Rocket -vs- Canto

[Guy Bergeson]

I'm a bent wanabe. Hopefully this spring I'll be able to fix that. I'm looking at three bikes: the
Rocket, the V-Rex and the Canto/Django. I've ridden the Canto and liked it. However, I'm hearing
that the Rocket is faster. I'm trying to find a way to ride a Rocket now. I like the idea of a 26"
rear tire though, that leads to the V-Rex. Anyway, those of you who have one or more of these bikes
can you comment on their strengths and weaknesses? Thanks in advance for your comments.

 

[Seth Jayson]

Vrex or Rocket, depending on whether you want to spend 800 bucks (2002 Rockets are available for
this price) or more.

Some say the rocket's not such a good longer-distance bike, but I rode one on RAGBRAI with only 40
miles of training, and I thought it was awesome. Comfy, fast enough, and lots of fun. Also, the
rocket is the lightest of the bunch and feels pretty spritely when you skip up hills.

Sj

 

[Brian Hughes]

Well, here is my $.02. For my first bent I tested many $1K and below models and it came down between
a RANS Rocket and its longer wheelbase equivalent, the RANS Tailwind. I went with the Tailwind
because it felt smoother, more comfortable, less twitchy ride to me at the time. Since then I've
heard several people say the Rocket is faster than the Tailwind. I've also heard many say that the
V-Rex is faster than the Rocket. So the V-Rex should certainly be faster than a Tailwind, right?
Anyway, I recently purchased a slightly used V-Rex. I love the bike. But is it much faster than the
Tailwind? Well my average speed on it isn't much different. If I cloned myself and put one of me on
the Tailwind and the other on the V-Rex and raced on a flat course, I'm not even sure which one of
me would win. I should note that I have a fairing on the Tailwind which helps a bit--and I've
consistently found the V-Rex a little faster on an uphill route.

My point is, typically, I don't believe there is an enormous or dramatic difference in speed between
similar style/quality/cost bents. So go with the one you like best.

Brian Tailwind and V-Rex

"Guy Bergeson" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> I'm a bent wanabe. Hopefully this spring I'll be able to fix that. I'm looking at three bikes: the
> Rocket, the V-Rex and the Canto/Django. I've ridden the Canto and liked it. However, I'm hearing
> that the Rocket is faster. I'm trying to find a way to ride a Rocket now. I like the idea
of
> a 26" rear tire though, that leads to the V-Rex. Anyway, those of you who have one or more of
> these bikes can you comment on their strengths and weaknesses? Thanks in advance for your
> comments.
>

 

[B. Sanders]

"Guy Bergeson" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> I'm a bent wanabe. Hopefully this spring I'll be able to fix that.

Go for it. You'll thank yourself. You won't worry about the money spent once you've found the right
recumbent. It will put a smile on your face every single time you ride.

> I'm looking at three bikes: the Rocket

I've owned a RANS Rocket for almost a year now. It is my 6th recumbent, and by far the most
versatile. In 2002, at the same time, I owned a

tadpole trike, and the RANS Rocket. To make a long story short, I sold the Vanguard and the M5
Lowracer, and kept the trike and the Rocket. Nuf said? I bought my 2000 RANS Rocket for $550 +
shipping. Absolutely the best money I've ever spent on a bike, period, and I have owned probably 30+
bikes (MTB, road, tour, 'bent) over the past 10 years. I can't say enough good things about the
Rocket. It's just a great bike. If you can find a good low-mileage Rocket used for around $500-600,
do not hesitate.

Want speed? I could hardly believe it (and I checked my computer calibration); but I actually hit
31MPH on level ground on the Rocket last summer, in a flat-out sprint, and walked away from a strong
DF racer in a group ride who had attacked off the front. I pooped out after maybe a half mile or so
and dropped down to like 26 MPH for a while; but kept up with the DF rider (much stronger than me)
for the entire ride. The Rocket felt 100% steady at that speed. I've had it up to nearly 40MPH on a
downhill. Rock solid; but I would not want to experience a blowout at that speed. Road rash city!

> the V-Rex

Have only test ridden a V-Rex; but it was very impressive. Probably a faster and better bike than
the Rocket; but it's twice the price. Is it a lot faster? I doubt it. They're very similar,
actually; but the V-Rex is noticeably smoother than the Rocket (bigger rear wheel). The V-Rex is the
best climbing recumbent that I've ridden, though I've never done a side-by-side comparison with a
Rocket. I'll be they're really close. I'd like to own a V-Rex if I find a good deal on one. Real
nice bike, can't go wrong.

> and the Canto/Django

Another excellent choice. I was smitten with the Django instantly. The one that I test rode didn't
have the sprint braces to stiffen up the seatback; but I didn't really notice much. Maybe a little
wiggly in sprints; but not bad. I think the Django is the most stable 'bent I've ever ridden.
Absolutely rock-solid in slow turns and all other maneuvers that I tried. Climbed very well, seemed
passably quick. But overall, and for the price, the Django struck me as the perfect 2nd 'bent - the
one that your friends or your spouse can quickly adjust to fit, hop on and ride with you. It's
another great choice.

> I've ridden the Canto and liked it. However, I'm hearing that the Rocket is faster.

Can't tell you. The Rocket is pretty fast. If you trim the seatstays a bit, you can really lean the
seat back and very laid back for better aerodynamics (it will still ride normally - there's a lot of
adjustment in the seatstays).

> I'm trying to find a way to ride a Rocket now. I like the idea of a 26" rear tire though, that
> leads to the V-Rex.

That's my only caveat on the Rocket: small wheels. If you ride on rough roads, definitely consider a
bike with larger wheels. However, I have ridden through some very nasty potholes and over bumps that
nearly threw me off the bike, and the Rocket's little 20" rims have held up perfectly. I've never
had a flat (knock on CrMo) even with the skinny Primo tires (which are ready for replacement).

> Anyway, those of you who have one or more of these bikes can you comment on their strengths and
> weaknesses?

Hope my comments have been helpful. You can tell that I love the Rocket; but if I wasn't so cheap,
I'd probably own a Django instead. I've seen them on sale for under $1,000, which is a great deal on
a great bike. You've chosen 3 excellent, versatile bikes. You can't go wrong with any of them.

Have fun on your search,

Barry

 

[Derek Swift]

I have ridden all of these. I have been looking for a second bent for a while after outgrowing my
bikeE. I have done some good test rides on each. All are very good that you have listed, but I went
with the Burley Canto.

I did like both RANS products, but the paint seemed terribly thin on the bike. Plus the paint
color was not consistent across the bike (maybe a flaw). They were bothy extremely nice riding
bikes, however.

I did like the Django too. It, like the Canto, seems to have paint a mile thick. I have even taken a
very hard crash on it. Paint in the contact spots did not even scratch. Plus, if you want to wait
longer for your bike (i did not) you can order your own custom color (see Burley's website).

I went with the Canto because it has the option of going to a long wheelbase. You are getting two
bikes for one price. I have learned to change the wheelbase myself. It is a fairly simple 30 minute
change. This is from someone who is not that mechanically inclined.

Now for the rest of the story...I had considered a Taiko. But my LBS said ordering the Canto and
swapping parts would be cheaper. So I did. I put on SRAM 9.0SL parts (big fan of these). I saved
like $250.

Fast? Hell yeah. I can hold speeds of 17-20 mph on the flats with the same amount of effort it took
to ride 12-14mph on my BikeE.

Derek

In <[email protected]> Guy Bergeson wrote:
> I'm a bent wanabe. Hopefully this spring I'll be able to fix that. I'm looking at three bikes: the
> Rocket, the V-Rex and the Canto/Django. I've ridden the Canto and liked it. However, I'm hearing
> that the Rocket is faster. I'm trying to find a way to ride a Rocket now. I like the idea of a 26"
> rear tire though, that leads to the V-Rex. Anyway, those of you who have one or more of these
> bikes can you comment on their strengths and weaknesses? Thanks in advance for your comments.

 

[John W]

Ride all three and choose the one "you like" best. Everyone is different and just because one of us
like a particular brand of bent may not mean that you will like it. Good luck.

John

"Guy Bergeson" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> I'm a bent wanabe. Hopefully this spring I'll be able to fix that. I'm looking at three bikes: the
> Rocket, the V-Rex and the Canto/Django. I've ridden the Canto and liked it. However, I'm hearing
> that the Rocket is faster. I'm trying to find a way to ride a Rocket now. I like the idea
of
> a 26" rear tire though, that leads to the V-Rex. Anyway, those of you who have one or more of
> these bikes can you comment on their strengths and weaknesses? Thanks in advance for your
> comments.

 

[Steve In Sc]

"Guy Bergeson" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...

Hi Guy. I ride a VRex and a M5 Shock Proof. It's lots of fun to buy and ride a variety of bents. But
if you don't want to spend the time and money to go the "buy and try" route, I would like to offer a
suggestion. First determine the SINGLE most important attribute of your new bent. Is it comfort? Is
it ease of handling? Perhaps speed floats your boat? The VRex is a great all around bike. But if
it's all out speed that you are looking for, the VRex will hold your attention for about one season.
The newer very high bottom bracket, very laid back rigid seat bents are significantly faster than
than the VRex and similar bikes. The fastest bents aren't usually the most comfortable or best
handling, especially at lower speeds. The cheapest way to buy a bent is to buy the right one the
first time. Easy to say, very hard to do.

 

[Gary Krause]

Hi Guy,

My first bent was a Rocket. I now have a V-Rex and Burley Canto. My favorite is the V-Rex. I loved
the Rocket but, the gear range wasn't wide enough for me. I live in mountain country and ride in
Wyoming and Colorado so I need those gears. I am faster on the V-Rex than I was on the Rocket. The
Canto is pretty fast on the flats also. As far as comfort, I would say it's a tie between the Rocket
and V-Rex. I changed the seat bottom to a Rans on the Canto. It improved the comfort but, the seat
back isn't as comfortable as the Rans seat, in my opinion. I'm 5' 7' and weigh 150 lbs. I'm on my
toes when sitting on the V-Rex and Canto which is why I'm now looking at the V2.


"Guy Bergeson" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I'm a bent wanabe. Hopefully this spring I'll be able to fix that. I'm looking at three bikes: the
> Rocket, the V-Rex and the Canto/Django. I've ridden the Canto and liked it. However, I'm hearing
> that the Rocket is faster. I'm trying to find a way to ride a Rocket now. I like the idea of a 26"
> rear tire though, that leads to the V-Rex. Anyway, those of you who have one or more of these
> bikes can you comment on their strengths and weaknesses? Thanks in advance for your comments.