New to the scene

[John Sumner]

I have been exploring the S40 and V20. I have been riding a TT bike for the last 5 years. I have done several Ironman events but no longer can due to a recent discovery of pinched nerves in the neck. It brings on cervicogenic headaches from the swim and bike. The reason for my post is I am hoping to get some insight from other riders on these two bikes. I still would like to be abler to do century rides and such. Just not sure the V20 is the correct fit for this. The S40 is supposed to be the road bike version of Cruzbikes. Any help in sorting this out would be appreciated. It would also be helpful if anyone were in the south Florida area that would let a guy attempt a ride on either of these bikes.

 

[Frito Bandito]

Welcome to the forum John. I am sure someone in Florida would be happy to let you try their bike/bikes so keep an eye out.
I switched over from TT bikes because of neck problems, and now only have the V20 (2018) in my profile pic. I can usually get pretty wordy so I'll try to keep it short in why I like my V20 more than my TT or road bike.

1. My neck pain got so bad on my TT bike that the longest I could stay on it was 3 hours max. On my V20, I have done 8 hours straight several times before I just got bored and went home. With a couple of strategically placed foam pads for lumbar support under the Ventisit it is incredibly comfortable for long rides. Additionally, the customized head rest keeps my head supported and my face looking forward without having to hold my head up at all, so my neck pain is completely gone now.

2. Speed. Using a left side 4iiii power meter and MyWindSock to calculate my CdA, it shows that it is consistently between 0.180 and 0.190. MyWindSock shows that on days when I ride up and down the river to compensate for wind for a total of just over 31 miles, I need about 210 watts for 25.5 or 26mph to do it in about 1h:16M. I'm 5'9 and 180lbs for reference. It is not a wind tunnel, but it's pretty consistent.

I don't have an S40 so I can't comment on that, but it is still a very fast bike.

 

[cpml123]

Welcome!
I think many people started with S40, me included, to get used to riding a Cruzbike, in traffic, using different muscles, in a riding group, etc. Some then added V20 later. My experience is that both are fine for centuries. I can use wider tires on S40 (40mm), add racks, but it's overall heavier. V20 is slightly faster, especially in flat and downhill. V20 can only fit up to 30mm tires.

 

[vmi1056]

Welcome to the tribe John. First, on tire size, the V20c can fit up to at least 32mm tires because that's what I run on mine and there is plenty of room so the 30mm tire max might apply to V20s prior to the V20c. I have had both bikes and have put more miles on the S40 then my V20c but I am closing the gap. The S40 is a fine machine and is kind of the Swiss army knife of Cruzbikes in my opinion. Can be set up to be a roadie, a gravel bike, or fast touring machine, it can just about do it all and do it all well. I didn't understand all the hype of the V20 until I got one. To me, it's a different animal. I joke and say my V20c does 15mph just sitting still. The amount of effort vs the speed you can achieve is noticeable. I'm what most folks would call a big fella and I can achieve cruising speeds that I have never been able to acheive on other bikes.

The thing that tipped the scale for me was the fact that you can adjust the seat up on the V20 to find that sweet spot of recline where the S40 is basically stuck at 40 degrees and the only place to go is up, which is not ideal in most cases. Once I got it dialed in, it is very comfortable. I would say I am sitting around 28 degrees or so with the spacer I put behind the seat and that works perfect for my body type. I will say this, the V20, for most people new to Cruzbike, is the most challenging to learn to ride but not impossible, our man @Frito Bandito started on a V20 and that dude is a worldwide ambassador now! I hope you get a chance to take them both for a spin, you really can't go wrong with either one, just depends on the type of riding you will do most.

 

[John Sumner]

Welcome to the tribe John. First, on tire size, the V20c can fit up to at least 32mm tires because that's what I run on mine and there is plenty of room so the 30mm tire max might apply to V20s prior to the V20c. I have had both bikes and have put more miles on the S40 then my V20c but I am closing the gap. The S40 is a fine machine and is kind of the Swiss army knife of Cruzbikes in my opinion. Can be set up to be a roadie, a gravel bike, or fast touring machine, it can just about do it all and do it all well. I didn't understand all the hype of the V20 until I got one. To me, it's a different animal. I joke and say my V20c does 15mph just sitting still. The amount of effort vs the speed you can achieve is noticeable. I'm what most folks would call a big fella and I can achieve cruising speeds that I have never been able to acheive on other bikes.

The thing that tipped the scale for me was the fact that you can adjust the seat up on the V20 to find that sweet spot of recline where the S40 is basically stuck at 40 degrees and the only place to go is up, which is not ideal in most cases. Once I got it dialed in, it is very comfortable. I would say I am sitting around 28 degrees or so with the spacer I put behind the seat and that works perfect for my body type. I will say this, the V20, for most people new to Cruzbike, is the most challenging to learn to ride but not impossible, our man @Frito Bandito started on a V20 and that dude is a worldwide ambassador now! I hope you get a chance to take them both for a spin, you really can't go wrong with either one, just depends on the type of riding you will do most.

Thanks for the response. You answered what would have been my next question, adjustability in seat angles. I wondered if you could change the seat on the S40 to a V20 seat. That would have made my choice much simpler, LoL.

 

[Frito Bandito]

Due to the frame design you can change the V20 seat to a higher angle by putting a foam wedge under your shoulders but you can't lower either the S40 or the V20 since the carbon fiber seat connect directly to the frame.

 

[Tryn2Cruz]

I have done 8 hours straight several times before I just got bored and went home.

 

[Frito Bandito]

@vmi1056 You are too kind braddah. I try not to be an idiot and I'd like to think I am sometimes successful. But even when I am not it doesn't take away from the fact that my V20 turned my dream bike Litespeed T1 into a parts getter. Triple or even quadruple the time in saddle before needing to take a break, and more aero? Peer pressure was never even a consideration.

Which brings me back to the topic. Saddle Sore or "recumbutt" is going to happen if you stay on any bike long enough. My legs were fine to keep me at a 30kph (18mph) pace for up to 8 hours on the flats but it was only at that time that recumbutt started to rear its head with my preferred 22 degree seat angle. I would assume that recumbutt would start earlier with a 40 degree seat angle, but there is surely a lot to consider when it will show up depending on the rider's weight, seat type and rider individuality.

I changed my profile pic so you can see the 14-16L tail bag I have on my V20 that not only turns it into a light tourer but also helps aerodynamically. Some CBers have a carbon fiber version of various sizes so there is always that option if needed. This cloth material setup adds about 2kg, but the carbon fiber adds about 1kg. You won't notice the weight on the flats, but you will notice the aerodynamic improvement.

 

[Greg S]

Hello John and welcome!

I own both an S40 and a V20c so I'm at least somewhat qualified to answer your questions. First a small bit of background. I owned an S40 previously (in 2019), put about 2,800 miles on it but then sold it (long story). Since rejoining the Cruzbike tribe I've put 535 miles on the V20c and 386 miles on the S40. As further background, I've done a number of long rides in the past on a DF bike (Paris-Brest-Paris, London-Edinburgh-London to name but two) but the longest ride I've done on a Cruzbike is 80 miles and that a few days ago.

OK, enough background. Oh, one further detail: I purchased the V20c first and rode it for about 400 miles before purchasing the S40.

Generally speaking, I've found the S40 much easier to get started on and ride. It's much more tractable in urban environments (traffic, stop/start at intersections, ...) and I believe forum consensus and my experience suggests it's a better climber (this may not be of interest to you living in Florida).

I recently (this past week) did two back-to-back rides of 79 miles and 65 miles on the S40 with the stock seat and by the end of the 65 mile ride I had a pretty bad case of "recumbutt". I'll note that I did both of these rides with very little stopped time which undoubtedly contributed. I experienced the same thing with my previous S40 and installed a Thor seat on it which helped. I've ordered but not yet installed the carbon seat from Cruzbike and am hopeful it will solve or at least ameliorate the problem.

As I said, I found the V20c harder to learn on. I did most of the first several hundred rides on relatively flat rural roads and in truth am only now graduating to feeling more comfortable getting underway and maneuvering in town (sharp turns, etc). I believe that the riding I've done on the S40 has helped in getting on with the V20c.

I'll echo what's been said here and elsewhere: the V20c is faster. I have objective data that supports that to my satisfaction but as always YMMV. The S40 is by no means slow but the more reclined and thus more aero position of the V20 makes a difference, especially on flat terrain.

So if you're looking to go fast on the flat roads/trails of FL and don't mind a steeper learning curve I'd say the V20c is your weapon of choice. If you're looking for a very capable all-rounder that is still plenty fast and climbs well then the S40 is the call.

Hope this helps and let us know what you decide.