Posted: 10 January 2010 at 11:06pm | IP Logged

Well, I have not so good news and great news.  The great news is I found a new foot brace for my foot!  As I've mentioned before, I have drop foot in my left foot (which means I can't move my foot up).  This is a result of a blown disc in my lower back . . . have had the surgery to attempt to repair, but to no avail.

Anyway, the good news is I have found a much less intrusive foot brace which allows me to wear normal shoes and gives me much better control. 

The not so good news is the brace opens me up to riding other options other than a trike.....so I took the plunge today and purchased a Rans Cruz crank forward two wheeler......sounds good, but with finances, I had to sell the Speed to purchase the Cruz, hence the bad news.

This was a tough decision, but was the right call.  I loved the speed.  It is cool, classy, fast and major fun.  However, I saw it as a way of coping with my foot and I'd like to close that chapter in my life, thanks to the brace.  Being able to walk more normally, wear regular shoes and ride a bike with flat foot technology is huge.  Perhaps in the future, when my ships comes in, I will purchase another Catrike.....but for now, I've hung up my three wheels.

I'll try to give comparisions as I get more experience on the Rans as compared to trike, but here's my first impressions.

1.  I've owned three different trikes, a KMX, a TT Cruiser, and Catrike Speed.  For comfort, the Cruiser wins.  For speed and power, the Catrike wins.  However, the Rans is very comfortable, and is faster than the Catrike (faster that is without riding into the wind)

2.  The trike experience is quite fun.  The low to the ground setting is unique and undeniably good. 

3.  For exercise, nothing compared to the KMX.  Of course that's because it was not tuned well and pedaled like a tank.  Slow, but great exercise.  But the Rans offers something the trikes don't - somewhat of an upper body workout.  One pulls back on the handles to climb hills or to accelerate. 

4.  I like the fact that I was able to purchase the Rans for less than a trike (all my bikes are used from either Craigslist or Bentrider)

5.  I'm not as cool anymore (hard to be cooler than when on a trike), but I've got more options.  I'd determined to not ride the trikes on gravel paths or trails.  Just too bumpy.  But the Rans handles them fine....

Overall, I love both the Rans and the trikes.  I'm thankful for the trikes for they filled a void with my balance issues nothing else could. 

4.  For riding in the wind - its hard to beat a trike.