Hi Paul:

I imagine it could be done, but if you connected the handlebars where the stem comes up from the forks, I think you'd have an amazing 'tiller' effect.  Better, perhaps, to weld a new vertical stem on the frame about a foot or so in front of the seat, and connect new handlebars there, and slave them to the front fork, just like the USS bars do.  But you'd have to break through the top tube on the frame and weld in a new stem piece there.

But my real question is WHY anyone would want to do this to a bike that was designed to be the optimum in comfort and natural arm position (by an engineeer at MIT who made a 6-year study of the optimum configuration for a human-powered vehicle).  I LOVE the Vanguard JUST the way is is.  It's so incredibly comfortable, and doing the Ragbrai last summer only confirmed that belief.  Other diamond frame riders were dropping like flies in that heat and because of the hills.  I finished the ride every day (never sagged in) and got off the bike maybe a tad saddle sore, but never fatigued to the point where I was devastated by the ride each day.  I still had plenty of "go" left to find supper and enjoy some of the evening activities before hitting the sack.  Sure, we were sagged on the trip by a truck that carried our camping gear, so the bike wasn't loaded, but it was a RIDE, my friend.... a RIDE !!!  I'll never change the layout on these bikes...they're meant for comfort.

By the way, if you might be interested in selling your XKE, I have a friend up north who might be interested in having a look at it.  What needs to be fixed on it, and what would be your asking price for it, as is ?

Geoff

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From: Happy Home <t1@...>
Reply-To: ryanownersclub@yahoogroups.com
To: ryanownersclub@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [ryanownersclub] Above Seat Steering For Vanguard???
Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2007 17:12:57 -0500 (CDT)

Interesting. Before I could find an available Vanguard, I contacted Tour Easy and asked if they would build one with USS. He told me he would give it a try -- my risk. He said he'd charge time and materials, and estimated that it'd be $1,500 on top of the base cost of the bike.

Good luck.

Paul
Chantilly

=====================
From: wolverbob <Wolverbob@cs.com>
Date: 2007/08/24 Fri AM 10:56:28 CDT
To: ryanownersclub@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [ryanownersclub] Above Seat Steering For Vanguard???

I have done zero research on this, but I was wondering if anyone had
ever attempted to convert a Vanguard to above seat steering, using,
say a RANS or Tour Easy type of steering section.

Bob Krzewinski