Thor makes a universal seat model. It fits better on European brands like Nazca or Azub. For Cruzbike, it requires an adapter to fit. It is a small Polish company, and Grzegorz does not mass-produce seats. I recall @LarryOz was working with Grzegorz to create a model for the V20, but I might be wrong.
I have been working with him for over a year on this. about 6 months ago sent him a V20 frame and he was working on the project. But when all the tariff stuff happened, he implied that he could not finish it and send me a prot-type. I will have to get back up with him.
Curious as to which seat. I had a Thor Sport model on my previous S40 and IIRC the support structure that runs the length of the seat would not go over the frame tabs (too close together) and required cutting the tabs off and drilling new holes.
That might be it. I have the Thor seat Easy, not the Sport model.
The S40 is a very good stud. But as you are specifically looking for its cons here are the ones I noted:
I’m finding this is an issue for me. I’ve already replaced the stock Chainstay with a 19” but am thinking I might need to go longer. The center of the crank when adjusted for proper distance to the pedals is below the centerline of my hips by a pretty significant amount. On the V20c on the other hand the crank is more or less level. Oh, and I’m just a shade under 6’3”.
Hey, Mark, go for it! I started out my recumbent life on a HP Streetmachine GTE. I love the machine and the way it handles. I ordered it with the under-seat steering mechanism and I gotta say it is the coolest looking bike ever - always gets thumbs-up and shouts wherever I go. However, I can go faster on the CRUZ S40 and in particular I can climb faster on it. Up to a point! As KMK noted, when you're going up a steep slope you can get some wheel slip. I live in an area with sand dunes, and hitting a patch of sand when I'm cranking up a steep slope will definitely get the adrenaline going. That said, I can live with it, it's not bad up to about 12% grade, and in any case the benefits are worth it. By the way, dropping tire pressure a bit does help, and as you probably know lots of folks are realizing that you don't need 100psi to go fast; I run 60-70, keep up with the kids, and it's a better ride. One other thing about the S40-vs-Street Machine: as you know, the latter uses two different wheel sizes. That's a pain if you're doing long rides and want to bring along spare tubes. Switching to the S40 simplifies that. They are both really comfortable bikes, the position is different but I'm just as happy with the S40, I can do 100 miles and stand up smiling while my diamond frame friends are moaning. Finally, one other thing. Both bikes require custom components if you're going to carry a lot of stuff. I think the options for the Street Machine allow for carrying more gear, and that's reflected in the pictures owners send of themselves crossing continents and such. But for the amount of gear I need for how I ride, the S40 is just fine. The bottom line: I love both bikes, but I'm selling the Street Machine because I always, always choose to ride the S40.
