First Silvio ride was a wash...literally

26T.

But it's on a 20" wheel. It's morally equivalent to a 36T on a 700c wheel. You can see my gearing here. (I've got a 48/38/22 matched to a 11-32 on my 26" Sofrider. The gearing is a little bit broader than my Cruzgami Mantis).

cruzigami-speeds2.png
BTW. This gear calculator is very cool. Hunted it down and set up my bike in it. Very straight forward and useful. Thanks for sharing.
 

Rick Youngblood

CarbonCraft Master
The setup with a double and a super wide converted cassette is the way to go. Sorry all, but triples and the performance Cruzbikes are not a good match no matter how you slice it, and pretty much the same range can be accomplished today on the drive wheel end.
I do agree with Robert.

Going with a triple can be done, I've done it and so have others. But in my opinion it's not a good solution, because the better solution is to go with the wide ratio compact double.

I've tried the triple on and off on the Silvio several times. In my opinion the shifting with the triple (130 x 74 BCD) is clumsy and inefficient because the 6mm offset of the BB to clear the BB clamp.

I've also tried the 130 x 92 BDC Shimano Triple Cranks. It's a 2-piece chainring with integrated middle and granny. The granny is 92 BCD is bolted to the middle chainring, so it will clear the BB clamp. Only Shimano Tiagra and Ultregra triples offer the integrated 92 BCD triples. This system shifts much better than the 6mm offset alternative and is okay. But you can't use Q-rings for middle and granny, they won't work. And it's the same gear inches as the above mentioned custom wide ration compact drive system.
 
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super slim

Zen MBB Master
I realize that most USA Cruzbike riders use Sram, due to the rear derailleur lock, and the Front Yaw, which is limited to a double crank set.

Using the proposed best and only solution of a 110 bcd Compact double crankset with a 34 T Qring and a 50 T Qring and a 42 to 13 rear cassette, weighing 1,122 grams, only 36 grams lighter than Tiltmanic's solution, and creates a 21.5" to 101" Gear Inch Range, 7.4 Kph (4.6 mph) at 60 Cadence to 58 kph (36 mph) at 120 cadence, and 13 effective gears.

Tiltmaniac's 74+110 bcd Compact double
very wide range crankset with a 27 T Qring and a 50 T Qring and a 42 to 11 rear cassette, weighing 1,158 grams, and creates a 17.8" to 125" Gear Inch Range, 5.1 Kph (3.2 mph) at 60 Cadence to 72 kph (45 mph) at 120 cadence, and 15 effective gears.
It needs to be offset 6 mm due to the 74 BCD clashing with the BB suspension Clamps. It does not seem to had been a problem with gear changes.

I am a devoted and unashamed 153 mm triple user, as due to my low power output, and slight weight problem, I need a 18.5" gear to climb 12% inclines!

Super Slim's solution is a 74+110 bcd TRIPLE
very wide range crankset with a 24t , 39 T Qring and a 53 T Qring and a 34 to 11 rear cassette, weighing 1,181 grams, only 59 grams heavier than the compact solution, and creates a 18.5" to 132" Gear Inch Range, 5.3 Kph (3.3 mph) at 60 Cadence to 76 kph (48 mph) at 120 cadence, and 18 effective gears.
I use this triple on my Silvio V1.0, with no problems at all, but there are no suspension clamp clearance problems, as they are inside the external BB bearings.
On the Silvio V2.0 and later, it needs to be offset 6 mm due to the 74 BCD clashing with the BB suspension Clamps that now clamp directly to the External bearing cups.

In the past, approx. 2 year years ago, 74 bcd triples were used, and there were no reported problems with gear changing.
Rick has reported problems recently, so I would be interested in the exact problems.

The reason for the interest is that I bought two 153 mm FSA Gossamer triple crank sets with no chain-rings from Bikesmith, and used one on the V1.0, with the second for the S30 when I buy it.
If there are gear changing problem, I will buy 27 T and 50 T Qrings instead of 39 T and 53 T Qrings.

See the attached summary sheet.pdf below.

I used Ultegra compact, double, and triple cranks with standard rings and XTR cassettes, so all the weights would be due to the design changes, and not improvements in quality/weight with different models.
 

Attachments

  • 2015 05 17 Silvio Gearing SUMMARY.pdf
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Rick Youngblood

CarbonCraft Master
SS, because you already have purchased the FSA triples, you have nothing to loose to give it a shot and see what you think.

I'm in my big ring most of the time, that's where I like to start from for dead stops, big to big. But with the 6mm offset, the tinniest movement backwards drops the chain from big cog to it's smaller brothers and sisters. This would annoy the heck out of me. Also the cross chain from big to big is even that much more. And not a whole lot of crank spindle to attache the left side crank arm to at least for the FSA Gossamer.

If you try the 74 BCD triple 6mm offset compromise and it works for you with little aggregation. Then you're set. If if becomes annoying. Then the next step maybe this:

Trying the 130 x 92 BCD Shimano Tiagra triple with middle and granny integrated chainrings. The 92 BCD will clear the MBB clamp and eliminate the 6mm offset. The draw back is no Q-ring for middle and granny, and smallest arm length that I know of is 165mm. But the gear inches are in your range at 18.8 if cassette modded to 42t cog. I've done this exact set setup. And liked it much better than the 74 BCD version.

But again, I would try what you have first. And then go from there.

But there are compromise that must be weighed. Before, Silvio or Vendetta, I needed the smallest granny I could find to climb the hills in my area. On my Metabike I had it setup with 46 x 23 Q-rings and 11x36 cassette, and thought I needed the same setup for the Silvio. But I found out that I did not need the low gear inches on the Silvio that I thought I did, because it climbs more efficiently, using less power.
 

super slim

Zen MBB Master
Rick, I think there is a BIT of difference in our power levels, as I spend most of my time in the middle ring on the generally flat areas, which we have lots of in Adelaide!!
That is a LOT of chain twisting from big front +6 mm to big rear!!! I am nervous when starting in Mid, 1st, instead of
After using 153 mm cranks in 2010 with the Quest, I will NEVER go back to dark side of long cranks!!
I am watching Lief's great experiment with shorter cranks with interest!

Why no Q ring on the granny and middle, as I have a 39T Q ring on the middle, that works, but is slow changing to the 24T, as there are no pins or ramps on the left side, as it is the inner of a 53/39 Q ring pair.
 

castlerobber

Zen MBB Master
I got hold of an X7 long-cage derailleur, just need to install it. Until then, as long as I make sure I'm on a large enough cog when I upshift the front, the shift is smooth and doesn't overshoot.

Several times on my rides this week, I've felt like I was slogging along on the flats at about 12 mph; but when I looked down at the Garmin, to my surprise, it read 15 or even 16 mph. So I'm definitely getting a speed improvement, even when I'm not really trying to go faster. I don't imagine I'll be smoking any roadies (LOL), but I did chase down one guy on a hybrid this morning on the MUP.

Here's how the Silvio looks so far. The underseat bag works well, but it needs a little help staying away from the rear wheel, hence the red Velcro strap.

IMG_0237 crop.jpg
 
Several times on my rides this week, I've felt like I was slogging along on the flats at about 12 mph; but when I looked down at the Garmin, to my surprise, it read 15 or even 16 mph.
Heh - I had that experience Saturday. The speedo was telling me 15-17 and I thought it was screwed up or had the wrong wheel size or something. Turned it off to see what the GPS said and it agreed with the speedo - I was pleasantly surprised :)
 

jond

Zen MBB Master
Ugly hills I've got in abundance. The nasty piece of work on the south side of my house maxs out at just under 19% grade and has an S curve in the middle of it.

My goal is not to climb walls on my bike. If I need to walk a steep grade, I don't have a problem with that. My goal is to be able to handle the occasional steep segment without popping my heart rate into an unsustainable level. What I've found in my very limited riding experience on the Vendetta is that blowing up on a hill causes the subsequent riding to be very unstable. My ability to maintain my center of gravity while past the threshold is almost impossible because my lungs are heaving and my muscles are all quivering.

It boils down to being able to handle up to 16-18% grades. Right now I'm maxing out between 13-14% with my low end at ~30 gear inches. There are just too many local hills with segments in that 13-18% range. Adding 8 gear inches to my low end will enable me tackle most of them and work on my fitness. The Vendetta/Cruzbike geometry climbs so much better than a RWD recumbent and I can climb these hills on my RWDs with that same low end.
if you really loved your bike , bike budget and knees you would move house abbot. that is fair . sorry could not resist.
 

ReklinedRider

Zen MBB Master
castlerobber the red q ring looks really cool along with your other red accents. Even the red velcro strap adds in!

Btw that's a great looking bottle mount on the seat behind your head--would you tell us the manufacturer?

Rick riding in a Speedo in Mississippi would get you arrested, if not shot on sight!
 

castlerobber

Zen MBB Master
castlerobber the red q ring looks really cool along with your other red accents. Even the red velcro strap adds in!

Btw that's a great looking bottle mount on the seat behind your head--would you tell us the manufacturer?

Thanks! Figured if I was going to have to go to the 50T ring, I might as well get the red one. I'm doing way better pushing the larger ring than I thought I would.

The bottle mount is one I had bought for the Q last year, where I could adjust the angle of the bottle relative to the mounting point:
http://www.amazon.com/SKS-Bottle-Ad...ia_yo_t_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=1RYEXB7C2KPX0W521AWN
 

castlerobber

Zen MBB Master
Another month on:

The long-cage X7 RD is installed and working well. The front shifting is much more reliable, though there's still a bit of chain rub.

After riding the Q-rings at OCP #2 for a couple of hundred miles, I thought the big ring/smaller cog combos still felt lumpy, so I rotated the outer ring to OCP #1 this afternoon. A half-hour test ride showed significant improvement: Not only was pedaling smoother, my cadence increased 5-7 rpm from previous runs on that route, and speed was up 0.5 mph. I had one rough front upshift; don't know if it was because I left the inner ring at OCP #2, or if I just didn't give the lever a good push.

It's supposed to rain off and on tomorrow. Hoping I can get a long enough ride in to verify the initial observations, and see whether I need to set the small ring to OCP #1 also.
 

Martinius Berg

Active Member
Good day to you Castlerobber.
I would like to have your attention to the following products from Roswheel. The bags are waterproof and very usable for recumbents as its possible to mount them on almost every tube on the bike This is what they look like : roswheel bicycle mobile phone touch screen bag frame tube bag
I bought one myself and they are big enough to have an I phone , keys and small stuff in there. Its possible to use them as mobile bike map reader bag to. The straps are good and they tighten well.

Friendly regards Martinius.


It was raining when I picked my new-to-me Silvio 1.5 up from the LBS yesterday, so I was determined to get at least a short ride in this afternoon after work. I hadn't been on the road more than 10 minutes when dark clouds started moving in from the north. I turned for home and started trying to put on some speed; but between my inexperience with DoubleTap shifters and the already-iffy shifting (my fault, poorly matched components), I managed to throw the chain off the big ring just as the downpour started. Fortunately, a man working in his yard across the road saw that I was having trouble and invited me in to wait out the rain with him and his family. (It's a small town, his wife's aunt goes to church with my husband, or some such.)

Half an hour after I got home from that failed attempt, the sun had come out and the storm clouds were gone, so I headed out again. The Silvio handled just as well as I remembered from the test ride in January. I rode 7 miles at an average of 12.9 mph. Not exactly blazing speed, but within 0.2 mph of my road bike speed on the same course last week. I stayed in the small ring the whole time; if I had been confident enough to shift into the big ring for the flats and downhills, I believe I could have easily surpassed my road bike time.

I still have some fine-tuning to do. I've worked out an exchange of my undersized outer chainring for a more suitable one. The reach to the pedals is a bit short, and the reach to the brifters is a bit long, but those are easily remedied. I also need to find a small bag that will fit under the seat for phone, keys, spare tube, etc. The Fastback Norback frame bag looks like it might work, but suggestions are always welcome.

Once I get things like I want them, I'll post pictures.
 
Good day to you Castlerobber.
I would like to have your attention to the following products from Roswheel. The bags are waterproof and very usable for recumbents as its possible to mount them on almost every tube on the bike This is what they look like : roswheel bicycle mobile phone touch screen bag frame tube bag
I bought one myself and they are big enough to have an I phone , keys and small stuff in there. Its possible to use them as mobile bike map reader bag to. The straps are good and they tighten well.

Friendly regards Martinius.

I have a couple of those - they work great on other bikes. Only place on the Silvio is under the boom upside down:
11378820_638061362962529_1518430519_n.jpg

If I hook it to the boom or bike between my legs, my inner thighs hit it.
 

Martinius Berg

Active Member
I hook the Roswheel bag under the seat upside down. Looks like the weather is great for a ride in Baton Rouge today. Nice bike b.t.w. Went fore a spin yesterday in my village where there is a timber , wood products festival going on . On my stroll through the center with the bike i got a lot of positive questions about my Challenge high rider recumbent. Some had never seen one before , especially the small kids where very interested which is nice :) .
 

Martinius Berg

Active Member
Adjustment shifter jaw and derailer ;

Clean the derailed system well at first an have some fresh bicycle lubricant on the chain.
Check the cable shifter function if works properly.

The shifter jaw operates well when putting it in line with the biggest chain wheel. Clearance of the jaw is aprox. 3 - 5 mm above the biggest chain wheel when pulling the jaw with cable in position.
Dearailer : Have the chain on the biggest tooth wheel and adjust with the + or - so the chain comes paralel with the chain wheel , do so the same operation when shifting to smallest tooth wheel. The tooth wheel have to crab the chain exactly in the middle !

Easy peasy Martinius.
 
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