Is a V20c suitable for my planned use?

[Colin Goddard]

I am now 71 and live on a Dutch barge in Holland. I have an HP scorpion trike that is great, but I need to store it folded up and transport it across the deck and up a long narrow gangway, it takes time and is a pain the butt. My normal rides are along flat and smooth cycle paths but I hate getting overtaken by e-bikes when there is a slight incline (... and yes we do have some lumpy bits in the countryside). I love the design, technology and the sheer starkness of the V20 and also it is light. I just want to be able to say on the spur of the moment that I am off for a couple of couple hours getting some decent exercise and having some fun. It would be nice if I could pull a small trailer on the occasions that I need to take our Corgi dog to a decent spot for an interesting sniff and pooh. I do do get recumbutt on the trike and the low position on the V20 looks good and feels right, albeit a bit edgy….

Therefore, my question is, is it better to go for an S40 and just accept the extra weight for getting it off the ship of should I just get the V20 and learn to enjoy the ‘balls to to wall’ experience. My heart is in the V20, but I need a reality check.

All the best and looking forward to hearing from anyone.

Colin

 

[cruzKurt]

I had the same type of thoughts, I love the 20 degree seat angle and have no issues getting comfortable for long rides with no discomfort. I have not ridden an S40, but my previous Bacchetta Corsa I felt a little recumbutt on longer rides. I love my v20. Similar thread here

Help me decide: s40 or v20

I have had various recumbents over the years, I just turned 60 last year and got interested in more biking and less running. I have a Bacchetta Corsa older model and had some issues with the bike, so I started looking for a replacement. I stumbled upon Cruzbike, not sure how, but it happened...

forum.cruzbike.com

 

[Frito Bandito]

Good question Colin. Here's my take. I have a friend that is 1 of the top orthopedic surgeons in Japan. Lovely wife who has her own clinic, and 3 kids all grown up and Doctors now too. He asks me 1 day about my thoughts on him buying a Porsche Cayman. Obviously he liked it and it is a great car in its class, so I tell him "Why not? You worked all your life providing for your family who are all doing well on their own, so you owe it to yourself to be a little selfish." Well, he buys the car, brings it by so I can see it and we go for a short drive. He is in love with it. Not long after he pings me to go outside and when I do he is parked in front of my house with a brand new Porsche 911. I was secretly hoping he would go wild and get a 911, but I wasn't going to be the one to suggest he pay that much more money over the top of a Cayman's price. Now, Every time the conversation turns towards his 911 his eyes light up. Would he have been happy staying with the Cayman? Yep. But in the back of his mind there would have always been "What if?" I know far too many people who didn't live long enough to be faced with "What if?" so I do it for them.
The S40 is a Fiiiiiiiiine bike. It does some things the V20 doesn't. If you are the type of person who loves that edgy experience I think only the V20 is going to scratch that itch. If you absolutely need to pull a small trailer with your Corgi in it, I don't see how it would be more difficult than doing it on an S40, and you most likely won't get recumbutt on the longer rides. So, I say go for it

 

[Colin Goddard]

Good question Colin. Here's my take. I have a friend that is 1 of the top orthopedic surgeons in Japan. Lovely wife who has her own clinic, and 3 kids all grown up and Doctors now too. He asks me 1 day about my thoughts on him buying a Porsche Cayman. Obviously he liked it and it is a great car in its class, so I tell him "Why not? You worked all your life providing for your family who are all doing well on their own, so you owe it to yourself to be a little selfish." Well, he buys the car, brings it by so I can see it and we go for a short drive. He is in love with it. Not long after he pings me to go outside and when I do he is parked in front of my house with a brand new Porsche 911. I was secretly hoping he would go wild and get a 911, but I wasn't going to be the one to suggest he pay that much more money over the top of a Cayman's price. Now, Every time the conversation turns towards his 911 his eyes light up. Would he have been happy staying with the Cayman? Yep. But in the back of his mind there would have always been "What if?" I know far too many people who didn't live long enough to be faced with "What if?" so I do it for them.
The S40 is a Fiiiiiiiiine bike. It does some things the V20 doesn't. If you are the type of person who loves that edgy experience I think only the V20 is going to scratch that itch. If you absolutely need to pull a small trailer with your Corgi in it, I don't see how it would be more difficult than doing it on an S40, and you most likely won't get recumbutt on the longer rides. So, I say go for it

My son at the age of 39 gave me the same advice, if it speaks to you and you get enjoyment out of it, go for it. When I was younger I feel in love with a Lotus super 7 and then I went and purchased a box on wheels - always did regret that decision!

Many thanks for the advice with a good story that’s highlights my problem. I will endeavour to keep pushing while I can.

Best regards, Colin

 

[Colin Goddard]

I had the same type of thoughts, I love the 20 degree seat angle and have no issues getting comfortable for long rides with no discomfort. I have not ridden an S40, but my previous Bacchetta Corsa I felt a little recumbutt on longer rides. I love my v20. Similar thread here

Help me decide: s40 or v20

I have had various recumbents over the years, I just turned 60 last year and got interested in more biking and less running. I have a Bacchetta Corsa older model and had some issues with the bike, so I started looking for a replacement. I stumbled upon Cruzbike, not sure how, but it happened...

forum.cruzbike.com

It looks like the V20 for me. Thanks….

 

[Henri]

If you love the V20 and trust that you will learn to ride it and can deal with the position and don't need what another bike has, go have fun.
I have a V20c and am mostly running it with Radical Design Banana L bags at the moment (Planning on some kind of tail box and smarter frame bags for optimal aerodynamics.) An S40 maybe would have made more sense in some way, but the V20 is faster and that is not only more fun, but has practical value also.
I am curious, though, how it handles with a trailer, if you can it attach in the first place. Are there mounts for through axles? I have seen self made mounts that adapt to the rear triangle of conventional frames, might work with the V20, too. But be aware, that it is not build for that. All the stress of pulling the extra weight does not only attack the rear triangle, but also the steering axle. - If it's only your small dog and you are not miraculously strong for your age, it should be fine in your flat topography, I guess.

 

[CuHead]

On flat ground, weight of frame, seat, steering, drive train components don't impact ride performance as much as heavy wheels (rims, spokes, tires, and old fashioned tubes). High quality hubs are nice. Rim and spoke combinations are a big consideration as is tire type. I've ridden thousands of miles on 18/24 rear/front spoke wheels and Continental 25mm tires. I wish they were tubeless, with stretched spokes and alloy nipples. What would fast century riders suggest for wheels/tires? My gear is close to last century gear. The two drivetrains appear to be different with two chainrings on the V20 and one chainring on the S40; think hills vs flats. OTOH, no front derailleur simplifies the ride and maintenance and on flat ground the shifting is minimal. I'm 68, ride an old old Silvio, and lightening the wheels and tires is the first next thing I would do to it. Lots of small hills keep me shifting gears. Trailering may be simpler on the S40, with the less laid out flat riding position. I would not want to pull a trailer on the Silvio, but it could be done. The dog may want you to continue pulling trailer with trike.

 

[Beano]

I've owned a Catrike Expedition in the past which is similar to your Scorpion.

The V20 I would say would be an easy 10-12 kph faster watt for watt based on my own experiences. That third wheel creates a lot of drag as well as being another tyre on the road.

To add though it can a steep learning experience riding a MBB for the first time, although stick at it and it'll be rewarding.

 

[Always-Learnin]

I am now 71 and live on a Dutch barge in Holland. I have an HP scorpion trike that is great, but I need to store it folded up and transport it across the deck and up a long narrow gangway, it takes time and is a pain the butt. My normal rides are along flat and smooth cycle paths but I hate getting overtaken by e-bikes when there is a slight incline (... and yes we do have some lumpy bits in the countryside). I love the design, technology and the sheer starkness of the V20 and also it is light. I just want to be able to say on the spur of the moment that I am off for a couple of couple hours getting some decent exercise and having some fun. It would be nice if I could pull a small trailer on the occasions that I need to take our Corgi dog to a decent spot for an interesting sniff and pooh. I do do get recumbutt on the trike and the low position on the V20 looks good and feels right, albeit a bit edgy….

Therefore, my question is, is it better to go for an S40 and just accept the extra weight for getting it off the ship of should I just get the V20 and learn to enjoy the ‘balls to to wall’ experience. My heart is in the V20, but I need a reality check.

All the best and looking forward to hearing from anyone.

Colin

Colin, my 2 cents, for what it's worth, is that the S40 'sounds like' it would better meet your specified needs. So, I would get the S40.

Now, having said that, if after having tried out the S40, you for some reason feel that it is not meeting your expectations, put it up for sell here on the forum. It will sell... Then, you can take the money you have recovered and put it toward a V20. Of course, the opposite is also true...get the V20 test it out, keep it or sell it and get a S40. Consider the money to do so as the cost of properly test riding both bikes. There is no wrong decision and the overall experience will be a positive one no matter which direction you go.

BTW, I'm 67 and have both a 2021 S40 and a 2020 V20. Both bikes are awesome but are obviously designed for different purposes.​

Good luck!

 

[Frito Bandito]

Exactly Jim. How long does a used S40, S30 or V20 stay in the "For Sale" section? 3 days? 5 days?

 

[Colin Goddard]

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate your thoughts/ideas. In retrospect, I think that I need to leave out the Corgi dog trailering need as I do have alternatives. That just leaves me with needing a CB that can easily be managed on-board the ship and then taken out for trips between 30 and 80 kilometers. No baggage, just water and spares. The V20 is very attractive and although expensive I am sure that I can resale it in the Netherlands and then look at maybe the S40. The idea of owning and trying to get the best out of the V20, given my age and experience, is very exciting. Who knows when it will end, however it is the journey that matters.

Will keep you posted……

 

[cruzKurt]

Thanks everyone,......

There is also a thread on Facebook with a v20 pulling a trailer. Pretty cool

 

[Frito Bandito]

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate your thoughts/ideas. In retrospect, I think that I need to leave out the Corgi dog trailering need as I do have alternatives. That just leaves me with needing a CB that can easily be managed on-board the ship and then taken out for trips between 30 and 80 kilometers. No baggage, just water and spares. The V20 is very attractive and although expensive I am sure that I can resale it in the Netherlands and then look at maybe the S40. The idea of owning and trying to get the best out of the V20, given my age and experience, is very exciting. Who knows when it will end, however it is the journey that matters.

Will keep you posted……

New bike day coming! Can't wait. Also looking forward to your journey.

 

[Colin Goddard]

There is also a thread on Facebook with a v20 pulling a trailer. Pretty cool

View attachment 13521

Nice to see. I would prefer a two wheel trailer to minimise the weight carried on the rear frame, but good to know it can be done on a V20. Thanks.

 

[chicorider]

I've owned a V20, S30, and S40, and here's a silly thing that I like about the V20: In tight, super-slow settings (like the deck of a ship), where you're not riding the bike, but moving with it through people and public structures, its flatter seat recline makes it the easiest of the Cruzbikes to sit on, with feet on the ground, to slowly scooch through tight spaces, like a three-year-old on a balance bike. I can do the same thing on the S30 and S40, but the steeper seat incline puts my butt down in the crook of the seat pan, which puts the handlebar right into my chest. This position just makes slow-speed public-spaces scooching more awkward.

 

[Colin Goddard]

Thanks every one. I have now ordered my V20 from MAIA bikes in Holland. Really looking forward to this new experience.

 

[Nino]

Thanks every one. I have now ordered my V20 from MAIA bikes in Holland. Really looking forward to this new experience.

Hi Colin,

Congratulations with your new bike!
I am from holland and ordered also a Cruzbike from MAIA (Gert)
For me the S40 was the better fit.
Perhaps we can meet in the new year!

Greetings
René Hinloopen, Gouda


Cruzbike S40
Flevobike Racer
Flevobike Bike
Flevobike Basic
HP Velotechnick Grasshopper FX
Nazca Quetzal Tandem

 

[DavidCH]

Hey congrats, v20 is a great bike. I have tinkered with it every year. It's a bicycle that I respect. Every time I get on it... I will just have an easy ride, the adrenalin kicks in and you have a lifetime experience in one ride. It's an incredible machine.

 

[JerseyJim]

Maybe it's me because I'm weird, but I picture a V20 with a modified Race Case sitting behind the headrest with a Corgi in it like an astromech droid on an X-Wing fighter in Star Wars. Give the pooch a helmet & goggles and let him enjoy the ride.

 

[Frito Bandito]

.... a V20 with a modified Race Case sitting behind the headrest with a Corgi in it ....

Well, Corgis are kinda long so they might be kinda aero too. If you can just train him to stay tucked behind your head instead of sticking it out the side with his tongue flapping around then you just might be pretty faster.