New A4X and new to Cruzbike and Recumbents - Learning report

[peterwinston]

I've been remiss. Meant to post this for the potential benefit of others.
I'll start with when I got it, when I first rode it and initial impressions. Then later I'll post to the thread my learning journey.
So first: I got my A4X on March 20.
With life's responsibilities, and me being fairly new to bike maintenance and mechanics, it took me about a week to assemble it. Assembly instructions were good - any difficulties were due to my inexperience.
I do have an important tip/note about installation. Tightening the wheel axles before each ride - very important! After a few rides I had a lot of shifting problems and it took me like a week to figure out that my front wheel was subtly loose!
Anyway, I think my first ride was on March 28. Fred flinstoning around - noticing the weight of the front big time. A little coasting. A tiny bit of (somewhat uncessful) attempts to actually pedal. First day was a real eye opener - I'm really learning to ride for the first time here!
I'll continue in additional posts to cover first week experience, different milestones over time and ultimately where I am now.

 

[Robert Holler]

Before long you will be a pro. Don't overthink the inputs. My daughter who does not ride bikes - at all - and tends to overthink everything to the nth degree (lawyer) got it pretty good first run out of the gate.

Definitely wise to always check your though axle. This is something that the folks in MTB's have to do sometimes mid ride when taking a break.

(edited to figure out links... hmmmm)

 

[peterwinston]

Before long you will be a pro. Don't overthink the inputs. My daughter who does not ride bikes - at all - and tends to overthink everything to the nth degree (lawyer) got it pretty good first run out of the gate:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IcwUTUBVD1Sr-kTzrjIodc9vnwgOGcF2/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15fg4ldDLCUkEBS9eehQkVM1ydjLsPBBx/view?usp=sharing

Definitely wise to always check your though axle. This is something that the folks in MTB's have to do sometimes mid ride when taking a break.

Glad your daughter got it quickly. I suspect my journey will appeal to those who perhaps did not!
(BTW, those links are "Access Denied" so not public.)

 

[peterwinston]

OK, continuing my report.

Week 1​

So week 1 was scary in the sense that progress was slow. Some days felt better than others. Certainly by the 3rd time on the bike I could start and pedal. Once I got going though it was hard to keep a decent straight line and turns were all over the place.

Week 2​

I think the second week is where I really picked up speed. That week the high school was off on vacation and there is a parking lot down the street from me so I spent week two generally there.
I practiced just riding around as comfortably as I could. I tried (sometimes successfully) to turn into a lane or hit a line where I meant to. And I did low speed turns and figure 8s with pretty poor control. But every day got a little better.
Adjustments: Oh, I'll also mention that early in week two I realized that the seat on the bottom needed to be indented upward as I kept feeling like I was sliding off. That adjustment helped a lot. I made a couple of other adjustment tweaks as well.
Issue: Toward the end of week 2 I was freaking out a bit as the shifting was all over the place. Skipping gears and such, but not in ways that made sense to me. Long story short, after bring the bike to my work area and attempting twice to adjust the shifting (and checking that the derraileur hanger wasn't bent - the Interwebs kept telling me to check it, but it wasn't bent!) I finally realized that the axle attaching the wheel was a little loose! That behaved sort of like the hanger being bent, but in a weird way. Once I tightened it properly, I was able to dial shifting in again pretty quick. So as mentioned in the first post - check those wheel attachments before every ride!

Week 3​

Week 3 (last week) was where I started finally making real progress. I had "touched" a couple of nearby hills with a little success in week 2. But in week 3 I spent much more time riding the quiet streets in my neighborhood. Taking it easy. Focusing on maintaining lines and proper turns and practicing short hills. By the end of the week hills felt pretty good. Then I realized that one of the toughest hills on my normal rides is just across a substantial road so I should try it. I "sort of" did it the first time, but really struggled and was all over the road, but that felt huge! In week 3 I went back to that hill a couple more times and the last time I did it I maintained a good line and got all the way up without stopping. Even on my diamond frame bike, I'd frequently stop on the hill for a pause. Can I start from a stop on that hill? No .
Another fun milestone in week 3 is I took the bike to the Bronx River greenway (no cars!) and rode it for 3 miles, just to get a feel and practice riding on the ups and downs and a narrowish path.
This week is starting out well. I got a much longer ride on the greenway! I'll report next week on week 4.
I can't believe it's been only 3 weeks! Feels like longer.

If you are a fellow newbie - take heart. It may feel crazy those first few days, but hopefully in 3 short weeks you'll be feeling much more confident.
As for me, I'll know I've truly arrived when I take up my usual routes again - hopefully soon.

 

[peterwinston]

Here's a few random thoughts:
1. On the greenway were some "going under bridge" or over wooden bridge spots where the instructions were to dismount. On my A4x, I just "fred flintstone" walked them. Perfectly safe for all and nice for me!
2. Bumps: Went over a few substantial bumps on purpose - not bad. The suspension is pretty good. That said, I'll be keeping an eye on this. On a diamond frame bike your whole body is basically a shock absorber when you stand on the pedals. Can't do that on a recumbent. But again, I'll have a better idea on this later.
3. When you have to walk it... it is so much nicer to walk a cruzbike somewhere. With the pedals way out front and the weight up front you just guide the cross point of the steering and the boom and it's super easy. No tripping or hitting your ankles or shins on pedals. An unexpected plus.

 

[peterwinston]

Week 4 report
Not as much riding this week, but continued my journeys on the Bronx River Greenway, with up to 50 minute rides and a somewhat better pace.
One day, was post rain and the path was not really wet but not completely dry. I definitely focused on allowing speed to pickup downhill as well as getting up hills without stopping and/or starting on hills when needed.
I think that ride was the most I've noticed slippage going up hill other than starting from a stop. It wasn't a lot, but then the hills weren't the steepest either. Not a huge issue, but tedious when it causes me to stop and have to start on a hill which was challenging. I can usually do it after 2 or 3 tries. Sometimes I had to push to a slightly less steep spot.
I have a feeling it will get easier. It feels like it is related to torque (probably obvious) and better muscle control and going down to a low gear, but not always the lowest, will probably improve that situation.
I had hoped to get one of my normal road routes in, but not quite yet.
Also hoping to get some grass practice rides to improve my control over bumps and steering at slow speeds.
On another note, I tried MKS pedals hoping they would reduce slippage. I don't think they helped that much tbh. I may just go with my Gewage pedals (the kind with spikes). I know those will work. I was just hoping I could avoid them as I'd like to ride in hiking shoes and it'll tear those up a little faster. Anyway, I should probably just wear my stiff sole biking sneakers unless I know I'm going to stop and hike on my way someplace. (And before you ask, I'm not interested in clipless - just not for me.)

 

[peterwinston]

If I have your attention... any recommendations on hydraulic brakes would certainly be appreciated. I'm doing my research, but there's a lot of options out there. :/

 

[Boreen bimbler]

Re. wheelspin on hills. It's just about learning to pedal smoothly but obviously there are limits to FWD. You can also lean forward. You seem to forget about all these things eventually as it becomes more natural feeling.
I know you don't want to clip in but I found it really helps control and hills.
Have fun.

 

[Tuloose]

, I tried MKS pedals hoping they would reduce split. I don't think they helped that much tbh. I may just go with my Gewage pedals (the kink with spikes). I know those will work. I was just hoping I could avoid them as I'd like to ride in hiking shoes and it'll tear those up a little faster. Anyway, I should probably just wear my stiff sole biking sneakers anyway unless I know I'm going to stop and hike on my way someplace. (And before you ask, I'm not interested in clipless - just not for me.)

You might look into purchasing Catalyst pedals. They are designed so you pedal with your arch instead of the ball of your foot
I have them on my T50 and my S40 and they really make a difference.

 

[peterwinston]

You might look into purchasing Catalyst pedals. They are designed so you pedal with your arch instead of the ball of your foot
I have them on my T50 and my S40 and they really make a difference.

That is interesting. Feels like you are giving up any effort your calf muscles may provide. That said, I may have to try those! Thanks.
The pedals I'm switching back to have the pins like those do but it isn't designed for pedaling the same way as those catalyst pedals are.

 

[peterwinston]

Re. wheelspin on hills. It's just about learning to pedal smoothly but obviously there are limits to FWD. You can also lean forward. You seem to forget about all these things eventually as it becomes more natural feeling.
I know you don't want to clip in but I found it really helps control and hills.
Have fun.

Maybe I'll get there someday on the clipless.

I will say I had an excellent ride today and didn't have to stop on a hill once. Only one brief wheel slip but it didn't cause any control loss. Granted these weren't the toughest hills - only a couple of brief spots would I call steep.

 

[Frito Bandito]

I've only had wheel slip a few times and luckily enough they were minor and I was almost perfectly upright so there was no over correction errors causing a pucker factor spike.

 

[peterwinston]

That is interesting. Feels like you are giving up any effort your calf muscles may provide. That said, I may have to try those! Thanks.
The pedals I'm switching back to have the pins like those do but it isn't designed for pedaling the same way as those catalyst pedals are.

I just got these pedals. Will try on my next ride:
Look Geo Trail Grip Bike Pedals

https://a.co/d/0dHRpAf7

I plan to ride with lightweight hiking shoes on so I can easily stop at trails for a hike along my way or generally walk anywhere without have to deal with clipless shoes. The Gewage spike flats I used on my previous diamond frame would tear the shoes up. These Look pedals have vibram spikes instead so hoping that will be good.

 

[peterwinston]

I just got these pedals. Will try on my next ride:
Look Geo Trail Grip Bike Pedals

https://a.co/d/0dHRpAf7

I plan to ride with lightweight hiking shoes on so I can easily stop at trails for a hike along my way or generally walk anywhere without have to deal with clipless shoes. The Gewage spike flats I used on my previous diamond frame would tear the shoes up. These Look pedals have vibram spikes instead so hoping that will be good.

These Look Geo Trail Grip pedals with the vibram spikes worked out pretty well. These will stay for now.
Although, I have to say that at some point I may really have to try clipless. Starting to feel like that may really be a better option overall.

 

[peterwinston]

Let's call this my week 5+ report. A really eventful and good week for me. This will probably be my last "learning journey" report tbh - I feel like I'm "there"!
Highlights this past week:
- More rides on the Bronx River Bike/Walking trail. The big news is I went all the way down the trail and back again in one ride (took about 1.5 hours not including a couple of stops to smell the roses and take selfies near the picturesque waterfalls). I don't remember the last time I was on the bike for more than an hour in a single day! (Note that I had a fairly serious elbow fracture, followed by an elective achilles heel surgery later that year so I was off riding for 1.5 years+ and very hesitant when returning). This was a huge win and felt really comfortable.
- I did my first proper road ride on one of my old favorite routes. Not a huge interaction with cars, but definely some (all was on road). Felt good, felt comfortable - another big milestone
- Finally, today I did another of my old favortie routes - I refer to it as my "exercise loop" as there is no destination I'm stopping at. Also, it is almost all uphill/downhill repeated over and over. Most of the hills are mild - there are two "long hills" with a steep decline followed by a steepish incline (talking no more that 12% though, nothing extreme) and a couple of short/steep hills sprinkled in. More car interaction on this road, but only for short stretches. The result? Felt significantly more comfortable/safe using Cruzbike vs. my Diamondframe MTB. I was worried about feeling less comfortable picking up speed on downhills (I'm definitely a scardy-cat rider). I'm happy to report I felt significantly _more_ comfortable and safe taking on speed downhill! Uphills feel marginally easier than on my diamond frame purely from an effort perspective, but from the perspective of being in a comfortable seat I would say hills feel much better. Of course, the ideal is not to stop on the hill so you don't have to struggle with a hill start!

Other points of note:
At speed, maintaining a line and smooth turns is easy and superior to my old bike. On steeper hills there is more wobble (although tbh that was true on my old bike to).
Regarding speed and turns... I mentioned I'm a scardy cat . But I think cruzbike may change that! I definitely felt more comfortable taking on speed downhill. There are a lot of turns on this route going downhill, but the few there were also felt much better than on a diamond frame. So, I'll be looking for a route with downhills that include turns to practice on - I may get to be fast yet!

So, as far as I'm concerned, my initial learning journey is now concluded successfully. I can ride better on my cruzbike that my prior bike. Total time was less than 6 weeks, with significant distance easy rides starting roughly week 3.

For the record of others who may stumble on to this:
I'm 60 years old. I've been riding for about 7 years, with 1.5/2 years off due to injuries/operations. I've never considered myself an especially good rider - just ok. I've always wanted a recumbent, but always struggled with the decision not just to get a recumbent, but which type. I'm glad I chose Cruzbike. I'm sure there are some areas where a rear drive or a low rider or even a trike may be better, but overall I think this was certainly best for me. I now maintain my own bikes. So, aside from comfortable riding, having a simple/short gear train is a big plus for maintenance - not to mention that istis in the front and higher up so it will pick up less junk from the road. The simpler maintenance was definitely a selling point for me.

Another thing that got in the way of pulling the trigger was which Cruzbike to pick! It's a lot of money to put down. I had almost decided to go T50 as a lower cost entry point that would be good for my normal road/exercise riding, but less good for future endeavors. When A4x came in, that won me over as a bike that would be just great for my road riding, but also something I could grow with and eventually do longer tours and such, potentially with some offroad/gravel type riding included.

Hope this was helpful!

 

[chicorider]

Well done! 10 years ago, 27 years of riding DF bikes finally caught up to my lower back and sent me looking at recumbents, with extreme reluctance. I blindly pulled the trigger on a V20, struggled through 1,000 miles of learning curve, and came out the other side actually glad that back pain led me to Cruzbike. Enjoy the ride.

 

[peterwinston]

Well done! 10 years ago, 27 years of riding DF bikes finally caught up to my lower back and sent me looking at recumbents, with extreme reluctance. I blindly pulled the trigger on a V20, struggled through 1,000 miles of learning curve, and came out the other side actually glad that back pain led me to Cruzbike. Enjoy the ride.

That's awesome. And it reminds me that my next action is going to slowly lower the backrest. I tried it on one test ride and I definitely think I'm going to settle on a significantly lower incline than where I am now. That too surprised me.

 

[kizarmynot]

That's awesome. And it reminds me that my next action is going to slowly lower the backrest. I tried it on one test ride and I definitely think I'm going to settle on a significantly lower incline than where I am now. That too surprised me.

Great to hear about your learning experience. This may be obvious but I’ll mention it anyway - changing the seat angle will likely require a change to boom length and maybe even bar height. (A lesson learned when I began experimenting with my Q)