Crank forward
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A crank forward bicycle has the bottom bracket and cranks set further forward, relative to the seat, than a traditional upright bicycle. Bicycles of this type are also called easy bikes/EZBs, flat foot bikes (from Electra's 'Flat Foot Technology'), laid back bikes, semi-recumbent/semi-bent bikes and ground-reach bikes (Lightfoot Cycles).
The term "crank forward" was created by Rans Designs,[1] formerly a manufacturer of bicycles based in Hays, Kansas. It was a protected term that Rans used for a model of bicycles which they had manufactured, but has been genericized by the bicycle community to describe bikes with such characteristics.
The main functional difference of a crank forward bicycle is that the seat can be set closer to the ground while maintaining the correct leg extension to the pedals. This allows the rider to place their feet on the ground without getting off the seat. The crank is not so far forward, though, that a seat back is necessary, as in a semi-recumbent or recumbent bike.
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