Howdy

Always-Learnin

Vendetta Love
Hello All,

I am a new recumbent convert having recently purchased a 2001 Rans Rocket on which to learn. I am very interested in the Silvio 2+ and was wondering what time frame I should expect for my learning curve from DF bikes?

I am loving the whole recumbent experience and am getting squared away on the differences in ride and control.

My riding experience started up again back in 2005 and I have been riding a Cervelo S2 full carbon bike since 2011. I am 59 and have developed a shoulder issue so the recumbent is a God-send.
 

Robert Holler

Administrator
Staff member
This is going to be different

This is going to be different for everyone and also depend on your determination. Some people throw up their hands after a few tries of anything new, don't change up technique when something is not working, etc etc. Others have resolve and envision success - they usually are.

These bikes are NOT hard to learn to ride. Thinking it is hard makes it hard. Don't get me wrong some things are hard but these are very intuitive in my opinion. The idea of a steep learning curve is largely a manufactured reality. My 10 year old was riding a 26" Q equipped with crank shorteners after about 2.5 minutes. Nearly all of her previous cycling experience has been on a Terratrike Rambler. Her first time trying the 200m running start race (after all of 1 hour riding time) at PIR she maintained 18 mph for 200m. She also did 2 10 mile time trials on it. She never once said to herself that it was going to be hard. She got on it and intuition took over after she saw several people riding one successfully. After a few false starts of her own she was underway.

Adults manufacture realities of the impossible.
I envision that YOU will have great success!!!! :)
 

currystomper

Well-Known Member
+1

...its not hard, just a bit different! The kids therefore pick it up quicker

be a kid at heart and have fun!

CS
 

jimbo3b

Member
No, it's not hard

I put together a short wheel base, under-seat steering bike in 2012, and rode it over 1,000 miles.

I put together a home-made conversion the summer of 2013, immediately ordered a genuine Cruzbike conversion kit, and rebuilt the bike.

I found I could ride it right away across a soccer field (a bouncy, slow ride). For your first time, it's nice to have a big open space, then you don't worry about direction, you just stay on the bike. I never fell off once while learning to ride the moving bottom bracket bike.

My commute is about nine miles per day, and that was a nice distance for sorting out riding on trails and quiet city streets. Within four weeks I rode rides of 20 and 35 miles, safely and securely, albeit without letting my concentration waver too much.

I found that it took about 500 miles and 120 days before I realized that I wasn't thinking about riding anymore--I was just going on the bike.

Good luck with your future riding!
 

Always-Learnin

Vendetta Love
Thanks all...

I appreciate the comments...

I am loving riding my Rocket...but I am already seeing that i am going to want a "faster" bike in the not too distant future.

I really would like a Silvio 2.0 but boy, the price for the frame set is killing me.

How much can I realistically expect to pay for a complete bike without the latest, greatest, components?

TIA
 

Shahmatt

Active Member
Silvio owners will no doubt

Silvio owners will no doubt give you good cost estimates.

But if the bike is too expensive, perhaps you can consider a conversion kit and build your own?

Have you considered the alternative Cruzbikes that are available - i.e. the Quest or Sofrider?
 

ratz

Wielder of the Rubber Mallet
Sources are available

How much can I realistically expect to pay for a complete bike without the latest, greatest, components?

How you define that statement as it relates to the components will really be your driver you can add a lot or a little beyond the frame prices. You have established a internal sense that the Silvio style bike will meet your riding desires and you are coming from an S2 Carbon experience. So you cost drivers will be Wheels; Brifters, Tires, Derailleurs, Safety gear, Cabling. Each item you lower the grade on will have a different impact on the result. With Wheels being the speed; and drive train being about "the clunk" in your ride.

A key item to realize is that a tricked out Silvio is going to be able to run with a Trek Project One bike and hold it's own; and it isn't going to cost you $13k, but it also isn't going to cost you $3k. So it's going to be 1 tier up from the S2's low end configuration and about the same as a decked out S2.

You can get a full bike built to spec from a number of sources including: ViteBikes, RoseCity, SpinzCycle the later two have a presence here; and I'm sure there are others; all three can ship you a complete bike and you would only have to dial in the boom. The Bent community is also pretty cool; if you can find someone local the might help you do a build.

There are not a lot of Silvios that come up used; but in the last 4 months there have been 4 by my count; 3 for ergo reasons didn't work out; and 1 person that went back to DF riding. Each one took about a week to sell; so there's time get in on the game; They hold their price well so you won't save a ton on used and you don't get to pick the components. Someone one is always upgrading, The Vendetta is looking awful tempting to me, so I'm sure there will be more used ones if you are patient.

If you want to do you own build; it's actually not that hard; and I did a complete documentation on the project including costs and a spreadsheet to let you substitute your own parts. It's over at BROL http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/showthread.php?t=104477 you have to sign up to view the pictures inline on the web; but it's free. My wife built her's using my guide. She did the frame and components all on her own and she'd never adjusted a derailleur in her life... the key was we did it in the winter and took our sweet time. Mounting tires on the rims was the only thing I had to do for her.

So you have options; but you should be able to settle in on a solid config for $4k-$6k project complete. So that's the answer to your primary question. You simply won't get under $4k with the new frame price and have something you'll want to ride when compared to your S2. (This assumes you use name brand components, I'm excluding no name clone parts as that's a personal risk tolerance decision).

Lastly you said you have a shoulder injury, you might be very well served getting a Quest 20 or 26; and trying out the platform before taking the Silvio plunge; the June sale is a great deal; the bike is complete. If you ride it; adapt and love it; then you have alot of options. If it's not compatible with your shoulder (other have had issues) you have avoided a disappointing detour. I have a bad shoulder and neck and I do fine, results vary. In either case you'll have an easy time selling it and upgrading or bailing. Quests rarely come up for sale and they vanish fast.... Or you do like we did; we have Quest's for utility riding and Silvio's for running long and sprinting. The Silvio is only getting better and better with each iteration so no harm in waiting.

For the record the guy around the corner from my house commutes on a Rans Rocket; he's 6'5" never saw a Quest before; we squeezed him on the Quest 20" and he was riding around the parking lot in 10 minutes. So it seems the Rocket to Quest is an easy transition.

That's my $1.05 on the question; estimate value to you will vary :) Oh and welcome to the bent side of life.

 

Always-Learnin

Vendetta Love
Silvio owners will no doubt give you good cost estimates.

Shahmatt,

Yes, I have... I really think that the Silvio makes more sense for the kind of riding I am expecting to do.

Thanks for the reply.
 

Always-Learnin

Vendetta Love
Sources are available

Excellent information...thanks so much.

I am already on BROL so I'll check out your post.

Blessings...
 

Robert Holler

Administrator
Staff member
Good post by ratz. That cost

Good post by ratz. That cost estimate is good, and would yield a VERY nice setup. At a given budget amount you are then only paying for (less) weight - literally counting grams - and start to pass the point of diminishing returns (my opinion of course)...

Wheel choice will play a big factor in the total cost as well.

If there is interest in getting a fully built up bike, please contact me. Thats what I do here.

;-)

Robert
 

Always-Learnin

Vendetta Love
Oh, Robert...

you wrote... "...If there is interest in getting a fully built up bike, please contact me. That's what I do here."

There is and I have tried twice using the email on your website (http://www.RoseCityRecumbentCycles.com). I also just left you a message on your Facebook page.

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