At it for a month. Things they should have told me (these aren’t gripes)

[Psycholist]

I’m a month into learning to ride my S40 and it’s going well. I have a few observations that are things I either never read or that I saw before but think are worthy of repeating for emphasis. In no particular order:

> Make sure you don’t overdo your reach to the pedals. Whenever I see a video where someone is learning to ride a Cruzbike and they’re really having a lot of trouble, it’s almost invariable that they have the cranks too far from the seat. If you have to reach too much just to turn the cranks, you’ll have a very hard time steering. Sitting comfortably in the seat with your back firmly against it, straighten your leg with your foot at a right angle, your heel (ideally in socks only) should touch the pedal at its farthest point from the seat. Do this and, when you have your shoes on and your feet on the pedals in riding position, your leg should have a comfortable bend, even at the maximum reach in a turn.

> Leaning is your friend. It’s as much about leaning the bike to steer as it is about turning the bars … maybe more. Get comfortable with it.

> Because of the importance of leaning, fatter, rounder tires can make learning and getting comfortable handling the bike a lot easier. I started with 700 x 25 tires that had a taller, narrower profile. Things went OK, but I had some nervy incidents. I mounted up a set of 650b wheels with 38mm tires (minimal tread pattern). If there was a speed compromise, it was more than offset by confident handling. It made a huge difference. I’ll go back to narrower tires later when I’ve got it down.

> Starting from a standstill (hill or not). The videos on the Cruzbike site that cover this give great advice. In a nutshell, they say to make sure you’re in an easy gear, then get your dominant leg in a good power position. With a firm grip (not a death grip) on the bars, release the brakes and give it a solid go with that dominant leg. Don’t go crazy driving that leg. Just solid. And don’t go crazy pushing off with the leg on the ground. Focus on getting it on the other pedal once you’re moving. Nice and smooth. All of that will be MUCH easier if you have the bike fit properly per the first item above.

> To help you start, become hyper-aware of the need to be in an easy gear whenever you have to stop. my bike is a double chainring. I start by making sure to shift to the small ring if I anticipate a stop. Then I’ll shift the “rear” derailleur if/as needed, additionally.

I’ll add to this as I recall or realize things I think are making a difference. Feel free to add with your own comments, too. What revelations came to you while learning?

 

[Henri]

When stopping at red lights and such, with other bikes, especially fixed boom recumbents, it was nicer to keep the feet on the pedals and hold onto something with one hand. With the V20c it was better to have both hands on the handle bars, so I can push hard with the first pedal stroke. But I am a slow and hard pedaler and I was not trained in handlung the MBB, yet. Could be different now. Depends on gear selection and tire traction as well. (Today on wet roads I can be more effective with a higher gear, that does not slip as easily and gives me more distance with the first push.)

 

[Bruce B]

If starting on a hill consider pointing the bike downhill, gain speed, check traffic, and when safe turn uphill.

 

[chicorider]

All good advice. Much of it has already been said here on the forum, but as a scatter, and perhaps buried under layers of threads. Much of it is searchable (for those who have the patience), but I think it is good to occasionally to bring it all back together as a kind of refresh, as @Psycholist has done. Enjoy the ride.

 

[Robert Holler]

If starting on a hill consider pointing the bike downhill, gain speed, check traffic, and when safe turn uphill.

All great advice above by the OP. Thank you for this post!

On longer rides where there is little traffic, I always try to take a break on the opposite side of the road/direction I am climbing. Then when I need to get started again I am basically starting at a 90 to the climb - so nearly a flat grade - and across an entire lane plus of road. Plenty of room to get going and then make the gentile turn back into the climb.

This is the way.

 

[Gary123]

When stopping at red lights and such, with other bikes, especially fixed boom recumbents, it was nicer to keep the feet on the pedals and hold onto something with one hand. With the V20c it was better to have both hands on the handle bars, so I can push hard with the first pedal stroke. But I am a slow and hard pedaler and I was not trained in handlung the MBB, yet. Could be different now. Depends on gear selection and tire traction as well. (Today on wet roads I can be more effective with a higher gear, that does not slip as easily and gives me more distance with the first push.)

Just curious about what you hold on to at red lights.

 

[Frito Bandito]

I rarely do any significant climbing, and almost certainly wouldn't stop on a hill, especially the steep part. But if I did, and it was absolutely necessary to stop on a steep part I would just do the butt slide. It wouldn't bother me to not display my MBB "mastery abilities" in the least.

 

[Henri]

Just curious about what you hold on to at red lights.

In Germany the situations might be different and it mostly only applies to cycle paths next to roads, but there are often railings, sugn posts or the traffic light post itself to hold on. On the streets I have one under a bridge, where the pedestrian path is so much less deep, that I can grab the curb.

 

[Gary123]

Now it makes sense.

 

[bladderhead]

If you want to hang onto something at a red light, what about the car next to you? Then it is easy to get away from a standing start.

 

[Frito Bandito]

The door handle is perfectly situated to give you a boost.

 

[Gary123]

If you want to hang onto something at a red light, what about the car next to you? Then it is easy to get away from a standing start.

That's what I was thinking.

 

[RobertM]

A few comments from my grand and lofty experience base of 1 month and 350 miles. Please take all this with the understanding that I'm a complete newb at MMB cycling. I recently acquired a used V2K and am just getting to know it. I've been riding RWD short-wheelbase recumbents for ~ 25 years, and bicycles for almost 60, but this is my first adventure with a Cruzbike.

With regards to starting off, I second the OP's comments on the Cruzbike videos. In particular I found a comment on this video:

at ~ 2:15 about pushing on the bar very useful in getting me to think (without over-thinking) what I was doing with the pedals. A cue to make me aware of what I was doing.
For example, early on I would get into trouble in a failing start because I apparently have a tendency, as the bike is slowing, to keep applying force to the pedal at bottom dead center (the point furthest from my hip, making no torque).
I assume this is a misguided hope-against-hope effort to squeeze just a bit more torque out of a start gone bad. On an upright it more or less doesn't matter, you end up standing on the pedal. On my RWD recumbent, also doesn't particularly matter, but on the V2K it adds a healthy does of peddle steer that doesn't help the situation at all.

For start-ups particularly uphill starts, I find myself making a conscious effort to stop pushing on my starting pedal as it nears the end of the stroke. For me, for starting, making an effort to drive the pedal firmly through the ~ 75 (?) degrees of arc from about 10 degrees before the maximum torque position to 65 degrees after, and remembering to stop pushing before the bottom of the stroke made starting straight and smooth much easier.

Also, on uphills in particular, (or in high-tension starts in traffic, take-the-lane left turns at the head of the line at a traffic light) I've had some wheel spin issues. What I seem to have done is developed a habit on my other recumbent of sitting at the light, on the hill, with my dominant leg ready to drive the pedal, and my non-dominant leg on the ground pressing back against the rear-wheel brake. It seems to be a habit I've developed without knowing it. It seems this press back is unloading the front wheel enough to allow wheel spin on starts. Again, conscious effort to un-weight the foot on the ground simultaneously, or even very slightly before driving the starting pedal has eliminated the wheel slip issue on any hill I've yet tried to start on.

I used to have a tendency when coasting, or maneuvering through tight corners, to rest my feet on the pedals at BDC/TDC. This seems wrong on the V2K. Putting the feet at high and low, so both legs equally extended, makes slow speed tight corners feel more in control. Doing the same and making an effort to un-weight my feet when hitting bumps while coasting quickly seems to avoid course wiggles that come when I hit a bump with leg extended and foot resting on pedal.

So, just a few thoughts, from a very limited knowledge base. Your mileage may vary.
Enjoy the adventure, I know I am.

Bob