LarryOz
Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
Hello All,
I am a nebie to Cruzbike. I just purchase Seth's Silvio 2.0 (Thanks Seth!) last week.
Here is a little history for those interested:
I live near Asheville, NC and this is pretty hilly country.
I commute to work on Specialized DF (about 10 miles each way), and usually ride an extra 10 miles at lunch or tack it to my ride on the way home. My right knee was rebuilt about 30 years ago due to a car accident, and I have had 2 other minor operations on it since then. Due to the main surgery, I also have vericose viens in that left leg (had 2 surgeries on it in the last year) and am hoping that the recumbent style of riding will not aggravate them as much as having them hang down on the DF bike. I am pretty much a spinner. Due to my knee I never really just stand up in the saddle, and try to overcome the hills with brute force.
My only experience in riding any recumbent was about 2 weeks ago when I tried someone's
LWB for about 10 miles. It was strange to ride, but I think I did OK for a first try. It was terribly hard to get going from a stop however, especially on a slight uphill grade. It was also pretty hard to go up hills. I am used to spinning and powering up most grades under 4% at 13-15 mph. Could not even get half that with the lwb.
My first attempt to ride the Silvio was last Saturday (6/14). I tried Flinstoning around my driveway at first, but it was really too steep for me to return up. I eventually just took the bike out to the road in my subdivision and just let it coast down the hill (with brakes on of course!) a couple times until I became comfortable enough not to tip it over. I then worked my way to riding out and back (about a 1.6 mile circuit) that also has a couple short but challenging grades of 4-5% for short periods. (The little circuit has about 160 feet of climbing).
My initial observations where that I found myself really fighting the bike going up the hills and I was all over the road. I found that I could alternately pull the left side of the handle bar as my right foot applied pressure to the pedal and visa-versa. I also found that the bike was very squirly to me as I was going down hill, and pretty much had to apply the brakes to keep myself under control.
Through the course of the day, I put in about 15 miles this way.
In the evening my back hurt, my stomach ached, my right knee hurt, and my shoulders where also soar - especially the next day. I am sure most of it is to me fighting myself and using muscles that I was not accustomed to using every day.
I was a little disappointed that I did not feel more comfortable on the bike after that amount time on it, but I was determined not to give up so quickly.
It is now Thursday morning as I write this, and I am happy to say that I have become more accustomed to the bike. I have ridden my little 1.6 mile loop about 3 times each day after work. I have progressively gotten more comfortable and most pains and have gone away. The only one that seems to remain is a slight pain in my left knee. (I am wondering if I am extending it too far on the pedel stroke)
I have found that I am more comfortable with alternately pulling on the handle bars rather than pushing to counteract the forces of my pedaling.
I also found that I could "power" up the hills pretty good, but I found myself gripping both sides of the handlebars very tightly when I wanted to really go up the hills at a good clip. Is this a bad technique?
I timed my self on my DF around the loop (without my mtb shoes, and could comfortabley do it in about 6.5 minutes. I am happy to report that I can now do the circuit in the Silvio now in about 6 minutes. Not blazing speed, but am lease up to and surpassing my speed in the DF. Now my next stage is to possibly put my feet into toe clips or my mtb pedals and shoes.
So here are my "technique" questions:
What kind of experience has anyone had when switching from regular pedals to toe clips or snap in cleats?
Is one any better than the other?
Is it easier to "steer" the bike when you are locked in and can "pull" with the left, while "pushing" with the right, and vise versa?
Any tips to going downhill fast? I have a hill that I gone down over 50 mph on my DF, but I feel almost out of control if I go over 25 mph on this Silvio right now. Will that just get better with time on the bike?
Any hints on carrying food and drink with you for long rides, and being able to access them without totally stopping? Can't put food or drink in back shirt pockets since laying on them.
Also the hydration backpacks wont work either. Do you just lay something like that on your chest?
Any other tips or comments on your techniques would be most appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Larry
I am a nebie to Cruzbike. I just purchase Seth's Silvio 2.0 (Thanks Seth!) last week.
Here is a little history for those interested:
I live near Asheville, NC and this is pretty hilly country.
I commute to work on Specialized DF (about 10 miles each way), and usually ride an extra 10 miles at lunch or tack it to my ride on the way home. My right knee was rebuilt about 30 years ago due to a car accident, and I have had 2 other minor operations on it since then. Due to the main surgery, I also have vericose viens in that left leg (had 2 surgeries on it in the last year) and am hoping that the recumbent style of riding will not aggravate them as much as having them hang down on the DF bike. I am pretty much a spinner. Due to my knee I never really just stand up in the saddle, and try to overcome the hills with brute force.
My only experience in riding any recumbent was about 2 weeks ago when I tried someone's
LWB for about 10 miles. It was strange to ride, but I think I did OK for a first try. It was terribly hard to get going from a stop however, especially on a slight uphill grade. It was also pretty hard to go up hills. I am used to spinning and powering up most grades under 4% at 13-15 mph. Could not even get half that with the lwb.
My first attempt to ride the Silvio was last Saturday (6/14). I tried Flinstoning around my driveway at first, but it was really too steep for me to return up. I eventually just took the bike out to the road in my subdivision and just let it coast down the hill (with brakes on of course!) a couple times until I became comfortable enough not to tip it over. I then worked my way to riding out and back (about a 1.6 mile circuit) that also has a couple short but challenging grades of 4-5% for short periods. (The little circuit has about 160 feet of climbing).
My initial observations where that I found myself really fighting the bike going up the hills and I was all over the road. I found that I could alternately pull the left side of the handle bar as my right foot applied pressure to the pedal and visa-versa. I also found that the bike was very squirly to me as I was going down hill, and pretty much had to apply the brakes to keep myself under control.
Through the course of the day, I put in about 15 miles this way.
In the evening my back hurt, my stomach ached, my right knee hurt, and my shoulders where also soar - especially the next day. I am sure most of it is to me fighting myself and using muscles that I was not accustomed to using every day.
I was a little disappointed that I did not feel more comfortable on the bike after that amount time on it, but I was determined not to give up so quickly.
It is now Thursday morning as I write this, and I am happy to say that I have become more accustomed to the bike. I have ridden my little 1.6 mile loop about 3 times each day after work. I have progressively gotten more comfortable and most pains and have gone away. The only one that seems to remain is a slight pain in my left knee. (I am wondering if I am extending it too far on the pedel stroke)
I have found that I am more comfortable with alternately pulling on the handle bars rather than pushing to counteract the forces of my pedaling.
I also found that I could "power" up the hills pretty good, but I found myself gripping both sides of the handlebars very tightly when I wanted to really go up the hills at a good clip. Is this a bad technique?
I timed my self on my DF around the loop (without my mtb shoes, and could comfortabley do it in about 6.5 minutes. I am happy to report that I can now do the circuit in the Silvio now in about 6 minutes. Not blazing speed, but am lease up to and surpassing my speed in the DF. Now my next stage is to possibly put my feet into toe clips or my mtb pedals and shoes.
So here are my "technique" questions:
What kind of experience has anyone had when switching from regular pedals to toe clips or snap in cleats?
Is one any better than the other?
Is it easier to "steer" the bike when you are locked in and can "pull" with the left, while "pushing" with the right, and vise versa?
Any tips to going downhill fast? I have a hill that I gone down over 50 mph on my DF, but I feel almost out of control if I go over 25 mph on this Silvio right now. Will that just get better with time on the bike?
Any hints on carrying food and drink with you for long rides, and being able to access them without totally stopping? Can't put food or drink in back shirt pockets since laying on them.
Also the hydration backpacks wont work either. Do you just lay something like that on your chest? Any other tips or comments on your techniques would be most appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Larry
