Day into Night Down Under - Did John Finally Release the New Vendetta?

Eric Winn

Zen MBB Master
I understand day turned into night down under yesterday. Is this John's way of announcing he has finally released the newest version of the Vendetta? Or was this just an unrelated random event of the cosmos?

:)

-Eric
 

John Tolhurst

Zen MBB Master
Unrelated random event. 
We


Unrelated random event.
We are having difficulty with the new manufacturing process for the mainframe, unfortunately.
 

Andrew 1973

Zen MBB Master
FORMABILITY AND HYDROFORMING OF ANISOTROPIC ALUMINUM TUBES

Pages 26 & 27 shows pictures of bicycles; the rest of the document might as well be narrated by Charlie Brown's teacher as far as I am concerned.
 

Eric Winn

Zen MBB Master
Yes, materials science can be

Yes, materials science can be really tedious but since this study was designed to improve failure prediction in hydroforming aluminum tubes perhaps there is an "aha!" moment buried in there somewhere for John or someone on his team.

You might ask your dentist on your next visit about what he or she had to learn about materials science in dental school. They have to learn quite a bit about this stuff.

-Eric
 

Andrew 1973

Zen MBB Master
One problem

I have a fear of dentists, so under the influence of Valium, I am not coherent enough to ask such questions :)
 

John Tolhurst

Zen MBB Master
Excellent article - but well

:) Excellent article - but well beyond me.
In the history of mechanical art two modes of progress may be
distinguished - the empirical and the scientific. Not the practical and the
theoretic, for that distinction is fallacious; all real progress in mechanical
art, whether theoretical or not, must be practical. The true distinction is
this: that the empirical mode of progress is purely and simply practical; the
scientific mode of progress is at once practical and theoretic.

I am in the practical. The HF team is certainly experienced.
 

Eric Winn

Zen MBB Master
Yes, my eyes pretty much

Yes, my eyes pretty much glazed over with the math but some of the rest of it was making a bit of sense and intrigued me. Especially since I live in the Detroit area where hydroforming has been making inroads over the past decade or so. I've wanted to be able to watch and learn more about hydroforming and am really excited about you using it for the Vendetta.

I was intrigued when I first stumbled across the Cruzbike web site while trying to learn more about recumbents. I found the more I learned about all the different bents the more I kept coming back to the Cruzbike because it just seemed to make more sense.

Then I had the opportunity to ride a Silvio - which utterly convinced, delighted, and captivated me. Your talents stretch far beyond the practical and I'm grateful for what you've created as I've never had so much fun on a bicycle.

Dr. Dan may have some thoughts about my teasing you with my association of a total solar eclipse with the arrival of the newest Vendetta but all I can say is I find them both to be magical and amazing.

-Eric
 

Eric Winn

Zen MBB Master
Now this is magical and amazing

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psychling

Well-Known Member
With practical implications ...

I still think this is a great place to put a bladder to carry water.
 

John Tolhurst

Zen MBB Master
We have successfully produced

We have successfully produced a dozen HF tubes. A statement we have worked for over a year to achieve. Now pushing through to weld the frame. Kudos to anyone who can figure out what these little things are. A pair will be indispensable to any new Vendetta owner.
DSCN7224_cr.jpg width: 1215px; height: 814px;
 

Eric Winn

Zen MBB Master
Frame mounted headrest

Frame mounted headrest brackets because the seat is now carbon fiber which isn't fond of point loads...

-Eric
 

Jim Gerwing

Well-Known Member
Rumpelstiltskin

Does this mean that the vendetta is in production and that I can expect it in the mail in 40 days? Is there a timeline you can suggest?
kind regards, jim
 

John Tolhurst

Zen MBB Master
Hi Jim, 
Yes, in production


Hi Jim,
Yes, in production now. Should be shipipng within three weeks.

okay, here's the answer to the puzzle.
DSCN3989m.JPG  height: 768px;
 

Eric Winn

Zen MBB Master
Not fair! You left out some

Not fair! You left out some bits.

That is very clever, looks like a scissor jack used as a clamp to secure the headrest position. Good on you, John!

I made a bad assumption that the headrest tubes were still going to be external and kept looking at that picture of the frame on the Cruzbiking Australia Facebook page trying to figure out what the concaved, large radius edge opposite the large holes was meant to do...

Questions and a comment:

  • It looks like you need to remove the seatback pan for access and adjustment. Is this the case? If so, what are the steps to remove the seatback pan? My question assumes you remove seatback pan and cushion, loosen the clamp, adjust the headrest height, put seat bits back, check fit, repeat. Can you rest the seatback pan on mounting tabs without fastening it down and lay on it to check fit without the seat bits squirming around? Or do you need to secure the seat bits before laying on it?

  • For those folks who have and use a headrest, do you ever fiddle with the fit after you have it set? If not then the question above is pretty moot as it is largely a one time exercise.

  • I wondered about flipping the scissor clamp over and having a knurled knob extending through the bottom of the frame tube and pushing against one of the top cross pieces but then immediately thought of all of the road muck that gets thrown up on the back of the Quest when it is messy out. And drilling a hole in the apex of the triangle and pushing against a cross piece would likely weaken and bend things...
I'm really liking that new frame tube. The FB pic did not make it clear the tube was sort of a rounded triangle. Very cool.

-Eric
 
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