Jeremy S
Dude
Going into my Silvio 2.0 build, I had no experience with bike building or even maintenance, so I was determined to take my build as slowly as possible. I also expected some issues to pop up, having ordered from the first production run of a new design. Despite this, I am pretty much done and finally went for my first, short ride. Thanks to Doug and John for their tech support, and to Eric and Ivan for their build posts.
In the end I took my bike in to my local shop because there was no clearance between the chain and the fork, when in the smallest cassette cog. This is not a standard bike assembly issue, so I decided a professional should look at it. After first throwing up their hands over the unusual bike design, then checking the wheel and cassette, they gave me a 1mm axle spacer. While the bike was in the shop, I had them tune the derailleurs. In the end they refused to charge me! Later, on my ride I noticed the FD will only shift up, so I guess I got what I paid for.
Here's a photo of the mostly-finished bike:
Yes, the front tire is completely flat! A bit more on that later...
This is a pretty standard Silvio 2.0 build with SRAM Rival groupset, compact 50-34 crankset, 11-32 cassette, Cruzbike Aero 67s wheels, Continental Grand Prix 4 Seasons tires (700x25), Mountain Mirrycle mirror, and Wellgo platform pedals. White handlebar tape is on order from Nashbar (the frame came with black).
This is not my first Cruzbike. I owned a Sofrider V2 for about 5 years, before selling it in June to make way for the Silvio. I enjoyed riding the Sofrider but wanted a lighter, more compact, prettier, and faster bike with better components. The Silvio is certainly prettier, lighter, and leaner. I can't really comment on the speed yet, but I'm optimistic.
After my experience on the Sofrider, I was able to get on the Silvio and ride away with very little drama. I was a bit wobbly at first, then my Cruzbike instincts came back (it's been several weeks since I was on the Sofrider and I've been riding a DF in the meantime). I sat up straight for all the starts. I was also sitting up straight for every turn at first; after several minutes I stopped doing that, and just lifted my head a bit. The bike is comfortable and my initial adjustments, done while stationary, seem good. I will probably raise the headrest a bit.
My free tuneup at the bike shop resulted in good RD shifting, but after shifting the FD up to the large chainring it wouldn't shift back down. The Silvio worked pretty well as a 10-speed bike, with my 32-tooth granny gear on the cassette allowing me to climb some moderate hills (just pull on the handlebars and go). I will try tuning the FD myself, although I think I will need to invest in a stand to do this.
I was a bit worried that my right leg would bump into the front brake caliper while pedaling. This did not happen. Instead it brushed the cable housings, which I did not mind. I could probably shorten them or pull them to the side if it ever starts to bother me.
The roads here in the Boston area are quite bad, full of bumps and potholes, not all of which can be avoided. Despite this the ride quality was pretty good. I think the suspension is doing its job. I tend to sit up a bit when going over significant bumps and when I did this, the top of the seat back cushion flopped loudly against the seat shell. I will add a horizontal velcro strip near the top to fasten it down.
My biggest surprise came when I got back from my ride and noticed that the front tire was completely flat! I'm really not sure when that happened. Perhaps a blowout was camouflaged by the bumpy roads. I'm thinking I probably installed the tube or rim tape poorly (or my luck was just really bad on this short ride).
I have a couple of immediate issues to clean up, namely the flat front tire and the FD shifting. After that, I need to add some reflectors and/or lights (during my ride one guy was kind enough to pull over in his pickup truck, in the middle of a sunny day, and yell at me to put reflectors on the bike).
Longer term, when everything is running smoothly, I'm planning to try clipless pedals for the first time on any bike. I'm looking at Shimano A600 SPD pedals and Keen Commuter sandals. I hope to find the same power delivery and handling improvements that others have reported.
In the end I took my bike in to my local shop because there was no clearance between the chain and the fork, when in the smallest cassette cog. This is not a standard bike assembly issue, so I decided a professional should look at it. After first throwing up their hands over the unusual bike design, then checking the wheel and cassette, they gave me a 1mm axle spacer. While the bike was in the shop, I had them tune the derailleurs. In the end they refused to charge me! Later, on my ride I noticed the FD will only shift up, so I guess I got what I paid for.
Here's a photo of the mostly-finished bike:
Yes, the front tire is completely flat! A bit more on that later...
This is a pretty standard Silvio 2.0 build with SRAM Rival groupset, compact 50-34 crankset, 11-32 cassette, Cruzbike Aero 67s wheels, Continental Grand Prix 4 Seasons tires (700x25), Mountain Mirrycle mirror, and Wellgo platform pedals. White handlebar tape is on order from Nashbar (the frame came with black).
This is not my first Cruzbike. I owned a Sofrider V2 for about 5 years, before selling it in June to make way for the Silvio. I enjoyed riding the Sofrider but wanted a lighter, more compact, prettier, and faster bike with better components. The Silvio is certainly prettier, lighter, and leaner. I can't really comment on the speed yet, but I'm optimistic.
After my experience on the Sofrider, I was able to get on the Silvio and ride away with very little drama. I was a bit wobbly at first, then my Cruzbike instincts came back (it's been several weeks since I was on the Sofrider and I've been riding a DF in the meantime). I sat up straight for all the starts. I was also sitting up straight for every turn at first; after several minutes I stopped doing that, and just lifted my head a bit. The bike is comfortable and my initial adjustments, done while stationary, seem good. I will probably raise the headrest a bit.
My free tuneup at the bike shop resulted in good RD shifting, but after shifting the FD up to the large chainring it wouldn't shift back down. The Silvio worked pretty well as a 10-speed bike, with my 32-tooth granny gear on the cassette allowing me to climb some moderate hills (just pull on the handlebars and go). I will try tuning the FD myself, although I think I will need to invest in a stand to do this.
I was a bit worried that my right leg would bump into the front brake caliper while pedaling. This did not happen. Instead it brushed the cable housings, which I did not mind. I could probably shorten them or pull them to the side if it ever starts to bother me.
The roads here in the Boston area are quite bad, full of bumps and potholes, not all of which can be avoided. Despite this the ride quality was pretty good. I think the suspension is doing its job. I tend to sit up a bit when going over significant bumps and when I did this, the top of the seat back cushion flopped loudly against the seat shell. I will add a horizontal velcro strip near the top to fasten it down.
My biggest surprise came when I got back from my ride and noticed that the front tire was completely flat! I'm really not sure when that happened. Perhaps a blowout was camouflaged by the bumpy roads. I'm thinking I probably installed the tube or rim tape poorly (or my luck was just really bad on this short ride).
I have a couple of immediate issues to clean up, namely the flat front tire and the FD shifting. After that, I need to add some reflectors and/or lights (during my ride one guy was kind enough to pull over in his pickup truck, in the middle of a sunny day, and yell at me to put reflectors on the bike).
Longer term, when everything is running smoothly, I'm planning to try clipless pedals for the first time on any bike. I'm looking at Shimano A600 SPD pedals and Keen Commuter sandals. I hope to find the same power delivery and handling improvements that others have reported.
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