Recumbent & Tandem Rider Review #31

Sun EZ Sport Great Performance, Priced Right
By John Axen

Have you noticed the increasing number of reproduction bikes on the trails lately? They are beautiful with their frames of long flowing bends and ultra wide, sweeping handlebars. They often have hollow "gas tanks", flared fenders, and wide saddles, all reminding us of a time when style was king. Have you ever really tried to ride these creations any distance at all? Ughhhhhh! They really look cool, but can hardly be ridden more than a couple of miles without causing extreme discomfort. Forget about trying to climb anything more than a simple driveway. So I guess you really can't ride something that is both stylish and efficient. Right? Wrong! There's a new ride in town that has all the flair of the forties and fifties, designed by recumbent legend, Gardner Martin, built by J&B and called the Sun EZ Sport. With these players involved, you just know that something special is going to happen. Gardner has been involved in the recumbent world from almost its infancy, designing and producing the EZ Riders Tour Easy, Gold Rush Replica, Gold Rush and TI Rush recumbents. Gardener was inducted into the IHPVA Hall of Fame last fall for him many speed records and record attempts, and even now is working towards breaking the 80 mph barrier by bicycle with the "Virtual Rush" race bike. In addition, he has worked with J&B to produce the EZ 1 and EZ1 Lite, both which have been accepted as inexpensive and efficient entry level recumbents. The nostalgic EZ Sport has a great legacy to follow, with a style of its own. Like the Easy Racers Tour Easy and Gold Rush, the EZ Sport is a long wheel base (62-inches, axle to axle) recumbent with a 26" rear wheel and a 20" front. The frame is built with Tig-welded cro-moly steel tubing that has gentle, flowing bends and fairly clean welds that give it that distinctive nostalgic look. The components may not be top of the line, but they are very functional and have just the right appearance to compliment the frame. The alloy handlebars and 240mm stem are similar to its previously-mentioned cousins and have two water bottle mounts within easy reach of the rider's position The SRAM Grip Shift shifters and brake levers allow for a relaxed position that still keeps the rider in full control. The seat is one which you would expect to find on a much more expensive recumbent. The seat bottom portion is nicely molded with dense foam and covered with Lycra. The angle of the ventilated back is adjustable by means of two struts and the tension is adjusted by way of several straps and buckles. As a result, just about any rider can get comfortable thanks to this much attention to seat detail. Coat the recumbent frame in a candy apple red and put the bike out in the sun, it rivals any cruiser on the trail. As I have said earlier, there are a lot of beautiful bikes out there, but is the EZ Sport a good rider? This is the part of this job that I really love! I come home, kiss the wife, pat the kids on the head, pet the dogs, change my clothes and go back to work. I've got to do my research right? So, I've just got to go out riding! With water bottles, helmet and gloves at the ready, and with just a few minutes of minor sizing adjustments I hit the trails around my neighborhood. The first thing I noticed is that compared to some 'bents, the EZ Sport sits higher in the saddle which I didn't find objectionable. In fact, I liked having my feet flat on the ground, but wondered if shorter riders would be able to do the same. As we discovered later, with the proper adjustments, one of our riders who is 5'2" could do the same. The EZ Sport's seat height measured 27-inches above the ground, the bottom bracket measured 16-inches above the ground, making it easy to get started and stopped, so most people can cruise and look cool on the EZ Sport as well. From the very first pedal stroke I noticed that the bike's slow speed characteristics were stable and didn't adversely change as the speed increased. It was easy to get up to speed and maintain it even though the bike is large and a bit heavy at 44.75-lbs. The shifting was flawless, even under a deliberately caused panic situation. Can a recumbent of this weight climb? It certainly has the gearing and I had no problem spinning up any hill while maintaining a good straight line. It is fitted with a Shimano Sora crankset, boasting 52-42-24 gearing. That 24 is no typo, and the Shimano derailleur had no trouble making that big jump. SRAM Centera shifters made all this shifts without a hitch. Cresting some of the canyon passes in my area provided a good test for speed. The EZ Sport is very stable and predictable at speeds up to and beyond the 47 mph I hit on some of the downhills. I even had the opportunity to test out the brakes when some "fool" pulled out in front of me without even looking first. The brakes worked great because, I'm alive to tell you about it, although a bit lighter, if you know what I mean. The Tektro brakes on our review bike provided plenty of stopping power at a bargain price for the manufacturer. I rode the EZ Sport a bit over 100 miles in just the first week and had a ball! That surprised me because I was initially concerned abut its heft. Surprisingly, I have grown fond of its appearance and ride, and I am not the only one. Several of my neighbors and friends have been riding the Sport on the weekends. Some of them have not even been on a bike for several years, and all were able to ride it with little or no difficulty. In fact, on a Saturday ride we met a contractor who really loved its looks and wanted to take it for a spin. Immediately, he was off and pedaling and returned with the typical grin we typically see on some that has just fallen in love with a new bike. This just adds to my faith in good design and implementation. I believe that just about anyone can ride this bike. Besides the beautiful frame and decent components, I grew very fond of the Kenda Kwest tires that were provided with the Sport. They are recumbent specific, with a higher thread count on the sidewalls, are rated at 100 psi, and have a considerable amount of semi-smooth tread. They significantly bolster the ability to get the Sport up to speed and keep it up. They provide a very lively feel and should last for at least a couple thousand miles. What type of riding would the EZ Sport be best suited for? That's really up to you! There are eyelets in the back to install a touring rack which would allow a rider to commute to and from wherever. Anywhere there is a road or bike trail you can ride this bike with confidence. Does it perform as well as its not- so- distant (and much more expensive) cousins? Well, due to its additional weight, maybe not quite as quickly, but not bad at all. It is a fun bike that gets its due attention. Who would be the ideal buyer? Anyone from the first time recumbent buyer to the experienced bent rider can benefit from riding the EZ Sport. To be very truthful, I enjoyed riding the EZ Sport much more than the new entry from Cannondale. The Sport is much more fun overall! I believe that Gardner Martin and J&B Importers have teamed up to create another classic that anyone would be proud to own. Now, if you will excuse me, I'm going to change into my khaki shorts, sandals, and baggy shirt and go ride this Sport down at the beach one more time before I have to give it up. Safe riding everyone.

Contact J&B Importers, P.O. Box 161859, Miami, FL 33116-1859.
800-666-5000.
www.jbimporters.com