Silvio 2.0 Journey, Build, and Ride Video

[Ivan]

Hi Lisa, I am so glad my pics

Hi Lisa, I am so glad my pics of the setup are giving you confidence to go ahead with 2.0. I know you have been waiting for Silvio 2.0 for a long time!! Will you be getting the chainstay extension for the higher BB? I remember you liked a closed position and the higher BB also provides more of that relative to the seat back. If your X-seam is borderline short it would not be difficult for an LBS to cut the boom, similar to what Eric did for Vendetta except our Silvio would have the outer boom cut. The boom clamp would cover this cut so it would not be noticeable.

I weighed her today at 12.1kg

 

[thebean]

Ivan,
I am hoping the guys at

Ivan,

I am hoping the guys at Vite Bikes will know how to cut the boom. I am really liking a BB height around 26-28" right now. I believe I climb hills better in this range.

If the guys at Vite can't do it I will ship it to Eric and pay him!!!

 

[Eric Winn]

Lisa, it is dead simple. You

Lisa, it is dead simple. You can do it yourself. All I used was a cheap miter box, a hacksaw with a new blade, a file, some sandpaper, a ruler, and a sharpie to mark where I was going to cut.

The aluminum cuts very easily. Just remember to measure twice, cut once. I measured both what I was going to cut off as well as how much overlap would remain once I made the cut. I actually did this three times, cutting a little and then checking fit. Cut a little more and checking fit, and then making one final cut to get the fit I wanted.

Much better than cutting off too much at the first attempt.


-Eric

 

[Andrew 1973]

Even Better than a Hacksaw

I like using a high-quality pipe-cutter. The cut is perfect with a machined appearance to the edge. Of course, some folks are better with a saw, so it's all personal preference.

 

[Andrew 1973]

Great video Ivan

I love how the kids are completely into it too. No doubt about it, I am planning to have a 2.0 in the future.

 

[John Tolhurst]

All Silvio shipped since that

All Silvio shipped since that slot omission came to our attention have been rectified in the factory. because we shipping from the factory, we get to make incremental adjustments and improvements. That is why your feedback here on the forum is something we watch closely.

 

[thebean]

Eric,
I appreciate your

Eric,

I appreciate your confidence in me, but truly, I lack any abilities in this area.

Good news. John at Vite Bikes has two of the new Silvios in, and has already figured out a way to get the seat angle up a bit. I will head out in the fall to tests ride both the Silvio and Vendetta!

 

[KiwiGuy]

Learning to ride

Hi Ivan

Nice video. Good to read about your experiences and to see you (and your children

) in action.

I'm impressed with how well you are doing given that you're combining learning how to ride a recumbent and a MBB bike.

My recollection with learning to ride my high-racer was that my first thought was I'd made a tragic mistake. It seemed unrideable. However, I came to the view that learning to ride it was experience to the power of two (bear in mind that at the time I was riding on the road four times a week). By this I mean:

It took me two hours of riding around a school playground before I could reasonably safely ride on the road.

It took me two weeks of road riding before I mastered the take-off and stopping.

It took me two months of road riding before I was mostly comfortable and competent on the road.

And it took me two years of road riding before I was really getting the best out of the new platform.

So it looks to me that you're progressing very well.

Once I have a Vendetta in the garage (I'm waiting for John to release the carbon seat and Shimano to release the 2014 11-speed Ultegra group) I'll be happy to be fully up to speed within three months.

Kind regards...

 

[Doug Burton]

Shouldn't have to cut the boom on this design...

Looks like mine is sufficiently short as-supplied, and has a good amount of adjustment length remaining... 39.5 - 40" x-seam here.

 

[thebean]

Thanks Doug, so we shortish

Thanks Doug, so we shortish folks with 38" x seams will have to cut the boom but I should be able to eek out a test ride with extra padding. Good stuff!

 

[noahvale]

The pictures with the

The pictures with the extension are a big help. I know I won't be using the extension. My main reason for wanting the Silvio is for the hopefully better climbing. I am looking forward to comparing it to my Bacchetta Corsa which is a fast bike for sure. Looks like I will be able to order next payday.

 

[John Tolhurst]

There should be no need to

There should be no need to trim the slider or boom on Silvio 2.0, even for really short settings. Just assemble.

 

[russtaitai]

noahvale, I am looking

noahvale, I am looking forward to your comparison between the Corsa and the Silvio.

 

[Ivan]

My setup with chainstay

My setup with chainstay extension has BB height 32.75" for my X-seam of 41.5" and the boom could be shortened by another 2.5" or so without any cutting. My comment for cutting is only applicable if a shorter person wanted a high BB of 33" and had an X-seam around 38" or less.

Lisa, if you want a BB height of 26-28" then you would get this without the chainstay extension and there would be no cutting for you!

I postulate that with the more reclined 27 deg seat back compared to 45 deg of Silvio 1.5, one way of retaining the same "closed position" is raising the BB, thus effectively rotating the whole body backward 18 deg. This improves aero and comfort. Looking at my setup pictures compared to Doug's and Lav's pics, one can see how versatile Silvio 2.0 is with the user's choice of chainstay extension or not. Amazing!! Maybe John will come up with a telescoping chainstay one day!

 

[thebean]

I am so excited I can't stand

I am so excited I can't stand myself! With Rolf wheels, my bike is going to be a pretty girl! This will be the perfect century bike, and I am planning to join the record books and medal at the Tour de Tucson! Schneider's Hill is at least 12% and gave me a hard time last time, this time I will beat her up! I will have to carry and run her thru parts of the desert, but the time band on my ankle will keep me motivated. Some great improvements, John, not only with a sexy design but with adjustability for a wide range of x seams. I will be turning 52 at the end of the month, and will be in my prime with the new Silvio. John, fantastic job!

By the way, I have emailed Radical Bags to see what they can come up for the new model. I will bet they will have a nice bag solution to hang off the headrest so that one can put a water bladder in it. Here in Arizona, I just can't go out with a water bottle. Most of my rides are 30-40 miles, and this would just not be enough.

 

[noahvale]

Water

I think my Fastback Double Century bags will work fine on the Silvio. I haven't used a water bottle for years. Here in the deep south it takes a lot of water, but the main thing I like is just grabbing the tube and drinking without having to fumble around with a bottle. I use the double so that I can have the second bag for storage for tubes, pump, tools, etc.
http://www.fastbacksystem.com/page14/page14.html

 

[Ivan]

First Road Ride

Took Silvio 2.0 out in traffic tonight for the first time tonight. This is now week 2 of ownership though I was so busy the past week I hardly got to ride it. I'm using my SPDs on the lowest tension and am happy with my adjustments of boom and seat so I'll be taping up my bars soon. I can now ride one handed to reach my water bottle.

Of course, it was a bit scary being out with the cars but I took things easy and had no close calls. I'm trying hard to ignore many people staring at me! Silvio was very comfortable, so I know that once I fully relax she will be supremely comfortable. I tried to "took the lane" at traffic lights thus giving me room to start. I can start on moderate uphills if I am in an appropriate gear. I can feel the possibility of "sprinting" off the lights but I don't have sufficient control yet. I really like the pulling effect on the handlebars which I think is really similar to when standing on my roadbike except (a) it uses less energy and (b) has less acceleration on Silvio.

I was comfortable, enjoying myself, but still slow... about 10% slower than on my DF road bike, but I was expecting that as this is my first recumbent. I get tired after a while (don't have my 'bent legs and arms still not fully relaxed) at which point I get a bit wobbly. I would not be able to do my 27km commute on Silvio yet. Has anyone here gone from a DF road bike to Silvio/Vendetta directly (no other recumbents in between), and if so how long did it take you get as fast and confident on Silvio/Vendetta as on your DF? I am so looking forward to be faster AND more comfortable over LONG rides, and hope I get there...

 

[Jeremy S]

Ivan, I went from a DF to a

Ivan, I went from a DF to a Sofrider so not quite what you're asking for, but there was a magic point a couple of weeks in (and after a few longer rides) where my arms just relaxed. After that the Sofrider was more comfortable than my DF for long rides, no question. I'm sure it will come for you too, if you keep riding.

 

[Bruce B]

Directly To Silvio 1.0 In 2009

Ivan,
In 2009 I had seen the promo video of John T riding his Silvio in a park and I thought "I can do that".
My initial riding experience mirrors what others have described.
By the time I had accumulated about 50 miles I felt fairly comfortable on the Silvio except for wobbling, following vehicles, stops and especially starts. By the time I had ridden 200 miles I felt very confident on the bike and I was able to maintain speed comparable to what I could do on the DF.
As the miles continued to roll on, the subtle neurological changes we all experience in adjusting to a new activity, slowly worked their magic, making the ride more automatic, more stable and more fun. You will continue to see slow improvement in your ability as time goes by. When I was able to shoot the gap, at speed, between a big yellow post and a bridge entrance on the MUP without worrying about wobbling I knew I was doing well.
As a slow learner I have only managed to reach a water bottle behind the seat since last November.
To this day I cannot ride with no hands.
Soon you will be enjoying really long rides in the comfort as afforded by your Silvio.

 

[Ivan]

Second Road Ride

Thanks for the input on how long it took you to get up to speed guys!

Took my second road ride late tonight when traffic is low in the Singapore city. I have my bars taped up, cables neat, and a second Zefal spy. All this makes me feel more ready for longer rides. I enjoyed it more, feeling more relaxed but am still slow. I am realizing this is because my practice has previously all been low speed in the park so my starting/stopping/turning is good but my technique flounders when I approach cruising speed. Since I am a commuter, I must get to commuting on Silvio, which means dealing with heavier traffic. Perhaps in 1-2 weeks time I can do that. Tonight I did 20km at an easy pace and was quite relaxed. This is almost my 25km one-way commute which is why I think I can do that soon.

I also took the opportunity to enjoy the city lights on paths by the bay! Relaxing and nice on a recumbent!

I am liking the position of my Garmin on the handlebars. The fact that my BB is high and my handlebars are low means that the Garmin mounted like this is not too much "in my face" yet when I look at it, I can still see the road ahead. This is better than on my DF bike. Getting in/out of Silvio with Garmin mounted is not a problem for me now.