To V20c as a lifelong DF roadie

[gaspi101]

Hello, Just learning from doctors that i cant ride a roadbike again because of spine issues, which crushes. Was a roadie for life, and have a house and garage full of modern bike stuff, many many bikes. and needless to say, a whole community of bike friends i dont want to abandon because i now cant ride…So Im thinking something like the Cruzbike V20c might be a good idea, in that perhaps it looks more like a roadbike than others, and seems to use compatible components…is this true? Can i use my same SPD-SL shoes and cleats or do i need platform/SPD pedals with cleats more centered on the foot? Apparently it has “Microshift Aris 11” but i have very little idea what that is and the only references i can find are from 2010 or so…the Microshift website doesn’t even mention the groupset…is this legit? could i swap with something like sram red etap 11? Would you be able to swap out for any T47 85mm BB, like maybe this? https://www.sram.com/en/sram/models/bb-dub-t47-a1 (that way i can keep my fav crank arms with power meter…Sorry if this is not the right place to post, thank you. Just think that the bike looking as roadbike-familiar as possible will maybe not alienate me as much from my group rides, although im sure alienation will be unavoidable to an extent. Also i have a lot of bike stuff and am a hoarder and don't want to throw things. thank you.

 

[DavidCH]

Hey, really sorry to hear you can't ride road bikes again. I'm 62 and just about to reach a personal best... so don't get too concerned that you are over the hill.

V20c is a great bike. It depends where your.weakness is in your back. If you have neck issues... you might want to swap out the standard seat for something else. I have lower back issues so I have extra foam support for the middle of my back.


If you have never ridden a recumbent , you might want to try something a little easier. Or borrow your friends or rent one for a few days.


My vendetta v20 is a bike I respect the most... it goes incredibly fast and ideal in high temperatures when you perhaps only want to do 160 watts for 28/30 kph.

It's all about enjoying your ride and not so much about suffering.

 

[Don1]

As a roadie... The v20c will be a nice fit. Buy the frame set and put your fancy road grouppo and wheels on it. You'll be a little slower up hills steeper than 8 percent but you'll drop anyone on flats and rollers. As a 60 yo I can easily keep up the the young peeps on 10k tt bikes. Use the pedals and shoes you have. Don't worry about midcleat position. Takes about 1000km to learn the ropes before then you'll think you've made a mistake. There are several lads here were on simmilar circumstances especially @vosadrian ,hopefully he'll chime in.

 

[Don1]

Every sportive I enter I never got any negative comments, just curiosity. Mostly everyone complains about a lack of draft. Oh there is a youtube clip by bare food biker which is enlightening.. vendetta vs group ... Something like that

 

[Frito Bandito]

1st, I am sorry to hear of your medical condition Gaspi. I know it is tough and I wish you the best in whatever bike you ride.

As for the V20c, yes regular road bike components fit on it. Keep in mind that it is disc brake only and has 100/142mm Thru-axel wheels, not 100/130mm. You can use drop bars with brifters, bullhorns or even triathlon bars with TT shifters and brake levers. You'll likely already have fast wheels, but remember that the V20 is a front wheel drive bike so your drive wheel is going to go on the front. For speed, many go with an 80-100mm deep drive wheel, and a disc front wheel. A disc wheel on the front is possible, but it can get hairy in crosswinds if you aren't a Clydesdale.

On my roadbike with clipon aerobars it cost me about 290-300w to do 40kph on the flats and no wind, but now on my V20 it costs me about 210w. Part of that is because I have wide shoulders, my feet are too low for my torso and my head is likely too high over my knees, but the smaller and/or thinner guys on V20s get 40kph on significantly less power. You'll get a nice draft off everyone's legs, but when you are in front their torsos are going to be sticking out like a sore thumb. 1 of the best things for me though is that customizing the seat pan with thin adhesive backed foam padding under the Ventisit I have a bit of lumbar support and my weight isn't pressing my discs like an accordion. It is spread all out over my butt and back so I can stay on the bike for easily double what I could on my DF bike. Like Don wrote, it might take time to get your balance and get accustomed to it, but when you do you'll find that your riding buddy's paces are probably going to be too slow for you.

I'll tell you what though, I always knew that recumbents were faster and more efficient but I never was able to test ride one, or even catch one, beforehand, but I sure wish I would have at least a decade ago.

 

[PeteClark]

You could consider a used Silvio / S30 / S40 to get acclimated. Then go all in on a new V20C.

 

[chicorider]

Story time. I'll try to be brief.

2015: After 27 years riding DF bikes at a spunky pace, my lower back just couldn't do it any more. It totally seized up at the top of a long climb; and I love climbing. I could: quit riding, ride sitting bolt-upright at about 12mph, consider alternatives to the DF bike, or take up...running?

Started researching recumbents ("bikes for silly people," my brother called them). Every brand claimed their design was "the best," and forums were a mess of conflicting views, many of which started with, "Well, I've never ridden a [insert brand and model here], but I have an (uninformed) opinion anyway..."

Came across Cruzbike. Liked the idea of not having a 12 foot chain and idlers. Liked that it used regular parts as they were meant to be used. Liked the idea that the design involved the upper body, similar to standing and pedaling on a DF.

Out of equal parts desperation and blind faith, I plunked down the cash for a V20 frameset and a Dura Ace 9000 drivetrain. Never ridden a recumbent before, and I had apparently chosen one of the more challenging ones to learn on. Spent the next 500 miles wondering if I'd made an expensive mistake (never mind the first 100 miles that verged on terror).

I will spare you the details of my learning curve. Just know that there is one, and it varies in difficultly from rider to rider. I got through mine mostly through sheer stubbornness.

Fast forward seven years to today: The V20, now V20c, has been, by far, the best, fastest, most entertaining road bike I've ever ridden. No pain and much higher efficiency, which means more miles. The speed is addictive. Views on the V20 as a climber do vary, but for me, the thing climbs all day like a goat, at just about my old DF speeds. I have four bikes--two road, two off-road--and I enjoy them all. But if for some terrible reason I had to narrow that fleet down to one, the V20 would be the one to stay. Also, if I woke up one morning and my back said, "because you've been such a good boy, the back fairies have decided to give you the spine of a 20-year-old," I would not go back to a DF bike.

My one complaint: Riding with others on DF bikes can be a drag because they're so slow. I end up doing a lot of coasting. A couple weeks ago, a friend and I were covering a long, gradual descent. He's pedaling with a sincere effort while I'm coasting, and I'm still pulling away off the front (even though I only weigh 130 while he weighs 180). For the two of us to stay together on that descent, he had to pedal, while I not only coasted, but used the brakes. That's how slippery these bikes are.

The end of my story is that I am glad my lower back forced me to find the V20. A bit of serendipity, for which I am thankful.

This forum is absolutely the right place to ask your questions and find advice. It's a great community that I'm glad to be a part of.

Sorry to hear about your back troubles. I hope you find your way through it.

 

[Mathew Fy]

My conversion to Cruzbike is similar. A long time DF rider, I took notice of a few other ‘bent riders going faster than me. The saddle discomfort, carpal tunnel syndrome, and neck pain limited my enjoyment of riding. Then I listened to this podcast. (Show #268)

Show #268 - October 17, 2015 - Outspoken Cyclist Podcast

Diane chats with BMC's pro Taylor Phinney about growing up with a pair of Olympians, cycling in today's peloton, and his interest in art and painting. Then she heads down to North Carolina to talk with multple record holder and CEO of Cruz Bikes, Maria Parker.

outspokencyclist.com

Then I read through the forum.
I was convinced the V20 frameset was for me. And it was. I won’t be going back.

 

[gaspi101]

Hey, really sorry to hear you can't ride road bikes again. I'm 62 and just about to reach a personal best... so don't get too concerned that you are over the hill.

V20c is a great bike. It depends where your.weakness is in your back. If you have neck issues... you might want to swap out the standard seat for something else. I have lower back issues so I have extra foam support for the middle of my back.


If you have never ridden a recumbent , you might want to try something a little easier. Or borrow your friends or rent one for a few days.


My vendetta v20 is a bike I respect the most... it goes incredibly fast and ideal in high temperatures when you perhaps only want to do 160 watts for 28/30 kph.

It's all about enjoying your ride and not so much about suffering.

Hey thanks for the perspective....I'm literally in my prime, doing triathlons just a few months ago, 41 and in the best shape of my life. Of course, putting aside the fact that I have a full lumbar fusion and now two disks above and 2 disks below the lumbar fusion threatening to make me paraplegic if they slip any more...so no neck issues, but this is just....a really hard time. Fast in high temperatures is great, I'm in a pretty hot and flat part of the country, so recumbents should be more popular, but I've seen 2 or 3 in years...We have thousands of DF cyclists though. I'm not put off by the learning curve, eager to tackle it, no doubt. Just not looking forward to being the "Fred" of the group, or worse, not have a group at all.

 

[gaspi101]

As a roadie... The v20c will be a nice fit. Buy the frame set and put your fancy road grouppo and wheels on it. You'll be a little slower up hills steeper than 8 percent but you'll drop anyone on flats and rollers. As a 60 yo I can easily keep up the the young peeps on 10k tt bikes. Use the pedals and shoes you have. Don't worry about midcleat position. Takes about 1000km to learn the ropes before then you'll think you've made a mistake. There are several lads here were on simmilar circumstances especially @vosadrian ,hopefully he'll chime in.

Wow, great advice....So shoe position is not as important on a recumbent as it is on a DF, huh? Just mere milimeters off on shoe cleat position could be enough to cause knee injuries on a DF if riding hard for 100 miles or so....but if you're lying down without putting your body weight it's not such a big deal, huh? Also, what's the deal with mid-cleat positions? Why isn't it the same as a DF cleat position? Theoretically the idea is that the cleat lines up with the ball of the foot to maximize power transfer...is the power transferred better at the the mid-sole in a recumbent or is it more for comfort than performance?

 

[gaspi101]

1st, I am sorry to hear of your medical condition Gaspi. I know it is tough and I wish you the best in whatever bike you ride.

As for the V20c, yes regular road bike components fit on it. Keep in mind that it is disc brake only and has 100/142mm Thru-axel wheels, not 100/130mm. You can use drop bars with brifters, bullhorns or even triathlon bars with TT shifters and brake levers. You'll likely already have fast wheels, but remember that the V20 is a front wheel drive bike so your drive wheel is going to go on the front. For speed, many go with an 80-100mm deep drive wheel, and a disc front wheel. A disc wheel on the front is possible, but it can get hairy in crosswinds if you aren't a Clydesdale.

On my roadbike with clipon aerobars it cost me about 290-300w to do 40kph on the flats and no wind, but now on my V20 it costs me about 210w. Part of that is because I have wide shoulders, my feet are too low for my torso and my head is likely too high over my knees, but the smaller and/or thinner guys on V20s get 40kph on significantly less power. You'll get a nice draft off everyone's legs, but when you are in front their torsos are going to be sticking out like a sore thumb. 1 of the best things for me though is that customizing the seat pan with thin adhesive backed foam padding under the Ventisit I have a bit of lumbar support and my weight isn't pressing my discs like an accordion. It is spread all out over my butt and back so I can stay on the bike for easily double what I could on my DF bike. Like Don wrote, it might take time to get your balance and get accustomed to it, but when you do you'll find that your riding buddy's paces are probably going to be too slow for you.

I'll tell you what though, I always knew that recumbents were faster and more efficient but I never was able to test ride one, or even catch one, beforehand, but I sure wish I would have at least a decade ago.

Thanks, Frito for your kind words. Sucks for sure. And thanks for the info on the wheels, I didn't think about the thru-axel size...fortunately, I'll likely be swapping my Zipp 404s that are made for a 142mm through axle and are about 40mm deep...have to swap hubs though, don't think the V20c grouppo is compatible with a 12 speed...I've also got a pair of 808s (80mm) but they're for caliper brakes...Might just use the 404s for a bit and then get a staggered set like you mentioned. Thanks again for your input, man. Very helpful!

 

[gaspi101]

Every sportive I enter I never got any negative comments, just curiosity. Mostly everyone complains about a lack of draft. Oh there is a youtube clip by bare food biker which is enlightening.. vendetta vs group ... Something like that

This?

watched every minute and learned a lot!

 

[gaspi101]

You could consider a used Silvio / S30 / S40 to get acclimated. Then go all in on a new V20C.

im a jump in the deepend kind of guy…haha, but i believe Im going to test ride another type of cruzbike this weekend, maybe one of those? thanks man

 

[gaspi101]

Story time. I'll try to be brief.

2015: After 27 years riding DF bikes at a spunky pace, my lower back just couldn't do it any more. It totally seized up at the top of a long climb; and I love climbing. I could: quit riding, ride sitting bolt-upright at about 12mph, consider alternatives to the DF bike, or take up...running?

Started researching recumbents ("bikes for silly people," my brother called them). Every brand claimed their design was "the best," and forums were a mess of conflicting views, many of which started with, "Well, I've never ridden a [insert brand and model here], but I have an (uninformed) opinion anyway..."

Came across Cruzbike. Liked the idea of not having a 12 foot chain and idlers. Liked that it used regular parts as they were meant to be used. Liked the idea that the design involved the upper body, similar to standing and pedaling on a DF.

Out of equal parts desperation and blind faith, I plunked down the cash for a V20 frameset and a Dura Ace 9000 drivetrain. Never ridden a recumbent before, and I had apparently chosen one of the more challenging ones to learn on. Spent the next 500 miles wondering if I'd made an expensive mistake (never mind the first 100 miles that verged on terror).

I will spare you the details of my learning curve. Just know that there is one, and it varies in difficultly from rider to rider. I got through mine mostly through sheer stubbornness.

Fast forward seven years to today: The V20, now V20c, has been, by far, the best, fastest, most entertaining road bike I've ever ridden. No pain and much higher efficiency, which means more miles. The speed is addictive. Views on the V20 as a climber do vary, but for me, the thing climbs all day like a goat, at just about my old DF speeds. I have four bikes--two road, two off-road--and I enjoy them all. But if for some terrible reason I had to narrow that fleet down to one, the V20 would be the one to stay. Also, if I woke up one morning and my back said, "because you've been such a good boy, the back fairies have decided to give you the spine of a 20-year-old," I would not go back to a DF bike.

My one complaint: Riding with others on DF bikes can be a drag because they're so slow. I end up doing a lot of coasting. A couple weeks ago, a friend and I were covering a long, gradual descent. He's pedaling with a sincere effort while I'm coasting, and I'm still pulling away off the front (even though I only weigh 130 while he weighs 180). For the two of us to stay together on that descent, he had to pedal, while I not only coasted, but used the brakes. That's how slippery these bikes are.

The end of my story is that I am glad my lower back forced me to find the V20. A bit of serendipity, for which I am thankful.

This forum is absolutely the right place to ask your questions and find advice. It's a great community that I'm glad to be a part of.

Sorry to hear about your back troubles. I hope you find your way through it.

thanks for this write up, honestly, I think your experience is likely to mirror precisely my own, down to the detail. I think I might just buy the complete set and not just the frame, as I don’t want to be fiddling with groupset during the learning curve. Thank you so much for writing this

 

[gaspi101]

My conversion to Cruzbike is similar. A long time DF rider, I took notice of a few other ‘bent riders going faster than me. The saddle discomfort, carpal tunnel syndrome, and neck pain limited my enjoyment of riding. Then I listened to this podcast. (Show #268)

Show #268 - October 17, 2015 - Outspoken Cyclist Podcast

Diane chats with BMC's pro Taylor Phinney about growing up with a pair of Olympians, cycling in today's peloton, and his interest in art and painting. Then she heads down to North Carolina to talk with multple record holder and CEO of Cruz Bikes, Maria Parker.

outspokencyclist.com

Then I read through the forum.
I was convinced the V20 frameset was for me. And it was. I won’t be going back.

excellent! will listen to this. thanks for the tips!

 

[chicorider]

@gaspi101 When I ordered my V20c back in March, they were only selling whole bike builds. I would have gone for just the frameset, but I didn't want to wait until fall. I replaced the 11-speed Microshift drivetrain and wheels with SRAM Red and carbon hoops right out of the box, so I never put any miles on those parts. But they seemed decent enough as I was handling them--the kind of mid-level parts that get you started just fine, but that you replace over time as they wear out. The reviews I read tended to compare this system to Shimano 105 11-speed, a good workhorse group.

 

[gaspi101]

@gaspi101 When I ordered my V20c back in March, they were only selling whole bike builds. I would have gone for just the frameset, but I didn't want to wait until fall. I replaced the 11-speed Microshift drivetrain and wheels with SRAM Red and carbon hoops right out of the box, so I never put any miles on those parts. But they seemed decent enough as I was handling them--the kind of mid-level parts that get you started just fine, but that you replace over time as they wear out. The reviews I read tended to compare this system to Shimano 105 11-speed, a good workhorse group.

perfect, this is exactly what I was hoping for. modern Shimano 105 is like dura ace of 5 years ago…will more than suffice for a good long while, I would imagine… particularly since I am not going to be competing with anyone anytime soon and my town is flat as a pancake. thank you, buddy

 

[cpml123]

I would recommend getting the curved carbon fiber seat add-on if you buy the V20c. It is expensive. However, I think it offers much better shoulder support and makes the seating much more comfortable. I don't have it, but I have the equivalent Thor seat on my V20. It made a huge difference for me from a rideability and comfort point of view.

 

[Don1]

There's a part one of that video which I think will give a better perspective... Now, cleat position... I have moved my cleats as far back as poss on my Shimano shoes, just helps my hot foot on longer rides. Mid cleat position is supposed to replicate the load profile of a weight lifters and is becoming popular amongst tt and triathlon types, since it disengages the calves so you can run and is a little more aero. Anyways... 12speed is fine btw

 

[Lief]

This thread is a perfect example of why I heart this cruzbike forum.
Solid advice, legit passion, down to earth practicalities.

I’m guessing you will be competitive, from a performance perspective, sooner than you think. Your mindset is the reason. Dive in and adjust.

You’ll likely need to adjust your timing for things like pulls, gearing, etc to be simpatico with your group. Gamify it and if your group is big enough you’ll get a core group who will embrace this transition with you and learn how to tuck in behind you for better aero.

If you are tall enough small riders behind you will get a decent draft.

You’ll rock this.