Looks like I'm gonna be an S40 owner Friday!

[mortjr]

I bought a S40 in August and I'm still messing with it so give it time. I didn't think I would like the vendetta because I would be reclined too much, but now I kind of wonder. I noticed the s40 is a pretty bumpy ride, I can see how that would be hard on your back with your history.

On a off note...my brother just bought 85 acres in hill country. I live in Ohio, super jealous of you guys.

 

[chicorider]

I started with the V20, then bought a S30, then a S40. I still have and ride them all. The V20 is easily my go-to ride. It is both the fastest and most most comfortable of the three (for me). The S30 is good for the rare group ride and the Winter months, when afternoon light is scarce. I can see a little better because of the more upright seat angle. The S40 is my commuter and town bike. It's the easiest of the three to ride, but is also the least comfortable (for me). If I had to thin this herd, I would sell the S30 first, and then the S40. For me, the V20 is the must-have CB ride.

 

[McWheels]

On the comfort thing, the S40 can help you out with wider tyres. I've got an early model, so I can fit a bit wider road tyres than the current showroom of brightly coloured express machines. Compare to the V2k I've got for sale with narrower but treaded Schwalbe marathon greenguards, I gain a great deal of comfort and go considerably faster.[1]

[1] 650x42 (Compass Babyshoe pass) on the front and 700x35 (Pirelli Cinturato TLR) on the rear. Previously the V2k ran 26x1.75

 

[DocS]

I have 700 x 32c on the S40 and 700x28c on the Vendetta...
Tires make a lot of difference in speed and ride comfort for sure!

 

[DocS]

Another member of this and another recumbent forum sold me his Thor seat/Ventist Pad.
The previous owner of my S40 had a thor seat installed and removed it prior to selling, so the rear tabs were cut and drilled.
I still have malleable plastic, so I'm guessing (hoping) mounting it will be pretty quick and easy.
The stock seat really isn't too bad, but I keep slipping forward. I think the Thor seat will help me stay put a little better and give my lumbar area a bit more support.

Since it's getting darker earlier now, I've been pretty much riding my S40. I tried riding my Vendetta the other night and think I'll stick to the S40 in low light situations.
Sitting up helps me navigate the potholes a bit better...

Now I guess it's time to look at the drive situation... I'm not liking the 1x11 drive. It seems that the gaps between gears is too big. Sometimes, I'm either too high or too low geared and even though my derailleur is a roadbike derailleur with a wolfstooth hanger extender, it's not enough for it to consistently get into the lowest gear.

Blessings all!
Rudy

 

[Sonnybea]

Another member of this and another recumbent forum sold me his Thor seat/Ventist Pad.
The previous owner of my S40 had a thor seat installed and removed it prior to selling, so the rear tabs were cut and drilled.
I still have malleable plastic, so I'm guessing (hoping) mounting it will be pretty quick and easy.
The stock seat really isn't too bad, but I keep slipping forward. I think the Thor seat will help me stay put a little better and give my lumbar area a bit more support.

Since it's getting darker earlier now, I've been pretty much riding my S40. I tried riding my Vendetta the other night and think I'll stick to the S40 in low light situations.
Sitting up helps me navigate the potholes a bit better...

Now I guess it's time to look at the drive situation... I'm not liking the 1x11 drive. It seems that the gaps between gears is too big. Sometimes, I'm either too high or too low geared and even though my derailleur is a roadbike derailleur with a wolfstooth hanger extender, it's not enough for it to consistently get into the lowest gear.

Blessings all!
Rudy

Hi Rudy I set up my S40 with a 50/34 with a shimano bar end shifter works fantastic
I am mainly riding the levee down here in south Florida
I am with you on the seat, I keep slipping down
Please keep us posted on the Thor seat
Thanks Sonnybea

 

[DocS]

I think I'm going to get a 2 speed brifter and derailleur for the front and add a 50/43 set...
Probably change the rear cassette as well.

Blessings,
Rudy

 

[Robert K Hall]

Same issue with my S40, seat cushion is to short & I fill like I’m sliding off. I’ve replace all my stock seat cushions on my Cruzbike’s S40, Vendetta & Silvio S2 with different cushions. The S40 with the upright seat was giving me recumbutt & tried several different cushions (6) to correct this. Ended up with a Volae cushion (bought from Recumbent Classified) that is basically the same seat, thickness & wider in the back but 3 inches longer. Not sure why the stock seats are so short from Cruzbike but this & little extra padding in the back solved the problem. Also replace the single ring up front with a 50-34 double & ll-32 cassette. Much better for me.

 

[ak-tux]

Hi Rudy I set up my S40 with a 50/34 with a shimano bar end shifter works fantastic
I am mainly riding the levee down here in south Florida
I am with you on the seat, I keep slipping down
Please keep us posted on the Thor seat
Thanks Sonnybea

For my S40 seat, I replaced the form pad inside the cover and used a yoga mat pad instead. To get the right shape, I traced over the original pad and cut it. I also wanted to make the padding thinner. I found the stock pad too thick for my weight. I felt like I was "floating".

I then extended the adjustable part of the carbon seat fully and glued a layer of pad on the carbon, underneath the main pad, to give it a little "nose" lift. I don't slide out on my stock seat.

 

[DocS]

Nice... I see you're making your S40 "Yours"! I like the red accents!

I thought about that, but I also wanted a bit of lumbar support and the new seat will support my shoulders as well.
I rarely use the headrest on the S40 and expect to pretty much negate the need for it with this new seat...

Blessings,
Rudy

 

[ak-tux]

Nice... I see you're making your S40 "Yours"! I like the red accents!

I thought about that, but I also wanted a bit of lumbar support and the new seat will support my shoulders as well.
I rarely use the headrest on the S40 and expect to pretty much negate the need for it with this new seat...

Blessings,
Rudy

Yeah! I also added a piece of lumbar support from a piece of form that was included in the S40 box. Iam quite comfortable on it.

I need the neck rest . Even just for that slight feeling of support. I got too used to it , I guess. However, I had to modify mine with a a piece of PVC that I cut and shaped from a pipe. It's not clear rom the photo but it resembles the suspension adjustable neck rest sold by Cruzbike.

 

[DocS]

So, this week has been pretty busy, but I removed the stock CB seat yesterday and checked to see what I would need to do to mount the Thor seat...
Looks like the previous owner didn't cut down the front tabs, so I did that, then I played with seating angle .
Although my original intent in buying the S40 was to sit more upright, I think the seating angle is a bit too upright...

I played around and think I'm going to mount it at about a 30 degree angle instead. This will mean that I'll be using that pliable plastic filler between the frame and seat pan to fill in some fairly large gaps.

Please don't pay attention to the mess in my garage, but I'm posting pics of the stock seat and how I plan to mount the Thor seat...

I'll try to get in there to finish this evening and get some more pictures...

Blessings,
Rudy (aka DocS)

 

[3bs]

@DocS

rudy i would put the bike on a trainer before you set that seat. one of the things we all forget is the front lip of the seat and how it presses on the back of our thighs. shorter the leg the more pronounced this case be.
you can account for this some by raising the bottom bracket, but then that will often push your hips back in the seat more. and will cause you to ride with more open legs to account for the reduction in distance, and you may not notice this till your hip tendon hurts.

 

[DocS]

I thought about that as I was mocking it up...
I was able to sit on it a bit and make sure the front lip wasn't hitting the back of my thigh. I don't have a trainer, so can't really set it up on that...
The funny thing is that I was actually thinking about looking for a longer chainstay to raise the BB a bit... I seem to feel more comfortable with my legs up a bit...

Blessings,
DocS

 

[Robert K Hall]

I put the longer chainstay on my S40 & seems to be more comfortable that way. The way mine is now set up, no more recumbutt & not sliding out of the seat.

 

[paco1961]

50:34, 11-36 on my s40 and V20. I use Sram GX RD and force brifters. Decided on 10 sp so the mtb rd and road brifters play nice. Works like a dream. And w cage lock on the GX RD, front wheel change is a snap. Have tried many set ups but this is by far my fav

 

[cpml123]

50:34, 11-36 on my s40 and V20. I use Sram GX RD and force brifters. Decided on 10 sp so the mtb rd and road brifters play nice. Works like a dream. And w cage lock on the GX RD, front wheel change is a snap. Have tried many set ups but this is by far my fav

Same here. I have 11-40 cassette. That's probably the limit of the GX RD.

 

[DocS]

Well, I decided to mount the seat at the 40 degree angle after-all, after realizing what 3bS was talking about. I also thought that if I really wanted a more reclined seat, why did I get an S40.

I've been looking around for new drive components to replace the 1x11 that's on the S40... I'd rather go with a 2x10 set-up (like I have on my Vendetta)...
I believe I have a set around here somewhere, so I'll have to piece it together and ride it in the meantime...

Blessings,
DocS

 

[DocS]

Ok, this may be working backwards, but I'm just thinking...
I have a new Sram DualDrive hub that's never been used/laced to a wheel and the shifting components...
I know Cruzbike used to use them in some of their other bikes some time ago and was thinking about using it on my S40...

Any thoughts?

I know it'll add weight to the front, but pros and cons would be appreciated...

Blessings,
DocS

 

[Alex Lemann]

I had a Q559 with the DualDrive and it is the one thing I miss on my new S40. It was nice being able to downshift while stopped and I just liked it more than a front derailleur. That being said, I wish the internal gears were spaced wider (sheldon brown's gear calculator will show you precise numbers for the dual drive). I also had a persistent problem with chain drop that I was never able to solve, and I missed being able to pull the chain back on with a front derailleur. I can't speak to the weight, since my S40 is dramatically lighter than the Q in so many ways.