Sofrider - Allen, TX - $800
- Thread starter Zzorse
- Start date
Zzzorse
Zen MBB Master
thwaters
Member
Thanks, Zzzorse! This SoftriderV3 is now in my garage! I hope to be able to get my wife to start riding a Cruzbike. I bought her a DF cruiser, because that's what she wanted, but she said she got tired too easily going even a short distance! If she doesn't "acclimate" to it, I'll probably put it back up for sale! Keep your fingers crossed for me; I'm trying to get her into riding so we will have something to do together when she retires from teaching.
Charles.Plager
Recumbent Quant
Looks like you got yourself a really good deal.
Remember, it's easy to modify to get lower gears and lower seat angle if either of those things would improve your wife's experience.
thwaters
Member
Thanks, Charles. Looks like someone tried to set it up to operate like an "up wrong" DF! I'm laughing because I got my Softrider back from a LBS about 60 miles away a few years back when I had them put on a triple and a front 3 speed grip shifter. The DF shop went nuts: adjusted the seat to sit straight up, pulled the handlebars back; mechanic said he tried to ride it, but couldn't -- the "geometry" was just wrong. He said the shifter would not work, but he did not know what to do! Turns out, he was short, had boom so far in that it affected shifting. Took me three days of readjusting everything, then it worked well! The guy I bought it from in Dallas area bought it second hand; he is about 50 years old; owns a drywall and roofing company. He bought it and a Trek DF, claimed the Softrider did not give him any upper body workout, so he kept the Trek. No wonder, he put different bars on it, turned vertical; boom was way too far in (and he's taller than me). I test rode it, and could barely ride it. He said the V3 was given by Cruzbike to someone in Fort Worth who did a graphics design for Cruzbike, and she put it up for sale, so he bought it. Supposedly has about 300 miles on it. By the way, Charles. I am about to put a Sugino 152mm 50-36-24 crank on my V2 in a few weeks. I have extensively viewed your blog and gearing charts for inspiration. Many thanks! I have not ordered a new BB yet, but I bet I'll wind up getting a 123mm like you did -- will probably need it for clearance for the FD to move the chain to 24t. Will be careful with the chain line.
