S40 in the fleet

[ChaleJake]

I now have a the opportunity to ride and see the beauty of a 2021 S40. A friend picked up a S40 for a ridiculous price of 2k. Brand new except for 35 miles on the bike. Perfect condition. So, I am lucky to be able to ride a Silvio 1.0, a 2.1, a S30, a S40 and a V20. I take care of my friends bikes so I also get to ride them.

The new front end is a dream but sitting so upright would take getting used to being that upright. It is a shame that I can’t use that front end on my S30. I will stick with my S30 since I love that 30 degree angle range. I do like the thru axle wheels on the S40 with the tool built in to the hub. Pretty cool. I also find the the lower seat height of the S30 to be preferable to the higher seat height of the S40. I could easily reach the ground but had to pay attention to not catch my foot on the seat pad getting off and on.

Beautiful bike for sure! There are lots of extra cable length looped in front of the handlebar and no water bottle cages. I’ll take care of those. Fitting the bike was easy and she was off and riding. With a smile!

 

[chicorider]

I don't see why you couldn't fit the S40 front end to an S30. As long as the S40 fork steerer tube diameter is 1 1/8, which I'm pretty sure it is, then it would be an easy conversion. You would need to cut the steerer tube to the right length. If the fork rake is different, the handling might change a little, but not enough to worry about. The hardest part might be on the CB end: do they have spare S40 front ends in stock?

 

[Apollo]

What specifically is it about the S40 front triangle that you prefer so much over the S30? For me, thru-axle wheels are a major disadvantage because I'd need to purchase a complete set of new wheels. I'm happy with the wheels I have. To replace my wheelsets with equivalent thru-axle quality and performance wheels would cost much more than the rest of the bike for hardly any benefit. The only thing I can see that would offer some advantage to me would be the newer chainstay clamp design that obviates the need for specific external BB specifications for proper installation. However, even that has a drawback because it requires very careful tightening to prevent over-torquing the bolts and damaging the clamps, which are on backorder. Is there any other difference I'm unaware of that makes the S40 front end more attractive?

 

[ChaleJake]

It is more about the headset, I guess, that smooths the handling of the S40. I also like the idea of being able to use wider tires. I am pretty sure Robert said that the cane creek headset isn’t backwards compatible. “Cane Creek ViscoSet® Headset (This premium headset leverages viscous damping to make learning easier and improve handling)” The quote is from the Cruzbike description for the S40. I would not trade my S30 but I did notice a handling difference. It isn’t that the S30 handles poorly because it does not. The S40 is a great bike and I think the improvements in handling will benefit riders. So, I guess maybe it isn’t really the front triangle but a variety of things that make the S40 a great bike.

 

[chicorider]

Ah, yes. The headsets are different, with the bearings dropping directly into the headtube on the S30. I have heard of people packing cartridge bearings with super viscous lube, which might give you some of what you notice with the S40's ViscoSet.

 

[Watsuking]

Newb question, if I may, as I’m not so familiar with the Silvio: what are the main differences between the s 1.0 and the s40?

 

[ChaleJake]

Newb question, if I may, as I’m not so familiar with the Silvio: what are the main differences between the s 1.0 and the s40?

There are several difference. The ones I can think of are….the Silvio 1.0 has front and rear suspension. The 1.0 has a shorter wheelbase and the seat is at 45 degrees. The forks are narrower than the S40. The front boom is slimmer than the S40. The S40 is setup for touring with available racks etc. The S40 longer wheelbase and wider tires are supposed to reduce the need for suspension that the 1.0 has standard. The seat of the S40 is at 40 degrees with a headrest. The 1.0 did not come with a headrest. The S40 has the latest in bike upgrades (viscoset headset, disc brakes and thru axle wheels). Both are great bikes.

 

[Watsuking]

There are several difference. The ones I can think of are….the Silvio 1.0 has front and rear suspension. The 1.0 has a shorter wheelbase and the seat is at 45 degrees. The forks are narrower than the S40. The front boom is slimmer than the S40. The S40 is setup for touring with available racks etc. The S40 longer wheelbase and wider tires are supposed to reduce the need for suspension that the 1.0 has standard. The seat of the S40 is at 40 degrees with a headrest. The 1.0 did not come with a headrest. The S40 has the latest in bike upgrades (viscoset headset, disc brakes and thru axle wheels). Both are great bikes.

Thanks for sharing your observations - very helpful.

 

[bladderhead]

Is the S40 longer than the Silvio2? I cannot feel any difference. Still as agile.

 

[ChaleJake]

Is the S40 longer than the Silvio2? I cannot feel any difference. Still as agile.

S40 wheel base is 44.5”. The Silvio 2 is 42”. The V20c is 45.3”.