new from rans

my favorite bike company has unveiled their new 2011 models. among them are one of the cutest and one of the dumbest bikes i've ever seen.

first, the cute one. 20" wheels. it's a bmx-sized upright. if only it was cheap and pink, i'd buy two of them now for my girls to grow into.

now, dumb. i see what they're trying to do. like me, they're trying to get riders onto their bikes that would otherwise be uninterested. but look at the thing. you get all the damage to your back, shoulders, wrists, etc, but with an added bonus - your innards get squished.

to see what i mean, pull your chair back a few feet from your computer. feel the way you're sitting on your sitting bones - just the way you would be in your rans saddle. now lean forward to grab those drop bars. your hips can't rock you forward to extend your torso. all you can do is fold right in the middle. feel how your stomach presses into your lap. try to take a deep breath. no room for your diaphragm to expand. dang.

obviously, i've never ridden one. i'm just commenting on a photo. i hope i'm wrong about this one. it's hard to accept that my favorite company could make such a mess. but then i look at some of their nearly-flat-on-your-back ultra-recumbents and think it's not that unlikely after all...