Fun on the V

[Tuloose]

I have had my Vendetta a couple of months now and I am having so much fun exploring it's speed potential.
To mount the bike I straddle the seat and then slide my butt down and forward while my chest slides down under the boom; like I imagine entering a Formula One race car is like.

Once nestled in and moving down the road the V becomes a speed demon.
I like to start at the back of a pack of riders, picking them off one by one as I work my way through the pack.
The most fun comes when I really get rolling and begin to pick off the stronger riders as they climb a hill.
If they're looking in their mirrors and see me coming they try to speed up to keep me from passing.
As I get closer they stand up, flailing at the pedals trying to prevent the inevitable.
Being passed by a recumbent while climbing is something that is not supposed to ever happen in Road Bike World

I was on a popular fund raiser ride last month - the Monster Cookie ride put on by the Salem, OR bike club.
I was rolling down the road passing almost everyone in sight when a faired & socked Gold Rush came up suddenly and passed me on a downhill.
I saw the uphill coming ahead so I didn't try to pursue the Gold Rush, confident that I would be passing him soon on the upside.
Sure enough, as soon as gravity caught up with the rider he slowed way down while I was still accelerating.

The only time I meet my comeuppance is on long, steep climbs.
I have to admit, given 2 riders of equal strength, the one on a light road bike will eventually catch & pass a Cruzbiker on a long climb - at least this 71 year old one.
I believe Jason has noticed and written on this also.

A friend noticing my new bike asked me why it was called a Vendetta and what was it supposed to vanquish?
I said it had a vendetta against road bikes

I have named my red Vendetta Maria to honor Maria Parker and because she signed her name in Sharpie on the frame.
Jim signed the bike too but his signature in white is hidden under the seat cushion on the carbon fiber seat pan.

Thanks Cruzbike for making biking fun and exciting again for this rider.

 

[RojoRacing]

Vendetta against Bikeism and not necessarily road bikes, so maybe a vendetta against the hate out there.

 

[Mark B]

I hate hate.

Sorry, somebody had to say it!

Mark

 

[Gary123]

Jim isn't as good of a name for a bike anyway.

 

[DavidCH]

How about Rambo ?

 

[Tuloose]

I started out on last Saturday's club ride with the usual group of well seasoned riders ranging in age from their 50's to 70+.
Another group of much younger amateur racers started at the same time but within the first 5 miles they were way off the front.
I left the group I was with to pursue the racers.
I caught up with them on a set of rolling hills and passed them going uphill.
This had the same effect as throwing a rock in a hornet's nest - it really lit a fire under them.
They chased me down and I was spit off the back but I had my moment of fun with them so I was a happy rider.
About 5 miles down the road I see them all gathered around one rider who has his wheel off and is rotating it around in his hands.
I stop to ask if they need help and I'm told that the rider had a flat on his tubeless tire and was trying to get the sealant to stop the leak.
The problem was that he now had a flat tire and since they were all running tubeless and therefore never expected to get a flat none of them were carrying a pump.
I ride tubeless also but I carry a spare tube and pump with me just in case.
They got the tire pumped back up, thanked me and took off.
I thought it was funny that they all had look alike carbon fiber bikes, expensive carbon wheels, $300 racing shoes and yet not one of them had a pump!

 

[RojoRacing]

I started out on last Saturday's club ride with the usual group of well seasoned riders ranging in age from their 50's to 70+.
Another group of much younger amateur racers started at the same time but within the first 5 miles they were way off the front.
I left the group I was with to pursue the racers.
I caught up with them on a set of rolling hills and passed them going uphill.
This had the same effect as throwing a rock in a hornet's nest - it really lit a fire under them.
They chased me down and I was spit off the back but I had my moment of fun with them so I was a happy rider.
About 5 miles down the road I see them all gathered around one rider who has his wheel off and is rotating it around in his hands.
I stop to ask if they need help and I'm told that the rider had a flat on his tubeless tire and was trying to get the sealant to stop the leak.
The problem was that he now had a flat tire and since they were all running tubeless and therefore never expected to get a flat none of them were carrying a pump.
I ride tubeless also but I carry a spare tube and pump with me just in case.
They got the tire pumped back up, thanked me and took off.
I thought it was funny that they all had look alike carbon fiber bikes, expensive carbon wheels, $300 racing shoes and yet not one of them had a pump!

yup most those elite type only carry a cell phone just in case because you can't claim your bike only weighs 14lbs if you have tools and a pump mounted to it. My current carbon DF wonder bike is 22lbs with a bunch of accessories mounted to it so it's far from lightweight, I always figure if my bike is slower I just need to be that much stronger. Right now I'm staying with a friend and I was tuning his bike which required me to ride it a bit. He has a Trek Emonda with no tool bag, no pump all dura ace and carbon wheels so it's very light. Just for comparison I did a quick little sprint on it after tuning it up and wow did it feel so much more snappy to accelerate on vs my 22 lb Domane. I realize it's only 6-7 lbs but it made me think that if I rode his bike on the local sunday hammer fest ride I probably wouldn't have to worry about getting dropped and I could even challenge a bit more at the front.

 

[jond]

Lol what a shame water weighs 1 mg per ml.

I hear weight weenies carry steam only in their bidons.

 

[Tuloose]

So I went out with the group of semi fast riders last Saturday for my 2nd ride since having 2 surgeries for bladder cancer.
This was a hilly ride to Kings Valley, a little community tucked in the Oregon Coast Range foothills.
The first big climb was Wren Hill on Hwy 20 just west of Philomath. I was the last one to the top where the group had stopped and as I was stowing away my jacket the group took off on the long downhill before turning off on Hwy 223, Kings Valley Hwy.
Given their 2 minute head start I didn't know if I would be able to catch them on steeply rolling KVH but I was able to see them by the time I was about 2/3 of the way to the Kings Valley Store where they planned to stop and regroup.
I passed the riders at the back and had my sights set on the lead group of three riders.
I got close to them on a downhill and thought of passing them then but decided there was no glory in a recumbent passing upright riders on a downhill so I would wait a few seconds to pass them on the uphill side.
They saw me making my move when they were part way up the hill.
They put out extra effort to hold me off but I had the advantages of momentum and surprise.
As I crested the hill one of them yelled out a friendly "way to go".
Man, I just love my Vendetta!

 

[jond]

Contrary to opinion vendettas are good for your health.

Stay well Tuloose.

Enjoy that awesome bike.

 

[bladderhead]

My Silvio, in honor of its origin, is called Bill the Bastard.