Easy Racers Gold Rush Bicycle Review

In this talk, Steve shares his newly acquired health, fitness, and touring bicycle, the Easy Racers Gold Rush, a long wheelbase bike that makes riding pure joy, whether around town, on weekend tours, or across the country journeys of several weeks. Below are links to material Steve covers in this talk. In 1979, legendary cyclist Fast Freddy Markham became the first person to exceed 50 mph on a bicycle while aboard an Easy Racer. He would go on to become the first to achieve 60 mph, and in 1986 won the heralded DuPont Prize after exceeding 65 mph. The Gold Rush that he rode to set that record is now property of the Smithsonian Institute for display in various museum exhibits.
LINKS - LINKS - LINKS - LINKS - LINKS (HERE ARE THE LINKS!):
EASY RACERS GOLD RUSH:
easyracers.com/goldrush.html
EASY RACERS GOLD RUSH RACING HISTORY:
easyracers.com/racing.html
PURPLE SKY FLAGS:
t-cycle.com/collections/all-p...
AARDVARK REFLECTIVE SAFETY TRIANGLE:
hostelshoppe.com/products/aar...
ZZIPPER ROAD FAIRINGS:
www.zzipper.com/
SURLY REAR RACK:
surlybikes.com/parts/rear_rack
PLANET BIKE FENDERS:
www.planetbike.com/bike-fenders/
ORTLIEB BACK-ROLLER PRO CLASSIC PANNIERS:
www.ortlieb.com/usa/back-roll...
ORTLIEB RACK-PACK REAR BAG:
www.ortlieb.com/usa/rack-pack...
ARKEL TAILRIDER REAR RACK TRUNK:
www.arkel-od.com/tailrider-bi...
JANDD BICYCLE BAGS:
www.jandd.com/bikes.asp
BACKCOUNTRY RECUMBENT CYCLES:
www.backcountryrecumbentcycles...
GUB WATER BOTTLE ADAPTER MOUNT:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
ALUMINUM BICYCLE WATER BOTTLE CAGE:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
SPECIALIZED PURIST WATER BOTTLES:
www.specializedwaterbottles.co...
DUPONT TEFLON WHITE LITHIUM GREASE:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...
SMALLRIG HANDLEBAR CAMERA MOUNT:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...
AXIOM FASTFLASH UNIVERSAL HANDLEBAR MIRROR:
www.amazon.com/Axiom-Fastflas...
KRYPTONITE NEW YORK STANDARD BICYCLE LOCK:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06...
KOOLEHAODA TRAVEL MINI CAMERA TRIPOD:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
ANKER POWERCORE 26800 PORTABLE ELECTRICITY CHARGER:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
FUJIFILM FINEPIX XP130 WATERPROOF DIGITAL CAMERA:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
RANS BICYCLES (See STRATUS & PHOENIX):
www.ransbikes.com/bicycles/

[@gregmccaslin7400]

Thanks Steve for the leed on air sock . Good luck with your new SUNSEEKER EZ SPORT CX . Nothing like the anticipation of getting a new toy just in time for the good weather 🌞. I am looking forward to your upcoming video’s . Thank you again .👍✌️😎

[@richardvirchow2757]

Put a sprained or rubber dampener on the front wheel to the get it stable at slow speeds that limits the steering they also use it on the trikes as well to limit the shaking of the steering. Look for (spring/rubber dampener) it rides like a motorcycle at high speeds nicely just like a Honda goldwing. Sincerely! R.S.V.

[@EZSteve]

Thanks Richard for the advice! I no longer own this bike, but prior to selling it, I did consider a dampener as an option. I also did not care for the design where the pedals struck the front fender when turning at slow speeds. After I sold this, I got my current recumbent trike for touring instead of the Gold Rush. steve

[@timconnell5953]

Great review. Your bike is in great condition for the year. You will love riding this for years to come. Bought mine in 99 and its so comfortable its the only bike i ride. 30,000 miles strong. Ride it for awile and the feeling of the long wheel base will feel natural.

[@EZSteve]

I love hearing these time-honored stories of folks riding these recumbents for years! Wow, 30,000 miles is awesome Tim! Even though I have only been on it for a couple of rides, my feel for the quick steering is improving for sure. The hardest thing for me initially has been turning in a short circle, like in the width of a residential street or in a residential intersection ... I felt like I had to really force the handlebars back to straight - felt like the tire wanted to remain cocked for the turn. I am sure that will eventually go away too (can't be soon enough, haha). Since this is now my only human powered vehicle, I realize that "natural" feel will come because it will be all I'm doing. Thanks for the encouragement! steve

[@timvoegele8045]

Steve, welcome to your touring limo. Your GRR, as you can already tell, will be your most comfortable ride ever. My polished aluminum GRR Z1472, was made 11.16.04 per the info sheet Easy Racers included with the bike. So, yes, your Z1708 was completed 9.14.06. It looks new; great buy. As far as the steering, just relax and let your arms hang. It will become second nature after only a few weeks of riding. Mine has a rear Avid BB7 disc brake and I would recommend since you will have hills on your loaded tours there in Oregon. Of course, you can't make tight turns with this bike, especially with the fairing as it will hit your feet if you try to turn in a tight radius. Climbing hills, you may want to unclip one foot before the going gets tough; difficult to unclip on the GRR at very slow speeds...your steering will feel really shaky trying to unclip while creeping up a hill. You can't stand on the pedals like on a diamond frame and the Kool Mesh set is not designed to be used as a lever. Easy Racers made a carbon fiber seat back for that kind of pressure. Try to remember to downshift before coming to a stop...again you don't have the leverage advantage as on a diamond frame. The TerraCycle chain tensioner/idler replaced the factory standard S-shaped spring-loaded idler. It runs quieter and provides for better chain management. All for now, enjoy the ride! and thanks for your great videos.

[@EZSteve]

Thanks for the tips Tim! I appreciate your time to help me out. Yes, I found that loosening up with my arms helped the steering. I sent you an email regarding your questions about the flags and how I attached them. I have always found nearly as much excitement in outfitting a trike or bike as actually riding it ... of course, the outfitting is only temporary, and the riding goes on indefinitely! And thanks for the kudos on my videos! I will be having some new ones in the not-too-distant future because I am getting a new high-end recumbent trike, which I believe I will end up using for serious touring. Stay tuned my cycling friend! See ya' ... steve

[@gregmccaslin7400]

Another great video . I just bought a tour easy racer 3-10 24 manufactured in Taiwan for $200.00 .lt looks like it’s got about 100 miles on it . I was wondering if you would have a source on a wind sock for the same . Thanks again Steve for the video . 👍✌️😎

[@EZSteve]

WOW Greg, only $200 is as close to free as you could get!! Heck, if I saw another one for that price, I would snatch it up instantly too ... and practically no miles on it, wow again! Regarding a tail sock or body sock, an Easy Racers rider used to make those custom ... she just enjoyed doing it, but whether she still does, I do not know without some research. Here is a start however, a post I just found on bentrideronline: www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/forum/main-category/recumbents/160404- I just ordered a new 2024 LWB recumbent, called the EZ Sport CX, from Sunseeker Cycles. This bike is what Gardner Martin (inventor of the Easy Racers in the 1970s) designed in 2004 to answer handling complaints experienced by new riders of his Gold Rush. It is 5 inches shorter than the Gold Rush, and also heavier because it is not aluminum. Hopefully I'll get the new bike by next month (I had some upgrades they are doing at Hostel Shoppe in Wisconsin, where I ordered it). steve

[@KutWrite]

In 2006 I bought a used Gold Rush Replica. With its chrome finished frame and aero wheels. Despite its beauty, the frame flexed too much, it was heavy, and the pedal angle was wrong for me. The components were wonderful, but I ended up trading it for a Bacchetta Bella. Now, that and a Challenge trike do it for me. I looked ahead at your newer videos and only see one more with your Easy Racer. It was about helmets. Did you sell this bike? Maybe you found the same flaws I did.

[@EZSteve]

Great observation regarding my bike not appearing in more videos after this review ... Yep, I did end up selling it, primarily because I did not enjoy the way it handled in short radius slow turns, and it also felt a little too twitchy for me. I sold it to a fellow who was a long-time Easy Racers rider, so he was quite pleased to find one in this condition. Once sold, I got a new recumbent trike, but as of today (March 13, 2024) I have decided to sell it and return to a long wheel base recumbent bike, which I have recently ordered, and am awaiting. My new 2024 bike was also designed by Gardner Martin, the same man who originally designed the Gold Rush for setting speed records. I think his speed bike design was focused on setting those records in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which I suspect, had a somewhat negative outcome when it comes to the average street rider. In 2004, Gardner designed a LWB recumbent bike that he claimed was going to be more user friendly than his Gold Rush design. The seat was higher (at 26.5 inches), and the front forks did not have that radical forward bend in them like on the Gold Rush. His new design had traditionally shaped front forks, which handles much more predictably than his racing design did. Yes, I felt the Gold Rush had flaws, which for me were not acceptable. The new Gardner Martin design coming my way, from all accounts I've read, results in a very user friendly riding experience with none of the original issues some folks had. His 2004 design was picked up by Sunseeker cycles, so it is much more affordable, but also ten pounds heavier than the Gold Rush due to its steel frame instead of aluminum. But I see the chrom-moly is preferable for me, so I am happy to have it (it likely will not flex so much). I looked for a Bachetta Bella, but had little luck in my search. It looks like a great bike, and its front fork rake angle appears to be midway between the Gold Rush and the EZ Sport CX I am getting. Now all I have to do is sell my current recumbent trike, because I doubt I'll be riding it much, if at all, once I get the new recumbent bike. steve

[@tommccullough2463]

Hi Steve, Your GRR looks like new. But seriously you need a rear disc brake to keep from overheating the rim and tube and possibly having a blow out. I had it happen to me and went down hard. I have owned one Tour Easy and Three GRRs. I still have two GRRs so I always have a spare. I love them.

[@mjve12son72]

Hey Steve, been following you for years. I rode a Volae century for 9 years and loved it. Anyhoo, about 'achieving non squirrelly take offs'; On a regular bike most are looking down while stepping down on a peddle, can't do that on a bent, lol, on a bent lay back and pick a 'target' 50 feet or so ahead of you to focus on while you push off on a peddle. Not sure why but it works and becomes natural pretty quick.

[@EZSteve]

I think your suggestion is a good one Tom. Currently, I will have to settle for the setup that's on it, due primarily to the restrictions surrounding covid (not sure that I could do this mod by myself - would feel much better to have an experienced cycle mechanic do it). I only weigh 155 pounds, so perhaps the stress on the brakes (and frame) will be minimized for the time being. Of course, I have no idea who rode this before me, or how much stress they put on things like brakes and frame, especially if they were a really heavy person. If this bike really is around 14 years old, it presumably has had a lot of mileage put on it during that time (it is not pristine, as though it has been garaged all this time, but it also is not beat up or damaged any, so who knows). Thanks again for your brake suggestion! I wonder how prevalent it is among GRR riders. steve

[@EZSteve]

@@mjve12son72 Thanks for following along all these years! I appreciate it. Your point about where to look is excellent! I have never heard that before. Thank you for the suggestion. I will try it next time I'm on the bike. I had heard that it is important to begin with a strong pedal stroke, and commit fully, which I have been doing, and it made a difference. Now, with your suggestion, I am sure I will get this down. I feel pretty good about it so far, and am much better than I was at first, where I felt really kind of weird, but the bike is SO comfortable that I am committed to becoming one with it, hopefully as natural as walking or riding a diamond frame bike! steve

[@mjve12son72]

@@EZSteve Hey Steve, I think you're in for what may be one the best 'relationships ' with a bike you've had yet. That bike is one the (if not the) most well regarded and respected touring bent's ever made (go to crazyguyonabike and check out the journals, articles and bike types). It's built for crossing continents. Comparing a diamond frame to that bike would be like comparing a kayak to a 33' sloop with a full keel, lol. Many also installed a side steering system like you had on your trikes and a fairing. If it were me I would also go for a set of cliffhangers rims and bb7 brakes and maybe do the Southern Tier for a starter. Haven't heard of anyone doing the Southern coastline from south Padre island to St. Augustine via the coastline yet. I would but I have 'boat fever' these day's. Really liked your book (been so long I can't remember the title but your viewpoint on nature and us in it/it in us was dead on!) Bruce

[@EZSteve]

@@mjve12son72 Hi Bruce, I think you are correct in your assessment that I will fall in love with this wonderful recumbent. I can feel it every time I just go into the garage and sit on it! The comfort level is way beyond even the trikes I had, especially since the bottom bracket is well below my hips, which keeps blood flowing freely to my feet (my first two trikes were racers, with really high bottom brackets, which drained the blood out of the feet, leading to foot issues that were exaggerated compared to a normal bike). I have not been on a long journey for a while, and the thought is strong in my mind. Of course, with this covid mess, I am not choosing to leave on a tour for a while, unfortunately. Once this all clears up, I should be pretty darn good at riding this bike, so the next step would be a tour as you suggest. I plan on starting out doing some weekenders here in the region, camping in remote forest locations in the Coast Range, and then coming right back home, so no contact with other people. Both of my rims are Velocity, but I don't know if they are Cliffhangers ... would it say so on the rim if they are? My front Velocity wheel was custom built just a few months ago by a wheel builder in Bend, Oregon. If I go to disc brakes, I would definitely use the mechanical ones, because I don't want to deal with hydraulics at all (have had both kinds, and mechanical work just fine for me, perhaps due to my light bodyweight). My current brake setup says Avid up at the lever, but I do know that Mark Waters, owner of Backcountry Recumbent Cycles where I bought the bike, put on a Deore V-Brake on the front. Anyway, it all works well so far, so I will be sticking with it for the short term future at least because I am not comfortable going into a shop currently. This is a solid cycling recumbent, one that I believe will be my "keeper" due to its sterling reputation and indescribable comfort level. Having ridden thousands of miles on cross country journeys, I know intuitively that this bike will be the best I have ever ridden out on the open road! Thanks for your discussion here Bruce! Oh, and thanks for the compliment regarding my descriptions of the natural world in my books. steve

[@dwightjones3305]

Hi Steve, Is there a blog post somewhere that explains your evolution to this type of bike? You have experience with a wide variety of touring machines and I’d be curious about how you came to prefer the long wheelbase recumbent. My touring plans were delayed for various reasons. Now, some long tours are finally looking feasible. I have a good trike, but would be interested in the pros and cons of a different machine. I assume you would prefer Rans if you were buying something new? We have traded emails in the past. I’m the guy in Crescent City with the hand injury. The State of California has decided it’s time for me to retire because of the injury. I’m hitting the road after my elderly dog passes away. That might be pretty soon...

[@EZSteve]

Hi Dwight! Great to hear from you again, my fellow trike addict ;-) My evolution to this current long wheel base touring bicycle is something I discuss on my Bike Hobo KZbin channel, at this link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYKlaaVurcugars I talk about it more at this link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGXJp3yheLd2qqM But here's the thing Dwight ... After riding this Gold Rush a while, I have found that the steering geometry is not something I am enjoying when riding. In fact, I am finding that I am putting more effort in keeping it going straight than I am receiving enjoyment of the ride itself. I may well transition yet once again into something else, perhaps even a return to a recumbent trike. Currently, I am considering my needs and options. I really enjoy riding gravel and dirt roads and camping primitively in the mountains, so I could get another fat tire bike (loads of fun), or I could get a Scorpion FS 26 Enduro trike for the back woods adventures. Or, I could get a long distance touring trike once again, because I have really enjoyed the thousands of miles I've put on my trikes while touring. I have to give it some thought because I don't want to impulsively rush out and get something without thinking it through well (fun, but this stuff costs a bunch of money, haha). If I sell this current LWB touring bike, I will retain all the accessories I have put on it for whatever I end up getting. Eventually what I would like to do is produce a documentary about touring, which is my pet future project that I will either film myself, or maybe even hire a professional cinematographer to do all that work so that I can just ride and not worry about camera batteries, setting up tripods, and all that goes into capturing high quality video. Anyway, gotta' go for now, so I shall sign off! Keep me posted about your potential trike tours. steve bike/trike hobo

[@dwightjones3305]

Thanks Steve. My most recent final decision is to save my money and keep using the trike.

[@erow80]

Hey there Steve, I’ve been enjoying your videos. I’m looking to buy my first ‘bent and would love to chat about your GRR if you decide to sell it. Thanks!