Ivan
Guru
I have been reading and thinking about owning my first recumbent bicycle for a long time, but became serious when I learned about Cruzbikes 2 years ago. After a long hiatus from cycling, I got back into riding first via a Brompton (folding bike), then moved back to my first love - road bikes. I enjoy bike commuting and regularly do a 2-3 hour round trip on my current Cervelo S2 road bike. I knew I would want a high quality performance recumbent that allow me to do centuries more comfortably than I do on my road bike, and self-supported tours in the future. I am 38 years old, with no serious injury issues, but I am always fighting to mitigate pain on my road bike. With a background in human factors / ergonomics and bioengineering, recumbents make a whole lot of sense and the Cruzbike FWD MBB design especially intrigued me.
Following the development path of Cruzbikes, it was very exciting to see Vendetta developed, then watch its hydroformed beauty be enhanced. I admired it from afar while I lurked in the Cruzbike forums. In my neck of the urban jungle, recumbents are extremely rare. On an organized ride, I met someone riding a Bachetta Corsa. We connected, and he kindly let me ride his bike. After setting it up to a 45 deg seat angle, SPDs, and some awkward first attempts, we were cruising on bike paths 30 min later (he is seriously considering Vendetta now). That experience gave me confidence to be able to learn the Cruzbike FWD MBB platform, and know that I wanted a lower seat and a more performance oriented recumbent. However, the Vendetta seemed too extreme for my riding in the urban city with lots of traffic (I live in Singapore), and to get the most expensive Cruzbike for my very first recumbent seemed over the top. Then Silvio 2.0 was announced, which was for me the perfect combination of performance with reclined seat, sensible suspension, and a price tag lower than Vendetta. I chose to equip it with a chainstay extension so the riding position would be closer to the Vendetta as I really like the position I see Jim and Maria taking up on their Vendetta rides. While the Silvio 1.5 had that really nice curved boom, the seat angle still appeared too upright for me. I wanted a position akin to Vendetta, but I was concerned that this is my first recumbent and that I will ride in traffic.
Silvio 2.0 arrived in her compact box. I had studied Eric's Vendetta build and as many Silvio 1.5 photos I could find, so was expectantly waiting for it. First, I was pleasantly arrived on my doorstep without having to pay for customs duty. The declared value of this small production run frame (for insurance/customs purposes) is low enough to be under what we are allowed in Singapore. I highlight this for non-US buyers because the online ordering forms show a ridiculous shipping price of US$300. However, Cruzbike drop-ships the frameset from Taiwan so you will actually pay the regular price as if you were in the US. Previously, I thought the shipping was prohibitive but this is not the case. Talk to Cruzbikes, buy just the frameset if you need to, and you can get the rest of the parts however you like. For me, I was in the US on a short trip so I bought SRAM Force there, but had the Silvio 2.0 frameset shipped to Singapore instead of the US.
The box arrived in very good shape. There was small dent in the box where the seat horns are located. But they were well padded, apparently in response to Eric's feedback! And there was no damage.
I will not reproduce a pic of all the parts as this has been done very well by John in the picture above. I was overall very pleased with the quality, expecting nothing less from all the rave reviews in the forum. The main body of the hydroformed frame and the headset was especially pleasing since it was so close the Vendetta I love to see. However, I was slightly disappointed with the aesthetically imperfect carbon weave on one of the "carboyokes" or chainstays. There is no functional issue, but I was expecting a perfect layup under the clearcoat just like my previous carbon DF frames with clearcoats. Hearing from others, and looking closely at other's pictures revealed that this is not isolated, and it doesn't bother me much. Since my expectations were so high from all the glowing user reviews of quality, it did surprise me. However, once you build up the bike it is not noticeable at all.
While I do all my own bike maintenance work, I have never built up a bicycle before so this was an exciting venture. Further, I do not have bicycle work stand nor a workshop in my city apartment. I share this so you know it is possible to build up Vendetta/Silvio without a workstand.
The rear triangle and suspension assembly is the first item to be completed. Tight clearances of the bolt led me wrap my allen key in foam so as not to scratch the frame. At the time of this writing, full instructions for Silvio 2.0 were not yet available. I first put the titanium spring/plate on "backwards" ala Silvio 1.5 before figuring out it went the other way. There are two square aluminium plates with four bolt holes. The one that holds the spring on the rear triangle has no indentation. The other one has an indentation that mates with the suspension block mounted on the frame.
The frame arrived with no bolt holes visible where the titanium spring attaches! Pressing on it, revealed indentations so I cut the film away with a sharp knife. However other users reported that a sticker covers the holes and is painted over, so just peel off the sticker with your fingernails.
You will need some muscle to mount the rear triangle onto the suspension block. Ensure the suspension block is as far back into the frame as possible. Use some dishwashing liquid as a temporary lubricant if necessary. In the pic above, I could not get the suspension block in very far. I managed to install it, but it would have been easier if I had put it further in. On the inside of the frame is a circular disc with two holes in it. At first, I was stumped as to it's function. Doug explained on the forum that you screw it up/down to adjust preload on the suspension. Elegantly simple! Turn it with needle-nose pliers but don't expect the suspension block to move immediately. It needs your weight on the bike to do that.
When installing the rear triangle onto the main frame, cover the titanium spring with something soft (it's a clean sock!) to avoid scratching your hydroformed beauty when you install it. It may look like it's hard to fit, but squeeze it in with some muscle and it will work.
When fitting the front triangle, some enjoyable pondering was required to see how the pieces fit together. This is a good time to appreciate the design work behind the Silvio. Being an early adopter, I was one of those for whom the slider did not have the pre-cut slot it was supposed to have. So I to dremel this in myself.
My fork steerer tube was also 1mm too high, so cutting off 2mm solved this problem. These were done after consulting others in the forum. Height adjustment of the clamp is possible, but not my much due to clearances. The Vendetta has greater height adjustment in this regard due to the fact that the stem recesses into the larger boom.
The provided skewers seem good quality. In the pic above, the included black skewers are compared to a set of older Zipp skewers. The Silvio front skewer is of course the "rear" skewer but is also wider as it grasps both the fork and chainstay so needs to be longer.?
My wheels slipped on easily. I like the American Classic 420 Aero 3 wheelset, being light and reasonably aero. I have the white version on my white road bike, so I hunted for these second-hand in black graphics. A good deal for excellent condition wheels with Conti GP4000s tyres. I did not have to file away any paint on the dropouts for wheels to fit, something which others had to do, like Eric in his detailed Vendetta build. I wonder if the painting process cleverly reduced the paint on the dropouts, or I am just fortunate.
In this picture, the 100mm chainstay extension is installed and the BB put in the highest/shortest position. This is too short for me at 5'7.5" / 175cm (X-seam 42") but I want to show this picture because I had long looked for pics of Silvio with this installed to see what angle the boom would be, but I could not find these. Studying Vendetta (medium) and Silvio 1.5 pictures led me to believe that the Silvio 2.0 with a 100m extension would very close to the medium sized Vendetta for the boom angle and handlebar position. As I really liked Jim and Maria's posture on Vendetta, and I am in between their heights, I wanted to get this on Silvio together with a high BB. This goal has been achieved. John's blog states that Silvio 1.5/2.0 with the 100mm chainstay extension can fit someone with an inseam as short as 38" - note that once you get around 39" X-seam, the boom is pretty much horizontal.
The fiberglass seat requires some tweaking as has been reported by others. My Velcro was much better positioned than Eric's in his Vendetta build. It was definitely passable, but I moved some pieces 0.5-1cm to make it perfect. The seat pan does not mate very well to the seat in its factory condition. Due to the Velcro strips there is too space around the bolt holes, and the front of the seat takes paint off the frame. I shaped the underside lip of the seat pan to match the curvature of the frame and stuck a piece of inner tube on it. I also made rubber washes from inner tubes (2 layers for each bolt) as per Doug's suggestion. Together, this makes the seat pan sit very well. Like Eric, I also cut down some protruding corners of the seat back. I also note that the curvature of the fiberglass seat does not fit like a glove to the curvature of the seat. This would be a good area to improve on for future Silvio and Vendetta models. In fact, my afore-mentioned friend is waiting for this to be fixed and the rumored new full carbon seat to be out, before he orders a Vendetta.
One good thing about Silvio 2.0 now, in my opinion, is that the seat horns have pre-drilled holes onto which the seat pan bolts. In Eric's Vendetta build, his is only Velcro and no holes (he talks about the possibility of drilling holes). So I am glad mine has the holes, but I am surprised that these are not threaded. Instead, they require a nut on the other side. It would be better for these to be threaded so that there is no unsightly bolt/nut protrusion on the other side.
Installing the components proceeded smoothly. The fork clearances on the brake calipers is very tight. When the brakes are wide open, they just touch the fork (something which Eric similarly reports on his Vendetta build). Running the cables is an interesting affair. Vendetta is slightly cleaner given that the cables run inside the boom. However, Silvio is no slouch for cable neatness, which I am finicky about.
un the cables through the "hole" between the boom and the stem. Leave some slack for handlebar and boom adjustment. I will trim the cables later after I actually ride the bike some miles and confirm my position.
The cable for the derailleur (don't know whether to call it front/rear now!) goes around the BB. Doug pictures his using the inner Teflon sheath. I am choosing to use the entire brake cable housing. There is no cable guide around the BB, but there is a hole in the aluminum block that holds the derailleur through which the derailleur cable goes through. With a ferrule on the derailleur cable housing, the end of the cable housing fits snugly in this hold. I then chose to run the cable housing all the way to the cable stop rather than stop near the BB.
I wonder what those appendages on the BB are for? Vendetta doesn't have them. Perhaps they may be useful for mounting a light. If I can fit a cut-off section of a handlebar in between these two appendages, I could attach my front light there.
Adjusting the boom was tricky before I attached the brake cables (I didn't want to cut brake cables until I had the boom and handlebars adjusted for fit) because I don't have a trainer onto which I can mount the bike, and I couldn't hold the brakes to keep her still. I managed however, and had fun setting approximate positions.
My Garmin fits nicely right in the center of the handlebar and gives a good viewing angle and position. It does make things a little tighter when entering and departing the cockpit however. Note how the bands go around the back handlebar, in between the boom and the handlebar. There is enough clearance in that center portion such that the rubber bands are not pinched. This makes for a very clean looking installation. It is easiest to install the Garmin mount before you attach the handlebar to the boom. It currently gets in the way when I try to mount/dismount the bike but perhaps this will get better as I get used to it.
I chose SRAM Force components and bought the groupset through Cruzbike. They provided the extra length of chain which you can see in the pic above between the 2 black PowerLock links. I think it was an oversight that they didn't give me a second PowerLock, as I recall that others got this I their boxes. This and extra derailleur housing was all I needed to buy from the LBS to complete the bike. I would suggest to Cruzbike to include some extra cable housing as the cable runs for Silvio/Vendetta need longer housing than a typical road bike.
I think the SRAM Force aesthetics goes beautifully with Silvio 2.0 looking fast with a little "industrial tech" thrown in. The carbon crankarms juxtapose the alloy chainrings, just as the different Silvio parts in the frame do. The black/white design on the brifters go wonderfully with the Silvio paintwork too.
Days of building led to the first ride! One of the things I liked about the Cruzbike design is that they are not much longer than a typical road bike, and fit just nicely into my apartment elevator - as this fuzzy picture shot off the ceiling reflection of the elevator shows!
There is a small park downstairs with a gentle slope where I bring my kids. This time, it's me learning! I only got half an hour in today but it was enough for the first go. I followed suggestions such as palm open and relax. After a few times, I managed to roll down and balance. Then I managed to get one foot up, and sort of start out myself (still downhill). I was unable to ride with two feet up after my 20-30 minutes then I had to go back and cook dinner! I was looking forward to the exciting challenge of learning the FWD MBB platform. Being my first recumbent bike, and starting with a Silvio with a 27 degree angle, I am prepared for the learning curve. But for now, Silvio is hanging on the wall hook and my DF road bike is prepped for tomorrow's commute.
Following the development path of Cruzbikes, it was very exciting to see Vendetta developed, then watch its hydroformed beauty be enhanced. I admired it from afar while I lurked in the Cruzbike forums. In my neck of the urban jungle, recumbents are extremely rare. On an organized ride, I met someone riding a Bachetta Corsa. We connected, and he kindly let me ride his bike. After setting it up to a 45 deg seat angle, SPDs, and some awkward first attempts, we were cruising on bike paths 30 min later (he is seriously considering Vendetta now). That experience gave me confidence to be able to learn the Cruzbike FWD MBB platform, and know that I wanted a lower seat and a more performance oriented recumbent. However, the Vendetta seemed too extreme for my riding in the urban city with lots of traffic (I live in Singapore), and to get the most expensive Cruzbike for my very first recumbent seemed over the top. Then Silvio 2.0 was announced, which was for me the perfect combination of performance with reclined seat, sensible suspension, and a price tag lower than Vendetta. I chose to equip it with a chainstay extension so the riding position would be closer to the Vendetta as I really like the position I see Jim and Maria taking up on their Vendetta rides. While the Silvio 1.5 had that really nice curved boom, the seat angle still appeared too upright for me. I wanted a position akin to Vendetta, but I was concerned that this is my first recumbent and that I will ride in traffic.
Silvio 2.0 arrived in her compact box. I had studied Eric's Vendetta build and as many Silvio 1.5 photos I could find, so was expectantly waiting for it. First, I was pleasantly arrived on my doorstep without having to pay for customs duty. The declared value of this small production run frame (for insurance/customs purposes) is low enough to be under what we are allowed in Singapore. I highlight this for non-US buyers because the online ordering forms show a ridiculous shipping price of US$300. However, Cruzbike drop-ships the frameset from Taiwan so you will actually pay the regular price as if you were in the US. Previously, I thought the shipping was prohibitive but this is not the case. Talk to Cruzbikes, buy just the frameset if you need to, and you can get the rest of the parts however you like. For me, I was in the US on a short trip so I bought SRAM Force there, but had the Silvio 2.0 frameset shipped to Singapore instead of the US.
The box arrived in very good shape. There was small dent in the box where the seat horns are located. But they were well padded, apparently in response to Eric's feedback! And there was no damage.
I will not reproduce a pic of all the parts as this has been done very well by John in the picture above. I was overall very pleased with the quality, expecting nothing less from all the rave reviews in the forum. The main body of the hydroformed frame and the headset was especially pleasing since it was so close the Vendetta I love to see. However, I was slightly disappointed with the aesthetically imperfect carbon weave on one of the "carboyokes" or chainstays. There is no functional issue, but I was expecting a perfect layup under the clearcoat just like my previous carbon DF frames with clearcoats. Hearing from others, and looking closely at other's pictures revealed that this is not isolated, and it doesn't bother me much. Since my expectations were so high from all the glowing user reviews of quality, it did surprise me. However, once you build up the bike it is not noticeable at all.
While I do all my own bike maintenance work, I have never built up a bicycle before so this was an exciting venture. Further, I do not have bicycle work stand nor a workshop in my city apartment. I share this so you know it is possible to build up Vendetta/Silvio without a workstand.
The rear triangle and suspension assembly is the first item to be completed. Tight clearances of the bolt led me wrap my allen key in foam so as not to scratch the frame. At the time of this writing, full instructions for Silvio 2.0 were not yet available. I first put the titanium spring/plate on "backwards" ala Silvio 1.5 before figuring out it went the other way. There are two square aluminium plates with four bolt holes. The one that holds the spring on the rear triangle has no indentation. The other one has an indentation that mates with the suspension block mounted on the frame.
The frame arrived with no bolt holes visible where the titanium spring attaches! Pressing on it, revealed indentations so I cut the film away with a sharp knife. However other users reported that a sticker covers the holes and is painted over, so just peel off the sticker with your fingernails.
You will need some muscle to mount the rear triangle onto the suspension block. Ensure the suspension block is as far back into the frame as possible. Use some dishwashing liquid as a temporary lubricant if necessary. In the pic above, I could not get the suspension block in very far. I managed to install it, but it would have been easier if I had put it further in. On the inside of the frame is a circular disc with two holes in it. At first, I was stumped as to it's function. Doug explained on the forum that you screw it up/down to adjust preload on the suspension. Elegantly simple! Turn it with needle-nose pliers but don't expect the suspension block to move immediately. It needs your weight on the bike to do that.
When installing the rear triangle onto the main frame, cover the titanium spring with something soft (it's a clean sock!) to avoid scratching your hydroformed beauty when you install it. It may look like it's hard to fit, but squeeze it in with some muscle and it will work.
When fitting the front triangle, some enjoyable pondering was required to see how the pieces fit together. This is a good time to appreciate the design work behind the Silvio. Being an early adopter, I was one of those for whom the slider did not have the pre-cut slot it was supposed to have. So I to dremel this in myself.
My fork steerer tube was also 1mm too high, so cutting off 2mm solved this problem. These were done after consulting others in the forum. Height adjustment of the clamp is possible, but not my much due to clearances. The Vendetta has greater height adjustment in this regard due to the fact that the stem recesses into the larger boom.
The provided skewers seem good quality. In the pic above, the included black skewers are compared to a set of older Zipp skewers. The Silvio front skewer is of course the "rear" skewer but is also wider as it grasps both the fork and chainstay so needs to be longer.?
My wheels slipped on easily. I like the American Classic 420 Aero 3 wheelset, being light and reasonably aero. I have the white version on my white road bike, so I hunted for these second-hand in black graphics. A good deal for excellent condition wheels with Conti GP4000s tyres. I did not have to file away any paint on the dropouts for wheels to fit, something which others had to do, like Eric in his detailed Vendetta build. I wonder if the painting process cleverly reduced the paint on the dropouts, or I am just fortunate.
In this picture, the 100mm chainstay extension is installed and the BB put in the highest/shortest position. This is too short for me at 5'7.5" / 175cm (X-seam 42") but I want to show this picture because I had long looked for pics of Silvio with this installed to see what angle the boom would be, but I could not find these. Studying Vendetta (medium) and Silvio 1.5 pictures led me to believe that the Silvio 2.0 with a 100m extension would very close to the medium sized Vendetta for the boom angle and handlebar position. As I really liked Jim and Maria's posture on Vendetta, and I am in between their heights, I wanted to get this on Silvio together with a high BB. This goal has been achieved. John's blog states that Silvio 1.5/2.0 with the 100mm chainstay extension can fit someone with an inseam as short as 38" - note that once you get around 39" X-seam, the boom is pretty much horizontal.
The fiberglass seat requires some tweaking as has been reported by others. My Velcro was much better positioned than Eric's in his Vendetta build. It was definitely passable, but I moved some pieces 0.5-1cm to make it perfect. The seat pan does not mate very well to the seat in its factory condition. Due to the Velcro strips there is too space around the bolt holes, and the front of the seat takes paint off the frame. I shaped the underside lip of the seat pan to match the curvature of the frame and stuck a piece of inner tube on it. I also made rubber washes from inner tubes (2 layers for each bolt) as per Doug's suggestion. Together, this makes the seat pan sit very well. Like Eric, I also cut down some protruding corners of the seat back. I also note that the curvature of the fiberglass seat does not fit like a glove to the curvature of the seat. This would be a good area to improve on for future Silvio and Vendetta models. In fact, my afore-mentioned friend is waiting for this to be fixed and the rumored new full carbon seat to be out, before he orders a Vendetta.
One good thing about Silvio 2.0 now, in my opinion, is that the seat horns have pre-drilled holes onto which the seat pan bolts. In Eric's Vendetta build, his is only Velcro and no holes (he talks about the possibility of drilling holes). So I am glad mine has the holes, but I am surprised that these are not threaded. Instead, they require a nut on the other side. It would be better for these to be threaded so that there is no unsightly bolt/nut protrusion on the other side.
Installing the components proceeded smoothly. The fork clearances on the brake calipers is very tight. When the brakes are wide open, they just touch the fork (something which Eric similarly reports on his Vendetta build). Running the cables is an interesting affair. Vendetta is slightly cleaner given that the cables run inside the boom. However, Silvio is no slouch for cable neatness, which I am finicky about.
un the cables through the "hole" between the boom and the stem. Leave some slack for handlebar and boom adjustment. I will trim the cables later after I actually ride the bike some miles and confirm my position.
The cable for the derailleur (don't know whether to call it front/rear now!) goes around the BB. Doug pictures his using the inner Teflon sheath. I am choosing to use the entire brake cable housing. There is no cable guide around the BB, but there is a hole in the aluminum block that holds the derailleur through which the derailleur cable goes through. With a ferrule on the derailleur cable housing, the end of the cable housing fits snugly in this hold. I then chose to run the cable housing all the way to the cable stop rather than stop near the BB.
I wonder what those appendages on the BB are for? Vendetta doesn't have them. Perhaps they may be useful for mounting a light. If I can fit a cut-off section of a handlebar in between these two appendages, I could attach my front light there.
Adjusting the boom was tricky before I attached the brake cables (I didn't want to cut brake cables until I had the boom and handlebars adjusted for fit) because I don't have a trainer onto which I can mount the bike, and I couldn't hold the brakes to keep her still. I managed however, and had fun setting approximate positions.
My Garmin fits nicely right in the center of the handlebar and gives a good viewing angle and position. It does make things a little tighter when entering and departing the cockpit however. Note how the bands go around the back handlebar, in between the boom and the handlebar. There is enough clearance in that center portion such that the rubber bands are not pinched. This makes for a very clean looking installation. It is easiest to install the Garmin mount before you attach the handlebar to the boom. It currently gets in the way when I try to mount/dismount the bike but perhaps this will get better as I get used to it.
I chose SRAM Force components and bought the groupset through Cruzbike. They provided the extra length of chain which you can see in the pic above between the 2 black PowerLock links. I think it was an oversight that they didn't give me a second PowerLock, as I recall that others got this I their boxes. This and extra derailleur housing was all I needed to buy from the LBS to complete the bike. I would suggest to Cruzbike to include some extra cable housing as the cable runs for Silvio/Vendetta need longer housing than a typical road bike.
I think the SRAM Force aesthetics goes beautifully with Silvio 2.0 looking fast with a little "industrial tech" thrown in. The carbon crankarms juxtapose the alloy chainrings, just as the different Silvio parts in the frame do. The black/white design on the brifters go wonderfully with the Silvio paintwork too.
Days of building led to the first ride! One of the things I liked about the Cruzbike design is that they are not much longer than a typical road bike, and fit just nicely into my apartment elevator - as this fuzzy picture shot off the ceiling reflection of the elevator shows!
There is a small park downstairs with a gentle slope where I bring my kids. This time, it's me learning! I only got half an hour in today but it was enough for the first go. I followed suggestions such as palm open and relax. After a few times, I managed to roll down and balance. Then I managed to get one foot up, and sort of start out myself (still downhill). I was unable to ride with two feet up after my 20-30 minutes then I had to go back and cook dinner! I was looking forward to the exciting challenge of learning the FWD MBB platform. Being my first recumbent bike, and starting with a Silvio with a 27 degree angle, I am prepared for the learning curve. But for now, Silvio is hanging on the wall hook and my DF road bike is prepped for tomorrow's commute.
