I have been riding my 06 Fusion for about 3 weeks now. Every time I go to the garage to ride I keep ignoring the TT and Vrex. I am enjoying the Fusion very much. Finally got the seat just right. Is this reaction just because the Fusion is new to me? Will I soon go back to the Vrex and TT? All I know is that yellow baby keeps getting all my attention these days. I feel very safe on it especially in heavy traffic areas. I cannot say the same for the other two. Most of my rides have been 15 to 20 miles. My butt gets a little uncomfy at times, but never that soreness I used to get on an upright.Also, my lower back which get very stiff after riding on an upright has not bothered me at all. I guess time will tell.I am just enjoying my new toy. Thanks, Randy for a great design.

Your welcome. As some may reply to you, the love for the Fusion will actually grow. I have been hammering around on the Z-Pro a lot lately, and doing club rides, and just lovin' it more and more. As I get better on this bike (second year) I keep finding ways to squeeze more out of it. For example:

Climbing: I move side to side lunging into it, it works great, I find I can blow by about anyone. Hill climbing has been fun! The motion works because you are gaining power from your torso mass being used to move you leg into the power stroke. I find I rarely need to stand, but like the taller geometry for the extra tuck I can get in cruise or decending and hill.

Diving: Dropping down a hill, I spin up to 25 MPH min. then tuck, to see speeds go to 37 MPH, 47 MPH, depending on the hill.

Into Wind Cruise: Learn to tuck and ride, and you will see a big improvement in speed.

Overall there is very little trade off to go CF over a DF, if you add in the comfort, and it is sublime!, you will be happy with what little loss in peformance you actually experience.

That feeling of being safer in traffic is a real asset. It is because of the upright body position, to be able to turn and swivel.

If the more the motor is happy the more go you get!

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Well, I sold two TerraTrikes, A Slipstream and an EZ1 after getting our CF bikes.

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Rick, welcome to the club. I've ridden my trike only once in several weeks. The "excuse" for not triking is the wait for the Stelvio tire that went flat. Another, it's much cooler riding the Fusion/Cruz than a trike or bent in the summer heat. I have 4k miles on the trike, so I've convinced myself I can afford more time on the CFs. (That's my rational to the trike, anyway.) I'd rather CF to errands, to the pool, group rides, you name it. I can't seem to get enough of the Cruz.

The excuses are building and I see a trend/tipping point...... [:)s

I hope, afterall, I can be a two-bike person. It remains to be seen.

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Rick, thanks for your post. An understated value of these bikes is the safety factor. Being able to stop and start quickly, flat footed and without taking your rear off the seat in heavy traffic should be a commuters dream come true. Also, sitting upright, you can survey your surroundings with ease.

We don't always want to talk about safety in performance bikes built for enthusiasts, but if I'm going to forget my helmet, I want to be sitting on a crankforward.

Cricket

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Randy wrote:

"Climbing: I move side to side lunging into it... (t)he motion works because you are gaining power from your torso mass being used to move you leg into the power stroke."

Hmmm... would angling the seat at something like 45 degrees add body weight to the power stroke? Seems like it'd be "half-standing" or something, with gravity pulling the torso straight into the pedal. Haven't tried this myself yet due to an irrational fear of falling off

- Dave

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Too much tilt will take away from the power stroke, my seat sits about 10 to 12 degree nose low.

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To echo John, I've sold a Rocket and now am selling a trike. My Fusion rules the roost in my barnyard!

It works for various reasons-easy to ride, relaxed, no special shoes as I don't feel a need to ride clipless, it's fast, smooth, and very maneuverable. It fits me in terms of how I feel sitting on it and of how I feel reaching out to the handlebars. It's got big ol' 26" wheels and a long, low stretch, so it eradicates any need for a LWB again. It's divine!

It's not going anywhere, but the next addition might be a Zenetik frame to build up...or some kind of bent that offers a "lean back" ride. Not sure what that would be as I've pretty much found heaven on a bike!

Hi Chili - How tall are you? I got to ride one of Nanda's Z Tours a week ago. While it is a nice bike, to me it was almost like riding a DF. With the seat all the way to the bottom, I was still on my toes touching the ground - no flatfoot here. I'm just shy of 5'4" and a 30" inseam. I'd stick with the Fusion if I were you or find one of the older ones with 650 wheels.

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Chilli,

I had a chance to ride the Z Tour yesterday and had the same experience. The tour is a lovely, light bike and fast, but even at 5'8" tall, no flat feet on the ground. It is more of a DF experience with a comfy seat. I also prefer the more forward crank position of the Fusion/Cruz which reminds me of my past fav recumbents. An aluminum lighter Fusion/Cruz would interest me greatly - maybe Nanda has some suggestions. Nevertheless, I'm really happy "Cruzin" on these great all-around, too-cool bikes. Have fun.

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Well, like Mary and my wife, MewTrike, I also had a chance to test ride Nanda's Z Tour demo bike. I rode it on a 40 mile ride to/from Lake Solano, here in Solano County, CA, with Nanda and his friend, Leo.

Like everyone said it'd be, it was noticeably lighter and a bit faster than the '05 Cruz that I also test rode. It was easier to climb hills with, too, of course. But I did experience some front wheel/foot interference...not a big deal, but still a consideration. The Tour is a very nice bike, especially for those who are looking for as close to a DF experience as possible, but on a comfortable crank forward bike. I'm just shy of 5'10", and, with the seat post at the ideal height for me, I found I wasn't quite flat footed, either...close, but not quite.

In the end, I found the user friendly ergonomics of the Cruz to be the better(read perfect) choice for me. Even though the Tour is lighter, better on the hills, and a bit faster, the overall better ergonomics(for me) of the Cruz made me feel so much more comfortable, that I felt that the effort required to move it was actually less than the effort required to move the lighter Tour. And, like Mary, I, too, prefer the more pronounced crank forward"ness" of the Cruz.

A featherweight aluminum(better yet...howzabout titanium?) Cruz would interest me greatly, too!

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How about a 26" Disco Tour? Richard from El Cerrito was opting for this setup but I haven't tried it just yet.

I just completed Geoff's Disco Cruz with Velocity wheels, Schwalbe Marathon Racers, and Avid BB7's. I am very tempted to slip in the Cane Creek 700c's from the Disco Tour that I am shipping tomorrow to a customer in the Northwest that has been extremely patient while I try to keep pace with all the emails etc. Look for some pics on the Crank Fever page, as soon as I get these bikes complete.

One issue has come up that I haven't resolved yet. Not sure if the angle of the fork and caliper is causing some sort of harmonic vibration, b'cos I can't eliminate the brake squeal from a full lever squeeze. I'll swap the wheelsets and take some pics of a Tour with 26's and a Cruz with 700c eh.

Yeah baby Yeah!!!

~Nanda
warning, when you see these pics, drolling will occur, and look blinkless stares for minutes perhaps hours, so beware. I will try and post'm before 8:30pm left coast time eh

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Hey guys! Just goes to show that the "grass is not always greener", eh? I'm 5'4" with a 38 x-seam and have about an inch left on my seatpost, so it's perfect for me. I do sit close to flat-footed. I'm putting a knobby on the rear (and maybe on the front) as the gravel roads around here are killing my Primo Comets. I need more traction for sure.

I could see faster, more narrow tires on it for a more responsive paved road ride. Or otherwise I'd just have to realize "up front" that the Zenetik will be more like a road bike posture. Not sure I'd mind that, though. But right now I'm happy on what I've got here! :)

Hey Chilipepper, when you find knobbys that fit the wheels, I'm guessing that your's is the 25 X 1.50 wheels, please let us know, I've been looking and can't find any.

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My wife also wants knobbies for her Fusion, to help with traction (and jarring ride) over gravel. We're on kind of a budget so these Michelins look reasonable:
http://biketiresdirect.com/productdetail.asp?p=MICOG&tnum=964960&c=1285865

As an interim measure, I tried lowering the front tire pressure to 80 psi. IMO it helped a lot. I weigh just about 200 lbs and not a lot of that is on the front tire anyway - a lighter person would have even less, so it's no wonder the Comet might feel a little skittery off-pavement. Still looking at treaded, lower-pressure tires though, perhaps on spare wheels.

- Dave

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Lynn, the tires are 26" not 25". You can also put larger size tires like 1.75 or even 1.95 on the rims. They are a little bit wider. Check some of the online bike tire places. Nashbar, Performance, Jensonusa, and Biketiresdirect are a few. Hope this helps.

Rick,
The 25" was a typo, sorry about that, but thanks for the info, it's exactly what I needed.

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