Just received my new T50 and needing some advice/help

[Vicki C.]

So these folks have my absolute sympathy here. Been there, done that, the T-shirt was soaked in sweat.

Those of you who've been around for a while may remember the Cruzbike Sigma, a long-wheelbase bike that was designed to incorporate arm-assisted power in a manner similar to the other Cruzbikes you're more familiar with. This was in 2009.

I had been involved in the development process; I was enthusiastic about the bike and its prospects.

Jim, Maria and John asked me to assemble 15 of them for sale in the US. "It's 15 bikes, how hard can it be?" I told myself.

Well, lemme tell ya. Assembling bikes raw from the manufacturer ain't like putting a bike together that you bought from a retailer.

I was expecting 15 bikes in roughly retail boxes needing assembly. Piece o' cake.

What I got was boxes and boxes and boxes of individual raw components boxed according to what vendor they came from. They literally filled up my garage. They had to be inventoried, classified and inspected, and apportioned into kits to complete each bike.

And then there was the list of 15 machining operations required to complete the frames; operations the framebuilder had failed to complete before painting the frames. So I had to work out ways to do these machining operations without destroying the paint, which I had no way to restore if it were damaged. I built fixtures. I bought tools and modified them to complete the operations fairly efficiently. I had to re-manufacture each steering u-joint to remove the bearings and replace them with delrin bushings to eliminate bearing play in the u-joint. Had to build a tool to do that.

I recruited my wife to help me inventory and sort the parts. This involved 25 bins of separate parts. After all that, I still got some of it wrong.

I used one bike as the "runt". when a badly made part showed up, I pulled a good part from the runt and swapped it. I still have the runt frame kit, but a lot of the parts require significant repair or re-machining.

The boxes that the frames were shipped in weren't large enough to accommodate all the parts when the bikes were kitted-out for shipment, so I had to work out a way to ship the ready-for-assembly bikes.

Two days after I assembled the first one for "first-piece inspection", I had to ship it to a retailer in Florida for a bike show. I minimally disassembled it so the re-assembly would be fast and easy for the retailer. Shipping was $519.00.

Long story short, kitting-out even the frame kits is a cast-iron you-know-what. If you're down on people, it's harder. If you're down on people and in a hurry, it's a little slice of hell.

I think Cruzbike did well on this first run. And I know they will make everything right. They always do.

But I implore you to give 'em some consideration. It ain't as easy as you might think.

Best,

Doug

I absolutely understand. I was just freaking out a bit. This was a big deal for me to jump on this and I wasn't sure what I was getting into. It's just a bike, right? But it's an investment and I didn't want to make mistakes and it did not come with the usual build a Chinese bookshelf instructions and the accessories were unusable. But, if I didn't trust the corporate ethics, I would not have taken the plunge. I didn't realize that basically one person would be taking care of it. Under the circumstances, Robert was VERRRYYY patient with me. And I appreciate this forum.

 

[Doug Burton]

Hi Vicki,

You'll be fine, between the folks at the company and all of us around here, we'll make sure your investment pays off!

Cheers,

Doug

 

[Frisard]

Just a quick note with regard to support. There are times of the year when it can get slow to get an answer. The shipping of the T50 was unfortunately timed right after RAAM. Having been on the RAAM squad I can tell you honestly that the race wiped all of us out. The team format moves so fast it's exhausting. IMHO We all completely underestimated what that was going to mean for both riders and crew. I'm still playing catch up in real life (don't work for CB) so I get see the effect. Example there is a T50 in my garage in a box; if I touch it before September it will be a total miracle. The veterans around here can tell you what that must mean given my proclivity for cool builds and photos...

So By my count, They had 152 backers bikes to box and ship and 3 people to do it; robert, maria, and lucia the later two were on RAAM racing and media. I suspect shipping week was as exhausting as the race and came on the heels of the race; (days after), I also know due to happenstance it was more like two people, take my word but I can't elaborate. Perhaps they should have pushed shipping back a week, but there's that drive to get bikes into people's hands that I can understand. Eyes are bigger than the stomach and all of that.

As for the quality issues; small company, and managing Taiwan is a challenge even for big bike companies; you ask for x and you get X-skewed. It's the way of things and it's as frustrating for them as it is for the customer. Each bike model especially the Silvio has had it's growing pains with the new models. We the longtime customers put up with it because (1) we want to ride these bikes, (2) Cruzbike always makes it right, (3) we'd rather not wait an extra year to have it perfect.

So my guidance to everyone with issues be patient (yes it's hard) email support@cruzbike.com they will catch up. Continue to ask questions here the resources in the tribe are vast and if it was not July vacation season I think the answer rate would be twice what it is. Be constructive with the critiques Cruzbike staff will listen and the next round of bikes will be better and we all benefit from this approach. This was still a kickstarter project and I've been a part of enough of those that they are never perfect, but they get the job done.

The T50 is the ultimate tinkerer bike I'm already impressed with what the experience people are doing with it. Those of you with less experience ask good questions and by the time we get into August I suspect as a community we will have many of the answers in hand and get people rolling down the road. Future T50 owners will benefit from the 152 people that are taking the initial journey, you don't learn to ride a CB in a day, and I certainly know I can't build one in a day. Having a 152 people trying to assemble bikes in a one-month time window is going to challenge us all. I think the tribe's up to it.

Ratz, that is probably the best piece of PR one can give. We now realize why this project looks like a small family operation... because it is! And I can be cool, very cool with that, and thus a lot more forgiving, and yes patient. I like the idea of Mom and daughter working on packing, etc. Who is doing the work, and who is doing the Quality Control? Maybe we don't want to know.
Okay, that being said, I suspect now where you got the nick-name "wielder of the rubber mallet"; from putting these bikes together? I had to wield the rubber mallet today to persuade the riser tube into place. (I cut the steering tube with a tubing cutter I borrowed from the local OSH. I have to return it to get my money back.) I put the riser on without the locking spacer, because Rob did get back to me and tell me that it wasn't really necessary, that the boom slider would hold everything in place. I believe that, because nothing is going to move with the TIGHT tolerances (or lack of tolerances).
BTW, it helps to have my QX100 standing next to the T50 build. QX100 is a good reference.
Anyway, the frame set looks good hanging from the ParkTool maintenance stand. Now I have to start acquiring parts to finish it out.
I am in no big hurry to complete this project. I started a new contract job two weeks ago, which takes me out of town 4days, and home 3 days. Those 3 days are enough to do the laundry, feed the cat, and put a couple of hours into the T50. And, most important, the job provides the Dólares to pay for the parts. Hard to do these projects when you are living on SS and retirement funds.
So, I am in a happy mood. Not so cranky. See you all 'round on the forum. And, happy building your bikes.

 

[Frisard]

A quick question. Does a derailleur hanger come with the frame kit?

Yes, mine was installed in proper place.

 

[ratz]

I suspect now where you got the nick-name "wielder of the rubber mallet"; from putting these bikes together?

Indeed; if you look at the old silvio build diary the mallet was often accidentally captured in the photos. These days the mallet is full of itself and constantly photo-bombs my build photography.

 

[SlowRoll1950]

Indeed; if you look at the old silvio build diary the mallet was often accidentally captured in the photos. These days the mallet is full of itself and constantly photo-bombs my build photography.

My mallet made an appearance as well



I am currently "dry lab"-ing my build while I wait for parts. My plan for just moving stuff from an old mountain bike ran into the realities of current vs 30 year old designs.

The Sheldon Brown references are very helpful to a newbie builder like me.

 

[SlowRoll1950]

Here is my plan for installing the seat pad and I would like to hear from anyone who thinks there is a better way: (1) put the velcro strips (with the plastic cover of the glue backing still intact) in contact with the velcro strips affixed on the pad back, (2) remove the plastic cover from the glue backing, (3) align the pad with the seat and first press the bend of the pad into the connection point of the seat back and base, and (4) then apply pressure from the bend both forward to the front of the seat base and upward to the top of the seat back.

 

[Vicki C.]

Here is my plan for installing the seat pad and I would like to hear from anyone who thinks there is a better way: (1) put the velcro strips (with the plastic cover of the glue backing still intact) in contact with the velcro strips affixed on the pad back, (2) remove the plastic cover from the glue backing, (3) align the pad with the seat and first press the bend of the pad into the connection point of the seat back and base, and (4) then apply pressure from the bend both forward to the front of the seat base and upward to the top of the seat back.

I have the basic seat pad and that is what I did. Caveat: Make sure that the cover is not pulled to one side. The cover is a little loose. I thought I was careful to center the pad but on one side the strip that is stuck to the seat is too close to the edge and the velcro tape shows a little. I think the cover slipped sideways a little when I was centering the pad on the seat.

 

[Frisard]

I have the basic seat pad and that is what I did. Caveat: Make sure that the cover is not pulled to one side. The cover is a little loose. I thought I was careful to center the pad but on one side the strip that is stuck to the seat is too close to the edge and the velcro tape shows a little. I think the cover slipped sideways a little when I was centering the pad on the seat.

I emailed Rob for price for a QX100 seat cushion. It fits nicely on the T50. Waiting for answer.