Vendetta V20

[Eric Winn]

Small-Medium-Large?

Did y'all notice the small-medium-large fitting chart is included in the V20 picture slide set?

I'm not sure if it is entirely relevant as the original "small" Vendetta also used a different slider that was bent and a shorter boom and chainstays. The boom and slider for the medium and large were the same parts, just progressively longer chainstays. Different lengths of chainstays for different sized riders still makes sense in lieu of the Silvio's discrete add-on chainstay extension.

Hmm, I wonder if you could make functional and appealing telescoping chainstays to better manage your stocking requirements? I'm not sure the added cost of complexity would offset having to tie up cash in stocking different sized chainstays for different riders or not. Maybe just finesse a build-to-order process so you don't have to tie up as much cash in inventory.

It looks like my favorite forward light mounting point is still present on the V20 too.

I think I like the all red that Rampa mocked up better than the red and black. Maybe because my V is all the same color except for the slider and I'm used to seeing t that way.

I still think the fork could be the same unit in the sense of the same legs but a longer steerer tube to accommodate the Silvio's suspension.

In looking at Lief's V20 <-> S30 animated GIF again I was looking for the difference in the 20 degree decline vs the 27 degree recline and it isn't really noticeable. Looks more like the S30 is just higher off the ground. Perhaps a limit of the media and in person a bit more observable...

Another thought - that one piece carbon fiber seat might lend itself better to adding in some adjustable seat angles...

Edit: I am also wondering what that thought bubble says that is stuck on Bob's (Ratz) head...

-Eric

 

[Rick Youngblood]

Eric - In looking at

Eric - In looking at Lief's V20 <-> S30 animated GIF again I was looking for the difference in the 20 degree decline vs the 27 degree recline and it isn't really noticeable. Looks more like the S30 is just higher off the ground. Perhaps a limit of the media and in person a bit more observable...

If you hold a paper edge up to your screen aligned with the V's angle you can then see the difference in the seat angles.

 

[ratz]

Finally someone noticed

I was wondering how long that would take.... 37 days......

 

[Rick Youngblood]

Ha ha ha!!

Ha ha ha!!

I thought for sure it said, due to the look of deep thought:

"What's my next build, Rick's sure to follow!"

 

[Maria Parker]

my thoughts

I don't typically post in the forum, but love to read your ideas and feedback.

The new V20 is John's latest excellent design iteration of the hydroformed tube Vendetta. The color was my idea.

In person the bike is gorgeous and grows on you like a great song, you want to listen to it over and over again. The new boom is elegant and stiff. I've ridden it around the recumbent convention for two days and can't wait to get my own to race.

I'll let John and Robert weigh in on the technical upgrades, but right out of the gate, I can tell you that it is significantly lighter and the new seat is gorgeous. It performs as well or better than my yellow Vendetta in my short test around here. We've been getting lots of wonderful feedback here on both the design upgrades and the new color.

We do appreciate the feedback from each of you as we continue to grow and improve our product. I love the fact that you all care so much for our product and our company.

Maria

 

[Rick Youngblood]

Okay..people, I'm going to

Okay..people, I'm going to trust Maria on this. Just look at that smile on her face, great photo.

Lighter too! How much lighter?

Thank you Maria you input is extremely valuable to Crazy Cruzbike Riders!

Andrew, what are waiting for?

 

[BentAero]

And where does the weight

And where does the weight savings come from? The seat pan, boom, and fork are the only items to change, correct?

 

[Andrew 1973]

Hey Rick...

Does this answer your question?

 

[Andrew 1973]

It looks better in this

It looks better in this picture than in the one on the site.

alt="Cruzbike V20 Vendetta"

 

[Andrew 1973]

Trying to be humorous...

...but ended up being rather creepy.

 

[Jeremy S]

I would totally buy a V20 if

I would totally buy a V20 if I were on the market for a new bike...say if my Silvio 2.0 blew up...or if I had a garage... I do like red, and compared to my Silvio the V20 is lighter, more aerodynamic, and has a fatter boom. It just looks less special than the old model.

I really do hope the frame says CRUZBIKE somewhere, though!

 

[Eric Winn]

Disc brake complete build for V20 and S20?

I notice the brake specs are not called out for the complete build option for either the S30 or V20 but the photos are showing rim brakes, including the one above with our favorite pedal dancer.

I'm just speculating based on where the market seems to be heading but I would think a disc brake complete build as the default configuration would lure more buyers these days. Particularly with affordable carbon rims being readily available.

-Eric

 

[KiwiGuy]

Bring back yellow!

Cruzbike is my favourite bike company. Run by smart, dedicated people who have patented a clever product and get the manufacturing and continuous improvement right. They've also made the right marketing moves in shifting from very strong social media based promotion to letting their legs do the talking. All of the trolls and critics have fallen away as a result, and Cruzbike's reputation seems to be growing stronger and stronger.

However, on the branding front I find them frustrating. On one hand they have made some exceptionally smart branding moves, and then they counter them with what I perceive as damaging moves. I believe the shift away from yellow falls into the latter category. Here's why:

YELLOW IS FOR WINNERS
A few years ago I worked as a business coach for a bike shop. As a result of researching their customers and prospective customers I discovered something that amazed me. In the mind of consumers the colour associated with success in cycling is the colour yellow (presumably thanks to the TdF Yellow jersey). These were New Zealand consumers, but given Kim Tolhurst's contention that the colour yellow was extensively researched for Cruzbike, I have no reason to doubt it would be true for Australian and North American consumers as well.

While it is true that if you own a sports car company, and want your products to be seen as podium material, you should paint your cars red (something Ferrari figured out decades ago), based on my consumer research (and that mentioned by Kim) I contend that if you own a bike company and want your products to be seen as podium material you should paint your bikes yellow.

COLOUR IS PART OF A BRAND STRATEGY
One aspect of a brand strategy is deciding on the colour that represents your brand. For example, in the tractor industry Ford is blue, John Deere is green and Caterpillar is yellow. In the bike industry, Bianchi have made the colour 'celeste' part of their brand strategy.

So far Cruzbike have played with yellow, but haven't fully committed to it (check out the colour of the original Silvo being ridden by Maria, the colour of the Quest, and the colour of the favicon at the top of your screen).

IMHO they made a smart branding decision in the original yellow/gold colour for the Vendetta (and btw, how brilliant is the brand name 'Vendetta' for a fast recumbent). And they have driven that colour home in the recumbent community through all the photos of Maria's magnificent achievements. Everyone who knows Cruzbike, knows that Vendettas are yellow.

And now they change the colour. WTF??

BRING BACK YELLOW
Cruzbike has done so many things well, the logical brand strategy for the company has become very clear. So I find it painful to watch them do stuff like this on what appears to be a whim.

I'm with Kim Tolhurst. Bring back yellow for Vendetta.

I'd go further than Kim in fact. Make yellow the brand colour of Cruzbike. If it's good enough for Caterpillar and Ferrari and Bianchi (amongst many others) to do it well, I'd have thought it good enough for Cruzbike.

Here's hoping....

 

[ratz]

Sizing and the art of photos

Interesting how much better the bike looks with a rider on it in motion.

So are there going to be sizes for the new Vendetta? You can tell that bike Maria is on is bigger than the custom smalls you see in the race photos from the last too years. Perhaps it's comfortable but it does look too big in the angle of the photo. Obviously that was a show bike at the convention.

 

[t.c103]

can`t sit quiet here…

V20 and S30 are both high-quality and very beautiful bikes. For me the difference is just as much as is needed so both get their warrant. It&acute;s so difficult to choose that I wish I could afford to buy one of each... Cruzebike truly found the perfect balance here!! Great decisions I must say!!

The Silvio has all versions evolved in the direction of better performance. Vendetta have in the latest version developed for easier manufacture. I`s logic to make those decisions and that have been explained by others.

V.20 just like S30 can both become real bestsellers. But still there are some strategic errors that may prevent that to happen.
To correct those errors it might (from my point of view, be wise to

1. Change the model name from V20 to S20 just to make a clear signal that it is a version in the S series. Don&acute;t get me wrong here... S series should be high quality fast bikes and great value for the money! Sorry to say but the red V20 are not THE Vendetta because The Vendetta are beyond just speed and money which also already been explained.

2. Readjust the price tag for the S-series to what it was before the summer for higher sale volumes.

3. Launch a new Yellow V for the most dedicated and wealthy cyclists and off course for a few sponsored ambassadors of the brand.


Kind regards
TC

 

[Ivan]

I go away for a few days and

I go away for a few days and all this pops up! I fall into the camp who prefers the yellow Vendetta 2.0 -- perhaps some of this amounts to perception, but perception is very important for your top bike model.

I am stumped as to why Cruzbike makes such excellent bikes but takes such lousy photos of their great bikes. I'm sorry if this discourages the person who took them, but you need to know this and have someone else do the photography if you don't have a knack for it. The "bad photo" phenomena is true of both the S20 and now the V20 again. If Maria says the bike looks better and amazing in person, that's just a reflection of the fact that the photos are bad! Cruzbike guys, please retake your photos.

1. Remove the pedals - those awful clunky things do not belong on your V20. Even good pedals should be removed. The bike looks sleeker.
2. Get better lighting that brings out the colour. If you don't have a studio just go outdoors and paste up white paper as a background like I did.
3. Put some better wheels on. I know you sell Cruzbike wheels but you just gotta have better wheels.
4. Position your boom more horizontal. At least line it up optimally with with rider shoulder, handlebar, and pedal at 12 o'clock in line. Your earlier photos of Vendetta 2.0 with Maria in this position with an aero wheelset were great!

As others have said. It's amazing that Cruzbike lets their customers post stuff like this on their forum. And it's amazing that a large and faithful user base like us cares like this, because we love our Cruzbikes and we want them to succeed!

 

[MrSteve]

Racing Colours

The Vendetta is a racebike... in a race.

Yellow has been fielded successfully by Cruzbike Vs while competing in races.

Jaguar competed successfully in their dark BRG (British Racing Green).

Ferrari competes in their unmistakable Ferrari Red.

Should Cruzbike ever sponsor racing, maybe Cruzbike ought to
consider Vendetta Yellow as their factory racing colour?

?So much for racing livery.

---

If a customer has enough funds for a V frame set and all the kit that it takes to complete the bike,
then what's a little extra for some yellow paint?

It's pretty, the new bike, but the large diameter tube was a thing of beauty and I,
for one, will miss it.

-Steve

 

[Rick Youngblood]

Ivan  -   Cruzbike guys,

Ivan - Cruzbike guys, please retake your photos.

I'm with Ivan on this idea...I can hardly figure out how to work my phone camera. But maybe something like this...just an idea..got this by accident a few weeks ago...but you get the idea.

alt="Cruzbike Vendetta"

 

[Charles.Plager]

That's one heck of an

That's one heck of an accident Rick...

 

[Rick Youngblood]

That's one heck of an

That's one heck of an accident Rick...

If you take enough of these you get luck once in a while, Charles.