New Cruzbike rider issues

[gmrviper]

I have been riding different recumbents for the last 15 years. Never really had any issues hoping on one and riding. I purchased an S40 and have been trying to get comfortable on it but its really stressful to ride. I am good at slow speed. Turns are pretty smooth. My main issue seems to just be riding in a straight line at 10-15mph. Most of my practice has been in my neighborhood and parking lots. Last night I decided to try a local trail. Its flat and smooth with low traffic. I rode about a mile and turned around because again it was just too stressful to keep it in a straight line. I would assume its my pedaling technique? I keep a light grip on the bars so I do not think that is the issue.

I am just curious if any other experienced recumbent riders have had similar issues.

 

[castlerobber]

The only two-wheeled recumbents I've owned have been Cruzbikes (almost 11 years now). After the initial learning curve and adjusting the bike fit, I've had no trouble keeping a straight line at those speeds.

OTOH, I tried riding a friend's LWB recumbent last summer. The thing had a mind of its own, wobbling all over the place!

It's a matter of practice. Letting your legs learn how to keep the bike straight as you pedal, and not overthinking it. When I realized several months into owning a Cruzbike that I wasn't veering much worse than I had on my road bike, I relaxed and started enjoying the ride more--and my line got straighter.

A lot of experienced riders here recommend using clipless pedals to improve handling. It was nearly a year before I felt comfortable moving my clipless pedals to the Cruzbike. It did help, though, at that point.

 

[gmrviper]

I tried moving over my clipless pedals the other night. Not sure if that made it better or worse. I think its likely something that would just take a lot of time for me to sort of relearn since I am so used to regular recumbents.

 

[Tuloose]

Sounds like a case of the new Cruzbiker jitters.
I had the same when I started out 12 years ago on a Silvio 2.0.
Trying to keep a straight line with the moving bottom bracket while in a laid back position on the 27 deg seat was a real challenge.
It took me about 3 months of riding to get comfortable with it.
You have the advantage of a higher seat and a Viscoset headset bearing to slow down the steering response.
Just keep at it and you'll soon be gliding along with a huge smile on your face.

 

[Rolling Along]

My advice is practice only on the S40 and don't ride any other recumbents until you get the hang of it. I started with a Bacchetta Corsa 14 years ago, going to a Bacchetta CA2 5 years ago and a V20c a year and a half ago. I now go back and forth between the CA2 and V20c within the same week. The advice often given on this forum is practice, practice practice, but on different days. That is needed to build muscle memory and it works. Once you are fine on the S40 you can go back and forth between different recumbents.

 

[chicorider]

Just echoing what has already been said... I started out nine years ago with a V20, probably the hardest of the CBs to learn. Everyone's trip through the learning curve is different, but it took me about 1,000 miles and equal doses of patience and stubbornness to get to the point where I didn't have to think anymore about what I was doing and holding a line became effortless. The bike has been a blast ever since.

 

[gmrviper]

Thanks for the comments. I was just wanted to get some other peoples opinions. The bike is actually for sale, ill probably hop on it occasionally until someone buys it. Or maybe it will click for me and ill keep it. lol

 

[LarryOz]

I have been riding different recumbents for the last 15 years. Never really had any issues hoping on one and riding. I purchased an S40 and have been trying to get comfortable on it but its really stressful to ride. I am good at slow speed. Turns are pretty smooth. My main issue seems to just be riding in a straight line at 10-15mph. Most of my practice has been in my neighborhood and parking lots. Last night I decided to try a local trail. Its flat and smooth with low traffic. I rode about a mile and turned around because again it was just too stressful to keep it in a straight line. I would assume its my pedaling technique? I keep a light grip on the bars so I do not think that is the issue.

It might be something as easy as improving your fit into your S40. If possible send me some pictures of you from the side while you are pedaling down the road. i.e have someone standing by the side of the road while you pass by so I can see you from the side. Best if up a driveway so they are not too close.

 

[Mathew Fy]

My advice is to relax and let the bike drift some. You'll get smoother with time, but even we seasoned riders wobble. For example:

 

[Always-Learnin]

I find that as a pilot and former flight instructor, the technique is exactly the same for learning to fly...light touch on the controls, small changes, and RELAX! ;-)

 

[chicorider]

My advice is to relax and let the bike drift some. You'll get smoother with time, but even we seasoned riders wobble. For example:

Agreed. I only truly focus on holding a straight line when I have to, like when a car is passing, or a DF rider is trying to draft off me. Otherwise, I let the bike have its small natural wiggle or shimmy. It is part of learning how to relax, which leads to the feet being integrated into the steering rather than being a force to fight against.

 

[gmrviper]

I do not do a lot of on road riding, most of my riding is done on greenways trails. The trails around here are really nice but they are narrow and curvy. They also have some short steep hills which I have no issue walking up. Right now it feels like it would take a lot of practice to hit those trails.

I do seem to be getting a bit better on it. Consistency seems to be the issue right now. I might go out on lunch and ride for 15 minutes and feel pretty comfortable for the first 10 minutes then the last 5 I might be a stressed out mess. lol. Probably just part of the learning curve.

Thanks again for all of the comments. I did send a video to Larry, so he might see an adjustment that is a bit off.

 

[Boreen bimbler]

Took me about 1,000 miles to be properly relaxed and comfortable. Now I'm dead happy on my S40. A bit of a wiggle seems to make drivers pass more carefully so I actually do it on purpose at times. I've not ridden any other recumbent.

 

[gmrviper]

Took me about 1,000 miles to be properly relaxed and comfortable. Now I'm dead happy on my S40. A bit of a wiggle seems to make drivers pass more carefully so I actually do it on purpose at times. I've not ridden any other recumbent.

Yeah I do a little wiggle to grab drivers attention too. Seems to help in my experience.

 

[McWheels]

I dunno if light touch on the bars helped me, but I do find when trying with any effort at all that a squeeze of the hand opposite the foot applying the power is normal. Deliberately taking that away unbalances me. At a light effort I can ride no hands and am slowly working my up the power levels but even regulars on here whisper about that sort of thing in dark corners like its witchcraft.

 

[chicorider]

When I was starting out, years ago, I was gripping the bars so tightly that I pulled a ligament in my right arm. It took seven months to heal. In that time, Robert suggested that I "grip the bars like they were ripe bananas." That changed everything. When I got going again, the lighter touch made me learn how to incorporate my feet into the steering, rather than fighting them, which is what I had been doing. Over time, my arms and upper body seemed to develop their own instinctual knowledge of how much or little pressure to put on the bars. Not much for flatland cruising, more for climbing, a bunch for sprinting to catch that green light or grab that KOM (like standing for a sprint on a DF bike). I don't have to think about what my arms need to be doing at any given moment; they just do it. But I had to put in a lot of miles after my injury to get there, which I guess is my main point. Drills, videos, and forum posts all help, but there is nothing like time on the bike to teach us how to ride these things to the point of not having to think about it.

 

[IyhelM]

[…] put in a lot of miles […]

Yup, no dark secrets beyond that.
When I started riding my Vendetta I was happy, after a few weeks, to be able to free one hand to adjust my glasses or grab the water hose without wobbling too much and thought I’d never manage to ride without hands.
5,000 miles later, one day I just found myself readjusting my helmet using both hands without even thinking about it!
It took me another year to be able to do it while not pedalling and without clipless pedals - the cyclical leg movement does help with keeping balance.

Actually I’ve become much more comfortable riding with no hands on a Cruzbike than on a DF, especially on a slight uphill slope. I’m not there yet when it comes to starting from a stop without hands but with practice surely it is achievable - on the Silvio at least, the old V really is a different beast.