RCN 72.32pg - Steve Briggs

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<strong>RCN</strong> Road Testbe mounted on the seat back.The EZ Sport weighs 39 pounds (CroMolyframe). The EZ Sport Limited weighs 35pounds (Aluminum frame). The CroMoly versionwill be tougher and easier to repair if youtweak the frame. The aluminum is lighter.SteeringThe Sun Easy Racer bars are a bit wider instance than those of the Tour Easy and GoldRush. They are undoubtedly more comfortable,though riders don’t tuck in behind a fairing aswell. The handlebars and stem are very simpleand straightforward designs based on over 20years of building experience. The tall stem canbe raised up or down to refine the handlebarposition (and help direct airflow over the fairing).Curvy Style:The Sun EZ Sport Limitedby Bob Bryantbob@recumbentcyclistnews.comDrivetrainFor such an affordable bike, the EZ Sport aluminumhas great componentry. The Shimano9/27-speed Tiagra triple crank is shifted by aDeore XT derailleur (the CroMoly Sport is an8/24 speed). About the only component enthusiastsmay not like is the SRAM Verio twistshifters with the dial indicator. Though ratherloud (clicking into gear), they worked perfectlyfor our review, though I question the long-termdurability of such parts (for serious enthusiasts).This bike will take just about any kindof shifter, so it’s not that big of a problem.The Easy Racer-designed Sun EZ Sport is theaffordable classic LWB ASS recumbent we’vebeen waiting for. The original EZ Sport(CroMoly version) is priced at just $899. Thenew aluminum EZ Sport Limited is $1,199.These are by far the best LWB values the recumbentworld has ever seen. Thanks to theirEasy Racers heritage and Gardner Martin design,they are very refined for brand-new bikes.The use of a curvy-tube cruiser-type frame wasoriginally motivated by style. This new aluminumversion sheds a few pounds while improvingperformance.SystemsThe extended cruiser-style frame is a work ofkinetic art. Long have we waited for such aframe. If you’re like me and have fond memoriesof Schwinn Stingrays and beach cruisersand are now drawn to the Easy Racer look andstyle, this is your bike. A few years back <strong>RCN</strong>’sJohn Riley wrote an article about how cool itwould be to have a cruiser-framed recumbent—andnow we have one!Both the CroMoly and aluminum frames arebuilt in Taiwan in the same factory that buildsthe durable Sun EZ1 and EZ1 Lite. Our EZSport aluminum is more refined than the EZ1Lite we had here just one short year ago. Most10 Recumbent Cyclist News 72notable are the seat, seat slider mechanism, andframe build. Perhaps it is the round tubes thatadd to the visual appeal.The frame design is unique. From the headtube, twin smaller-diameter top tubes comeback and down to create the seat stays. Thefront derailleur tube rises vertically and is bentrearward where it comes in between the twintop tubes. A few inches rearward, the derailleurtube goes from round to square and becomesthe seat slider. At the end of the square tube isthe rear rack mount. The seat sits on top (andslides on) the square tube.The build, paint, and finish quality are excellent—ona par with recumbents costingmuch more. The EZ Sport and Limited framequality appears to be every bit as good as theUSA-built Easy Racer models. The Limitedgets a slick two-tone paint job that has a veryretro look—the available color combinationsare silver/blue and silver/red. The Limited alsogets an Aluminum frame (Sport is CroMoly),upgraded components and an improved, lighterseat.Our EZ Sports had two water bottle cages,one mounted on each side of the handlebars.For water bottle fans, this is an ideal and handymount. I’ve always had trouble reaching behindthe seat for water. A hydration pack couldChain ManagementThe EZ Sport does not have a spring-loadedchain idler like the Tour Easy and Gold Rush.Instead there is an Easy Racer skate wheelmount. It is quiet and smooth, but it doesn’toffer as wide a gear range as the upper-lineEasy Racer models.BrakingThe Tektro V-brakes offer exceptional stoppingpower. These affordable stoppers work betterthan some higher-spec brakes (e.g., ESP 7.0)and are easy to adjust. The LWB format makesfull-on braking power a no-brainer.Wheels and TiresBoth the EZ Sport and EZ Sport Limited havea 26-inch rear wheel and 20-inch front wheel.The wheel quality and build was very good.The wheels held true during our review. Thehubs are Shimano LX and the tires are newKenda Kwest 1.5” 100 psi. These are perfectall-around tires for the bike.ComfortSeat—The Sun recumbent seat is an importedversion of the popular Easy Racer Kool Backseat. It has a mesh back laced to an aluminumframe, with a composite seat base with Lycra-
covered foam. The EZ Sport seat is lighter andmore refined than the similar EZ1 seat. Themounting system is similar but also more refined.The two simple quick releases lockedthe seat down firmly. Adjustments were veryeasy, and we had riders of several heightsriding the Sport with ease. This is one aspectof the Sport that is even better than the TourEasy and Gold Rush—no tools are needed forseat adjustment and removal.The Sun seat is not quite as comfortable asan Easy Racer seat. Rather than the contoured,layered, and glued foam from Easy Racers, Sunuses a more generic molded foam. Lighter andmedium-sized riders shouldn’t have any problems,but those over 200 pounds or those wholike to take long rides might find that theybottom out. Modifications appear to be doable.I had thought of adding a piece of closed-cellfoam but opted to go on a diet instead.Like the Easy Racer Kool Back, the Sun seathas a dramatic lumbar bend in the seat frame.Though I love these seats, the bend is too muchfor my back, and I find my back separatingfrom the seat just above the midpoint of theseat back. The seat has several sliding strap/buckle tension adjustments. After an hourshakedown ride, I had them all loosened up towhere they fit my back perfectly. Comparedwith laced or zip-tied seat backs, the strap/buckle type is vastly superior for the simplereason that not everyone can agree on a lumbarplacement (or if a lumbar is necessary atall—a la Vision).Ergonomics—The EZ Sport has a fairlyupright riding position—even more so than theTour Easy or Gold Rush. If you recline the seattoo far, the position will be inefficient and youmay have a problem reaching the controls.At 25.5 inches, the seat height is higher thanthat of any of the other Sun or Easy Racerbikes. The bottom bracket height is 15.5 inches(10-inch differential between the two); the EZ1has a 24.5-inch seat height and a 14.5-inchbottom bracket height (10-inch differential);the Tour Easy/Gold Rush has a 22-inch seatheight and a 13-inch bottom bracket height (9-inch differential). Despite the closeness of thenumbers, the EZ Sport seat feels taller.On the RoadRide and Handling—Despite the new framedesign and higher seat, recumbent enthusiastswill know right away that they are on an EasyRacer. The Sport handles confidently andtracks well. The tracking was spot-on, andbetter than its competitors’, but not quite asgood as the pricier Easy Racers. The handlingseemed optimized more for all-around low- tomedium-speed riding. The bike was easy tohandle in traffic and felt very maneuverable,even with a trailer.The Sport is a great choice for riders who,like me, ride on varied terrain. I rode the Sportdown trails, on singletrack, on rail-trails, andOur EZ Sport Limited prototype was a refined and attractive.on about every type of pavement you can imagine.Maneuverability—While not as maneuverableas Sun’s EZ1, the Sport is fairly compactfor a LWB. With its low bottom bracket, thebike is surprisingly maneuverable. Someshorter riders may have a difficult time withthe rather high seat, though this is the onlyaspect worthy of criticism as far as user-friendlinessis concerned.Performance—The EZ Sport Limited’shigh-speed manners were not as good as thoseof the Tour Easy/Gold Rush, but that is to beexpected. It was not as rock solid at speed as aTour Easy or Gold Rush. There is still a reasonto upgrade to the upper-line Easy Racerbikes. In saying this, I will also add that theSport’s handling traits surpass those of anyother LWB in this price range.The higher seat position makes the bikeslightly less aerodynamic than a Tour Easy. Theseat height/bottom bracket height differentialis a less efficient riding position. The bike isalso a bit heavier than a Tour Easy, so it won’tperform quite as well. Despite all of these TourEasy/Gold Rush comparisons, the Sport is noslouch. In fact, it should eat most compactLWB/MWB recumbents for breakfast.Climbing—The Sports do not climb as wellor as fast as their Easy Racer cousins. Despitethe other differences, it seemed mainly to beseat height and aerodynamics. I also found thelow gears to be too high for steep hill climbing(especially when towing a trailer). Oneclimbing benefit of the Sports is that the shorterwheelbase makes low-speed zigzags on steephills a bit easier.OwningThe EZ Sport can do most anything. It is stylish,fast, ready for a long tour, and can also beconsidered a sport bike. The EZ Sport is ourfirst choice of any Sun or Easy Racer modelfor a commuter or utility bike. It is possible toput panniers on a rear rack, some more on theunderseat rack, throw more junk in a rack bag,some more in a seat bag, and even tow a cargotrailer with ease. Front panniers would probablymount as well. Next to a cycle truck, thisis the most utilitarian LWB recumbent we’veever reviewed. While most manufacturers liketo build skinny-tire faux racers that barely haveroom for a patch kit and a banana, Sun hasreally come through for us utility cyclists.The Sports are shorter than the (larger sizes)Tour Easy and Gold Rush. Combined with thetaller seat height, this makes for better urbanand off-road (rough terrain) handling and lowspeedmaneuvering.Options and AccessoriesSun, in conjunction with Easy Racers, is developingan excellent suite of accessories fortheir bikes. There is a new universal seat bag(Pyramid Pro seat bag) that fits all Easy Racer/Sun recumbents and should fit mostrecumbents with a mesh-back seat and enoughclearance between the seat back and rear wheel(won’t fit Burleys).Easy Racers offers a small Zzipper fairingfor the Sports model ($229). A Super Zzipperwith T-brackets and clamp-on lower mounts(purchased from Zzip Designs) will mountwithout much problem.Our test bike came with a Pyramid Pro computer($45), an underseat pannier rack ($29),a rear rack ($29), and a kickstand ($19).Market CompetitionThe EZ Sport’s closest competition are theRANS Tailwind ($995) and the Burley Canto($1,295). The Sport has them both beat in style,November/December 2002 11
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RCN 72.32pg - Steve Briggs

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