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Reviews 1 - 3 (3 Reviews Total)
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Submitted by
Paul
a Recreational Rider
from Spokane, WADate Reviewed: August 15, 2001
Strengths: Very compfortable ride and is able to transition to moderate mountain roads w/o a hitch. The rear suspension is simple to adjust for road/trail rides and allows for rides on various road conditions. Aaah..... the Rans seat provides such comfort for hours of biking. Shifting is smooth and predictable. Snazzy looking bike, I get many "cool bike" comments when I ride the bike thru the local campgrounds.
This Vivo fits tall riders wonderfully (6'4")and is able to climb hills quite well. When I pump up the hookworm tires to 100 psi. and stiffen the rear suspension, the bike really flies down the road.Weaknesses: I find the brakes somewhat mushy, maybe I need to swap out the brake pads? The seat slides back when I am pushing a bigger gear uphill (this is a frequent complaint, that can be cured with a clamp). I think Rans should improve the seat clamp......
Bottom Line: This is my first bent bike and I am pleased with its ride & versatility. The dual suspension makes it a pleasure to ride on mountain roads.
I am riding the Vivo 25 mi. every other day and my only complaint is tired legs, can't believe how comfortable this bike is.
If you are looking for a bike that can provide you a quality experience on the blacktop and mountain roads, the Vivo is certainly worth a test ride.
Favorite Ride: Priest Lk. Idaho
Price Paid:
$975.00
Purchased At: Internet want ads - Bentrider online
Similar Products Used: Vison R40, Burley Limbo, Burley Hepcat
Bike Setup: Rans seat bag, mirror, Shimano 9.0 ESP rear derailleur
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Doug
a Recreational Rider
from Fort Collins, ColoradoDate Reviewed: July 10, 2001
Strengths: Full suspension
Fabulous seat
Grip shift
Handles like a sport car, feels like an easy chairWeaknesses: Heel strike on quick turns; just takes getting used to and is inherent in any SWB 'bent, not just this design. Other than that, none that I can report.Bottom Line: I just bought this Rans VIVO after pretty thoroughly researching this site and everything else I could find on recumbents, this being my first. Like others, my mountain bike was not kind to my back, nor my neck/upper back, wrists and, of course, my butt. As a result, I rode less and less. I got the recumbent to revitalize my lifelong love of cycling and as a way to get some exercise. This baby has done that so far and I can see it will be one of those all time favorite purchases.
I opted for full suspension since $1400 is still a lot of money to throw at a bike and I wanted a bike that could do some back roads as well as all that in town riding could throw at me, from chuckholes to RR tracks to steps and curbs. This fully suspended Rans model does that. I think front suspension for SWB 'bents is a must, since the placement of the front wheel means it can feel very jumpy, especially to beginning riders, when you hit a chuckhole or bump in the road. The front suspension compensates for this very effectively, leaving you with a much better feel and steerability. I rode several bikes and found this to be the big difference. The rear suspension is more for pure comfort and to eliminate the back jarring feel of road bumps.
It is a beautiful bike, well made with decent components... not top of the line but I think they are just fine and I would rather pay the bucks for the suspension. I can always upgrade a derailleur but you can't necessarily upgrade to suspension (tho' front suspension is usually a possible upgrade).
It uses grip shifters, which I find very appealing... easier to know exactly which way to go to get higher or lower gears, very intuitive.
The Rans seat is fantastic. This bike brings the fun back to riding and I highly recommend a 'bent bike for those who've found wedgie biking leaves them with too many aches and pains. Reminds me of skiboards (shortie skiis) which take seasoned skiers to new highs once they try them. 'Bents do that for biking and are sure to catch on as us 'boomers keep aging but not giving up on great sports and activities like biking.
I think the VIVO is a real winner. Get one, check adventurecycling.org and get out there!
Favorite Ride: Spring Creek trail & back roads
Price Paid:
$1400.00
Purchased At: High Gear Bicycle, Longmont CO
Similar Products Used: Rans V-Rex, Vision full suspension USS, Bike E
Bike Setup: Stock, with an added rear view mirror (a must !); plan to add Sigma cycle computer, some sort of bag
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
andy
a Recreational Rider
from canadaDate Reviewed: June 29, 2001
Strengths: Full suspension - wonderful on country roads.
Comfort - perfect
Quality construction throughout
Cool techno-yellow paint
Excellent seat
Ideal touring machine - in for the long haulWeaknesses: Not the lighest bike (31 lbs) although certainly lighter than many other swb recumbents
Not a speed mackineBottom Line: I've ridden recumbents for five years now. I started with a 1996 Vision R40 - which started to fall apart after only a few weeks. Vision never responded to my letters and emails. I decided I would only buy from a company that made a reliable, solidly made, high quality product.
So I purchased a Rans Rocket early in 1997. The Rocket has been a rock solid, wonderfully safe and stable bike. It's pretty fast too. I've put many thousands of miles on it without a single problem.
Now I own a Rans Vivo - it is similar to my Rocket but even more stable (especially at high speed). And it's fully suspended - a joy for long rides over not so smooth roads. The bottom bracket is slightly lower than my Rocket's, which I prefer. I added a Sachs 3x7 (to give me 63 gears). This is the perfect touring bike. It is not a racer, but my average speed at the end of the day is higher than on the Rocket, even though the Rocket is a faster sprinter. This is probably due to the improved overall comfort and effortless riding, allowing me to maintain a steady pace for longer periods without rest.
So the Vivo's perfect for a long haul tourist such as myself. I live in the mountains - the bike is a good climber - I just downgear and spin. The rougher roads in the mountains don't bother me at all with the Vivo's very smooth suspension.
Overall the quality of construction, welding, pain job, seat, everything is excellent. This is a high quality, stable, comfortable bike. I am very happy with it.
Price Paid:
$1995.00
Purchased At: canada
Similar Products Used: Rans Rocket
Vision R40
Bike Setup: Arrives ready to ride. Perfect.
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Reviews 1 - 3 (3 Reviews Total)
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