I think I want a V20....

[K7baixo]

Greetings fellow recumbent riders. I’ve been riding Bacchetta bikes for years and have been on a CA2 since 2011.

I’ve done brevets up to 1200’s but they were always an exercise in sleep deprivation for me. I was not fast, not slow but I was consistent. I gave those up and other than riding a couple of times a week, I usually just ride our Sat. club rides.

I can usually hang very well with our club riders. The average of the faster group, with our multitude of traffic rights is usually 19-20 but we’re rolling in the low 20’s. There’s another group I ride with that rolls in the 23-25-27 and I rarely, if ever, get dropped. It takes a lot of effort though.

I understand the V20 is probably faster and better suited for hills. My only concern is the change in dynamics from a rear-wheel drive that doesn’t overly impact steering to a front-wheel drive where you’re pedaling and steering the same wheel.

I’m comfortable on my CA2 in group situations. Starting, stopping, sprinting after others after a traffic light change, all comfortable. How comfortable are you V20 riders on group rides? Once you adjusted to it, is it easy to maintain control while riding with others? Is the learning curve manageable? Is it manageable from a dead stop while sprinting to catch others? The second group’s starts are always jackrabbit starts and that’s when I hit the most power - trying to catch them.

How’s your V20 in similar situations? Thanks for any input and comments!

 

[3bs]

I hate stop lights and stop signs, and the further into the ride the more I hate them. Most of this is me rather than the bike. Once you can single leg pedal, stops are really inconsequential, except having to sit up to get a clear view of traffic.

But for me personally, when I am riding hard I lose the motor control to put my leg down and hold the bike. My legs become weak and shaky for any movement but peddling. So if I have to stop, I pull both feet off. Then a have a shaky start. So I let the group pull out then i just chase back to my prior position

 

[K7baixo]

I’m pretty smooth on the restarts....just takes a bit to work up through the gears, pour on the steam and catch the group. Our stops are almost exactly a mile apart and it seems that we hit every f’ning one of them. Lol Stop, sprint, catch the group, back off a bit on the speed. I get similar leg shakes to on the leg down. It wears me out. Must be getting old(er)!

 

[jond]

Vendetta has a lower seat which is good if you’re short. This means that you will sit in between the wheels and have better aero but your head is lower so communication with df friends is a little harder. It is highly controllable comfortable and very fast bike. It is also a high quality well made bike with a great finish. It is also almost overwhelmingly supported by owners of the family company and its tribe.

Mbb requires a learning phase prescribed on home page. Once done and skilled the vendetta is as any other bike. Just potentially faster.

Any bike that weighs more is always going to accelerate a little slower . But upper body inputs on mbb allow the cruzbike to climb and accelerate potentially faster as you choose.

What’s more fun than a new bent. Especially one that’s faster than the difference.

 

[benphyr]

Welcome @K7baixo !!
I don't have a V20 so take this for what it is worth.

Yesterday I went for a ride with a friend who is a club rider of a cervelo S5 - a fairly serious racing bike. I ride a QX100 which is more of a mid-range commuter bike - heavier bike, bigger tires, aerodynamics are probably similar to the cervelo depending on his position. Most of my riding is daily work commute of 7km each way with lots of stops and starts but with no pressure to catch up to others. He has more power than me so he was using it for a "rest day" spin and will have gone for a 100km or more today.

This was my experience yesterday:
When I remembered to gear down before a stop and clipped in right away on take off then I would be accelerating faster than the pace he was using for the day. If I forgot to down shift or didn't clip in right away then it was impossible to fake it and power through to keep up away from the stop sign or light and I would have to chase a bit. My QX100 is roughly 3x the weight of his cervelo!

(I can spin when trying to accelerate too quickly from a stop if I give full power bursts at take-off. It is not at all scary just loses power. After a couple pedal strokes it is not a problem anymore - basically once moving.) Keep the cadence high and minimizes this and all sorts of problems.

I always like riding no matter which bike but end up riding the Cruzbike virtually all the time that there isn't snow. That says something.

Enjoy!

 

[K7baixo]

Vendetta has a lower seat which is good if you’re short. This means that you will sit in between the wheels and have better aero but your head is lower so communication with df friends is a little harder. It is highly controllable comfortable and very fast bike. It is also a high quality well made bike with a great finish. It is also almost overwhelmingly supported by owners of the family company and its tribe.

Mbb requires a learning phase prescribed on home page. Once done and skilled the vendetta is as any other bike. Just potentially faster.

Any bike that weighs more is always going to accelerate a little slower . But upper body inputs on mbb allow the cruzbike to climb and accelerate potentially faster as you choose.

What’s more fun than a new bent. Especially one that’s faster than the difference.

Perfect - that was my expectations. As long as it isn't overly skittish, requires a delicate touch or something that requires extra attention all the time, it's all good. As I told my wife, when I purchased my first Bacchetta, a used version, the first thought when I hit the first little hills was, "damn...this was a mistake". I spend the first few months and stuck with it knowing it would pay off based on comments from forums such as bentrider. Now, it's second nature. It's nice knowing that my efforts. should I obtain a V20, will be similarly rewarded after some initial learning curve.

 

[Tuloose]

You are bound to be a bit wiggly and nervous at first on the Cruzbike - at least I was on the Silvio 2.o I started out with.
I wouldn't recommend going on group rides right away until you can confidently ride a straight line.
There is upper body involvement on the Cruzbike which is different than your Bacchetta.

The Vendetta is a whole 'nuther kind of fast.
It must have something to do with the short chain line and the moving bottom bracket.
I think you will be pleasantly surprised after you get the learning curve thing down.

 

[RojoRacing]

"damn...this was a mistake".

My exact words after the first day of riding the V20 but look at me now.

 

[K7baixo]

You are bound to be a bit wiggly and nervous at first on the Cruzbike - at least I was on the Silvio 2.o I started out with.
I wouldn't recommend going on group rides right away until you can confidently ride a straight line.
There is upper body involvement on the Cruzbike which is different than your Bacchetta.

The Vendetta is a whole 'nuther kind of fast.
It must have something to do with the short chain line and the moving bottom bracket.
I think you will be pleasantly surprised after you get the learning curve thing down.

Thank you for your input and suggestion. I'll absolutely take your advice.

My exact words after the first day of riding the V20 but look at me now.

I still remember my first group ride with the Bacchetta. The group turned out of the parking lot and that was the last I saw of them. I rode home, ashamed, dejected but not defeated. That was pre-Ragbrai 2011. Later, the next summer in 2012, when 100 miles before lunch was "normal", I showed up for a fast Sunday ride with the club. One of the guys, who is now a friend, took one look at me and said, "Hmmm....there must be another group meeting here." They spent the next three hours trying to drop me - unsuccessfully. I love to remind him of that occasionally now and we always get a good laugh at that memory. They're really a good group of people but I'm still the only guy on a recumbent.

Life is good but it's better laid back.

 

[paco1961]

I’ve also been through the switch. Gave up DF for health reasons. Tested a Bacchetta Giro 20 from a friend. Easy to ride but slow as a box of rocks. The S40 took some time to master but at 58 years old I’m ridinglonger and more comfortably than ever. It took me a full year before I could ride confidently in a race or very competetive Tuesday night ride but love the CB. Just stick with it through the inevitable frustrations that pop up from time to time.

 

[Andrew Wilson]

I have used V20 coming. I have been on my Baron for several years so I'll keep you posted on how long it takes me to feel confident on the V20. Might be a week or so before I have it built up as I have other parts coming.

 

[DocS]

I'm coming off a 2nd hand Bacchetta Corsa A65 and moving to a Silvio 2.0. I know the Vendetta is a different bike all-together, but I'd be happy to chime in if you think it'll help...

My Bacchetta demands that I ride relaxed, or the steering is twitchy. After a bit, I learned to settle in and what to expect, but like you mentioned, the hills were tough riding.
Not long ago, I was tackling a hill, when this young lady pulled up next to me (who I knew from social media) on her S40. She made the hill look effortless, while she was talking to me. I was trying not to seem so out of breath (and felt like I was dying). She finished her chat and took off... I noticed it was a Cruzbike and started looking at them. She invited me to try hers, but I was afraid I would lay it down...

I ended up finding my Silvio 2.0 and followed the 7 step riding instructions. Even though I've been riding bents for over 10 years, this was a completely new animal...
At first, I thought I had made a big mistake and was all over the road! I couldn't seem to hold it in a straight line to save my life!

After practice, It's gotten much easier and I've noticed better speed averages...

I've decided that I'm going to list my Bacchetta up for sale soon and save up for a Vendetta.

If you do get one and get discouraged, just be patient. Like many others advise, stop riding any other bike (this was hard for me, since I was familiar and comfortable on my Bacchetta).

In my limited experience, I love the way I'm able to tackle hills now. Some naysayers on BROL say that Cruzbike really can't climb better, but that's ok. I know what my experiences tell me...

Blessings,
DocS

 

[chicorider]

Just be careful. The n + 1 equation for number of bikes in the garage might apply. I bought my Vendetta four years ago as my first ever recumbent after 27 years on an upright. Now I own three CBs: The V for fast solo rides and centuries, an S30 for (still fast) social rides and centuries, and an s40 for commuting, touring, and slower social rides. Which one is my favorite? Which ever one I'm on. I still ride the V the most.

 

[3bs]

overall, my biggest instability and anxiety is descents. when i am climbing, i have found that the full involvement of my upperbody and old fashioned hammerstrokes allow me to often outclimb my delta buddies. when i am on the flats or rollie polies, as long as i keep my rhythm i just keep going faster till i hit my max sustainable for the day. it is automatic except when i switching bikes a lot.

but, when it comes to descents, i just don't have it. once i get over over about 33, the bike feels like it wants to lean to the left, and i mentally lose the 4 point connection. it very weird. i even watch @RojoRacing and @LarryOz and @Robert Holler downhill videos to get the positive mental images in my mind and simulate in my head the runs. i dont think it is ghosts of my big wipe outs, but perhaps it is a little. its hard to forget leaving as much skin on the road as i have and not think about it now and then LOL.

then, the longer i am in a decent and not pedaling, the more unstable i am when i come back on the power for the first few strokes. i adapt by making sure i am in a higher gear so i have positive resistance when i start pedaling. this may be some of my shaky leg as well.

i have wondered if the frameset or the front end, or the wheelset may be out of alignment. but i don't know if there is a vendetta jig i could put the bike in.

 

[DocS]

overall, my biggest instability and anxiety is descents. when i am climbing, i have found that the full involvement of my upperbody and old fashioned hammerstrokes allow me to often outclimb my delta buddies. when i am on the flats or rollie polies, as long as i keep my rhythm i just keep going faster till i hit my max sustainable for the day. it is automatic except when i switching bikes a lot.

but, when it comes to descents, i just don't have it. once i get over over about 33, the bike feels like it wants to lean to the left, and i mentally lose the 4 point connection. it very weird. i even watch @RojoRacing and @LarryOz and @Robert Holler downhill videos to get the positive mental images in my mind and simulate in my head the runs. i dont think it is ghosts of my big wipe outs, but perhaps it is a little. its hard to forget leaving as much skin on the road as i have and not think about it now and then LOL.

then, the longer i am in a decent and not pedaling, the more unstable i am when i come back on the power for the first few strokes. i adapt by making sure i am in a higher gear so i have positive resistance when i start pedaling. this may be some of my shaky leg as well.

i have wondered if the frameset or the front end, or the wheelset may be out of alignment. but i don't know if there is a vendetta jig i could put the bike in.

We have a few hills that I like to blast down and let the momentum carry me up the next hill. I'm usually in the mid 30s descending. I just relax and let her fly!

I've been in a couple cycling accidents (the last being a couple years ago), which caused loss of skin and some muscle tissue caused by the sliding. When cornering and noticing how far over I am, I think about that... Not usually when I'm blasting downhill... Then I usually think about my tire popping or something like that and wipe it out of my mind and enjoy the speed

Blessings,
DocS

 

[benphyr]

...once i get over over about 33, the bike feels like it wants to lean to the left,...
then, the longer i am in a decent and not pedaling, the more unstable i am when i come back on the power for the first few strokes. i adapt by making sure i am in a higher gear so i have positive resistance when i start pedaling. this may be some of my shaky leg as well....

Do you have one leg longer than the other? Do you always lead/down with the same foot when coasting? Try the other foot leading/down (If your left foot is down and your weight resting more heavily on it like it would on an upright then I would expect it to try turning left and vice versa.)

As @RojoRacing, @Robert Holler, @LarryOz and many others have said many times: when transitioning from coasting at speed to pedalling try to ease in without much power and slowly and smoothly bring up the cadence to match the other end of the transmission. You don't want a lurch of power or steering input. Over time it will become natural and you will be able to increase - some may never get to where they can go instantly to full power.

Happy riding!

 

[jond]

Perfect - that was my expectations. As long as it isn't overly skittish, requires a delicate touch or something that requires extra attention all the time, it's all good. As I told my wife, when I purchased my first Bacchetta, a used version, the first thought when I hit the first little hills was, "damn...this was a mistake". I spend the first few months and stuck with it knowing it would pay off based on comments from forums such as bentrider. Now, it's second nature. It's nice knowing that my efforts. should I obtain a V20, will be similarly rewarded after some initial learning curve.

I’ve done long audax as have many other on vendetta and hey it’s even capable of touring at a pinch if you’re a one bike person. Your efforts will be rewarded. What other bicycle company guarantee you will be faster.

The vendetta is very stable extremely efficient comfortable brilliant bike.

The more horizontal your boom however the extreme low speed stability can be affected especially climbing. But at these speeds walking is just as fast lol. Gradient climbing in the wet at the extremes can also require refined smooth pedaling to not lose grip. Your choice of chainstay length will be critical in relationship to your personal physiology. Be guided by Robert Holler on bike fit.

In every other area from real customer service to proven design to real support framework to cycling efficiency to product quality the cruzbike company is exemplary second to none.

Am I gushing. 50,000 klm I am.

 

[K7baixo]

I have used V20 coming. I have been on my Baron for several years so I'll keep you posted on how long it takes me to feel confident on the V20. Might be a week or so before I have it built up as I have other parts coming.

Looking forward to your experiences!

 

[K7baixo]

I'm coming off a 2nd hand Bacchetta Corsa A65 and moving to a Silvio 2.0. I know the Vendetta is a different bike all-together, but I'd be happy to chime in if you think it'll help...

My Bacchetta demands that I ride relaxed, or the steering is twitchy. After a bit, I learned to settle in and what to expect, but like you mentioned, the hills were tough riding.
Not long ago, I was tackling a hill, when this young lady pulled up next to me (who I knew from social media) on her S40. She made the hill look effortless, while she was talking to me. I was trying not to seem so out of breath (and felt like I was dying). She finished her chat and took off... I noticed it was a Cruzbike and started looking at them. She invited me to try hers, but I was afraid I would lay it down...

I ended up finding my Silvio 2.0 and followed the 7 step riding instructions. Even though I've been riding bents for over 10 years, this was a completely new animal...
At first, I thought I had made a big mistake and was all over the road! I couldn't seem to hold it in a straight line to save my life!

After practice, It's gotten much easier and I've noticed better speed averages...

I've decided that I'm going to list my Bacchetta up for sale soon and save up for a Vendetta.

If you do get one and get discouraged, just be patient. Like many others advise, stop riding any other bike (this was hard for me, since I was familiar and comfortable on my Bacchetta).

In my limited experience, I love the way I'm able to tackle hills now. Some naysayers on BROL say that Cruzbike really can't climb better, but that's ok. I know what my experiences tell me...

Blessings,
DocS

Pheh.... I learned years ago to take Dan with a grain of salt.

 

[K7baixo]

I’ve done long audax as have many other on vendetta and hey it’s even capable of touring at a pinch if you’re a one bike person. Your efforts will be rewarded. What other bicycle company guarantee you will be faster.

The vendetta is very stable extremely efficient comfortable brilliant bike.

The more horizontal your boom however the extreme low speed stability can be affected especially climbing. But at these speeds walking is just as fast lol. Gradient climbing in the wet at the extremes can also require refined smooth pedaling to not lose grip. Your choice of chainstay length will be critical in relationship to your personal physiology. Be guided by Robert Holler on bike fit.

In every other area from real customer service to proven design to real support framework to cycling efficiency to product quality the cruzbike company is exemplary second to none.

Am I gushing. 50,000 klm I am.

What did you use to carry your typical audax/brevet gear? Thanks!