Life happens. My long time riding buddy, my elder brother, passed away a year ago. He was a driving influence on my need for speed. He couldn't ride fast...so I did in order for him to live it vicariously. When he passed, I stopped riding for a while...and then we decided to retire early, sell the main home and move into the vacation home. Simply packing and moving and getting rid of extraneous stuff changed the way I really wanted to ride. I got rid of the Catrike and the Optima Baron...I wasn't riding them (not since I discovered Cruzbikes). I love the V20 but it has a few weak-points for me, especially being able to actively monitor traffic. I rode the V20 almost exclusively on the roads less traveled, early mornings and on the military base weekends (little to no traffic). I have never been comfortable with it in traffic, I can't swivel my head to suit me, etc. Basically, I rode the V20 under only controlled conditions...riding my V2/k for everything else. 80/20...and now I have zero confidence in riding the V20 here where it is much less roadbike-friendly (beach cruisers, no problem). I'm not a racer, I'm a neighborhood and occasional Century rider. So, I've been riding my V2/k almost exclusively. It is effectively set up like a S-type. Pleasure to ride, head up...I feel safer, more relaxed.
I have always wanted an S-type since the Silvio came out. The V2/k was my way of getting that on less money...and it has performed yeoman service for years. Still, it has its peculiarities, the front end is untidy (adapter plates, shims, jubilee clamps, etc.), the brakes are functional but I never really liked linear-pull, preferring discs...and it really looks like a homebuilt contraption. I want a bike that is 'sorted'...oh, and a beautiful blue.
