Is the Silvio 2.0 out of Beta Yet?
- Thread starter pRC
- Start date
John Tolhurst
Zen MBB Master
Good morning all.What is
Good morning all.
What is the bottom bracket thread size and shell width for a Silvio 2?
Wed, 2013-08-14 08:23 (John Tolhurst)
"I meant for the RD hanger on Vendetta 2.0 and Silvio 2.0 to be a snap fit, so once in it would stay there. But it didn't work out that way and there is unfortunately no opportunity for a grub screw fixing as on Silvio 1.5. A drop of supaglue can be used to fix the hanger to the chainstay."
(BTW, this seems like a significant problem - it would make changing a front tire very fiddly to have to hold the bike frame, the wheel, and the derailleur + chain all at the same time to mount the front wheel!)
Just Ordered a Silvio 2.0 Frame
Fri, 2013-08-09 08:55 (John Tolhurst)
"Do you mean the two 'chainstays'? Yes, we have had some vagueness of hole positions on this run. Thanks for confirming."
Tue, 2013-08-27 16:52 (John Tolhurst)
Ring clamp bolts too long - "Ah ha! The bolt exit hole on yours has been welded over, my original prototype sample, no. Thanks for the picture."
Fri, 2013-08-02 08:12 (John Tolhurst)
"We are very low on Silvio 2.0 stock. There will soon be a two month hiatus of supply. I guess I didn't factor in the people who are upgrading."
Silvio 2.0 Build Questions
Sat, 2013-07-06 12:16 (Lavs)
"Also, for IOW "First Snag" Slider Slot - I awoke this morning ready to finish up a few things then do my maiden shake-down voyage,... but had an email from John T. Relating to the Slider not having the necessary slot,... I had wondered about how the Boom clamp would compress the Slider around the boom,..."
(Slider slot missing, also some sliders had a slot without a stress-relief hole - if this has been fixed, you may want to remove the PDF from the downloads, could cause unnecessary angst about the production quality.)
I don't think any of us expect a small manufacturer to be perfect, we just want you to be responsive when issues are found and you seem engaged in the forums. And there is a lot of information in the forums, but it is not easy or quick to read all of the posts to find the little tidbits that are important.
Cruzbike also has multiple channels for updates -- the product pages, the blogs area, and the forums -- it has to be hard to keep all of them up to date. The teething problems above were all discussed in forums, but there was no clear commitment for resolutions that I could find. I think it would be important to potential customers to express fixes clearly so that they know they are buying an improved version.
Good morning all.
What is the bottom bracket thread size and shell width for a Silvio 2?
- Like any road bike, 68mm english thread
- Like any road bike, one chain, with 100mm extension, 200mm more, 8 inches links.with 150, 300 more, 12 inches
- Like any roadbike 31.8 (was 25.4 or 26)
- Cruzbike rims are like any other 700c wheel rims, 28mm. Inner clearancee is to suit 28mm, standard to road bikes, so I understand.
Wed, 2013-08-14 08:23 (John Tolhurst)
"I meant for the RD hanger on Vendetta 2.0 and Silvio 2.0 to be a snap fit, so once in it would stay there. But it didn't work out that way and there is unfortunately no opportunity for a grub screw fixing as on Silvio 1.5. A drop of supaglue can be used to fix the hanger to the chainstay."
(BTW, this seems like a significant problem - it would make changing a front tire very fiddly to have to hold the bike frame, the wheel, and the derailleur + chain all at the same time to mount the front wheel!)
- This new feature allows the frame to stand evenly when the front wheel is removed.
Just Ordered a Silvio 2.0 Frame
Fri, 2013-08-09 08:55 (John Tolhurst)
"Do you mean the two 'chainstays'? Yes, we have had some vagueness of hole positions on this run. Thanks for confirming."
- Resolved
Tue, 2013-08-27 16:52 (John Tolhurst)
Ring clamp bolts too long - "Ah ha! The bolt exit hole on yours has been welded over, my original prototype sample, no. Thanks for the picture."
Fri, 2013-08-02 08:12 (John Tolhurst)
"We are very low on Silvio 2.0 stock. There will soon be a two month hiatus of supply. I guess I didn't factor in the people who are upgrading."
- Extra time was needed to rework the hydroform moulding. HF mainframes are presently in welding, shipping end November
Silvio 2.0 Build Questions
Sat, 2013-07-06 12:16 (Lavs)
"Also, for IOW "First Snag" Slider Slot - I awoke this morning ready to finish up a few things then do my maiden shake-down voyage,... but had an email from John T. Relating to the Slider not having the necessary slot,... I had wondered about how the Boom clamp would compress the Slider around the boom,..."
(Slider slot missing, also some sliders had a slot without a stress-relief hole - if this has been fixed, you may want to remove the PDF from the downloads, could cause unnecessary angst about the production quality.)
- Resolved
I don't think any of us expect a small manufacturer to be perfect, we just want you to be responsive when issues are found and you seem engaged in the forums. And there is a lot of information in the forums, but it is not easy or quick to read all of the posts to find the little tidbits that are important.
Cruzbike also has multiple channels for updates -- the product pages, the blogs area, and the forums -- it has to be hard to keep all of them up to date. The teething problems above were all discussed in forums, but there was no clear commitment for resolutions that I could find. I think it would be important to potential customers to express fixes clearly so that they know they are buying an improved version.
- With Silvio and Vendetta we are shipping direct to customers from the factory. This tightens the feedback loop down to as little as one or two weeks.
- I've removed the chipslot instruction pdf, thanks for the heads up.
- I havn't announcing fixes where there were two or three instances
Tuloose
Guru
What is this new feature of which you speak?
[ Silvio Drive Wheel Removal
Wed, 2013-08-14 08:23 (John Tolhurst)
"I meant for the RD hanger on Vendetta 2.0 and Silvio 2.0 to be a snap fit, so once in it would stay there. But it didn't work out that way and there is unfortunately no opportunity for a grub screw fixing as on Silvio 1.5. A drop of supaglue can be used to fix the hanger to the chainstay."
(BTW, this seems like a significant problem - it would make changing a front tire very fiddly to have to hold the bike frame, the wheel, and the derailleur + chain all at the same time to mount the front wheel!)
This new feature allows the frame to stand evenly when the front wheel is removed. [wink] ]
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I'm not following this John.
Do you mean for us to use the super glue?
Will that really fix the problem?
I'm willing to try it but I'm unclear as to the meaning or intent of your last sentence.
[ Silvio Drive Wheel Removal
Wed, 2013-08-14 08:23 (John Tolhurst)
"I meant for the RD hanger on Vendetta 2.0 and Silvio 2.0 to be a snap fit, so once in it would stay there. But it didn't work out that way and there is unfortunately no opportunity for a grub screw fixing as on Silvio 1.5. A drop of supaglue can be used to fix the hanger to the chainstay."
(BTW, this seems like a significant problem - it would make changing a front tire very fiddly to have to hold the bike frame, the wheel, and the derailleur + chain all at the same time to mount the front wheel!)
This new feature allows the frame to stand evenly when the front wheel is removed. [wink] ]
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I'm not following this John.
Do you mean for us to use the super glue?
Will that really fix the problem?
I'm willing to try it but I'm unclear as to the meaning or intent of your last sentence.
John Tolhurst
Zen MBB Master
A bit tongue in cheek there.
A bit tongue in cheek there. I haven't glued my hanger in, but I think some have. The last design was thicker, room for a grub screw etc, but the skewer was longer and non standard. By making the elements more slender we arrive at standard skewers which is great. The snap fit didn't work out, I made a design error which can't be rectified till I draw down the CNC stock of those parts, unless I deem it unworkable and remake those parts.
A bit tongue in cheek there. I haven't glued my hanger in, but I think some have. The last design was thicker, room for a grub screw etc, but the skewer was longer and non standard. By making the elements more slender we arrive at standard skewers which is great. The snap fit didn't work out, I made a design error which can't be rectified till I draw down the CNC stock of those parts, unless I deem it unworkable and remake those parts.
Eric Winn
Zen MBB Master
The removable RD hanger (and
The removable RD hanger (and drive wheel remove and reinstall) is much easier to deal with if your RD has a cage-lock button like my SRAM X9 Type 2 because it eliminates fighting with the RD spring.
If you take your wheels off to transport your bike, the removable RD hanger is a nice feature because you really can support the bike on the ends of the fork. I take both wheels off to transport my Vendetta inside my vehicle and set it upright on the fork ends and rear stay dropouts and then run a tie down webbing strap across the top of the frame to snug everything down. If the RD was stuck or secured with a set screw it would just be one more thing to undo for inside transport.
Why are you guys talking about headrest clamps - plural? My Vendetta came with one. Works good. Does take a bit of care to position and apply but not much.
-Eric
The removable RD hanger (and drive wheel remove and reinstall) is much easier to deal with if your RD has a cage-lock button like my SRAM X9 Type 2 because it eliminates fighting with the RD spring.
If you take your wheels off to transport your bike, the removable RD hanger is a nice feature because you really can support the bike on the ends of the fork. I take both wheels off to transport my Vendetta inside my vehicle and set it upright on the fork ends and rear stay dropouts and then run a tie down webbing strap across the top of the frame to snug everything down. If the RD was stuck or secured with a set screw it would just be one more thing to undo for inside transport.
Why are you guys talking about headrest clamps - plural? My Vendetta came with one. Works good. Does take a bit of care to position and apply but not much.
-Eric
counterpoint
Well-Known Member
second the SRAM X9 type 2
I'll ?second the SRAM X9 type 2 rear derailleur. That little feature makes it a superior choice. Its long cage version is also one of the few able to handle more than 32 teeth (I went for an 11-34T)
I'll ?second the SRAM X9 type 2 rear derailleur. That little feature makes it a superior choice. Its long cage version is also one of the few able to handle more than 32 teeth (I went for an 11-34T)
Tuloose
Guru
Oh, now I see what John meant
Oh, now I see what John meant about it standing on the forks!
Duh.
Thanks for that clarification Eric.
Too bad, but I have the Ultegra gruppo so no spring release RD for me.
On that last point Eric my Silvio did come with 2 of those damnable clamps tho I think one would sufffice.
Oh, now I see what John meant about it standing on the forks!
Duh.
Thanks for that clarification Eric.
Too bad, but I have the Ultegra gruppo so no spring release RD for me.
On that last point Eric my Silvio did come with 2 of those damnable clamps tho I think one would sufffice.
pRC
Member
trplay - Rando FWD Recumbent?
trplay, I'm happy to entertain other solutions for a 'Rando' recumbent if you can provide them.
I disagree with you that the Silvio 2.0 is a poor choice.
Other bikes on my short list: Rans Rifle, Volae Team Carbon, Metabike.
None of these are FWD MBB. Maybe John Morciglio could whip up a CF FWD Rando bike, but I was looking for something more off-the-shelf.
Other than the tire clearance issue, the Silvio 2.0 sounds almost perfect.
So, any other suggestions?
/pRC
trplay, I'm happy to entertain other solutions for a 'Rando' recumbent if you can provide them.
I disagree with you that the Silvio 2.0 is a poor choice.
- The dual suspension should increase comfort for distance riding
- The more upright seat (compared to the Vendetta) gives better visibility
- The FWD system could be more stable in loose surfaces
- Simple and quiet drive train without extra idlers or a long chain
- I'm not looking for a bike that can hold 25 kilos of luggage
Other bikes on my short list: Rans Rifle, Volae Team Carbon, Metabike.
None of these are FWD MBB. Maybe John Morciglio could whip up a CF FWD Rando bike, but I was looking for something more off-the-shelf.
Other than the tire clearance issue, the Silvio 2.0 sounds almost perfect.
So, any other suggestions?
/pRC
pRC
Member
Can anyone measure their Silvio 2.0 clearance?
Sadly, I've angered John and he doesn't seem to want to answer this -- can anyone out there with a Silvio 2.0 measure the inside width of their fork around the tire area? It doesn't have to be exact, but a rough guide for the open width would be really useful -- 35mm? 45mm?
Also, if the rear clearance is different, I would really appreciate a dimension for that as well.
Thanks very much --
/pRC
Sadly, I've angered John and he doesn't seem to want to answer this -- can anyone out there with a Silvio 2.0 measure the inside width of their fork around the tire area? It doesn't have to be exact, but a rough guide for the open width would be really useful -- 35mm? 45mm?
Also, if the rear clearance is different, I would really appreciate a dimension for that as well.
Thanks very much --
/pRC
John Tolhurst
Zen MBB Master
"Sadly, I've angered John and
"Sadly, I've angered John and he doesn't seem to want to answer this"
Difficult for me to answer while I'm asleep, and while I was not at all offended by your questions and so on, I find you are now being needlessly irritating. For example, complaining about my answer that the 4 inch chainstay requires 2*4 inches of extra chain or 8 links, is rather childish. If have absolutely no problem as categorizing you as a customer I'd rather not have the trouble of satisfying. I don't take the view the customer is always right, nor that the customer is always worth the effort.
If you can't make sense of the information provided, please go elsewhere, you will not be missed.
"Sadly, I've angered John and he doesn't seem to want to answer this"
Difficult for me to answer while I'm asleep, and while I was not at all offended by your questions and so on, I find you are now being needlessly irritating. For example, complaining about my answer that the 4 inch chainstay requires 2*4 inches of extra chain or 8 links, is rather childish. If have absolutely no problem as categorizing you as a customer I'd rather not have the trouble of satisfying. I don't take the view the customer is always right, nor that the customer is always worth the effort.
If you can't make sense of the information provided, please go elsewhere, you will not be missed.
Nanda Holz
Active Member
Guess I take a different
Guess I take a different approach to customer service! I figure if I can convert that toughest customers onto a Cruzbike or another brand or model I carry, and kill them with service...then they will likely be some of our biggest fans.
pRC has a lot of valid questions that any inquisitive roadie coming into the CB fold would want answers to, and that info should be readily available to ease their buying/outfitting decision.
I just sold our Silvio 2.0 demo at the Recumbent Cycling Convention last weekend, otherwise I'd be happy to measure the clearances. Thus far I've fitted 28mm on Silvio's when requested w/o any issues, and also those Planet Bike Speederz strap-on fenders. The last two S2.0's that came through required the missing slot and relief hole on the TFT to be added, and my shop mate and frame building friend was well equipped to handle the rework. Honestly I don't use a manuals to assemble any of the CB's, but have put together 10+ Silvios and Vendetta's over the past couple years, the process gets easier. I fully understand a roadie looking at our alien recumbent technology could be lost in the assembly process even with good documentation. Youtube vids might be worthwhile, and more enjoyable then glossing over pages of assembly instructions.
Guess I take a different approach to customer service! I figure if I can convert that toughest customers onto a Cruzbike or another brand or model I carry, and kill them with service...then they will likely be some of our biggest fans.
pRC has a lot of valid questions that any inquisitive roadie coming into the CB fold would want answers to, and that info should be readily available to ease their buying/outfitting decision.
I just sold our Silvio 2.0 demo at the Recumbent Cycling Convention last weekend, otherwise I'd be happy to measure the clearances. Thus far I've fitted 28mm on Silvio's when requested w/o any issues, and also those Planet Bike Speederz strap-on fenders. The last two S2.0's that came through required the missing slot and relief hole on the TFT to be added, and my shop mate and frame building friend was well equipped to handle the rework. Honestly I don't use a manuals to assemble any of the CB's, but have put together 10+ Silvios and Vendetta's over the past couple years, the process gets easier. I fully understand a roadie looking at our alien recumbent technology could be lost in the assembly process even with good documentation. Youtube vids might be worthwhile, and more enjoyable then glossing over pages of assembly instructions.
Now, now children....
To everyone on this forum, I'm with Nanda; let's not take things personally.
trplay, I don't see your comments as condescending at all. There is obviously a knack (or two) to the whole wheel removal thing which may be resolved when the factory has exhausted all of the current stock of dropouts.
pRC, I can see the point of your questions and I'd advise you to PM Nanda to get your questions answered. There are others on this forum that may be able to take the measurement for the wheel that you want. If it's any consolation, I have a rule not to buy the first of any version. The second and third versions are always less frustrating with less bugs.
Please be aware that John is but one man, with a full time job outside of Cruzbike, running the design side of Cruzbike. It's a pretty thankless job at times. I take my hat off to him as it is a labour of love and not a highly profitable business. Targeting 1% of a 3% modal transport share doesn't make for a large user base initially. In Australia, at least, there is not a single outlet for Cruzbike so the market share is growing through word of mouth only. Time will tell whether this changes at all.
To everyone on this forum, I'm with Nanda; let's not take things personally.
trplay, I don't see your comments as condescending at all. There is obviously a knack (or two) to the whole wheel removal thing which may be resolved when the factory has exhausted all of the current stock of dropouts.
pRC, I can see the point of your questions and I'd advise you to PM Nanda to get your questions answered. There are others on this forum that may be able to take the measurement for the wheel that you want. If it's any consolation, I have a rule not to buy the first of any version. The second and third versions are always less frustrating with less bugs.
Please be aware that John is but one man, with a full time job outside of Cruzbike, running the design side of Cruzbike. It's a pretty thankless job at times. I take my hat off to him as it is a labour of love and not a highly profitable business. Targeting 1% of a 3% modal transport share doesn't make for a large user base initially. In Australia, at least, there is not a single outlet for Cruzbike so the market share is growing through word of mouth only. Time will tell whether this changes at all.
Eric Winn
Zen MBB Master
Randolph,I believe the forks
Randolph,
I believe the forks are the same, for the most part, between the Vendetta 2.0 and Silvio 2.0 but I could be wrong.
If the forks are the same, it looks like the inner dimension of the Vendetta 2.0 fork through the plane of the meat of the tire is about 40mm but all I have to measure it is a tape measure and my eyeballs - obviously not very accurate. Additionally there is a lot of curvature there too so be suspect of my measurement.
I'm running 23mm Continental Gatorhardshells on my Cruzbike rims and it looks like I have about 3-5mm clearance from the top of my tires to the bottom of the fork crown - but again eyeballing it with poor measuring tools.
If you'd like, I can try and get some photos of the area tomorrow.
Another suggestion is to see if Jim and Maria have a Silvio 2 on hand that you could look at and maybe take a 700c wheelset with your preferred tire mounted and see if it will fit. You are only 1.5-2 hours away...
-Eric
Randolph,
I believe the forks are the same, for the most part, between the Vendetta 2.0 and Silvio 2.0 but I could be wrong.
If the forks are the same, it looks like the inner dimension of the Vendetta 2.0 fork through the plane of the meat of the tire is about 40mm but all I have to measure it is a tape measure and my eyeballs - obviously not very accurate. Additionally there is a lot of curvature there too so be suspect of my measurement.
I'm running 23mm Continental Gatorhardshells on my Cruzbike rims and it looks like I have about 3-5mm clearance from the top of my tires to the bottom of the fork crown - but again eyeballing it with poor measuring tools.
If you'd like, I can try and get some photos of the area tomorrow.
Another suggestion is to see if Jim and Maria have a Silvio 2 on hand that you could look at and maybe take a 700c wheelset with your preferred tire mounted and see if it will fit. You are only 1.5-2 hours away...
-Eric
wide tyres
pRC,
"If I fit a pair of 650b rims using disc brakes, will I have enough clearance for 38mm tires? For 42mm tires?"
assuming you want to run 650b's there is approx. 48mm internal width at the rear and 42mm at the front.
"Other than the tire clearance issue, the Silvio 2.0 sounds almost perfect. So, any other suggestions?"
the S2.0 is a exceptional bike both functionally and ergonomically, but if you want bacchetta levels of customer service.... well, i'm sure you can work it out for yourself!
pRC,
"If I fit a pair of 650b rims using disc brakes, will I have enough clearance for 38mm tires? For 42mm tires?"
assuming you want to run 650b's there is approx. 48mm internal width at the rear and 42mm at the front.
"Other than the tire clearance issue, the Silvio 2.0 sounds almost perfect. So, any other suggestions?"
the S2.0 is a exceptional bike both functionally and ergonomically, but if you want bacchetta levels of customer service.... well, i'm sure you can work it out for yourself!
pRC
Member
Apology to John T
I guess I have offended you from the tone of your response. I am sorry if that is true.
I am trying to get my questions answered, plus trying to help future customers who may not have the time to read through the Forum for hours. Let me try to summarize what I can from this interaction...
Derailleur Hanger not attached to frame
Slider slot problem has been "resolved" - PDF is now removed from Silvio product page by John Tolhurst. (Thanks!)
Silvio production has been down since early August
Missing specs that I think would be useful on the Silvio product page:
Bottom bracket spec - "Like any road bike, 68mm english thread" (John Tolhurst)
This from the Silvio product page is confusing -- "If you are buying your own component groupset, get the Braze On style Front Derailleur and a 115mm bottom bracket." I think you need to at a minimum specify that the crankset must have external bearings; if a customer buys a crankset with an incompatible bottom bracket you are going to have a support issue.
?
Chain length - "Like any road bike, one chain, with 100mm extension, 200mm more, 8 inches links.with 150, 300 more, 12 inches" (John Tolhurst)
OK, not the answer I was looking for... With a little googling I found that "From the center of each roller to the center of the next is exactly 1/2" (12.7 mm)."
So,
8 more full links (inside + outside) for the 100mm extension,
12 full links for the 150mm extension.
Typical chains seem to be made with 114 pins or 57 full links. If a standard Silvio setup uses 52 links, then you will need a second chain when you use an extension with the Silvio. Still a lot better than having to find chain by the foot for a traditional RWD recumbent.
Handlebar clamp - "Like any roadbike 31.8 (was 25.4 or 26)" (John Tolhurst)
OK, I must be confused because when I go into a bike shop I see many road bikes with 31.8 handlebars, and also many with 25.4 -- it looks like both are in wide use --
Again, could you add this info to the Silvio product page?
Respectfully,
/pRC
I guess I have offended you from the tone of your response. I am sorry if that is true.
I am trying to get my questions answered, plus trying to help future customers who may not have the time to read through the Forum for hours. Let me try to summarize what I can from this interaction...
Derailleur Hanger not attached to frame
- Per John Tolhurst, no, this issue will not be fixed
Slider slot problem has been "resolved" - PDF is now removed from Silvio product page by John Tolhurst. (Thanks!)
Silvio production has been down since early August
- No Silvio stock for shipping for 3.5 months and running
- John is expecting new stock at end of month
Missing specs that I think would be useful on the Silvio product page:
Bottom bracket spec - "Like any road bike, 68mm english thread" (John Tolhurst)
This from the Silvio product page is confusing -- "If you are buying your own component groupset, get the Braze On style Front Derailleur and a 115mm bottom bracket." I think you need to at a minimum specify that the crankset must have external bearings; if a customer buys a crankset with an incompatible bottom bracket you are going to have a support issue.
?
Chain length - "Like any road bike, one chain, with 100mm extension, 200mm more, 8 inches links.with 150, 300 more, 12 inches" (John Tolhurst)
OK, not the answer I was looking for... With a little googling I found that "From the center of each roller to the center of the next is exactly 1/2" (12.7 mm)."
So,
8 more full links (inside + outside) for the 100mm extension,
12 full links for the 150mm extension.
Typical chains seem to be made with 114 pins or 57 full links. If a standard Silvio setup uses 52 links, then you will need a second chain when you use an extension with the Silvio. Still a lot better than having to find chain by the foot for a traditional RWD recumbent.
Handlebar clamp - "Like any roadbike 31.8 (was 25.4 or 26)" (John Tolhurst)
OK, I must be confused because when I go into a bike shop I see many road bikes with 31.8 handlebars, and also many with 25.4 -- it looks like both are in wide use --
Again, could you add this info to the Silvio product page?
Respectfully,
/pRC
Charles.Plager
Recumbent Quant
Three comments:
1) I
Three comments:
1) I completely agree with you, pRC, I wish the Silvio allowed wider 700c tires. It might (somewhat) when you use disc brakes and using 650 wheels with disk brakes isn't a crazy idea at all.
2) I do agree that getting an exact idea of how many links you need is important. That being said, what the Silvio and Vendetta really need is 6 chains for 5 chain swaps (or something like that), so it is really much better than 2 chains for each new chain. This does limit you more to what chain you need as you'll want to put compatible chains together, but none of this should be a deal breaker...
3) I agree that the Silvio would be my choice for a "rando recumbent" too. I'm sure I can get a rear rack on there and I think the shocks will make a big difference in comfort. For me, if I could get a Silvio or a Vendetta, I'd very easily choose Silvio as I'll never be in the situation where I need the "pedal to the medal" speed I can get from the Vendetta (I think it would make a better RAAM bike as well). That doesn't mean I'm not going to "borrow" Eric's Vendetta for long periods when he's not looking (right after I have my legs surgically shortened.
- Actually what is your inseam Eric?).
1) I
Three comments:
1) I completely agree with you, pRC, I wish the Silvio allowed wider 700c tires. It might (somewhat) when you use disc brakes and using 650 wheels with disk brakes isn't a crazy idea at all.
2) I do agree that getting an exact idea of how many links you need is important. That being said, what the Silvio and Vendetta really need is 6 chains for 5 chain swaps (or something like that), so it is really much better than 2 chains for each new chain. This does limit you more to what chain you need as you'll want to put compatible chains together, but none of this should be a deal breaker...
3) I agree that the Silvio would be my choice for a "rando recumbent" too. I'm sure I can get a rear rack on there and I think the shocks will make a big difference in comfort. For me, if I could get a Silvio or a Vendetta, I'd very easily choose Silvio as I'll never be in the situation where I need the "pedal to the medal" speed I can get from the Vendetta (I think it would make a better RAAM bike as well). That doesn't mean I'm not going to "borrow" Eric's Vendetta for long periods when he's not looking (right after I have my legs surgically shortened.
- Actually what is your inseam Eric?).
Andrew 1973
Zen MBB Master
650B on a Silvio
I tried 650B wheels on a tandem that was originally equipped with 26" wheels. In this case, the 650B was an upgrade, but tire choices were limited and the wheels were robust and quite heavy.
My opinion is that such wheels on a Silvio diminish its purpose as a fast road bike. If the Silvio was built to accommodate every possible wheel/tire combination (within reason - let's not get silly about this) then the end product might be diminished performance for the sake of flexibility which may be suitable to a rather small number of potential customers. Maybe I am comparing apples to oranges, but it would seem akin to turning a Cervelo R5 into a touring bike.
In the end, it's the OP's money and the bike has to fit his riding requirements.
I tried 650B wheels on a tandem that was originally equipped with 26" wheels. In this case, the 650B was an upgrade, but tire choices were limited and the wheels were robust and quite heavy.
My opinion is that such wheels on a Silvio diminish its purpose as a fast road bike. If the Silvio was built to accommodate every possible wheel/tire combination (within reason - let's not get silly about this) then the end product might be diminished performance for the sake of flexibility which may be suitable to a rather small number of potential customers. Maybe I am comparing apples to oranges, but it would seem akin to turning a Cervelo R5 into a touring bike.
In the end, it's the OP's money and the bike has to fit his riding requirements.
