First ride - questions

[DavidElvig]

I’m a 30-yr veteran on a Vision recumbent
I did a 3-mile Cruzbike ride 2 days ago, and a 12 mile today. I have a new Q45.

1 - my tailbone is sore. Is that normal and temporary?

2 - starting up from stopped is quite wobbly, kind of as expected. Likewise, any acceleration or pushing up hill requires a lot of push and/or pull with the arms to counter the turning force of pedaling. Is that something that could improve with practice, or are there specific techniques to try? Otherwise, I’m gonna have to get some pipes!

Thanks!

 

[ReklinedRider]

I’m a 30-yr veteran on a Vision recumbent
I did a 3-mile Cruzbike ride 2 days ago, and a 12 mile today. I have a new Q45.

1 - my tailbone is sore. Is that normal and temporary?

2 - starting up from stopped is quite wobbly, kind of as expected. Likewise, any acceleration or pushing up hill requires a lot of push and/or pull with the arms to counter the turning force of pedaling. Is that something that could improve with practice, or are there specific techniques to try? Otherwise, I’m gonna have to get some pipes!

Thanks!

1) tailbone should get better. you can always change the seat back angle on these if it doesn't.

2) a Cruzbike has a steep but fairly short learning curve. The best way to get better is to go to the Cruzbike home page, scroll down to the very bottom, and under 'Questions' click on 'How to ride a Cruzbike'. That's an excellent video, step by step, on riding a Cruzbike. Once you follow all those steps and practice in the way it tells you, things will be a LOT better. As for the wobbly starts, once you've followed the video instructions and you're a bit more comfortable with the bike, using cleated pedals so you can one-legged pedal until you get up some speed while using the other leg to help balance works well for many of us, especially on uphill starts and starts on wet pavement.

 

[DavidElvig]

Thanks!

I watched the videos.
Should I expect that the Cruzbike will alway require significant coordinated arm push and pull?

 

[Frito Bandito]

Thanks!

I watched the videos.
Should I expect that the Cruzbike will alway require significant coordinated arm push and pull?

Not always. After getting used to it you'll be able to keep it pretty straight. No worries though. Everyone looks like a newborn giraffe in the beginning.

 

[castlerobber]

Should I expect that the Cruzbike will alway require significant coordinated arm push and pull?

It will improve. You'll get to where you can take one hand off the handlebars without thinking about it and keep a straight line. You may even find one day, after some practice, that you can ride no-hands.

 

[chicorider]

After years on a CB, my arm/grip pressure is minimal, even when climbing. Over time, your legs and feet will become more and more integrated into the steering and handling, smoothing out the whole pedal stroke and requiring much less input from the upper body. I only put my arms to work when sprinting to make a green light, or winching myself up short-but-steep pitches, much like a DF rider standing to produce more power in similar situations. It did not take me years to get to this point, but about 1000 miles.

 

[DavidElvig]

Thanks, all. I'll get back on the horse today.

 

[Beano]

Point 1, honestly I don't know, you'd have thought that it would given time and the bodies ability to adapt.

Point 2, are you trying to push too higher gear? Mashing the pedals doing between 70-80 RPM will create a lot of pedal steer. Trying 95+ RPM, this should feel better and require less input from your arms.

 

[DavidElvig]

I did another 10+ miles today, after watching Robert do the two-finger start thing. I start slowly, and it’s better.
My tailbone is a bit better too.

So, easy does it, eh!?

 

[billyk]

Looks like a newborn giraffe in the beginning

very vivid image! Love it!

 

[billyk]

Yup, we all did this. I was able to stay upright right away, but feeling like I had solid control of the bike took weeks.

Good advice to hold the handlebars as lightly as you can ... but only to learn control. After that, you'll find that the ability to pull back hard on the bars is what gives the power advantage of the CB (climbing, accelerating). It's a lot different than a rear wheel drive recumbent in that way.

If you're mathematically inclined, you might enjoy this explanation of pedal steer, and why it's not such a big deal:
Thread 'Here's why pedal-steer is smaller than you think'
https://forum.cruzbike.com/threads/heres-why-pedal-steer-is-smaller-than-you-think.14396/
At least, check out the diagram at the end of the post.

 

[bladderhead]

Do you think about your pedal technique when you are on your Vision? On a Cruzbike, if you push hard when the pedal is sticking up, you apply a turning moment to the steering axis. If you push down when the pedal is pointing forward, no turning moment. I was experiencing unwanted pedal steer, but it just went away eventually. I can now ride no-hands and go round corners. I am not trying to show off, but just saying that the change happened. Mileage and time.

When you want the power do you push back against the seat? I do on my Grasshopper. I learned not to on the Cruzbike. I learned to pull the bars. Once your pedal steer problem disappears you will start using your arms for power. You will start to get the Cruzbike experience. You will start to wonder what the Vision is actually for.

Yesterday I failed to get the S40 up a gravelly steep bit and had to push it. So I still get the occasional wheel spin, but it does not dent my enthusiasm for this bike.

 

[3bs]

thankfully few people have seen how i launch or more amusingly how my first month went.

on the other hand my son, who hates cycling got on my v20 first time and rode away like he was a long timer. kids these days....

 

[Robertas]

thankfully few people have seen how i launch or more amusingly how my first month went.

on the other hand my son, who hates cycling got on my v20 first time and rode away like he was a long timer. kids these days....

Exactly the same with my son - he sit on my V20 first time and started to ride figures of 8`s.

 

[Robert Holler]

Great progress! I find the biggest issue when initially learning is getting too agressive and overthinking the grip on the bars. Relaxed and light (but controlled) is the key. Like has been mentioned once you realize that - the rest starts to come easy and you can use that upper body input to your advantage.

I would say that 90% of my personal riding is very light grip - no more than I would grip the bars on any other RWD recumbent.

 

[DavidElvig]

I'm over-the-hump enough to have ordered and installed accessories!
Still gotta watch my starts...

Thanks, all, for the encouragement!

 

[HeyHealy]

I've ridden a few different recumbents: Rans V-Rex, Cruzbike Q45, Bacchetta Carbon Aero 2.0, and now my Cruzbike S40, which I got a year ago.

Recumbents in general activate more pulling muscles than upright bikes. But Cruzbike in particular seems to really force you into a fluid push/pull motion. In the beginning, you push a lot more and that's what causes the front wheel to react. Case in point: First time I took my Q45 out for a ride, I almost crashed when I took my right hand off to reach for my water bottle.

Anyway, I suggest consciously focusing on pulling with your hamstrings on every stroke. Your push and pull should equalize so that the front wheel barely moves.

I've now gotten to the point where I can let go of the handle bars and continue pedaling. Not that I would do that for very long or reach for a water bottle without a hand on the bar. But if you can ride in a straight line hands free, you're pushing and pulling with equal power.

 

[Merczak73]

That no hands thing on a Cruzbike is for ZenCruzBike Masters! I am not worthy. I have tried it many times and have not had the guts to go through with it. Then again, I am a high cadence rider (90 and above), which makes it more difficult to ride hands free.

 

[Frito Bandito]

That no hands thing on a Cruzbike is for ZenCruzBike Masters! I am not worthy. I have tried it many times and have not had the guts to go through with it. Then again, I am a high cadence rider (90 and above), which makes it more difficult to ride hands free.

It is pretty scary. I'm on my 2nd year with my V20, and after the White Knuckles phase I just stayed in the 2 Knuckle phase for the remainder of the 1st year, and pretty well into the 2nd. However, my hamstrings were finally getting on par with my quads so I exited the 2 Knuckle phase somewhere in Spring and I am in the beginning of the No Knuckle phase so I can now coast for long distances with a little bit of pedaling. The sad thing is that when I am pedaling with no hands I keep them hovering above the bars like the weird uncle who is trying to jump scare a nephew. Luckily I wear sunglasses and a visor to hide my wide open eyes expecting the front wheel to turn 90 degrees and flip me into a bush.

 

[cpml123]

I gave up trying for no hands after 4 years of riding. I tried a few times, but they all resulted in huge wobbling going towards bushes or ground. I told myself it's overrated and moved on.