Minneapolis Silvio

[hoyden]

I've recently (in March) had a bad experience with a different brand of flat protection strips.

Thanks for the heads up, Bill K. My tires are Panaracers. I don't imagine my tubes are light weight. I will get to find out if they work or don't. I guess there is more going on between the tire and tube than I can imagine. I patched a tube on my Azub Origami (20" tires) and ran it for two seasons on Kreitler Rollers. The tire went flat a few months ago and it was the patch that failed.

 

[RAR]

Another nice ride; 28.7 miles in 2:05. Unlike yesterday the ride today was mostly continuous and no stops for rest or to chat with folks. I felt more confidence and stability. I even scratched my nose and adjusted my glasses a few times without stopping. I can momentarily ride with one hand so long as I pick a place where the trail is smooth, I don't have to pedal, and there are no other folks close by.

When I am rested up I will seriously consider going over the hill to Lake Calhoun and then over to the commuter trail. Before I head out that far from home I want to remove and reinstall the front tire. I don't really want to do this but want to do it even less for the first time out in the wild.

I don't know how high your bars are but mine are low enough to tuck my elbow against my ribs to one hand it, letting my body be a damper for the steering.

 

[hoyden]

tuck my elbow against my ribs to one hand it

My elbows touch the body forward of the midpoint and just above the waist, so not a lot of solid contact but better than floating in mid-air. I will try using the arm/elbow against the body for stability. Thanks!

 

[SamP]

You're doing well!

For awhile I had a water bottle mounted on my stem which made getting a drink much easier than getting to the bottle mounts behind my back. You may be able to do something similar and mount a bottle on your front boom.

 

[hoyden]

SamP, in general if my ride is less than 3 hours and the temp less than 80F I don't do any water at all or I stop at a public water fountain. As summer ramps up I will need to think about water. I have used camelbacks for water on the go and other times stuff a bottle or three in whatever pack I have. I am now trying to find a suitable pack and not having much luck. I am considering Apidura and Radical (Solo Aero) but not clear that either will work well and they are expensive enough that I don't want to gamble on their suitability.

 

[cranky cyclist]

I am a diamond frame rider wanting to transition to a silvio. I have heard that there is a steep learning curve if you haven't ridden a recumbent before. Any thoughts on this?

 

[JOSEPHWEISSERT]

I am a diamond frame rider wanting to transition to a silvio. I have heard that there is a steep learning curve if you haven't ridden a recumbent before. Any thoughts on this?

Steep learning curve? Yes. Worth the effort? Definitely. It will probably take weeks, at least, to become proficient. The reason is because your brain will slowly rewire. I went from a DF to a Vendetta with no recumbent experience and it took eight weeks to become about 95% proficient. It takes determination and a lot of work. The cost is temporary, but the payoff is permanent. It's well worth the cost.

 

[Rick Youngblood]

am a diamond frame rider wanting to transition to a silvio. I have heard that there is a steep learning curve if you haven't ridden a recumbent before. Any thoughts on this?

There is a learning curve to everything we are not familiar with. A learning curve to mtb'ing, recumbents in general, and to the Cruzbike. How steep or fast you pick it up is an individual thing. There are some folks that picked it up quite fast and some that require a little more seat time. Jason never owned a recumbent in his life, got ahold of a Vendetta and then raced it about a month latter. The Silvio was Larry Oz's first recumbent and has been winning races and breaking records. The Silvio or Vendetta is worth the time spent learning, no matter wether short or long. The rewards of learning to ride a FWD MBB bike, in particular the Cruzbike are a hundred fold.

...and what Joe said....

 

[ratz]

I have heard that there is a steep learning curve

Learning curve, yes sir it's a new thing... Steep that's more than I would say.

I don't think any of us would call our first bike a steep learning curve and if you follow the training script and envision success
you'll learn it far faster than you did your childhood bike and that ended pretty well if you are DF riding adult.

By comparison I call Piano; Violin, Calculus, writing with your non-dominate hand; those are steep learning curves.
Recumbent; MBB; that's a challenge with a learning curve and you get better by simply doing it;.
I tried Piano, I can assure you I didn't get better at it by just trying.

 

[Bill K]

I am a diamond frame rider wanting to transition to a silvio. I have heard that there is a steep learning curve if you haven't ridden a recumbent before. Any thoughts on this?

I agree with what the others have said above. That said, my first recumbent was a Bacchetta which I rode for over a year before getting the Vendetta 20 a few months ago, so this may not be a good answer to your question.
I was looking for something new, exciting, and challenging, so for me the idea of a learning curve was a plus.
Fortunately, I was able to drive to Rose City Recumbents and test ride one (I had the same concern as you). After a 10 or 15 minute ride on both the Silvio and Vendetta, I felt that I could "tame the beast" so I bought one, and I am quite happy with it.

 

[1happyreader]

I am a diamond frame rider wanting to transition to a silvio. I have heard that there is a steep learning curve if you haven't ridden a recumbent before. Any thoughts on this?

Can you enjoy learning about a new toy with child like wonder ?? Feel what its doing , what it wants to do well ?
If you force it to behave like the bike you grew up on it will take much longer to ride well, if ever .

 

[MrSteve]

I am a diamond frame rider wanting to transition to a silvio. I have heard that there is a steep learning curve if you haven't ridden a recumbent before. Any thoughts on this?

As a retired motorcycle test rider, I've ridden lots of different single track, 1.5 track (sidecar) and so on.
There is always a learning curve with everything that's new to you.
Remember your new car?
You had to learn where all the gauges, switches, mirrors, screens, knobs, levers and pedals were!

This MBB bike concept lets you make D.F. power on the ground and gives you an aerodynamic advantage over most D.F. bikes.
If you're serious about switching and you actually take the plunge and switch from your D.F. to my beloved MBB... please take it seriously.
If not, well, oh well.

 

[cranky cyclist]

Thanks all, It really doesn't look that hard. I think that I will do fine. Some people just like to scare you!

 

[hoyden]

I found it's not hard to transition but I do need to give myself time to learn and not push things. It took me a couple months to feel steady enough riding a Birdy (18" tires) on Kreitler Rollers and watch TV at the same time. It took me about a month to learn how to ride my Azub Origami on rollers. With 122 miles I am still learning Silvio and have made good progress. It's rained for the last 3 days so I'm back inside on the Origami but look forward to getting outside either today or tomorrow. Silvio is my main ride outside now.

 

[SamP]

Some people have tried and given up. However, I believe almost anyone who can ride a DF bike can learn to ride a CruzBike, though it might take several months to get comfortable enough to ride in traffic and other more difficult situations. I, perhaps foolishly, was riding on multi-use paths within a week or two.

 

[1happyreader]

I, perhaps foolishly, was riding on multi-use paths within a week or two.

Adjusted fit and controls on a trainer.
One 90 minute parking lot session and onto the mups for me.
However it was a Sofrider, more upright.
And I would have benefited greatly from more time learning slow speed turns and building new reflexes.

 

[Rick Youngblood]

Adjusted fit and controls on a trainer.
One 90 minute parking lot session and onto the mups for me

Same thing for, but 30 minutes in parking lot clipped in. 30 miles on MUP, then the country roads, flattish (or what easterners call hills) for about 200 miles, then the mountains roads, real hills, again . On a Silvio 2.1.

 

[hoyden]

Yah. A day without rain. Today's ride 42 miles at average speed 13.2. I am unplugged from laps around Lake Harriet.

Clouds, wind, and cool so the trails were less busy. My goal is still to improve stability and confidence.

I also used the large chain ring for the first time. There is a problem with the lower derailleur. I am pedaling along and suddenly the chain feels like it is slipping over the cogs and making a loud clicking sound. At home I looked at the BB and saw there are no bolts in the clamp. None. Zero. On either side. The crank has migrated to the right so that the left crank is rubbing against the bearing cup. This explains why I have trouble shifting to the large ring. It also explains the odd squeak that I thought came from the pedal.

Wielding the rubber mallet I positioned the crank whet I think it ought to be.

Dang. I'm grounded until I can get some bolts.

 

[hoyden]

Back in the saddle again. Robert expedited bolts arrived yesterday. 43 miles at 14.6; that's without clipless pedals and about as good as I get on my Azub on a good day clipped in. I anticipate going clipless within a month and look forward to reaping the improved power stroke.

I am developing a small checklist I could have used to save me from myself:
1. Pump up front shock
2. Verify all bolts are present and tight
3. Verify front and rear derailer adjustment
4. Check out all suspicious noises; don't assume anything.

I have tracked the problem with my large chain ring. When pedaling using the large chain ring the chain does not leave the ring for the RD but instead sticks to the ring until it reaches the FD where it makes the raucous clicking noise. If I back pedal a small amount the chain snaps free. I wonder if the chain is too long so that the RD exerts insufficient tension to compel the chain towards the RD. I notice the b-nut is screwed most of the way in so there's not much thread left if it needs to be screwed in further.

 

[ratz]

I wonder if the chain is too long so that the RD exerts insufficient tension to compel the chain towards the RD.

Go here: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html

Scroll down to the section on Chain Length. If you do it that way it always works.