike to justify
    paying 900 more for the slipstream. I was trying to describe (though
    quickly and poorly) how I would customize the Slipstream for me. As
    for comparison, I have been on a Vanguard and a Slipsteam. I have
    come to prefer a higher BB so the Slipstream is my preference. As for
    the Stratus vs the Vanguard/Slipstream, for me the RANS seat is a
    hands down winner. Period. As for steering, the underseat steering
    provides ultimate comfort for me. That's why I suggested to ED that
    I'd love to tour on a Vanguard/Slipstream. In 1999, the Stratus came
    with a "T" bar. After eventually replacing it with Calhoun's Evo-Pro
    Bars (this was before RANS came out with their version) I would come
    to realize how horrible the "T" bar was for me. Finally, let me
    really mix it up..... If I could could go back to 99, with my current
    knowledge of what I like and with the bikes on the market at that
    time, I would choose neither the Status or Vanguard. I would have
    gotten a Tour Easy for $1800. No question. I could not find one to
    ride here in the Northeast USA in 99. If I had that would have been
    the bike..... The steering, while not USS, is just right. The bike
    is comfortable and fast enough for most!

    Jim

  6. "stratrider" <[email hidden]> wrote

    Quoted message said:


    If I could could go back to 99, with my current knowledge
    of what I like and with the bikes on the market at that
    time, I would choose neither the Status or Vanguard. I
    would have gotten a Tour Easy for $1800. No question.

    Tour Easy is my second recumbent. After about three
    years with my BikeE AT, I wanted something better for
    longer distances and perhaps faster.

    Quoted message said:

    I could not find one to ride here in the Northeast USA in 99

    Me neither, in north Texas. I bought my Tour Easy
    in late 2000 shipped from a dealer in Virgina, sight
    unseen and seat unridden. I wasn't disappointed
    then and not now.

    Quoted message said:

    The steering, while not USS, is just right. The bike
    is comfortable and fast enough for most!

    Fast is relative and domain specific. %^)

    For a couple of years, I sometimes ran narrow,
    high-pressure tires on my Tour Easy to be "faster".
    Now I run medium touring tires on it all the time.
    I have a third recumbent that is setup as my
    "fast" road bike, a Volae Sport.

    I haven't bought a bike in 5 years. If I were tempted
    today, it might be for a low racer, or perhaps a tandem
    like the RANS Seavo... There's used Fold Rush
    currently for sale that I might consider for a more
    transportable touring setup.

    We're planning a bike vacation/tour in The Netherlands
    this summer. I'll rent a "Dutch" recumbent for a week
    or so. Hopefully, I'll get to test ride several makes
    and models. If the US$ were in better shape, perhaps
    one could be coming home with me...

    Jon

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