New Silvio S30 Rider: first ride report

[fred_primus]

Hi Folks,
I've recently purchased the complete build S30 from Cruzbike. Thanks for the great customer service and shopping experience. I'll get pictures on Cape Cod sometime. It looks like this:

My other recumbent is a performer lowracer:

As such I was indeed able to hop on and ride the S30 practically out of the box. It only took me about 1 hour to set up the S30 and it was a pleasure. Pedals, handlebars, tighten here and there. I was able to get my first ride without having to even adjust the derailleurs. Just duck-walked out of the driveway and started pedaling.

First and foremost, thanks for the great build quality. From design to construction and assembly I have zero complaints, in every way above average.

I salute the ventisit cushion. So far the ventilation is great. I've since fine-tuned the derailleurs and tested bottom bracket and handlebar positions.

Since receiving the S30 less than a week ago I have ridden about 60 miles. It's a learning experience especially at low speeds and sharp cornering and I'm up for the challenge.

One thing I've learned is that at low speed cornering, counter-balancing seems to help quite a bit. So if I'm attempting a low speed 180 degree U turn on my left side, it helps when I shift my weight to the right side of the bike and vice versa.

Overall I'm already pleased and look forward to riding on a daily basis. I'm getting better at the low speed stuff.

I would highly recommend the bike to anyone who is able to learn it.

*edited after a new 10mi ride.

 

[JOSEPHWEISSERT]

I'm surprised how challenging the Moving Bottom Bracket (MBB) design is to master, but I am looking forward to it.

I've only been riding a Vendetta since April and it is my first recumbent ever. I was downright dangerous and entirely unstable when I started. I crashed 3 times in my first 2 rides. It was very painful and demoralizing. I hurt myself in the same two spots (left forearm and left hip) during each of the 3 crashes. But my brain has since rewired to where I was recently able to successfully recover from an unexpected, potential disaster during a recent competitive event. I now ride with the same confidence that I used to have on a DF for many years. So it will happen to you also for sure, little by little, day by day. It just takes time, practice, and patience - as many riders have mentioned many times already in this forum.

 

[tiltmaniac]

I was one of the lucky ones. Never had any issue learning to ride it-- hopped on an S30 and it just sang to me.
I wobbled about at slow speeds (<6mph), but anything faster and it just worked OK.
It took about 250 miles in my case to feel confident enough to ride at hill-descent speeds, and probably another 500 miles 'till my low-speed riding was good enough that I could turn around within a single lane or less.

I'd ridden DF bikes for many years, and also 3 different recumbents (Optima Cheetah lowracer, Lightning P-38, and HPVelotechnik SpeedMachine). Perhaps that experience helped, or perhaps it was just a good fit for me.


Congrats Fred on the start of the journey to mastery!

 

[fred_primus]

To be honest, I'm not convinced it's any harder to master than any other bike. It's just that I've had 3+ decades of upright riding and 2 years of long chain recumbent lowracer. After a few days with the silvio I'm already plenty happy.

 

[fred_primus]

Put another 7 miles while riding with a girl on a single speed. Lots of low speed relaxing and a couple of hills. Some low speed maneuvering.
It seems the low speed, relaxed rides with lots of stops and starts and meandering are great for getting to know the bike.
It's only been a week and I'm already getting super comfortable and relaxed on the silvio. Trying to ride no-hands, but that's a little beyond me

Chased a pack of df riders, I could actually draft off them, that was fun.