How big of a learning curve did the Vendetta take for you to get use to it??

[leeinmemphis]

Hey everyone,

I have a Vendetta with Shimano build kit ordered. I'm like a kid waiting for Christmas. I was curious if the experienced folks here would mind sharing how long it took for you to get use to riding it? I have some experience on a Bacchetta Giro 26 and Catbike Musashi. I'm just wondering what to expect for how long it took to get accustomed to the MBB and Vendetta???? Thanks.

 

[Kim Tolhurst]

V riding.

yes its like Christmas waitng for that cruzbike box to arrive.

When transitioning from previous recumbent experience it can be done simply and assuredly by following intently the First Ride instruction, www.cruzbiking.com.au

With these two lessons as basics the body does the rest.

best, Kim.

 

[leeinmemphis]

Hey Kim....yeah I had seen

Hey Kim....yeah I had seen those clips before. I didn't know if the learning curve is any steeper due to the more reclined seating position the Vendetta has.

 

[Eric Winn]

I transitioned from a

I transitioned from a Cruzbike Quest to the Vendetta. I had the Quest seatback at about 37 degrees. The Vendetta is 20 degrees. I learned to ride the Quest unsupported on rollers - spent a lot of hours on the rollers over this past winter. Got a few outdoor rides in when weather wasn't too bad.

There was no real learning curve for me from the Quest other than to notice the Vendetta steering is much lighter and quicker than the Quest.

I personally felt comfortable with the increased recline pretty much immediately. I do notice that the bike is more sensitive to movements of your head and torso at this recline. For example I can steer somewhat by tilting my head or shrugging my shoulder. So if you are getting uncomfortable and wiggle around you will probably cause the bike to go off course.

Start slow and experiment with wiggling some while reclined to find out what this is like and how to control it and you should be fine.

-Eric

 

[leeinmemphis]

well I picked up the bike

well I picked up the bike today. After several tries I was able to ride it maybe a couple hundred yards. Initial impressions are that the learning curve is going to be fairly steep on this one. I fell a few times today(one of which was just slammed down onto the road) but I guess that's to be expected. Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to actually ride it some down the road in our subdivision.

 

[Jeremy S]

Hi Lee, I personally don't

Hi Lee, I personally don't think you should be falling like that! Keep your speed low and make sure you can get your feet down when things get wobbly. Are you clipped in?

 

[leeinmemphis]

No I'm not clipped in. I am

No I'm not clipped in. I am using platform pedals for now but plan on going to spd's. I was able to get out for another ride this afternoon in a break between rain showers. On my second time out I was able to ride about 3 miles(totally guessing) and the only time I slipped was when turning around in a cove a couple of times but that was mostly due to wet pavement. Yeah I've been keeping speeds slow(prob 8-10 mph or so).

I still had a few cases of the wobbles but I figured out if I sit up a little that it helps go away. I think I also have the pedals out just a bit too long so I will shorten the boom just a bit more. Tomorrow I hope to get out some in the morning before the heat really gets out and play with it more. My Bachetta took more getting use to than from what I read online according to others. It may just be that I need to ride it for a few hours a few times to be use to it's handling characteristics. I've never ridden a MBB so it's nice not having to worry about heel strike like I do now on the Bachetta.

My upper body is pretty sore I guess from riding and being so stiff. Hopefully as I get more use to it I'll be able to loosen up.

 

[Jeremy S]

I had a death grip on my

I had a death grip on my Sofrider handlebars for a week or two, before loosening up. It will happen.

 

[paulbostick]

love cruzbike

Hey lee live in memphis also. Heard about the purchase of your bike from the peeedler bike shop.I ride my softrider every day and ordering a silvio today with scram force comp.Like to see your build call me if that ok 901 502 5052. HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ON THE VANDETA ALSO.

 

[leeinmemphis]

well I'm happy to say that

well I'm happy to say that today was much better. I'm still messing with the fore/aft of the handbars and the pedal length on the boom. I only had a couple of squirmy's this morning. I'm getting ready to eat lunch then go back out to play with it some more. I am going to end up securing the headrest to either the frame or seat. It seems to have quite a bit of play in it and I can't get a consistent spot on it due to it moving side to side.

Paul I'll give you a call later today.

 

[Kenneth Jessett]

I'm just wondering if the

I'm just wondering if the handling difficulty lays with the steering (front) wheel being 'front' heavy, which apparently takes some getting used to.

 

[Charles.Plager]

I'm just wondering if the

I'm just wondering if the handling difficulty lays with the steering (front) wheel being 'front' heavy, which apparently takes some getting used to.

I don't think it has so much to do with the fact that it's heavy, but rather you're not used to having your steering move with your feet. For pushing a Cruzbike around, one immediately notices how "heavy" the front end is. When riding it, since it's your legs on the pedals, the weight is pretty much irrelevant.

If you've never ridden a SWB recumbent before, then you also have to deal with the steering feeling "twitchy" - your center of mass is much closer to the front wheel than on a DF bike and this changes how the steering feels as well (so even if you aren't pedaling, you'll notice a big difference).

I very much recommend looking at Kim's videos if you are either (a) just learning how to ride or (b) thinking of buying a Cruzbike. I think they help a lot.

Cheers,
Charles

 

[leeinmemphis]

well I have been on and off

well I have been on and off of it all day riding for a few minutes at a time and getting the adjustments worked out. I also went ahead and put on my spd pedals/sandals. Surprisingly I felt much more comfortable with the clip on's. I did some looking online and saw what the bike shop did wrong with the backrest....so that's now worked out.

I'm getting better and better with each ride it seems. I think using the clip ons made a huge difference in comfort for me. Probably another part that I'm sure isn't helping is I still have quite a bit of weight to lose. I'm workin' it though.

 

[John Tolhurst]

leeinmemphis: " I am going to

leeinmemphis: " I am going to end up securing the headrest to either the frame or seat. It seems to have quite a bit of play in it and I can't get a consistent spot on it due to it moving side to side."

What do you mean, Lee? when you tighten the bolt in the middle of the very small scissor jack, it prevents the headrest moving. Have you done that?

 

[leeinmemphis]

John....the bike shop didn't

John....the bike shop didn't use the scissor clamp. I looked through the spare parts and didn't see it. The seat clamp must have been installed incorrectly because it was in the bottom of the frame tube. I got that part fixed last night after I found a picture of it installed last night online.

I'm having a real hard time with riding this bike. I rode it yesterday on/off pretty much all day in my subdivision. I rode like 7.5 miles or so but kept going in/out making small adjustments to the handlebar fore/aft position and the x seem. I have them both set to where I feel they need to be. I also had to remove/cut/re-install the boom because the shop didn't set it up for my x-seem and I couldn't get the pedals close enough. It was only 5 bolts so not a big deal and I only had to take off a couple inches.

Yesterday I only hit the ground once but had probably 100 times where I felt like I was going to go down. I know you guys said it has a steep learning curve but I hoped with my experience on the musashi and giro would have carried over to this bike. On my Bachetta it took me a much longer time than most to get the hang of it. I'm not throwing in the towel but I'm concerned if I'll get the hang of it.

I'm not bashing the bike at all. It's very light and I can tell it's just begging to fast. I'm a 40 y/o man with a bad back so I probably wasn't your target customer lol. I'm probably riding 8-10mph in the subdivision but I can tell if I put a couple of good turns on the cranks the bike gets up and goes.

 

[Kenneth Jessett]

Lee, maybe you need a bike

Lee, maybe you need a bike whisperer to come and calm your machine down a bit. ;-)

I'm beginning to see a business opportunity here, I'm thinking I should design some training wheels for the cruz bikes, I might make a fortune.

I'm also looking forward to the time when I can get on a vendetta and feel it wanting to 'get up and go'.

I remember the first time I drove a Lotus 7, it was twitchy fast and took some nerve to let it out and give it it's head - which I did, and without wrecking it or me. It was fantastic fast and exciting on a hairpin loop course or winding British lanes and byways.

Sometimes though one has to recognise that a particular machine is more than one can handle and move on to a more sedate pace.

Good luck with your trials and hopefully not too many more tribulations.

 

[Eric Winn]

Lee, your video you posted on

Lee, your video you posted on BROL looks like you are doing pretty well. Sounds more like bike fit and adjustment have been complicating your riding lessons.

On my Vendetta, I spent a good bit of effort sitting in it without wheels on the carpet experimenting a bunch with adjusting fit and checking clearances before I ever added the components.

When I actually started riding it this resulted in having to make only relatively minor adjustments but it still took some experimenting to find the best fit to my body. I tried to do like John Tolhurst has mentioned and did smaller, shorter rides at first "listening" to my body where it felt uncomfortable and checked to see if it was a fit issue or just using different muscles.

In some cases I found adjusting fit immediately felt better. In others it seemed more of a issue with using some muscles differently. It is a bit tricky and can be subtle to detect.

When I first test rode a Silvio, it scared the dickens out of me and there were several whups, quick foot down and near hand down to catch myself - I was being extra careful since I was test riding a seller's bike. In my own case, I found that if I relaxed and just went for it so-to-speak I did much better than when I was concentrating too hard and anticipating trouble. Disclaimer - I was a competitive gymnast and springboard diver in my younger days so I may be more acclimated to weird balance and gyration issues than others.

-Eric

 

[paulbostick]

can I help

lee give me a call I think I can offer you some good help to getting used to riding your vendata.just ordered silvio yesterday should have in two weeks until then have to keep riding the softrider.just got done with a 50 mile ride on the greenway and the greenline.

 

[leeinmemphis]

well today was a good day for

well today was a good day for learning on the bike. I rode it around the subdivision early this morning and later this evening after it started to cool down. I finally got to the point of where I could make the turns most of the time and I just need to pick my head up off the backrest a couple inches then the bike tracks fine through the turn. I'm sure this is just a comfort issue that will come with time. I woke up this morning and didn't realize just hard the falls have been on the vendetta. Both legs have several deep bruises that are soft to the touch and some road rash/cuts here and there. Hopefully my regular falling off of the v are over.

Now the big question......how hard did you guys find it to start off from a start using the pedals without doing the crab walking prior to your start??? I hope to ride it some tomorrow but rain is in the forecast.

 

[Jeremy S]

In my experience it depends

In my experience it depends on the ground slope. Flat ground or downward slope: easy to launch with the pedals (right foot on the right pedal, left foot on the ground). Upward slope: can be dodgy, even after a few years on the bike (my old Sofrider). It's important to make sure you are in a moderately low gear before launching.