“The RDX is equipped with a set of 700c/451c aero wheels to provide exceptionalhigh-speed stability, Truvativ Rouleur crankand SRAM X-Series drive train to insurethat high speed becomes your normal state.”-Cycle Genius <strong>Recumbent</strong>sRCN Road Test:The Cycle Genius RDXBy Bob Bryantbob@recumbentcyclistnews.comCycle Genius has been known for itsaffordable short wheelbase (SWB)recumbents and, more recently, forthe RDX and LTX long wheelbase (LWB)over-seat steering (OSS) models. For 2005,the company has continued to focus on theLWB.The LTX and RDX share the same aluminumframe, but the RDX has an aluminumfork (the LTX has cromoly). Both alsoshare the same seat, which is used throughoutthe Cycle Genius’ line. These two newrecumbents are a welcome addition to thelong wheelbase arena. Cycle Genius likesto think of the RDX as affordable competitionfor the Easy Racers Gold Rush. Readon and we’ll see how the bike compares.SYSTEMSFrame: You’ll think that the frame designis either a unique retro ‘50s hot rodstyle, or a kluge of tubes. People seem toeither like it or hat it. It doesn’t have theswoopy chopper-esque looks of the mostsuccessful LWB OSS recumbents. The aluminumframe is made for Cycle Genius inTaiwan.Fork: The RDX has a stunning 7005 aluminumfork. Not even the Gold Rush hasan aluminum fork. The fork has a uniqueshape: it is flat on the inside and roundedon the outside, somewhat in the shape ofawing. The fork is disc ready, but does nothave fairing mount braze-ons (see accessories).Steering: Cycle Genius has a wellthought-out three-piece riser tube. The firstpiece is the stem that mounts into thethreaded fork. The second is the clamp, andthe third is the riser. A ball-detent allows forquick and easy settings. A touring style aluminumriser bar mounts into the two boltstem clamp. The standard system works reallywell, but aesthetically it doesn’t havethe chopper-bar look to it. (For 2005 CycleGenius is offering a black anodized chopper-styleEasy Racers handlebar that is similarto the handlebars on the CGX. I preferFor1. Excellent value2. Unique look; like it or not3. Light for LWB and price range4. Cool aluminum fork5. Optional chopper bars6. Disc brake readyAgainst1. Funky frame design; like it or not2. Heavy seat3. Fairing mount needs refining4. Low back seat5. Performance6. Some no-name brand partsWhy Buy This BikeYou’ve always wanted a Gold Rush, but you only have $1350.ContactCycle Genius <strong>Recumbent</strong>sWeb: www.cyclegenius.comSpecificationsModel: Cycle Genius RDXType: LWB OSSSize: One-size 5’1”-6’5”Wheelbase: 69”Seat height: 23.25”Pedal height:13.75”Weight: 32.6 pounds (RCN digital scale)Frame: TIG 7005 aluminum (Taiwan)Suspension: NoneFork: 6061 aluminum (disc ready)Price: $1349.99SeatBack/Base: Mesh back/foam baseStem: Kalloy customBar: Kalloy 2” riseComponentsCrank: Truvativ Rouleur 30/42/52 172.5mmBottom bracket: Truvativ ISISHeadset: Alloy sealedDerailleur (front): N/ADerailleur (rear): SRAM X.9Cassette: 11-32 9/27 speedShifters: SRAM X.7 twist gripChain — KMC 9-speedGear inch range: 25.3-127.6Pedals: Alloy platformWheels: 700c rear; 451mm 20 x 1” frontHubs: Quando High Pro alloyTires: Cheng Shin CST HP 100/110 psiBrakes: Tektro Quartz w/carbon insertsColors: Polished aluminum or blackpowdercoat22 <strong>Recumbent</strong> Cyclist News
the optional handlebars.)Finish: Our RDX came in a very attractivenatural polished aluminum. The optional coloris black. Hmm, aren’t these Gold Rush colors?The bike is busy with decals, includingone that says that mistakenly says it’s madefrom cromoly.Natural (no paint) is a great option for aluminumbikes. There is no paint to scratch orget damaged.Weight: During this review we got a newTopeak Prepstand bike repair stand. Whilethere are many good stands, this one has a digitalscale on it so we can get accurate weightsfor all test bikes. The RDX weighs 32.6 poundswith no pedals or other options. The LTX usesthe same frame with a cromoly fork, discbrakes and a different component package. Wedid not weigh the LTX, which is listed at 35pounds.SEAT & COMFORTDesign: The CG seat has a medium-heightmesh back hinged to a foam base. A crude andmostly useful angle adjustment is located underthe seat, but is difficult to use compared tothe other quick release adjustments for the seatposition and seat stays. The only problem wefound was that we couldn’t make the seat basesit flat without some filing. I especially likedthe quick release seat recline adjustments.Ergonomics: The position is very close tothat of an Easy Racers recumbent. The seat is1-1.5” higher, and the bottom bracket is 1”higher than a Tour Easy. The riding positiondoes not seem as aggressive. I thought for surethe Easy Racers seat was lower, but it’s anoptical illusion from the CG’s straight top tube(vs. the Easy Racers sloping tube).Seat Back: I really liked the way the seatback arched and hinged. Despite its lack ofheight, the arch fit my back very well. Thematerial stays taught and there is no adjustmentto slacken the mesh. I felt no need toloosen the mesh as I do with the Sun seat. Theseat back position is fairly upright which suitsthe design. So the short adjustment range isadequate.Seat Base: The foam base is thick, firm andcontoured like a John Deere tractor seat, onlya bit smaller. The base will be comfy for mostriders, but we have heard complaints fromsome who tried the bike and preferred a differentbrand/seat. The base is probably largerand with more foam than necessary. The CGseat still has a wood base, with some sort ofplastic underlayment so that you can’t see thewood. The seat base frame is chromed steel.While the seat design worked well and is morerefined than previous CG seats, it could certainlybe lightened up a bit.While the seat should be trouble free, overallthe seat could be improved. They need tomake an option so it sits flat, perhaps less foamin the base and they could easily shed someweight from this heavy seat (or offer a lightweightseat option).DRIVETRAINComponents: The specs on the RDX aremostly impressive. The SRAM X-9 rear derailleurand the SRAM X-7 twist grip shifterworked fine. I like the way the bike shifted,but I couldn’t quite get it adjusted properly.The X-7 shifters are very loud. The front derailleuris a Shimano 105 which was fine, butthe bike had a bad case of chain rattle (seebelow). 2005 models will have a different frontderailleur.Chain Management: The chain is easy tomanage. It rolls over one cartridge-sealed bearingidler that is on a floating mount (side-toside).This is Cycle Genius’ first venture intochain idlers. Their “X-frame” models don’tneed them. While the idler looks well-designed,it produces an annoying rumble, especiallyin lower gears (on each chain ring). Theonly solution to the annoying noise is to liftthe chain off the idler and let it run free. I didn’thave any big problems while doing this. Thefolks at Cycle Genius are not big fans of chainidlers — and it shows. If they plan to use themon the LWB bikes, they should try and find aquieter idler. The chain also rattled on the frontderailleur cage when in the large chain ring. Irepositioned the derailleur several times to seeif I could quiet the drive train down and I couldnot. Happily, the 2005 RDX model we rode atInterbike did not have this problem.Gearing: The beautiful Truvativ Rouleur30/42/52 crank set spins on an ISIS-style bottombracket. If you ride in hilly country, theodds are that you’ll find the gearing just toohigh on this racing-style road triple. On rollinghills I didn’t have the lower mid-rangegears that I require. The gearing on this bikemight be adequate in relatively flat places, butI’d still prefer something like a 24/39/54. AndI would readily give up my high gears to haveadequate low gears.Braking: The carbon-fiber/aluminumTektro MT-50 V-brakes look good and stoppedeven better. I had to adjust the spring tensionon the front brake and was delighted to find ahex bolt (instead of a crappy odd-sized screwslot). I almost kept these brakes for myself.The handles are matching Tektro CarbonEclipse models. I had never heard of this modelof brake before, but I sure did like the feel ofthe handles as well as the stopping power.Wheels: The rear 700c x 23c is skinny andfast, and presented no problems during our test.The wheels were a bit skinny for me. My ridingpal commented that my rear tire looked a bitlow shortly after I pumped it up to 100 psi. (Iweigh 220 lbs.) The rear wheel spokes are radiallylaced on the non-drive side, which isunique.The front wheel is a radially-spoked AlexD22 aero-rim laced with 28 light-duty 15-guage spokes. The front wheel’s spokes eventuallystarted making a popping noise when Irode and eventually went out of true.The tires are Cheng Shin road tires which Ihad never seen before. CG’s Danny Savitzkysays the long wear tire is from the wheelchairindustry. The front is a 20” x 1” 451 mm (atall and rare BMX size). The SC Super ST tireis rated at 110 psi.The rear tire was a match to the front, butjust 100 psi. I had one flat tire with these skinnytires and I rode this bike daily for more than amonth. CG offers a paired spoke wheel optionfor the RDX.Forgettable Parts: The CG specs are goodand bad. While there are some real highlights,there are also a few no-name brand parts inthe hubs and headset. The most forgettable parton the bike was the no-name “alloy sealed”headset which was too tight and didn’t rotatefreely (an upgrade costs $60-$100). We haven’ttried the no-name brand front derailleur thatis spec’ed on the 2005 model.ZACH KAPLANCYCLESHigh Performance <strong>Recumbent</strong>sfor TransportationFairings · Suspension · Lighting systemsPedal systems · Excellent Tyre selectionWide-range gearingBacchetta · Burley · ChallengeGreenspeed · Easy Racers · RANSHP Velotechnik · ICETelephone: 510-522-BENT (2368)1518 Buena Vista Ave.Alameda, CA 94501 USAServing the SF Bay Areaand mail orderE-mail: zakaplan@earthlink.netMarch/April 2005 23
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