Test ride...Marc's conversion finally rolling along!

[trapdoor2]

So...cold and wet out but it stopped raining around noon today...and I couldn't stand it any longer. I throw the bike in the truck around 2pm, toss in some basic tools and head for the nearest level parking lot, which also happens to adjoin the local MUT's trailhead parking lot.

No front derailleur, so I manually put it on the small chainring (this is a road-double from an 80's 10-speed) and spend a few minutes making sure my bb length is correct and all connections are tight. After a couple wobbly false-starts, I made it about 100yds down a clear section of parking lot, did a 180 turn (not pedalling) and pedalled back to the truck. Issue #1, my knees do not clear the brake handles or shifters. Easy to fix, I rotate them up out of the way (glad I brought tools). I re-evaluate my bb length and slide the TFT out a bit more. Another wobbly pass down the lot and back...much better! Another pass and I don't stop at the truck, I branch out into the main parking lot and make a full tour of the supermarket lot (which, I know from previous experience is nearly a 1mile)...heck, I don't stop and make two more passes around the lot. There are some small traffic islands on one end (and no cars nearby), so I do figure-eights around 'em until I can do it without wobbling so much. Easy-peasy.

Back to the truck, I recheck all connections and fittings and consider hitting the MUT. It is still cold but things have dried out a good bit and it is obvious that there will be few people crazy enough to be out. +1 for "empty trail", I decide to go for it.

I'm still in the small chainring...but easy does it. Sharp turns are still a bit loopy but one can put one's feet down easily and walk thru them. No worries...I'm on the MUT and whizzing along! My first revelation on the trail is how comfortable the bike is. Good job on that seat, it is perfect! Revelation #2: relaxed works. Revelation #3: Don't get your "arm pull" out of order with your "feet push" (Argh! Huge wobble! Stop pedalling! Get back on the trail!)

So, after a couple of miles I'm feeling very satisfied. Things are smoothing out, relaxing and paying attention to my feet allows me to "cruz" along with next-to-no upper body input. I find if I get my pedalling forces out towards the outer edge of my feet, rather than the middle, I don't need to pull on the handlebar at all. I'm quite sure that this will all be "internalized" very quickly and I'll forget I'm riding an MBB vehicle at all.

Five miles into the ride and I decide to turn around and head back. I stop and shift the chain onto the large front chainring and head back. Starting up is still wobbly but it will only take a bit of time to sort that out. I find myself running along in top gear in the flats (I think the smallest in this MT bike cluster is a 15, the big chainring is a 52) and really enjoying the ride. I notice my wrists and forearms are getting sore and that my neck is a tad stiff, the seatback angle is just a few degrees too far back, the longer seatpost will allow me to fix that. Time in the saddle will strengthen my arms/wrists...I'm not used to using my arms to pull!

I finish the ride with no problem (other than being a bit cold!) and estimate I've done about 14 miles. The bike works pretty well (need to tighten the headset bearings a smidge), even the cheezy index shift group does what it is supposed to do. The Cruzbike system is what it is advertised to be, comfortable and intuitive. I am sitting with my head comfortably at 'car window' height and the view is considerably better than that of the Baron or Catrike (where my head is at 'car tire' height). The MBB (as someone described) is much like working out with free weights as opposed to bar/machine weights. It requires the involvement of the small leg muscles which control foot position as well as the large 'pedalling' muscles. Upper body strength is involved but with a bit of smart legwork, it isn't always necessary.

Journy begun! I'm looking forward to much more Cruzbikin!! Thank you for doing such a good job with this kit and the design of the Cruzbike in general. Well done!

 

[Mark B]

Yeah, you grin about it now. Way to go, you can ride it! Now, the fun begins.. You're going to get sucked in, trust me. You want to get better on it, master it, become the king of FWD. Then, you will get on your Baron and think it's broken. Then, my friend, you are screwed. You have been assimilated. You'll be ordering a Silvio, trust me!

Loved your report, been there, done that, it was like reliving my experience! You're sucked in, now, so you best start saving your $$$!

Mark

 

[trapdoor2]

Mark B wrote: You're sucked in, now, so you best start saving your $$$!

Not much of a reach there! I was sucked in when I started thinking seriously about ordering the conversion kit. When I received it and started building, I could tell by the quality of engineering that it was going to do well. The only real question is whether I would actually think the ride is 'special' enough to warrant further investment.

Jury's still out on that. Ask me when I have 300-500 miles on this conversion.

There are many advantages in this system over the Baron but my primary concern was that of suspension. The Baron is pretty compliant (read: I'm heavy enough to get frame flex) for an aluminum frame. That is good and bad, it makes for a bit smoother ride but it is self limiting due to cyclic fatigue failure. :shock:

Like I said above, jury's out and time will tell what the result will be. I have to be careful because I know I can be overwhelmed with "new" and loose sight of my goal. Of course, if I had the $$$$, I'd be waiting for the UPS guy to deliver my Silvio...

I will need to instrument the conversion (std. bike computer), do some comparative work/riding and there are still some bugs to work out. I enjoy doing that kind of stuff, fortunately.

 

[Mark B]

trapdoor2 wrote: The only real question is whether I would actually think the ride is 'special' enough to warrant further investment.

Jury's still out on that. Ask me when I have 300-500 miles on this conversion.

:lol: :lol: Dude, I don't have to ask.... You're quoting, almost verbatim, what I said not all that long ago. The light just hasn't come on for you, yet, but I and others here know it will....very soon!

Resistance is futile.

Mark

 

[MrSteve]

Yeah: what Mark said!


Great write-up, good job and keep up the good 'work'.


-Steve

 

[trapdoor2]

Test ride II, the next 8 miles...

Sheesh...another cold day. Last year it was in the 70's all thru Dec...

I threw on the ol' Merino's (top and bottom) and went for a spin around 2pm today. 48F but without much wind. This is ride #2 for the Conversion and the first with complete and functional gearing. I had also installed a 14" seatpost which allowed me to move the seat rearward, into a more "normal" position and with the back in more of an upright position.

As it has been a week since ride #1, I chose to make a loop of the supermarket prior to hitting the MUT. With only the previous ride as experience, I started out nice and gently...wobbly...ah, there it is. No worries, she rides like a champ. Seating feels "bolt upright" compared to last time...but not bad. I get out onto the smooth asphalt and up to speed and do a gearing check: all is well, no problems.

So, off onto the MUT. Confidence is up and I navigate the narrow bridge and often-difficult 90-degree turn onto the trail with aplomb. Shifting up thru the gears is easy-peasy and I make the run down to the river (Tennessee River) with no problems...except that the river has risen so much in the recent rains that the trail is flooded at the 4 mi mark and I have to turn around and come back. Ah well, it is really cold out and by the time I make it back to the trailhead, I decided 8mi is enough. Successful test ride!

Back at the truck, I decide to do a little low-speed training and get out into the open parking lot to try some tight turns. I spent about 30 min doing figure-eights and really small circles at very low speeds...no way the Baron would come close to this kind of manuverability or speed. Heck, I have a hard time turning it around using the full width of the parking lot...the Cruzbike does it easily in a single car-length. The similarites in handling between the Cruzbike and a regular bicycle are quite evident...I even find myself pulling forward on the handlebars and using body lean, just like I would do on my DF.

I need to do some more seat adjustment. I overdid it on the "more upright" seatback angle...it needs to lay back another 5-10 degrees. As it is, it has too much pressure directly on the seat, I had just a touch of 'recumbutt' going on. Although the gearing works fine, something is wonky about it as I get chain-skips in some gears and too much noise overall. I think I may have the wrong sort of chain on it (read: cheap generic chain "good for all bikes!"). I'm going to try the original chain and see if it makes any difference.

Otherwise, another fun ride. I did some climb tests, some "mashing" and "spinning". At the moment, it appears to be quite the mash-machine...as long as I think about my foot position, I can damn near stand up on the pedals. Spinning may take a bit of work, harder to control one's foot position and thus things get quite wobbly (and quickly too). Nothing some mileage won't work out. Y'know, as controllable as this thing is under pressure (mashing), I bet it would do well as a Single-Speed or a Fixie. Hmmmmm....

Will attempt a short (about a mile or so) tour down to the Coffee Shop tomorrow morning. That will involve a good little climb down the street from my house...I suspect it will be a non-problem.

 

[Mark B]

Marc,

It sounds like you are well on your way. Don't worry, the spin will become useful once you get the "dance" figured out a little. I would encourage you to not think too much about it and let your body learn to operate the machine without interference from your brain! When I was first starting out, I was able to ride down the street, but not so straight. If I just rode, I would eventually find myself going pretty darned straight until I thought about it..... Then I'd wobble! It was probably a lot like learning to pick a banjo. You'd get into some good sounding runs and start thinking about it and toss out a clunker, or three.

Mark

 

[trapdoor2]

test ride III...the coffee shop.

Yes, I'm quite sure I'll internalize all the motions...they're not so goofy that I have to re-invent things but different enough to require some mileage. Yup, no different than playing an instrument, you have to practice certain things until they're internalized and then you just let your subconsious run 'em while your consious does other things.

The ride to the coffeeshop was no big deal, naturally. I did make it out of my driveway under power and with the 40/28 combo. I could never-ever get out of my driveway on the Baron in that gear set. Typically I use the 26/32 combo but mostly because the Baron needs to be up above 5mph to be even remotely stable...so you try to get there quickly! My driveway is not terribly steep but the last 10 ft is a steeper transition to the road. On the Baron, this is a very tricky bit of navigation as one must immediately turn right or left as the street is "1962" narrow...and I actually start my turn in the driveway (which is also narrow). It took me a number of weeks to actually get to where I could do it with any regularity (and without falling or running off the road) and it is still an "iffy" task. Not so with the Cruzbike...I "mashed" my way to the top and then the turn was simply too easy.

However...my run up the street took me up a slight climb which left me huffin' and puffin' and wanting to find a lower gear. Then, a left turn up an even steeper bit...where I had to just suck it up and get off. Nope, I need two things: return to regular exercise and a bit "climbier" gear set. Duh!

The rest of the ride is a piece of cake (and only 1.5 mi). Not quite as cold as yesterday.

After coffee and orange-cranberry muffins (OMG good), I took a roundabout route back home, which includes some shallow but extended climbing. Again, I was able to make these climbs (comfortably) in gears I would not be able to push on the Baron...it simply works as advertised, letting me use my upper body to push harder.

I almost got into trouble on the big hill headed home though. This street runs about a mile from the crest and generally allows me to coast up to over 30mph (nearly 40 if I pedal) before needing to brake and make a hard right onto my street. The coasting part was a non issue. The conversion is very stable and your basic rolling lawn chair; not as "aero" as the Baron, I doubt I beat 25mph (instrumentation is waiting for me to acquire some small cable ties). Anyway, as I applied braking to make the right turn, I somehow got myself into a nasty PIO (Pilot Induced Oscillation) which threatened to toss me off. Fortunately I reined it in, made the turn and home again w/o further incident. Not sure what happened there, I was too busy to think about it! I suspect I got caught braking, downshifting, thinking about turning in...all in "Baron" mode. I probably got my hands and feet out of sync and a little wobble got worse really quick.

Conclusion: pay attention! This thing rides easy and lulls one into a sense of security.

Today's discovery: rider view. This being my first ride on the regular streets with the conversion, I noticed immediately that my ability to see was hugely improved. Corners especially are much safer as my head is actually a bit higher than an average car (sedan) driver's. Conversely, on the Baron, my head is around tire height and often something as small as a fire hydrant can block my view.

Still enjoying it!

 

[trapdoor2]

Re: Test ride III, 12/28/08

Sheesh, finally got out yesterday afternoon. It's either been too cold, too rainy or too windy. Yesterday it was 45F & partly cloudy...not bad for a ride. I always have Sunday morning coffee with my brother so I threw the conversion into the truck @ 8am and headed for the coffeeshop. Afterwards, I cruzed the parking lot doing a demo for Bro' Don. I now have a mirror and bike computer mounted and I wanted to show it off. I could not get him to ride it, but he will soon enough I'm sure. He's afraid he'll be assimilated.

I had some chores to do at home, so when I left I had to put the bike up until later in the day. Turned out to be about 2pm before I could head for the MUT. The mirror (mirrorcycle) sure helps my comfort level! I'm so used to having one that I didn't realize how much I would miss it. The "glass cockpit" is a Cateye "Strada Cadence" and it worked well for about 6 miles. The MUT is ~6 miles in length (depending on the route as it branches a bit) and when I made a pit stop, I decided to adjust the TFT length a half-a-tick longer...which pulled the wire to the wheel-speed sensor in two (at a solder joint where I'd previously damaged the wire). Sigh. I guess I'm going to have to go "wireless" next time. The cadence sensor continued to function and it appears to confirm that my average is about 20rpm lower than 'normal'. I believe this is a function of both the riding position and the slow speed stability of this bike (in comparison to the Baron).

Other modifications this ride: seat position moved forward about an inch and the back reclined to 50 degrees. Gearing adjustments made (to sort out noise, skipping, indexing problems, etc.). The brakes are still a constant source of drag, noise, etc. but until I get the wheels trued, I'll just have to live with that.

The ride itself was quite nice and I'm getting more comfortable with the MBB every time out. The narrow bridges are no longer a concern and sharp turns at sidewalk junctures are a piece of cake. I had a bit of a slip at the coffeeshop during my "demo" as I took a turn too sharp for the wet pavement. I'm not sure which tire gave way (front or back) but good reflexes and a quick "foot down" sorted that out. "Bicycle reflexes" work quite well for this thing...I'm quite sure had I been on the Baron, I would have gone down in a heap. Now that I have the seat back reclined a bit more, getting on and off is just a "leg over" and much easier than before.

So...another easy 15 miles logged (nearly 40 mi total) and I'm still impressed with the comfort and generally easy ride. I got my first two comments this time out, one "Daddy! Look at the wierd bike!" and one "Cool bike!"

So far, so good!

 

[trapdoor2]

Test ride IV...new mods

Took the first ride of the year today. 65F with misty rain which ceased about 2min before I started the ride, leaving a 2hr window to ride dry.

Having been off work since Thursday, I took Friday to do some bike scrounging. I was not pleased with my ability to climb using the 7sp rear and "road" double, so I went looking for a cheap "road triple" for the front. My "junk shop" LBS had nothing but some 'new' bottom-of-the-line Campy triples @ $60 ea, but I was looking for something cheaper. After talking to the owner, we started discussing changing out the rear gearset and he suggested one of those screwy "comfort bike" Shimano clusters that are all the rage. These are a 7sp cluster that goes 11-24 and then jumps to a 34. Dang things look really screwy with that big gear jammed on a small cluster...and I was doubtful. However, for $10 I am game to try. This would give me a 40/34 (28.8 gear inches) low gear.

Murphy's law: When I got home, I found I did not have the right spline tool to remove the cluster...had to drive back to the LBS with the wheel, etc. (he removed the cassette for me but I bought the proper tool anyway).

So, after getting the front wheel back together, I mounted it in the bike and did my "in-stand" adjusting. Although the original (and crappy) derailleur would shift into the huge 34t gear, I could not (for the life of me) get the indexing to work correctly in all gears. In frustration, I once again tried the Shimano 7sp derailleur (which did not work previously)...mounted in the hole provided by the Cruzbike kit. While fussing with it, I realized my previous installation had been in error...and the damn thing works like a charm this time. It shifts quite smoothly now and indexes almost perfectly. The huge 34t gear seems to be no problem for it. While it was in the stand, I took the opportunity to do a rough re-true on the wheels and a complete reset on the brakes. Still trying to balance out those stupid V-brakes. :x So, once (or twice) around the block and off to the MUT!

Another 15mi and still smiling. This odd gearset (11-13-15-18-21-24-34 X 40-52) works quite well, though takes some getting used to. Although the rear D can handle the 34/52 combination, the big jump in rpm when shifting from the 24 to the 34 is a shock if you're not ready for it. I learned quickly to think ahead and go to the 40t chainring for rolling terrain and leave the 52 for the flats. The 34t 'climbing gear' is almost perfect and allows me to spin at my 90-100rpm 'comfort cadence' in the steep bits...or when forced down to walking speed (common on the MUT, esp. with all the kids and dogs).

This was the first time I rode with my brother on the CC (he was on his DF). Annoyingly, something on the conversion was squeeking like mad. We stopped and gave it a check-over but couldn't find anything out of order. Not a brake squeek but something rubbing metal-to-metal. We continued on and put in 10 mi...squeeking madly all the way. At one of the turnarounds, I again looked all over the bike for squeek points. Nothing found...but while looking, I gave the shock preload wheel a turn. Back on the bike...silent as a grave. Somehow that single turn of the preload wheel got rid of the squeek! It didn't make a single squeek all the way back to the truck (~5mi). Geez, now I can't remember if I turned it tighter or looser...

 

[Mark B]

Sounds like you had a great ride! You have to love tinkering on these things! Great report, as always!

Mark

 

[trapdoor2]

Test Ride V...20 mi

Really nothing exceptional to speak of this time out. No changes, no problems (other than it was cold out). I am getting more comfortable every time I take it out. No "start up" wobbles, no attention deficit wobbles, nothing. I had resoldered my Speed sensor wire, so at least the speed and distance section of the computer was running properly this time...and I comfortably sprinted up to 22mph in the "sprint" section of the MUT (fairly flat, fairly straight, open fields on either side). I'm out of shape, so all I can tell you is that 22mph is really good for this FOG at the moment...but I have no idea if I could have done a comparable half-mile sprint on the Baron today; really hard to say, but I know I would use the gearing very differently.

During the sprint, I found myself locking the handlebars down hard with my arms and very nearly getting my butt out of the saddle. It is hard to describe adequately, but it felt like the MBB was the solid part and the rest of the bike was swaying slightly. Nice to have twist-grip shifters when in 'full grunt'...no need to lift pressure on the grips, just twitch and go.

If ol' father Sun hadn't gone down (along with the temp), I'd have put another 20 on her.

 

[John Tolhurst]

Re: Test Ride V...20 mi

trapdoor2 wrote: ...
During the sprint, I found myself locking the handlebars down hard with my arms and very nearly getting my butt out of the saddle. It is hard to describe adequately, but it felt like the MBB was the solid part and the rest of the bike was swaying slightly. ...

yeah, that sounds like it. :twisted:

 

[trapdoor2]

Test Ride VI, "The Marathon Route"

Ah, what a lovely day yesterday was! Mid 60's, slight breeze in the morning (getting stronger as the day got on), etc. I decided "today was the day" to go for my favorite 'early weekend morning' ride. This is a route marked out for our city's annual Marathon. It winds predominantly thru suburban neighborhoods with only a few miles running in traffic (5-lane, 45mph areas); early Sat or Sun mornings the traffic is really light anyways.

No changes to the bike, I think I'm in "static" mode for the moment. The rear wheel has been professionally trued and I spent a bit of Friday evening getting the rear brake adjusted nicely...no more brake rub!

Having had a week or so off the bike meant I had a bit of problem getting out of my driveway, I couldn't control the "start up wobble". Two attempts put me into the steep bit of the driveway and when I finally got started, I caught my first bit of wheelspin. It was nothing exceptional and I just powered thru it...but there it was, and I would see some more later in the day. Once again, I attempted to climb the steep bit near my house but fell short. I couldn't get my cadence up above 70rpm (not enough strength, gearing too steep to push) and had to get off and walk the last 50ft. This one little hill begs a triple up front (30t granny) and I thought about that the rest of the day.

Not much to say about the rest of the ride, the northern half is all about stop-signs and crossing traffic so lots of stop and go from block to block. I had an encounter with a little old man in a Lincoln who stopped (two-way stop, I had the right of way), looked right at me and then pulled out just as I got into the intersection. Thank god I was climbing a short hill and only doing 5mph. I narrowly avoided planting my chainring in his driver's door as he turned and perhaps he heard my shouts...at least he stopped when he saw me about to pound on his window! I maneuvered around him and kept going...he turned off on another side street.

I stopped at one of the LBSs downtown and did a bit of "show and tell", they all came out and were very interested...at least they were being nice. Several of them are "builders" and were impressed with the engineering solution. After that, the route goes to our downtown "square" which entails a bit of a climb, punctuated by stop signs. As these 'stops' are mid-climb and envolve one-way streets with good visibility, I can usually roll thru them. I was worried I might not be able to restart on the Cruzbike if I had any crossing traffic in the worst bit. Naturally, Murphy's law struck...I had to stop right in the worst bit. However, after one false start and my second bit of wheelspin, I was able to do it without much ado. Whew! :?

In the southern half of the route I found myself joining up with a group of Boy Scouts who were training for a ride up the Natchez Trace (Jackson, MS to Florence, AL: 265mi) in late March. They intend to do 50-60 mi per day and camp out nights. Being Boy Scouts, they were all young teens and thought my Cruzbike was the coolest thing ever. I rode with them for a mile or two until they had to stop to regroup in order to safely get out on one of the main roads. I jumped out into traffic and quickly lost them. The wind had picked up a good bit (right into my face, naturally) so I struggled to make 15mph where I normally cruise at 18-20. Still, I found myself at the MUT trailhead with plenty of energy, so I decided to add the MUT to my ride (about 8 mi).

Getting back onto the Marathon route, there is a long, straight stretch (downwind too!) of fairly level road where I was comfortably cruising above 20mph. I thought I caught a flash of Hi-Vis orange turning in the distance; it had to be the Boy Scouts, so I decided I needed to catch up after my detour. After a few miles, I turned a corner down in one neighborhood and there they were...stopped at their SAG wagon for a rest stop. I heard one kid say his butt hurt...I just waved at them as I comfortably rode past.

So, I put in 33 miles, no serious problems. I am not totally happy about the gearing on this thing. I can deal with the steep bits (I'm not buying a triple just for 50ft of road, I'll get off and walk until I get stronger and lose weight) but I continually found myself in between gears. The 7sp "mega range" cluster just isn't wide enough to suit me...and the big jump between the 24t and 34t gear...well, it just sucks. :evil:

I think I'm going to go find a decent set of roadbike hubs and lace up some 26" wheels to them. I have a number of different 9sp gear clusters sitting on the bench which would at least give me some different choices.

I'll be back on the road today, more cloud cover but still in the mid 60's. Wooo-hoo!

 

[Mark B]

Good report, Marc.

The wheelspin has become less and less of an issue for me. I'm not sure if it's the weight loss, getting dialed into the gearing, or what, but I spin my front tire a lot less than I used to. I can get some slippage from time to time when I hit an expansion crack, or a bump just right, but the suspension sticks the tire right back down.

I'm jealous you're out riding. It's been raining here and while we need the rain, it sure doesn't help the riding issue. It's days like this I wish I had a trainer, of some sort.

Mark

 

[JonB]

Mark B wrote: Good report, Marc.

The wheelspin has become less and less of an issue for me. I'm not sure if it's the weight loss, getting dialed into the gearing, or what, but I spin my front tire a lot less than I used to. I can get some slippage from time to time when I hit an expansion crack, or a bump just right, but the suspension sticks the tire right back down.

I'm jealous you're out riding. It's been raining here and while we need the rain, it sure doesn't help the riding issue. It's days like this I wish I had a trainer, of some sort.

Mark

why not just wear raingear, or buy a velomobile?

 

[Mark B]

JonB wrote:

Mark B wrote: Good report, Marc.

The wheelspin has become less and less of an issue for me. I'm not sure if it's the weight loss, getting dialed into the gearing, or what, but I spin my front tire a lot less than I used to. I can get some slippage from time to time when I hit an expansion crack, or a bump just right, but the suspension sticks the tire right back down.

I'm jealous you're out riding. It's been raining here and while we need the rain, it sure doesn't help the riding issue. It's days like this I wish I had a trainer, of some sort.

Mark

why not just wear raingear, or buy a velomobile?

Velomobile= out of my pricerange
Raingear= It rains so infrequently here, it's better to wait for a better day and whine about it.

Mark
:evil:

 

[trapdoor2]

Test ride VII...showing off

Too pretty today to waste it on housework...had to go ride!

I had planned this as a "recovery ride" but it wasn't. Bro' Don called about 12:30 pm and said he was puttin' on his riding shoes...so I finished my buritto (Alabama is a hotbed of illegal/legal immigrants...which has driven the quality of Mexican resturants up to quite excellent levels) and headed for the MUT.

I got about a half-mile down the trail when a roadie flashed past...I dunno why but I gotta at least catch him. @ 18mph, I suck into his draft and go into "quiet coast" mode, pedalling only enough to keep my place (and catching my breath). In true roadie fashion, he has no mirrors and never looks back. The path is too crowded to really sail along, so I back off and go into "safe mode". Geez, it is a zoo. I came within inches of getting clotheslined by dog leashes on several occasions...do people leave their brains back at the car? :evil:

I catch Bro' Don (riding his DF) at the river, take a pull from the water bottle and we head back. Don wants to get off the MUT, do some neighborhood hopping and see how the CC does in the rolling hills. Now, Bro' Don had a triple-bypass a few years back so his ability to ride is compromised a bit. He self-limits his heartrate to 140bpm and watches it like a hawk. I figure we're going to do a liesurely 20mi. Well, I can't just climb every little hill at a walk, so I normally just ride in my personal comfort zone, stop and wait for him to catch up. I really don't feel any pain from yesterday's ride, so I just honk up the hills like I know what I'm doing.

At the first decent downhill run, I let Don run ahead at the crest of the hill and then pedal up to about 20mph and go into "downhill racer" mode. I pass him at 22mph and eventually record 29mph before turning onto the Southern half of the Marathon route I rode yesterday. On the Baron, it is usual to post coasting runs on this hill @ 32mph...so not too far off. We passed a tandem on the way down and pull them along for a few miles before they pass us on a long hill. They pull alongside for a bit and we talk about the Cruzbike, etc., before they gently pull away. Nice folks, we repass them later on when they stop due to a sqeeking brake (we offer to help but it is declined). We're running yesterday's Marathon course now...but in reverse direction. What were downhill runs are now climbs and vice versa. After the long climb, I have to pull over and wait for Don again, but it is the last decent climb so I will only drop him once more (in a long, fast flat). I make a decent effort in the long flat (about a mile or so) and run the bulk of it at 23mph (which has me breathing hard with closed mouth, an indication my heartrate was around 160 or so...above that and I start 'open mouth' breathing). Bro' Don reports 21mph peak but had to shut down to keep his heartrate within parameters.

We finish up the ride by running down to the river and back (about 8 mi) and when we hit the parking lot at the supermarket, the whole LWB-GRR crew is there (all four of them). So, I get to show off my Cruzbike to the GRR guys...who express a mix of fear, disbelief, interest and "I gotta ride that!" That guy jumps on it and immediately wobbles off...straightening up quickly and making a loop of the parking lot. He is enthusiastic and impressed...and has a gazilling questions...the first of which is "can it climb?" Bro' Don answers that one..."he dropped me like stink on every climb...he's climbing a lot better than he does on the Baron." That got some raised eyebrows as the head GRR rider tried his damnedst to drop me during a killer climb two years ago...getting me a reputation as a hammer (this guy had his GRR socked too...when we crested that hill he asked me to go into 'coast mode' so he could evaluate how fast his socked GRR was...I waited a full 2min at the Burger King at the bottom of the several mile decent having hit 40+ on the way down. Never race downhill with a fat guy on a low racer.

Anyway, it was another good day. I logged another 23mi (135 total), am just a bit sunburnt and got to show off. How cool is that? :lol:

PS: I almost fell off the bike on the MUT as we met a group of 10-yr old girls coming the other direction. I'm a waver, I smile and wave at everyone. The first couple of girls smiled and waved back but the last one looked at me with the funniest "OMGwhatthehellisthatthing??" look. I heard Don laughing behind me and I damn near ran off the road laughing. I wish I had video...coulda made a million bucks.

 

[Mark B]

Another great report, Marc! Sounds like you're getting hooked on this FWD thang!

Mark

 

[Peder Torgersen]

Re: Test ride VII...showing off

trapdoor2 wrote: Too pretty today to waste it on housework...had to go ride!

We finish up the ride by running down to the river and back (about 8 mi) and when we hit the parking lot at the supermarket, the whole LWB-GRR crew is there (all four of them). So, I get to show off my Cruzbike to the GRR guys...who express a mix of fear, disbelief, interest and "I gotta ride that!" That guy jumps on it and immediately wobbles off...straightening up quickly and making a loop of the parking lot. He is enthusiastic and impressed...and has a gazilling questions...the first of which is "can it climb?" Bro' Don answers that one..."he dropped me like stink on every climb...he's climbing a lot better than he does on the Baron." That got some raised eyebrows as the head GRR rider tried his damnedst to drop me during a killer climb two years ago...getting me a reputation as a hammer (this guy had his GRR socked too...when we crested that hill he asked me to go into 'coast mode' so he could evaluate how fast his socked GRR was...I waited a full 2min at the Burger King at the bottom of the several mile decent having hit 40+ on the way down. Never race downhill with a fat guy on a low racer.

Anyway, it was another good day. I logged another 23mi (135 total), am just a bit sunburnt and got to show off. How cool is that? :lol:

PS: I almost fell off the bike on the MUT as we met a group of 10-yr old girls coming the other direction. I'm a waver, I smile and wave at everyone. The first couple of girls smiled and waved back but the last one looked at me with the funniest "OMGwhatthehellisthatthing??" look. I heard Don laughing behind me and I damn near ran off the road laughing. I wish I had video...coulda made a million bucks.

Even if you have to do some housework it must be better doing it after a good ride?

Peder