Hello, recumbent noob

brokemyback

brokemyback

Well-Known Member
Time to introduce myself. I'm here with a recumbent after crashing my DF bike and breaking my back on my birthday last year. I'm guessing at a career mileage of 100,000 or so, riding road bikes off and on since 1972. During that time I had two big broken bones, both by flying over the handlebars, one femur and one vertebra. Enough is enough!

Thanks to all the guys who have already helped me get my Silvio 2.2 frame built up! My wife snapped this photo on the first day after getting the last bits assembled. Please excuse the white socks, nasty car repair jacket, clumpy tennis shoes and no helmet. The tips on learning to ride a MBB have been very helpful, especially the "shift your shoulders opposite" tip. I thought I was losing my mind with the bike shooting off in the wrong direction! I'll try to chronicle my learning over on the "learn to ride" thread.

And I'll change this picture the minute I get a decent one! I already got the BB moved further out, and pulled the handlebars closer. Planning to get the extension installed tomorrow. And I got around the block wearing cleats this evening. I can't wait to get smooth enough to get down the bike trail in a straight line.

IMG_4147_zpsqqdn8ljg.jpg

FullSizeRender%208_zpsrmzm1k0e.jpg
 
Last edited:
1happyreader

1happyreader

zen/child method
There are soooo many things we have forgotten about learning to ride a bike as kids.
not the skills but the process. try and enjoy being that child with a new experience.
If you are in a hurry to leave the parking lot be sure you can do stalls ( almost stops without putting the foot down )
now that you are rolling check what effect the little things have on your new balance: drink bottle , signal turns, tug on shorts, adjust position on seat. IMHO these are things we miss cuz we wanna go FAST.
You got the smile and chin up down pat !! LOL
later,,,, bye
 
brokemyback

brokemyback

Well-Known Member
No good pics from today, but my wife did shoot this clip on the way back from the walking trail.
Traffic is just about terrifying since I can't see what's coming up from behind me (and my bike control is very shaky!). I'm shopping for mirrors!

 
Bruce B

Bruce B

Well-Known Member
The Spy Mirror is slightly convex so the field of view is good. Because it has so little mass it does not vibrate so the view to the rear is usually very stable.

I also use two which I find especially good on curving roads and trails.
 
ReklinedRider

ReklinedRider

Zen MBB Master
Bush & Miller Cyclestar mirrors are also great alternatives. See Robert Holler's thread in the Vendetta forum (Robert's V20 Build). Wider field of view than Zefal, high quality optics, but more effort to mount.
 
brokemyback

brokemyback

Well-Known Member
To quote Blazing Saddles "It's Twoo, it's Twoo!" The Silvio is a fast bike!!
I read all the stories about the Silvio being fast, but I'm a skeptic, I admit. Last Sunday I finally got the nerve and joined my old bike group for a 25 mile loop for the first time. Since I broke my back last year I have ridden a DF bikes exactly zero. During the last year I rode my new Silvio around the neighborhood for two weeks in 15 minute "sessions". Then rode it up the hiking trail a total of three times with the longest ride being 15 miles (one time). Needless to say, learning to balance a Cruzbike does not constitute any aerobic conditioning!
Well, Sunday's ride was fantastic. I stayed at the back of the 9 man paceline out of concern for my slightly erratic road handling skills. I quickly learned a) there's no draft behind me, and b) I was coasting! It took very little effort to stay connected to the pace line. Halfway through the ride I got bored at the back of the paceline, and pulled up beside the lead rider and paced him for a few miles. I wanted to get my legs working a little bit and the pace was easy to maintain at the front. I finally asked him what our speed was, expecting 17-18 mph. Nope. "We're doing 22 mph". Whooohoo! I had no idea! I finished the ride, hanging with the hammerheads at the front as they shucked off the weaker riders. I even made a run at the finish sprint, but the front three riders had too much distance to close the gap.
When I headed out with my group on Sunday, I fully expected to be lagging off the back due to my one year absence from cycling. The Silvio completely offset my lack of training. I can see that I'll be challenging the racers in the group by mid-summer when I get my legs back. Wow, what a bike!
 
LarryOz

LarryOz

Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
brokemyback said:
I can see that I'll be challenging the racers in the group by mid-summer when I get my legs back. Wow, what a bike!
Click to expand...
Nice ride report and story - I'm sure we'll here more great ones from you come summer time!
Now you need to change you screenname from "brokemyback" - to - "mysilviorocks", or something similar! :p
 
brokemyback

brokemyback

Well-Known Member
Bruce B said:
The Spy Mirror is slightly convex so the field of view is good. Because it has so little mass it does not vibrate so the view to the rear is usually very stable. I also use two which I find especially good on curving roads and trails.
Click to expand...

As usual, I should have just listened to advice. I tried a tiny mirror to stick inside my glasses, I tried the dorky mirror on a wire stuck to my helmet, I tried a bar-end mirror...and finally tried one Spy Mirror mounted to the handlebar. Success. I can spot cars at a distance quickly. Mounted to the handlebars it's perfectly in my line-of-sight. (Unlike the mirror-on-a-stick). The lens curvature is good, not too distorted. I also realize now why I need a LH and RH mirror. Right mirror is necessary to check for bikes in my blind spot in a paceline.
 
DavidCH

DavidCH

In thought; expanding the paradigm of traversity
That Silvio looks like great fun... wait to you get on a V20 :D

You are doing great... Just love Cruzbike. I came off the handlebars of a mountain bike the other year, it takes ages for the pain to go but once you are on the Silvio / Vendetta ... you forget everything and just get a great big grin.
 
brokemyback

brokemyback

Well-Known Member
Another "new bent rider" observation - I can brake more abruptly than DF bikes. Before you can hit the brakes hard on a DF, you must brace your arms and position your body in anticipation of braking. On the 'bent, I can grab the brakes any time I have the need...without pre-positioning my body.
 
ratz

ratz

Wielder of the Rubber Mallet
brokemyback said:
Another "new bent rider" observation - I can brake more abruptly than DF bikes. Before you can hit the brakes hard on a DF, you must brace your arms and position your body in anticipation of braking. On the 'bent, I can grab the brakes any time I have the need...without pre-positioning my body.
Click to expand...

Until.......


You wind up abruptly standing on the ground, bike between your legs; rear tire pointed to the sky; and singing 3 octaves higher :eek:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
visit our website visit our website
Top