RANS - Early Years

The first "Sailtrike" sails in the Grove High School Soccer Field in Wichita, Kansas in the spring of 1974. Used as a test bed for design ideas, it was never produced. After its test days were over it was donated to the Art Department at Fort Hays University, where it ended up in art student's sculptures.

Number two Sailtrike featured side by side seating for two, independent pedaling, ten speeds, 30 square feet of sail, a baggage compartment that would hold four sacks of groceries. Weighing in at 70 pounds it was no fun to crank uphill, but when the wind was right, and it often was in Kansas, it would average 45 MPH with ease. Steering was via a center tiller that either passenger could use. Mounted to the tiller were the rear brakes and front and rear gear shift. Although it was a fairly efficient machine it was not deemed suitable for production due to high cost. As a two seater it was inherently complex. Our attention turned to a more appealing single seat concept.

The Eagle 4: our first production Sailtrike. It was quite trick, featuring a composite frame, mesh back seat, and cargo bag, all in designer colors! All set to pedal or sail, these machines would weigh in around 65 pounds, and cruise 40 to 60 MPH in a moderate breeze. Sails were only 35 square feet on masts no taller than 13.5 feet. Equipped with three speed coaster brake hubs coupled to a real differential, they were a blast to pedal, very stable, and fairly easy to crank, minus the sail and mast.
    Under sail they were very stable and could turn on a dime. The big question: What happened when a semi passed? If the passing truck was on the downwind side, nothing, if it was upwind, there was a brief, almost snap on/off of the wind. Surprisingly the Sailtrike would track straight without even a hint of capsize. The reason why? Sailtrikes use the wind for power, turning the wake turbulence from passing vehicles into thrust. Cars, on the other hand, are plowing through, getting buffeted.

New developments in 1975 include a welded steel frame sailtrike, the Windhawk. This machine was lower cost to build, but heavier by 10 pounds. Ease of production and an attractive price made this model commercially successful. Of the over 1,500 Sailtrikes RANS produced, most were Windhawks.
    For the Bicentennial year, RANS is rewarded a design patent on the Sailtrike. Production was picking up right along with the size of the company. Our factory was a 30X30 room in a multi-unit warehouse. Within this small shop, Sailtrikes were hand built in batches of 5 to 10.
    Ads in bicycle and sailing magazines netted a variety of clients with colorful backgrounds. More than a few bought the machines for great cross-county expeditions.

Even the Famous got into the act! In town for a one night show, Bob Hope was at first reluctant to try out the Sailtrike. I encouraged him knowing that sailing was one of his pastimes...not able to resist the challenge he mounted the machine and took off like a mad man. In seconds he'd mastered the basics and did a sporting job of racing about the Holiday Inn parking lot. I was so nervous that I forgot to set the F stop properly and got just a few lousy shots. My brother John and I worked hours in the dark room to salvage my blunders. Always the gentleman, Mr. Hope thanked me for the novel experience. I gave him my best joke of the day...How do you know when it's windy in Kansas? When the toilets are white capping!
                                  

A full model line up included one and two place machines. Our Gemini was an awesome machine, very fast under sail. On the flat, the heavy machine held respectable speeds under man power alone, and was a real kick when ridden less the rigging.

The Eagle 5, this was a quest for a lighter, higher performance machine. It was one of the best development projects in our early history. The prototype went together without the usual frustrations, and the machine...it was superb. Handling was so well balanced and light. The performance was markedly above the Eagle 4 and Windhawk. One of our employees set a still standing record by sailing an Eagle 5 from the Hays Airport to the Wilson Lake Hellcreek bridge in 66 minutes, a distance of almost 60 miles.

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