Transporting a Vendetta

K

Kenneth Jessett

Well-Known Member
I don't know if I'm getting any closer to obtaining a Vendetta, but to repeat a question asked before on this forum, do any owners of Vendettas have any info on what it takes to transport a vendetta by air and by vehicle?

I can put my standard bike in the back of a car with the front wheel off, and I have a bike box for taking it on a plane, but I expect the Vendetta is going to take a great deal more work than that.

By observation and asking around the bike groups, moving a recumbent is problematic and often quoted as one important reason not to buy one. I travel a lot with my bike for ultra distance cycling, so ease of transportation is very important.

Thanks.

Ken.
 
Andrew 1973

Andrew 1973

Zen MBB Master
By Vehicle

I can fit a Vendetta upright in my Kia Sedona minivan just by folding the rear seats into stowage. The profile of the Vendetta is much lower than the version 1 Silvio; the Silvio will fit in my van with a fair measure of creativity.
 
trplay

trplay

Zen MBB Master
I've flown with a Musashi.  I

I've flown with a Musashi. I have never flown with ay Silvio but one of the first things that caught my attention when putting it together was how much easier it will be to transport the Silvio to places such as PBP. Transport inside a Honda element requires nothing more than to put it in and secure it. Transporting recumbents is a minus over diamond frame bikes but The Silvio/Vendetta will rank very high in transporting when comparing with other recumbents. I'm surprised Cruzbike doesn't market this positive aspect of the bike.
 
K

Kenneth Jessett

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the replies. I'm

Thanks for the replies. I'm not really ready to buy a new vehicle as well as a new bike, so this is still unresolved.

I know there are recumbents on the PBP, but I get the impression these front wheel drive bikes suffer from stability problems, so riding solo is undoubtedly fine but in a crowd of thousands maybe not so safe?
 
trplay

trplay

Zen MBB Master
You need to do a whole lot of research

You have a lot of misinformation. There is no more need to buy a new car than if you were buying a diamond frame bike. The space requirements are pretty much the same. Lots and lots of ways to haul the bike if you have the desire to do it. I dont think there is a car on the market I wouldn't be able to transport a Silvio on or in. Hail I'll bet money I can do it on a motorcycle and a duffle bag. Silvio's/Vendetta's are not unstable, riders are. If one has gone through the qualifying process for PBP on a MBB and still rides like a drunken sailor the problem isn't with the bike. He should give it up. FWIW there are lots of MBB on the PBP but your vision of 1000 bike groups is again way off the mark. They start in 500 bike groups. Special bikes, recumbents, trikes, tandems start in a special group. I doubt that group started with more than 150 bikes. That's probably smaller than your local organized ride. Within ten miles that group has spread out. I doubt I saw more than a 20 bikes in a group the rest of the way and not many of those. In a nutshell these bikes really aren't any different than the standard bikes. They take basically the same space, fit on the same bike racks, and perform based on your ability. Go see someone who actually has one you're info is wrong.
 
1happyreader

1happyreader

zen/child method
covering the bike while mounted on a rear hitch mount

covering the tail/stop lights will be an issue !!!1

You would have to build a lightbar like the Thule Light board 976

thule%20light%20bar.jpg width:409px
 
Eric Winn

Eric Winn

Zen MBB Master
Hi Tim, Yeah I hadn't thought

Hi Tim, Yeah I hadn't thought of interfering with the vehicle lights although now that you mention it I've seen that same problem on vehicles hauling single or multiple bikes with just the bike or bikes doing a good job of blocking the brake lights and turn signals.

Hmmm, maybe I'll re-think the Seasucker Hornet bike rack and see if some tweaks could make it work for a Vendetta and/or Silvio. Or create something specifically tailored for the Vendetta and/or Silvio using some of their vacuum pumps. Based on my experience hauling my MTB 2500+ miles with their Talon I know the pumps work very, very well. Just need specific fittings and geometry for my Vendetta.

-Eric
 
ratz

ratz

Wielder of the Rubber Mallet
Reverse the roof rack trays?

Anyone give a thought to just using a roof rack with the old fashioned trays mounted backwards?

I have an old thule rack circa 1989 that I still use. When I went to a trike; that i occurred to me I could just reverse the trays and drive the trike on to the roof; and clamp the front wheels to the strap downs. I reinforce those wheel clamps with those giant orange twist ties someone post in the forums last summer. Works well for hauling the wind sail of a trick although the seat has to come off for long trips.

In the process I learned it also works fine to mount a DF on the backwards trays, it just looks weird with the bike facing backwards with the forks bolted down in the back and rear tire firmly strap down in front.

So it occurs to me that it might be possible do the the same with the Silvio. Clamp the rear dropouts into the tray's fork bracket in the back. Leave front wheel left fully assembled and strapped and clamp it into the tray at the front of the car. Take the seat off and go. May add a little plastic wrap on the bottom of the frame to keep the bugs from chipping the paint.... The rear question would be if the rear dropouts are strong enough to control the torque coming off that big heavy front end that would also be buffeting in the wind.


 
ratz

ratz

Wielder of the Rubber Mallet
toys on top

Oh I have a solution for that. I have a 3 ft piece of flexy plastic the shape of a standard yard stick. On one end is a bracket that mounts to the cars front bumper. The other end has a warning sign with big black letters that says "toys on top". All home bru but it works. When you are driving above 10 miles an hour the wind pushes it flat against the hood of the car; as soon as you slow down it pops up to remind you that "duh, there be expensive stuff on the roof".

Other ideas exist.

http://toysontopsign.com

http://www.rackreminder.com

Yakima use to sell the "Load Alert" I have one of those too for longer trips.
I did a quick search and these guys have some to sale. The one guy sales he has more than ten.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yakima-Load-Alert-Magnetic-Loaded-Rack-Reminder-NEW-/230899823939
http://www.ebay.com/itm/YAKIMA-LOAD-ALERT-/190787864936?pt=US_Car_Truck_Racks&hash=item2c6bd7c968

?Now we just need one that says "Cruz'ing above the rest"
 
K

Kenneth Jessett

Well-Known Member
Eric,
I've just received a

Eric,

I've just received a copy of the National 24 Hour Challenge event brochure and on the 3rd page is a photo of a racer on a Vendetta, is that you? This event is in your neck of the woods, so maybe you race that?

Ken.
Bessies Creek24.com
 
Eric Winn

Eric Winn

Zen MBB Master
If it is the 2013 Brochure,

If it is the 2013 Brochure, Jim Parker is in a photo on page 3 and Maria Parker is in a photo on page 4.

-Eric
 
Eric Winn

Eric Winn

Zen MBB Master
Ken, I just got the 2014

Ken, I just got the 2014 brochure in the mail as well but there isn't a Vendetta photo that I can see. There is a yellow Bachetta and looks like his rider number is 33. Not sure who that is I didn't get a chance to meet all of the recumbents last year and N24HC is bad about not listing rider numbers with rider names.

I was the only Vendetta last year. The pictures in my ride report of me on my Vendetta are from the race photos:

http://cruzbike.com/2013-n24hc

-Eric
 
K

Kenneth Jessett

Well-Known Member
Wow! Before I finished

Wow! Before I finished posting a reply to Eric, I clicked on his link to see a photo of him and when I got back my post had disappeared, so I'll have to start again.

On closer look at the photo in the brochure I see that it has the name 'Bachetta' on the frame, so I suppose that should have been a dead giveaway. ;-)

Maybe I need new glasses. Nice photo of you on the link by the way, looks as if you were taking a 'laid back' approach. I'll make sure we have rider numbers with rider names on Bessies next year. I think we do, but I'll check.

Are you riding through the winter up there near the arctic circle? It's a bit cool hear today - 50's and overcast, not nice at all.

Ken.
 
Eric Winn

Eric Winn

Zen MBB Master
Hi Ken,I have found my

Hi Ken,

I have found my Vendetta pretty easy to transport. Currently I take both wheels off and carry it in the back of my Chevy Equinox with one of the rear seat backs folded down and the frame sitting in that space (running fore and aft). Doesn't take long and is easy to do.

I've also fit the entire bike in the back of my Honda CR-Z two seater but to do that I needed to take the front triangle apart - which isn't all that difficult either but not something I would want to do for a short trip.

I'm not fond of the idea of an expensive road bike getting road grime tossed all over it from an exterior bike rack but it would be a bit nicer to just pull the bike off the rack and ride it. I've often pondered about covering the bike while mounted on a rear hitch mount but I'm concerned about wind buffeting and the like but I might experiment with it.

If I continue to participate in events a long way away from me I'll likely take my bike transport needs into consideration for my next vehicle. I've looked at the Ford Transit Connect, both the current and new 2014 cargo models, and with no rear seats either of those would carry the bike completely assembled along with luggage and other gear and still get about the same MPG I'm getting with my Equinox. I have seldom used the rear seats in my Equinox so I don't think I'd miss them that much.

I'm registered for 2014 Bike Sebring and will be taking my Vendetta from Michigan to Florida and back in February. I'll try and remember to take some pictures and post them to this thread for you.

I don't have any experience on other recumbents like Hardy does but I tend to agree with him about stability being a rider issue rather than a bike issue - although a poorly fitted and/or assembled bike of any type can be unstable so there may be some of that to consider too.

Edit: Test for Bob and Bruce.
Edit: Photos of stuffing a Vendetta into the back of a Chevy Equinox

13173528395_0b6575048e_c.jpg


13173792844_576a717c42_c.jpg


13173751164_92fd6e2a37_c.jpg


13173520425_59e1f4a50a_c.jpg


Stopping by Organic Transit in Durham, NC to check out the ELF on the way down to 2014 Bike Sebring with the Vendetta peaking out of the back of the car. More photos and my test ride info here.

13173622063_c87c895902_c.jpg


I think I need a bigger vehicle....

13173497755_8ecb662c7e_c.jpg


-Eric
 
BJ686

BJ686

Well-Known Member
Eric Winn said:
Hmmm, maybe I'll re-think the Seasucker Hornet bike rack and see if some tweaks could make it work for a Vendetta and/or Silvio. Or create something specifically tailored for the Vendetta and/or Silvio using some of their vacuum pumps. Based on my experience hauling my MTB 2500+ miles with their Talon I know the pumps work very, very well. Just need specific fittings and geometry for my Vendetta.
Click to expand...

I'm looking for an easy way to transport a V20 on my sedan, and was researching old threads when I came across this note. I had been considering getting the Seasucker Talon to use for the V20, but wanted to ask if others had tried this out. Looks like Eric had some concerns with using it on a Vendetta. It looks to me like the Seasucker should work for any bike regardless of the geometry but just want to make sure I am not missing anything.
 
castlerobber

castlerobber

Zen MBB Master
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