RANS Wave Recumbent Bicycle – is No Longer in Production

The little brother of the Tailwind, the Wave brought RANS comfort, handling & quality to the sub $700 Price range. It had the same seat, handlebars and Chromoly frame as the Tailwind but the other parts are different. When it was discontinued it was the only RANS still using a 7-speed rear hub & cassette; the Tailwind has 8, the Stratus 9.

Earlier Wave’s had a 16″ front wheel and fork bringing the wheelbase down to 61″. This made it a bit less stable but more maneuverable than the Tailwind. Later models had dual 20″ wheels. The Wave always had a 20″ rear wheel with a beefier tire but not the large chainrings of the Tailwind so it’s top gear (and top speed) are limited.

The Wave was an inexpensive way to get the legendary RANS seat. The Wave is discontinued leaving the Tailwind as the least expensive RANS bike. Now it looks like the Tailwind will end with the 2006 model year, but as I write in spring 2007 they are still available for $999.