Radian USS Radian OSS

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Radian

"It's stiff, light, and balanced. Did I tell you that I loved that suspension?" Larry Varney, BentRider OnLine

Please read Larry's entire review by clicking here.

The original full-suspension short wheel base Bender, given a model name this year to position it with its stable mates.

Radian retains the fine features of the original Bender, including the awesome ride provided by the Bender rear suspension and the silky-smooth White Brothers RC .8 suspension fork.

New this year are a slightly revised frame geometry for improved off-road handling, the option of either under or over seat steering, and your choice of rim or disc brakes on either front or rear wheel. Standard equipment includes rear disc brake, off road wheels, and a full suite of high quality all-terrain components- see the full list here.

$3999 OSS, $4149 USS

Radian is an 'all-terrain' recumbent, capable of all but the extreme ends of the cycling spectrum. The bike is quite at home on dirt roads and single track, and makes an excellent commuter. Due to the rather tall seat height, Radian best fits riders with average leg length or greater- minimum recommended x-seam is 43" with standard equipment (we've built a couple of 42.5's); with the optional road tires and wheels, the minimum x-seam recommendation drops to 42". Instructions on measuring your x-seam can be found here.

With the optional Thracian wheels and Stelvio tires- the 'road' setup- this full-suspension bike weighs about 30 pounds (includes bottle cage, seat cushion, safety flag, but no pedals). This could be reduced by another few ounces (if counting grams is your thing) by replacing the standard rear disc brake with a rim brake, and opting for the road crankset and bottom bracket.

When we quote a bike weight, we always tell you what our factory test bike weighed, and they are all 48" x-seam bikes with extra large seat and under seat steering. Therefore, Bender weights are to be understood as including all standard equipment (no pedals), and are honest 'not-more-than' values. We don't do 'marketing' weights.

Why doesn't the seat or frame have a larger range of adjustment? Prototype testing showed that proper handling off-road was only obtained when the bicycle balance was about 60/40 rear to front. Bender's custom sized frame and limited seat travel (1 inch in each direction from optimum) is intended to preserve that crucial balance, and still allow you to fine-tune the fit of the bike. Upright mountain bikers weight-shift all the time, hardly even giving it a second thought. On an off-road recumbent, the proper balance has to be designed-in. Compare other SWB bents to the Radian and you will notice how far forward their riders sit between the wheels (the belly button is a fairly good approximation of the riders' CG). On road this makes no big difference, but off road a poorly balanced bike is a disaster- the too heavily-loaded front tire just pushes straight ahead, and the too lightly-loaded rear tire just spins itself into a hole. (We learned all that the hard way!)

Can I really ride a recumbent off-road? Absolutely, but bear in mind that Radian is a touring bike and is not intended to replace an upright mountain bike for technical riding. There are only two reasons for this; first, on a bent you can't pull up on the front wheel for obstacle clearance, and second, you can't lift yourself out of the seat for negotiating big bumps. In the real world this means that you can probably ride every trail on your Radian that you ride on your wedgie- but in certain technical spots you may have to slow down. On very rare occasions, you might have to lift the bike past an obstacle. If you are a boulder-crashing, stump-jumping, gettin' air, over-the-bars type of rider, you should definitely be shopping for a wedgie- and maybe a therapist!

Features:

	Carbon Fiber and Aluminum Frame- for the best strength to weight ratio that modern materials can offer. At under 34 pounds, Radian's weight is comparable to many other recumbents- even single suspension or non-suspended bents!
	Full-Suspension- 2-3/8" fork travel and 3-1/2" rear travel- including sag! Top quality, too- White Brothers RC .8 fork, and Fox Float R rear shock, with sealed roller bearings at the swing arm pivot. With this suspension and Bender's exquisitely contoured and cushioned seat, you simply can't ride a more comfortable recumbent.
	Very Wide Gearing- from less than 3mph to more than 30mph, you've got the power on.
	True All-Surface Capability- easily swings both wide low-pressure knobby tires for the soft stuff, and smooth high-pressure rubber for the asphalt. Fenders if you need 'em... Fast or slow, road or dirt- match the tires to the terrain and go ride it.
	Excellent Frame Clearance- minimizes high-centering and frame hits on rugged trails. Because of the seat height, Radian is somewhat more suitable for riders of average height or taller.
	Quality Components- strong and reliable mountain bike hardware, Radian is built to thrive on the trail.
	Under or Over Seat Steering- choose the handlebar position that feels right for you.
	Seat Tilts 10°- from alert and upright city position, to easy laid-back touring comfort.
	Standard Sizing- 20"/26" (406/559) wheel sizing ensures a wide range of tire choices, and replacements available anywhere.
	Custom Built- Benders are made to fit each rider's X-seam length, to ensure proper front-to-rear weight distribution. The seat position adjusts in 1/2" increments to fine tune the bike to the rider.
	Easy Assembly- The bike is fully assembled and adjusted at the factory and then disassembled just enough to get it into two boxes to minimize shipping expense. One box contains the frame with the rear suspension installed, and the other has tires and wheels (mounted), seat, fork, etc. You are encouraged to preview the assembly instructions by clicking on the links below.

Features:

Carbon Fiber and Aluminum Frame- for the best strength to weight ratio that modern materials can offer. At under 34 pounds, Radian's weight is comparable to many other recumbents- even single suspension or non-suspended bents!

Very Wide Gearing- from less than 3mph to more than 30mph, you've got the power on.

True All-Surface Capability- easily swings both wide low-pressure knobby tires for the soft stuff, and smooth high-pressure rubber for the asphalt. Fenders if you need 'em... Fast or slow, road or dirt- match the tires to the terrain and go ride it.

Excellent Frame Clearance- minimizes high-centering and frame hits on rugged trails. Because of the seat height, Radian is somewhat more suitable for riders of average height or taller.

Quality Components- strong and reliable mountain bike hardware, Radian is built to thrive on the trail.

Under or Over Seat Steering- choose the handlebar position that feels right for you.

Seat Tilts 10°- from alert and upright city position, to easy laid-back touring comfort.

Standard Sizing- 20"/26" (406/559) wheel sizing ensures a wide range of tire choices, and replacements available anywhere.

Custom Built- Benders are made to fit each rider's X-seam length, to ensure proper front-to-rear weight distribution. The seat position adjusts in 1/2" increments to fine tune the bike to the rider.