Why ?

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updated: 2026-02-16

FWD RWS design is superior and more natural than front-wheel-steer(FWS) and rear-wheel-drive (RWD) for the following reasons:

Ergonomic

Since womb, we are always the most comfortable when we lay back with our legs forward and our back laying down or leaning backward. We think it is not necessary to spend much time explaining the comfortness of the design and the advantages of being laid back as other brands have done so many times. However, Trần Phước refuses to follow convention and approach the matter at a deeper level to provide the superior solution.

We realize, when our lower body can be stretch forward and the upper half are laid backward, naturally to optimise the entire system, FWD RWS is a much more sensible choice for ergonomic compare to other designs regardless of point of judgement or situation.

Efficiency

When moving in the laid back position, the human body can be arranged longitudinally following the two wheeled vechile. This reduces a massive frontal area which comes in contact with the coming air. Which then reduces the need for energy compare to any other vechile. Base on this, many people have compared the efficiency with the diamond frame many many times thus we won’t talk much more on this.

However, perhaps by habbit, other recumbent brands still choose RWD solution and mostly use a very long chain to deliver power. The distance is about or longer in some cases than the wheelbase of the vechile. This reduce the efficiency greatly.

With the FWD design, Trần Phước optimises efficiency by keeping the transimission distance exactly the same as the diamond frame and at the same time leveraging the aero advatange of the laid back position. This fact is very noticable through out the testing phase of Prototype-00 when the rider had to use very little energy to pedal and most of the time controlling a coasting bike.

For steering, RWS is very different and is a completely superior solution compare to FWS for two wheel vechile.

To steer a two wheel vechile with FWS, the rider always have to counter steer. Meaning to turn left a bike with FWS, we always have to turn to the right first, wait for the centrifugal force push the center of gravity of both the bike and the rider to the left, then the front wheel can turn to the right to balance out the centrifugal force while turning. Even when the bike is already turning, we still have to keep on counter steering.

This fact does not exist with RWS design from Trần Phước. The rider always turn to the correct side because the center of gravity always get push to the correct side. Minimise time, distance of travel and most importantly is effort to control the bike.

Performance

RWS design is much more agile than FWS. To refecence, think of a fork lift - a type of vechile that is designed to move very big and heavy load in extremely enviroment. Even though Trần Phước did not focus on solving this issue with Prototype-00, we are discovering very interesting characteristic in the testing phase. In the future, we hope our solutions will be of useful for urban traffic.

With a short transimission distance, FWD design by Trần Phước is superior on at least 2 point: acceleration and grip.

Acceleration is optimised firstly because short of transimission as stated. Second, the wheelie phenomenal is not possible. And third, theoretically, the aero advantage can generate downforce on the driving wheel, helping the bike grip better and optimising the acceleration of the vechile. We couldn’t test this with Prototype-00 as it is a bicycle and budget is real tight but we do hope to soon verify this fact for real.

Lastly, looking solely on pedalling power, when our back has a place to lean on, naturally we can generate much more force onto the pedals than being limited by our own body weight.

Stability

Firstly, because there’s no counter steering, Trần Phước’s bike is way more stable.

The design of Trần Phước use the weight of the rider to keep the bike straight. Meaning solely sitting on the bike will make it straight - no need to apply any force on the handle bars or depend on the travelling velocity to keep balance - completely different to FWS design. More over, when sitting still on the bike and turn the handle bar, you only need to let go of the bars for the vechile to automatically straight itself back.

Second is that since there’s no way to pull a wheelie, Trần Phước is definately stabler than RWD.

For center of gravity (CoG), Prototype-00 has CoG at about top of the front wheels, comparing stability base on this to the diamond frames is at best, a silly act.

Other recumbent brands with FWS design usually have problem with stability in two situation. Firstly because aero dynamic as mentioned above will generate force on the front wheel, leading to lost of control at high speed since the front wheel is the steering wheel. Secondly, when there is cross wind (normal to the side of bike), FWS will be affected greatly.

Trần Phước eliminate both of these problem with RWS design. Firstly, thanks to aero dynamic, velocity has a possitive correlation with not just the grip of the driving wheel but also the force needed to steer, thus the bike will be more stable at higher speed. Second is there’s cross wind, naturally a bike with RWS will fold and point the head into the wind, reduce the situation of loosing control.

Safety

Safety is always the number one concern at Trần Phước. We believe that FWD and RWS is the safer design for two wheel vechile.

Firstly, because the bike is more stable in many ways, the rider will have more control which default to be safer.

Next, with the laid back design, the rider has a much better view of the surrounding than other design with head down or forward. More over, it will reduce fatigue or injury due to long period of riding. Most importantly is when accident happens, the contact parts are usually the lower parts of the body.

Third, because there is no counter steering like FWS, other vechile on the road will be able to predict where the Trần Phước bike is going, reduce the risk of serious accident.

Crucially, we hope that with FWD RWS, damage to the human body from the highside phenomenal will be greatly reduced or possibly eliminated all together. Trần Phước would like to soon have the opportunity to test and verify in the real world.

There are much more we yet to know. We are always learning. Trần Phước needs to research and test much more to improve and optimise the design. Let’s continue to discover this journey with us.

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