I've had my Silvio for just over 3 weeks now and thought I'd share my first impressions. First, I dressed out the frame with Campy Centaur components, Vento wheels, and Origin 8 Gary bar. Since Doug had already put so much work in such a splendid component selection for another bike, I didn't see any point in trying to improve on it. Thanks Doug 
When I placed my order with Lickton's I ordered a longer tandem cable for the rear brake but forgot the cable liners. I later picked up about 5 feet of brake liner for the rear brake, and another 3 feet or so of liner for the shift cables as the Centaur cable kit didn't have enough for this frame layout. This was my first ever scratch made bicycle, so this has been a fun learning experience.
Day 1: First ride after adjusting the derailleurs, 2AM on a very early and quiet Friday morning. No brakes due to no cable liner. In retrospect, this was not a good idea Had this been a test drive in a store I never would have bought such a contraption. I had a hard time keeping the darn thing on the asphalt of a small neighborhood street - I was worried about hitting a parked car, but couldn't predict which side of the street it would be on! This lasted for about 15 minutes with periods of hysterical laughter that surprisingly didn't rouse the neighbors.
Day 2: I decided to try again with brakes and daylight - much better! I discovered I could turn around in a cul-de-sac, providing there weren't too many parked cars. A little girl on a pink bicycle rode circles around me while I attempted to pedal in a straight line and occasionally turn. About 30 minutes of practice and muttering unspeakable things under my breath.
Day 3: I managed to turn around on a narrow 2-lane residential street without putting my feet down. Impressive! The sidewalk was becoming a distant goal.
Day 4: I rode 3.6 miles down sidewalks and across busy streets to a nearby bike shop and bought a simple wireless bike computer.
Day 5: rode 15 miles one way to work in about an hour, hung out for about 8 hours, then rode home along a slightly shorter route. My average velocity was right around 12 miles per hour, with some waiting for auto traffic and street lights.
Day 13: After just over 200 miles to and from work over 9 days, my average velocity has improved to between 15 and 17 mph, depending on how energetic I feel.
I have a hard time keeping up with a fellow bicycle commuter from work on the long, gradual uphills, but he's been at this for 4 years and is something of a monster. This is my 3rd week. I easily overtake him on the downhills, but gravity is a bit more fond of me than him. With only a 13 tooth smallest sprocket on a standard road group, I pedal out around 30 mph on the downhills, then coast up to 35 or so. I don't like to pedal downhill with such a high cadence at those speeds because it makes my steering too wobbly. A high cadence when pushing up hill or on flats is easier, and if totally flat sustaining 20 or 25 mph is a blast! I'll probably switch to a 12 or 11t smallest at some point in the future, but I love the 29t big gear on uphills for a nice easy pace uphill.
The best part is that it only takes me an extra 15 minutes to commute by bicycle (one way) vs driving a car, and thats on days when the auto traffic is flowing smoothly. Some days on the way home the freeway is packed and hardly moving, but I have yet to encounter a traffic jam on the bike path. I have had to swerve to avoid hitting a few irreverent prairie dogs who decide to scurry across the path right in front of me. I have not yet come to terms with the few moments of terror I felt as a result of a prairie dog appearing suddenly on the path in front of me.
Several months ago I was contemplating nerve damage and a dead foot on my right leg due to a herniated disc and compressed nerves. Fortunately no surgery was required and my foot started working again after taking steroids for a couple of weeks. I tried riding my mountain bike to work, but had to get a ride home. My lower back was very uncomfortable, and the dreaded tingling sensations re-appeared in my foot. After riding the Silvio for almost 3 weeks my back feels fantastic. I have finally discovered a fun and consistent way to exercise without jarring my back and risking further injury. This has been a rather expensive experiment, but for me it has already paid off. Feeling healthy is truly priceless.
Next up, some sort of wind screen or fairing to keep the cold winter wind of my feet and legs. I plan on riding right up until it snows here.
When I placed my order with Lickton's I ordered a longer tandem cable for the rear brake but forgot the cable liners. I later picked up about 5 feet of brake liner for the rear brake, and another 3 feet or so of liner for the shift cables as the Centaur cable kit didn't have enough for this frame layout. This was my first ever scratch made bicycle, so this has been a fun learning experience.
Day 1: First ride after adjusting the derailleurs, 2AM on a very early and quiet Friday morning. No brakes due to no cable liner. In retrospect, this was not a good idea
Had this been a test drive in a store I never would have bought such a contraption. I had a hard time keeping the darn thing on the asphalt of a small neighborhood street - I was worried about hitting a parked car, but couldn't predict which side of the street it would be on! This lasted for about 15 minutes with periods of hysterical laughter that surprisingly didn't rouse the neighbors.Day 2: I decided to try again with brakes and daylight - much better! I discovered I could turn around in a cul-de-sac, providing there weren't too many parked cars. A little girl on a pink bicycle rode circles around me while I attempted to pedal in a straight line and occasionally turn. About 30 minutes of practice and muttering unspeakable things under my breath.
Day 3: I managed to turn around on a narrow 2-lane residential street without putting my feet down. Impressive! The sidewalk was becoming a distant goal.
Day 4: I rode 3.6 miles down sidewalks and across busy streets to a nearby bike shop and bought a simple wireless bike computer.
Day 5: rode 15 miles one way to work in about an hour, hung out for about 8 hours, then rode home along a slightly shorter route. My average velocity was right around 12 miles per hour, with some waiting for auto traffic and street lights.
Day 13: After just over 200 miles to and from work over 9 days, my average velocity has improved to between 15 and 17 mph, depending on how energetic I feel.
I have a hard time keeping up with a fellow bicycle commuter from work on the long, gradual uphills, but he's been at this for 4 years and is something of a monster. This is my 3rd week. I easily overtake him on the downhills, but gravity is a bit more fond of me than him. With only a 13 tooth smallest sprocket on a standard road group, I pedal out around 30 mph on the downhills, then coast up to 35 or so. I don't like to pedal downhill with such a high cadence at those speeds because it makes my steering too wobbly. A high cadence when pushing up hill or on flats is easier, and if totally flat sustaining 20 or 25 mph is a blast! I'll probably switch to a 12 or 11t smallest at some point in the future, but I love the 29t big gear on uphills for a nice easy pace uphill.
The best part is that it only takes me an extra 15 minutes to commute by bicycle (one way) vs driving a car, and thats on days when the auto traffic is flowing smoothly. Some days on the way home the freeway is packed and hardly moving, but I have yet to encounter a traffic jam on the bike path. I have had to swerve to avoid hitting a few irreverent prairie dogs who decide to scurry across the path right in front of me. I have not yet come to terms with the few moments of terror I felt as a result of a prairie dog appearing suddenly on the path in front of me.
Several months ago I was contemplating nerve damage and a dead foot on my right leg due to a herniated disc and compressed nerves. Fortunately no surgery was required and my foot started working again after taking steroids for a couple of weeks. I tried riding my mountain bike to work, but had to get a ride home. My lower back was very uncomfortable, and the dreaded tingling sensations re-appeared in my foot. After riding the Silvio for almost 3 weeks my back feels fantastic. I have finally discovered a fun and consistent way to exercise without jarring my back and risking further injury. This has been a rather expensive experiment, but for me it has already paid off. Feeling healthy is truly priceless.
Next up, some sort of wind screen or fairing to keep the cold winter wind of my feet and legs. I plan on riding right up until it snows here.
