I could hardly wait to get onto the seat of the Crank-It Mountain Quad when I saw it at the Interbike trade show! The problem was that ALL of the RTR staff wanted to ride it and due to the geography I would probably be the last. Well, my turn finally came and just as I was tuning her up for my maiden voyage, I get a phone call from our publisher. “Hey John, are you done with the Mountain Quad yet?” Done? I hadn’t even gotten off my block yet and he asks if I am done! Well, it seems that I had only 3 days to complete my test rides as this particular Quad may have been sold and it needed to be shipped ASAP! Bummer! Ok, if I had only 3 days and two of those were weekdays, I had better make the best of it.

      I took the Mountain Quad to a place I call “Dizzyland” which has abundant climbs, descents, river crossings, and more hazards than the “Dukes” can lay claim to. Every innovation, from its, unique frame, Action Tec front suspension, rear air shocks/multi-linkage suspension, Rohloff 14 speed mid-drive, and Schlumpf Mountain Drive 2 speed cranks (note from Crank-It; Schlumpf now calls this the Speed Drive), and 4 wheel hydraulic disk brakes, were put to the test. When I was an avid off road cyclist, Dizzyland was my favorite local training ground. The climbs are technical and steep, forcing even the best tires to the limit. Even though the Mountain Quad is a bit on the heavy side, it can climb even the steepest of trails. The ultra low gearing and extreme rear wheel articulation made rolling over deep ruts seem almost easy. By my deep breathing and high heart rate I knew otherwise.

      The suspension never seemed like it was robbing any power that should be propelling me forward. On one dual track in particular I have seen many cyclists walk up the last third. I was able to ride the Mountain Quad up the entire trail. I was very surprised as I am not in the best condition for off road cycling. It has been a few years! It seemed that when one rear wheel would break loose in the rocks and sand that the other would take over the task. Well, I did get to the top to find that the trail that used to take me back down to the riverbed had been overtaken by urban sprawl. There were 3 interconnecting, narrow ridges with a meager trail that was much steeper than the original. I met up with another off road cyclist and we shared our dismay and he told me the only viable way back down was to return the way I had climbed. No Way! I deserved a hair-raising descent and I was going to find one. So, I pointed the Mountain Quad down the first ridge, which was rather steep and quite technical with sharp drop offs on both sides. It was real “cool” feeling the Quad stick to the ridge and the suspension sucked up ruts and bumps that would have launched a regular mountain bike over the side. I continued down the other two ridges to end up back at the riverbed. I couldn’t believe that I had just successfully navigated a very technical downhill at a speed I would never have tried before. I was very “stoked” and exhausted. I looked back up the mountain in time to see the other cyclist fly over the bars about a third of the way down. I don’t think he was very pleased with me!

      I have to be honest with you. The Crank-It Mountain Quad is not for everyone. It is a bit slower in climbing and cannot navigate narrow single-track trails. Its limited production and high cost (over $7,000) is also limiting. But, if money is no problem and you have a need to experience off road cycling in a recumbent position, this is your baby. I rode the Mountain Quad approximately 35 miles, but they were entirely in the dirt. That could equate to well over 100 paved miles!

      These are the things I liked about the Mountain Quad. I absolutely loved the gearing and the ability to shift under extreme loads while not having to worry about a derailleur failure. There are no derailleurs to worry about. All gearing is internal. The 4 wheel Hope disc brakes kept the Quad in good control without worry about overheating a rim. The suspension is so well designed and very tunable. It took everything I could hit without launching me overboard. Behind the carbon-fiber seat is what can only be described as a luggage-carrying platform (note from Crank-It; this is our optional luggage rack). You can strap any kind of duffle or semi-hard bag onto this rack and never worry about it. In fact, it adds to the rear traction! You could actually take an extended off road tour and be self-sufficient!

      This is what I didn’t like about the Crank-It Mountain Quad. The Price!!!!! Don’t get me wrong. There is incredible engineering that has gone onto the creation of this beast. Not only that, but the implementation has resulted in a recumbent vehicle that can deal with the harshest environment and provide a “fun factor” that is hard to beat! You get a lot of value for the price. It is just that the price makes it difficult to obtain for the mere mortal recumbent bike reviewer. Overall, I loved every mile on the Crank-It Mountain Quad.

      Did you know that Lamborghini, the exotic Italian supercar manufacturer, made an SUV? It was called the LM002 and it was kind of an oddity among motorized vehicles, but still, super cool if you’re into that kind of thing. They’re good for 444 horsepower and 125 mph in the desert. If you want one, I found one on the Internet for only $86,000 – cash.

      However, I’m quite certain that the lucky buyer who picks up that gem won’t be taking it down the Rubicon trail in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. More likely, they’ll be taking it down Rodeo drive in Beverly Hills, trying to pass themselves off as a connoisseur of all that which is cool about SUV’s and distinctly unlike the wieners that drive the oh-so-common Hummer H2. Leave it to the likes of the humble Jeep Wrangler to do the real dirty work on the Rubicon.

      Although the Crank-It Mountain Quad is a much kinder, friendlier and tremendously better looking human-powered cousin to the Lamborghini LM002, there are still similarities between the two in some key areas. The Mountain Quad will stand out among other bikes, do things other bikes can’t do, attract wild stares of astonishment and awe, and set you back a good chunk of change. Unlike the LM002, it can handle more than Rodeo drive without undo pampering.

      To summarize the differences between the Mountain Quad and a single mountain bike, or a tandem mountain bike, it can be said that when drifting through a fast fire-road and double track without high siding danger, where experts only need apply the advantage goes to the Mountain Quad. When riding singletrack trails (Hey, it is called “single” track) where trees are 30” apart the advantage goes to the uprights – especially on a hillside.

      It may be helpful to point out some other strengths of the quad for those who do not regularly encounter these situations.

      Quads are totally cool. Approaching a Quad for the first time at Interbike 2002, I was drawn like a magnet to the exposed ball joints, multi-link suspension and custom machining. The bike is truly a work of mechanical art and seeing the drivetrain in action is just downright Neat-O.

      Once on the bike and in the comfortable padded carbon fiber seat, the mechanics take on a new angle. You’re actually more “in” than “on”, and from the cockpit it’s less about art and more about the Rubicon.

      Between your heels you’ll notice the optional Schlumpf Speed Drive crankset. Actuated via a button where the crank bolt would normally be found (either under way or stopped), the 2-speed crankset based on efficient planetary gears that you shift with your heels to a different (either 1:1 or 1.65:1) gear range to help get the bike up mother nature’s little challenges.

      Our test bike was equipped with the standard Rohloff 14 speed hub that also can be shifted while standing still. Nice. To be sure, pedaling the quad up your local mega-climbs is tough, especially if you only ride uprights and aren’t used to pedaling a recumbent. The different motion of your legs relative to your body and the change in the way your body weight plays into pedaling makes riding recumbents like a different sport altogether in terms of variety, and is just great cross-training.

      If you ride to train or build strength as well as have fun, or just aren’t afraid to work harder, then the extra work climbing hills is not a downside and you won’t have to worry about getting a ride up the hill from someone else! Either way though, you’ll want to make sure you do get to the top of the hill. This bike is fun at speed and at least for this writer, my legs won’t provide enough speed on the flats, and definitely not uphill to enjoy the bike as much as an upright.

      One thing you can do with four wheels, and to a lesser extent three, is drift through corners. To control a two-wheel drift on a mountain bike requires tremendous skill and the willingness to bleed should things go awry. On the quad, the experience is more like using too much gas in dad’s car when you learned to drive in the rain. It’s a lot more familiar, still crazy fun, but you probably won’t launch into a patch of cactus.

      The Quad is a practical bike too. This bike will get you there, and although it’s very exotic and the chassis is not off-the-shelf, most of the drivetrain is and you shouldn’t run into problems getting service. Even though there’s no Quad in my local bike shop, they can service it just fine. I bet my local Ford dealer wouldn’t touch the Lambo.

      The quad will stand out among other bikes, like the LM002 stands out now among other vehicles. If the Mountain Quads grow as popular as SUV’s, in a few more years they won’t be quite a rarity. In the meantime, the quad is here and ready to ride.

      Southern California is filled with hills and mountains which have miles and miles of fire roads traversing the terrain. The roads attract hikers, mountain bikers, and now, Mountain Quad riders. The Quad is an easy way to gain wheeled access to many of these roads. With the very low gearing (12.5-108 gear inches) provided by the Schlumpf Speed Drive crankarms (note from Crank-It; the Speed Drive is an added option) and the Rohloff 14-speed hub, it was possible for me to make progress up amazingly steep slopes, slopes that a hack mountain biker such as myself would not have attempted on only two wheels. I can’t go at that slow of a crawl on two wheels without falling over, while on the Mountain Quad stability was never a question.

      The innovative rear differential and compliant suspension kept the power evenly split between the two rear wheels while climbing, and, as the terrain got steeper more of the rider’s weight shifted toward the rear wheels, increasing traction. It was a lack of leg power that finally brought my climbing to a stop, not a lack of traction. That’s when the real fun could begin. Aiming the Mountain Quad downhill and letting go of the brakes to start the run down is when you really begin to appreciate the engineering of the machine.

      Steering the Quad via the adjustable handlebars is very precise and exact at all speeds and felt plenty stable at high down-hill speeds. Action-Tec telescopic shocks working to keep the front wheels in contact with terra firma aid in the search for stability. In the rear is a very sophisticated multi-link suspension from NicholsLink Suspension Systems which utilizes a pair of Fox Racing Shox. Riding the Quad supports the company claims that the rear suspension is designed to maintain an even keel under braking and power. Meaning that there is no suspension “squat” or “pogo effect” when pedaling hard, nor is there any suspension lift when braking hard. The suspension can be fine tuned by varying the pressure in the shocks for riders up to 350-lbs.

      The high degree of development of the Quad is most evident when zooming down hills and around corners at truly imprudent speeds. At high velocity it feels sturdy, stable and safe over terrain that would terrify on only two wheels. Seat belts are not used on the Quad, but with both feet clipped onto the pedals, both hands on the handlebars and your butt firmly seated on the carbon-fiber seat, you quickly get the “I am one with my machine” feeling.

      The Quad’s braking performance impressed me. Squeezing the right lever stops the front wheels, and the left lever controls the rears, Hope hydraulic disk brakes are found on all four corners.

      To sum it up, the Mountain Quad’s creators cut no corners designing and building this machine, and with four wheels, it can deliver four times the fun.