S40 as touring bike
- Thread starter Rods
- Start date
benphyr
Guru-me-not
I don't have a speedometer but I think 3-4mph is a fast walk or a bit more = approaching the limit on most Cruzbike models.
jond
Zen MBB Master
Hi Rods welcome back
I reckon your individual skill and personal bike set up will dictate what your low speed loaded controlled climbing speed is..on any two wheeler including the s40.
I think the cruzbike is as potentially stable as any other recumbent with two wheels .
I can directly compare to two other brands. Challenge and pelso.
3-4 mph fully loaded up hill is really getting into trike territory but very possible on a cruzbike dependant on you.
However it has the major advantage on pinch point climbing through upper body input. Yessssssssssss
Im a vendetta rider and have toured loaded up with it. I’ve not ridden an s40 but have ridden an original aluminium pan silvio . 45 deg fixed seat.
Obviously the s40 is absolutely purpose designed to tour and with a lower B.B. in my opinion would be a fantastic climber. What other recumbent out there is kitted out like the s40 to tour. Yep that’s right another cruzbike exists with bosses and mounts galore plus suspension......
Buy one of each .
The vendetta v20 is a class product with great design of a quality that is second to none and that is exceptionally reassuring. Add in a company that truly cares and resources provided like the forum here and hey it’s a winner.
Go buy your s40 and enjoy it’s proven capabilities.
I reckon your individual skill and personal bike set up will dictate what your low speed loaded controlled climbing speed is..on any two wheeler including the s40.
I think the cruzbike is as potentially stable as any other recumbent with two wheels .
I can directly compare to two other brands. Challenge and pelso.
3-4 mph fully loaded up hill is really getting into trike territory but very possible on a cruzbike dependant on you.
However it has the major advantage on pinch point climbing through upper body input. Yessssssssssss
Im a vendetta rider and have toured loaded up with it. I’ve not ridden an s40 but have ridden an original aluminium pan silvio . 45 deg fixed seat.
Obviously the s40 is absolutely purpose designed to tour and with a lower B.B. in my opinion would be a fantastic climber. What other recumbent out there is kitted out like the s40 to tour. Yep that’s right another cruzbike exists with bosses and mounts galore plus suspension......
Buy one of each .
The vendetta v20 is a class product with great design of a quality that is second to none and that is exceptionally reassuring. Add in a company that truly cares and resources provided like the forum here and hey it’s a winner.
Go buy your s40 and enjoy it’s proven capabilities.
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Rods
Member
Hi Rods welcome
I reckon your individual skill and personal bike set up will dictate what your low speed loaded controlled climbing speed is..on any two wheeler including the s40.
I think the cruzbike is as potentially stable as any other recumbent with two wheels .
I can directly compare to two other brands. Challenge and pelso.
3-4 mph fully loaded up hill is really getting into trike territory but very possible on a cruzbike dependant on you.
However it has the major advantage on pinch point climbing through upper body input. Yessssssssssss
Im a vendetta rider and have toured loaded up with it. I’ve not ridden an s40 but have ridden an original aluminium pan silvio . 45 deg fixed seat.
Obviously the s40 is absolutely purpose designed to tour and with a lower B.B. in my opinion would be a fantastic climber. What other recumbent out there is kitted out like the s40 to tour. Yep that’s right another cruzbike exists with bosses and mounts galore plus suspension......
Buy one of each .
The vendetta v20 is a class product with great design of a quality that is second to none and that is exceptionally reassuring. Add in a company that truly cares and resources provided like the forum here and hey it’s a winner.
Go buy your s40 and enjoy it’s proven capabilities.
Yes, i think the S40 would be a better choice for me than the V20 was. The attraction of more speed, though!
jond
Zen MBB Master
So buy both n+1 right. The vendetta is a very fast recumbent. I love mine. Can’t you half tell. Lol.
I guess you must make a forthright list of requirements and needs and decide objectively. Then change your mind several times before purchasing a great bike.
Good luck and keep peddling smart.
3bs
whereabouts unknown
i have a t and a v and have ridden s and q. i have toured the v, but not huge bags. just a pair of under seat sling bags.
the slower you are likely to go and the more stuff you are likely to carry and the more climbing would move me from a v to an s to a q.
(i treat my t like a sting ray. short trips with other people, uncertain surfaces, teaching other people to ride.)
so of the cb's i put the most miles on the v, but i put the most number of touches on the t.
the more upright the seat the better they climb slow. for the most miserable stuff, i just take a trike.
make a line chart and put your dots on your use points, and see where the overlap is.
if i had to have only one, given how i actually ride - not how i perceive or wish i would ride, it would be either an s or a q, probably a q.
so lower speed, heavy touring, lots of climbing, uncertain surfaces, i would do a q.
you can always put a wedge on a v to make it more like a an s. that's what i do. you cant put something on an s to make it a v.
the slower you are likely to go and the more stuff you are likely to carry and the more climbing would move me from a v to an s to a q.
(i treat my t like a sting ray. short trips with other people, uncertain surfaces, teaching other people to ride.)
so of the cb's i put the most miles on the v, but i put the most number of touches on the t.
the more upright the seat the better they climb slow. for the most miserable stuff, i just take a trike.
make a line chart and put your dots on your use points, and see where the overlap is.
if i had to have only one, given how i actually ride - not how i perceive or wish i would ride, it would be either an s or a q, probably a q.
so lower speed, heavy touring, lots of climbing, uncertain surfaces, i would do a q.
you can always put a wedge on a v to make it more like a an s. that's what i do. you cant put something on an s to make it a v.
Ross Jantz
Member
I commute daily on my S40 (with panniers on the under-seat, low-rider racks and my riding buddy Steve recently loaded his up and did a self-contained trip from Eureka, CA to San Francisco. The S40 handles very well under load, although I would echo the other responses with regard to uphill speed. That's really a rider/gearing factor. Both Steve and I run a 2X10 SRAM setup with a 34/50 - 10/42 (the standard 36 top end replace with a 42). Count on a gear or two up when climbing with the bike loaded over when its not. I can easily do 5-6 mph, but 3-4 is getting close to what can be controlled.
As for speed - I'm pretty happy with the S40. I'm not a racer and never have been, but I regularly pass kids half my age (and by 'kids' I mean anyone under 40) on their carbon fiber uprights. I've taken her as high as 53mph (well, gravity did anyway) and no one in the group I ride with can touch her on downhills or rolling terrain. Personally, I think the S40 is the best machine CB offers (at least for my needs) - it tours as well as a Q but is generally faster and, while not as fast as a V, looks almost as sexy and offers what I think is the best compromise between speed, visibility, comfort and load carrying ability.
As for speed - I'm pretty happy with the S40. I'm not a racer and never have been, but I regularly pass kids half my age (and by 'kids' I mean anyone under 40) on their carbon fiber uprights. I've taken her as high as 53mph (well, gravity did anyway) and no one in the group I ride with can touch her on downhills or rolling terrain. Personally, I think the S40 is the best machine CB offers (at least for my needs) - it tours as well as a Q but is generally faster and, while not as fast as a V, looks almost as sexy and offers what I think is the best compromise between speed, visibility, comfort and load carrying ability.
Rods
Member
T
I am just trying to decide on a bikke more suitable for touring. The V just is not the correct tool for the job.
His is just about what i thought the answer would be.
I am just trying to decide on a bikke more suitable for touring. The V just is not the correct tool for the job.
Mathew Fy
GRU
I feel I should remind you of Tor Hovland's touring posts - which got me very interested in doing my own epic tour.
https://forum.cruzbike.com/threads/solo-touring-in-norway-on-a-loaded-vendetta.12618/
He recently posted about his Paris-Brest-Paris ride more lightly packed.
https://forum.cruzbike.com/threads/paris-brest-paris-2019-video.13018/
Black Hawk Down
Senior Rookie
If you don't mind the bumpy ride and don't need to look behind you without mirrors, I think the V would be a fast touring bike with a light weight trailer. I have a 7 lb trailer with a 2 lb bag that will hold as much as 4 panniers. The trailer rides in the slipstream. You barely know it's there. I've only done short commutes with this setup, not toured. I also have an S40 that I plan to use for long tours with camping. The larger tires, fenders, rack brazons are great, and it has lower gears than the V. I don't mind going a little slower with the S40. I do get "recumbutt" with the S40, but I think that will diminish as I lose weight on the tour.
1/22/2021 Edit. I no longer believe the V20 can be used for touring with a heavy load, either panniers or trailer. Too much horizontal flex in the frame. If you're not camping and carrying a light load, you can use the Radical Designs large banana panniers, but your legs will be crowded when you stand up at stops.
1/22/2021 Edit. I no longer believe the V20 can be used for touring with a heavy load, either panniers or trailer. Too much horizontal flex in the frame. If you're not camping and carrying a light load, you can use the Radical Designs large banana panniers, but your legs will be crowded when you stand up at stops.
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chicorider
Zen MBB Master
I haven't done any loaded touring on a CB (yet), but I ride both a V20 and S40, and can see either one working. The setup would be different for each because the V lacks braze-ons, but I find the V to be quite a bit more comfortable, so I wouldn't discount it as a decent tourer.
anotherbrian
Active Member
I think the S40’s MBB is a detriment for super-slow speed climbing (3-4mph). I could climb all day long at 3.3mph on a Lightning P-38, but with many thousand hilly miles on my S40 it doesn’t feel nearly as stable at low speeds and I attribute that to the mass of the front end (legs included) when you start to wiggle the bars to remain upright.
I do think the S40 would make an excellent tourer with the options of the low and rear racks. Just plan to ride up the hills at more than a walking pace, or just plan to push it up.
I do think the S40 would make an excellent tourer with the options of the low and rear racks. Just plan to ride up the hills at more than a walking pace, or just plan to push it up.
burando
Member
I had decided to get an S40 for commuting and city-to-city rides, but after long test rides I opted for a Q45's shock and adjustable seat angle. I've put 4 bags on the Q45, tilted up the seat, and done long steep climbs at what feels like a brisk walking speed. The slower the climb the more you have to spread power all around the pedalstroke to avoid wagging the front triangle or spinning out the front wheel. On the other hand, in city riding I keep the seat tilted way back & can reliably drop the two S40s in my neighborhood.
