What did you do to your Cruzbike today?

[super slim]

Finished up my 'race-case' install. Took a pic of the way I mounted my headrest.
View media item 273I had to buy a new Camelbak to fit the race-case, it is too small for the bladder I've used for years but one of the new 1.5l bladders fit perfectly.

I also installed my DS-500 tail-light on the provided post. I can see where others have had to extend or change the provided post. I was fortunate to find a clamping solution that was a good fit. Now I need to drill a hole in the race-case to feed the wires from the light to the battery. Right now I have the battery strapped to the headrest tubes (you can see it underneath) but there's room in the race-case for it under the Camelbak bladder. Water-cooled.

Having the headrest mounted this way is kind of neat, it sits in the curve and very small movements along the curve change both the position and angle of the rest. I haven't ridden it in this config yet but I don't expect getting it 'perfect' will be much of an issue. Just gotta take the right wrenches along.

Oh, and I just snagged a 26" solid front fork offa ebay for a few bucks. Got my old conversion stripped of all usable parts and have one of my V2/k sets in the bike-stand ready for conversion to "MUT Cruzer" I'm probably going to hang a set of Schwalbe "Big Apple" tires on it...nice and cushy. Single chainwheel up front (a 46, IIRC) paired with the 3sp Sturmey Archer hub and wheel. This was a 3sp fixie hub (SX3) but I'm adding a freewheel (which seems silly but I'm not buying another 3sp SA hub).

I'm seriously considering doing the "Silvio/V" top-tube steering conversion per @Emeljay. Although I rode the V2/k for years with the std. steering setup, the V20 has gotten me addicted to that setup. Seat angle will probably be something like a Silvio...I don't want to lean so far back that I need a headrest.

GREAT location for the headrest clamp!!!
Do you mind if I copy you????

 

[super slim]

Thought I'd post a couple of pics of Carbon front end build so far. Sorry about the poor photo quality

Were the parts from a broken Carbon bike?

 

[trapdoor2]

For inside a truck there's the extra option of using the tougher mil spec stuff so that you can be less careful about picking up damage from other cargo.
https://www.camelbak.com/en/military/gmi-packs/reservoirs

Yah, I think the 2l version of the mil-spec "Antidote" would be a maximum fit. Would be nice to have the extra protection from abrasion, etc. Hmmm, I wonder if I can find these on base here? We don't have a very large contingent of ground-pounding green suiters here...we're mostly Army aviation and missile ops.

 

[trapdoor2]

GREAT location for the headrest clamp!!!
Do you mind if I copy you????

I don't think they'll let me patent the 'flipped' position.
I believe my Dad spent a couple of weeks R&R in Adelaide. That would have been in 1943 though...

 

[ratz]

Yah, I think the 2l version of the mil-spec "Antidote" would be a maximum fit. Would be nice to have the extra protection from abrasion, etc. Hmmm, I wonder if I can find these on base here? We don't have a very large contingent of ground-pounding green suiters here...we're mostly Army aviation and missile ops.

I have both the 1.5L and the wide 3L coming for testing. Just because it hold 3L don't mean it has to be full.

 

[trapdoor2]

I have both the 1.5L and the wide 3L coming for testing. Just because it hold 3L don't mean it has to be full.

True...but think of all that extra weight!

 

[trplay]

Yaa-hooo! I finally got my Vendetta back from Ms. Daisy. Then went out on a crummy winter day and destroyed a long-standing PR over my 26-mile test run. I believe Zwift racing has to be the single ingredient for this new found speed.

 

[ratz]

True...but think of all that extra weight!

Fill with redbull it gives you wings...

 

[ReklinedRider]

Minor tweakage---
Changed bars to less flared off-roadish drops, Ritchey EvoMax. Cut 3cm off the ends.
From this: Soma JuneBug


To this: Ritchey EvoMax


They measure a full 2 1/2 inches less wide at the ends but with the same leg room and very close to the same drop distance. Enough flare to keep the inner surface of my forearms from hitting the bars. Should be a little more aero. Maybe.

Hard to tell a lot of difference from side view since I changed the angle of the bars from one set to the next.
Before:


After:


Then this:


With all this padding to accomodate my short torso'd self I may be heading for the Thor solution! Gotta ride it awhile and see.

 

[Bentas]

Were the parts from a broken Carbon bike?

Yeah , donor frame had crack in chainstay, been hunting for months for the right frame, finally got this one from Gumtree ,with nice calliper brakes and some wide long reach bars attached woohoo,
On another note ,footy kicks off this week "go you Swanee's, couldn't resist.

 

[Bentas]

Disk or rim brakes? Is the BB shell metal? What will you do about the boom and slider?

I guess these questions are directed to me, calipers, standard English metal BB, been using Carbon boom for a while now. Posted something a while back on one of Rick Youngbloods threads re Having fun wth carbon Fibre ?

 

[ratz]

Yah, I think the 2l version of the mil-spec "Antidote" would be a maximum fit. Would be nice to have the extra protection from abrasion, etc. Hmmm, I wonder if I can find these on base here? We don't have a very large contingent of ground-pounding green suiters here...we're mostly Army aviation and missile ops.

2L was too Long and the hose aren't optimal for the big. So that's going back

Did some research didn't realize they had replace the Antidote line with the new Crux Line. Crux looks better for biking so trying those. The 1.5L should fit fine based on published full dimensions; and actually the 3L Lumbar might also fit with about 2.5 L of water in it. So time to test those instead... Gotta love amazon no questions return process.

Sadly the crux improvements haven't made it to the miltary line up yet but that makes sense as MIL needs long product life cycles.

 

[Bill K]

Had a close encounter with another V on my commute home today.
Here we are crossing paths at 40+mph (20+mph each but going the opposite direction):

I didn't notice, but he (Eric) spun around and gave chase and caught up a few miles down the road and we had a very nice conversation while we rode together.
He suggested we meet and practice figure-eights, which I sorely need to to do to improve my handling skills below 5mph.

He is riding BentAero's old V2 which he bought a while back. Super nice looking bike! And fast!

 

[DavidCH]

Had a close encounter with another V on my commute home today.
Here we are crossing paths at 40+mph (20+mph each but going the opposite direction):
View attachment 4556
I didn't notice, but he (Eric) spun around and gave chase and caught up a few miles down the road and we had a very nice conversation while we rode together.
He suggested we meet and practice figure-eights, which I sorely need to to do to improve my handling skills below 5mph.

He is riding BentAero's old V2 which he bought a while back. Super nice looking bike! And fast!

View attachment 4557

That's a beautiful bike he bought. I couldn't believe how well looked after it was when I saw the pictures for sale

 

[DavidCH]

So has anyone got their mits on the axle extensions that reduce the seat down to 18degrees? Otherwise no one is going to beat Jim

Heck, I reckon Jason could make some go down to 17 degrees even!

 

[mgilles0]

What are the panniers on his bike?

Had a close encounter with another V on my commute home today.
Here we are crossing paths at 40+mph (20+mph each but going the opposite direction):
View attachment 4556
I didn't notice, but he (Eric) spun around and gave chase and caught up a few miles down the road and we had a very nice conversation while we rode together.
He suggested we meet and practice figure-eights, which I sorely need to to do to improve my handling skills below 5mph.

He is riding BentAero's old V2 which he bought a while back. Super nice looking bike! And fast!

View attachment 4557

 

[Bill K]

What are the panniers on his bike?

That's one of the questions I asked him at the time.
It is the Radical Design solo racer.
He slid it over the seat, on top of the Ventist pad so it looks easy to put on and take off.
I think it is this one (but I'm not sure if it was the narrow or wide version):
https://www.radicaldesign.com/recumbent-bags/rear-bags/solo-racer-narrow.html

 

[mgilles0]

Thanks Bill.

That's one of the questions I asked him at the time.
It is the Radical Design solo racer.
He slid it over the seat, on top of the Ventist pad so it looks easy to put on and take off.
I think it is this one (but I'm not sure if it was the narrow or wide version):
https://www.radicaldesign.com/recumbent-bags/rear-bags/solo-racer-narrow.html

 

[trapdoor2]

2L was too Long and the hose aren't optimal for the big. So that's going back

Did some research didn't realize they had replace the Antidote line with the new Crux Line. Crux looks better for biking so trying those. The 1.5L should fit fine based on published full dimensions; and actually the 3L Lumbar might also fit with about 2.5 L of water in it. So time to test those instead... Gotta love amazon no questions return process.

Sadly the crux improvements haven't made it to the miltary line up yet but that makes sense as MIL needs long product life cycles.

The 1.5L fits nicely (and my local outdoors shop had it in stock). I have the 3L mil-spec lumbar on its way, just to test...like you said, Amazon return policy is excellent for that. The one thing I will be experimenting with are the quick-disconnects. Once a bladder is in, it is best to refill thru the hose not the cap. Rigging a QD for the fill hose should be pretty easy. I tend to use a 2L funnel & hose to fill mine at home but simply slip the bite valve off to make the refill connection. A QD would be quicker (oddly enough) and one could conceivably do a 'pit stop' refill in just a minute or two provided you had a water source with a matching QD rigged up.
Years ago, I did a century on the Baron. I knew I would need a refill on the fly and I was self-supported. I hot-rodded a common water-bottle cap to fit the camelback hose so I simply stopped at a store, bought 2l of water, screwed on the modified cap and squeezed it into the Camelbak. Worked perfectly and I was on my way very quickly. Pretty easy to rig up a hanger and bag...like an IV for your Camelbak. Probably do the whole refill process without getting off the bike.

 

[BentSk8r]

Had a close encounter with another V on my commute home today.
Here we are crossing paths at 40+mph (20+mph each but going the opposite direction):
View attachment 4556
I didn't notice, but he (Eric) spun around and gave chase and caught up a few miles down the road and we had a very nice conversation while we rode together.
He suggested we meet and practice figure-eights, which I sorely need to to do to improve my handling skills below 5mph.

He is riding BentAero's old V2 which he bought a while back. Super nice looking bike! And fast!

View attachment 4557

Enjoyed meeting you, Bill. Catching up used up about all the "fast" I had but it was worth it to make personal contact with another member of the Tribe. Feels like I'm finally becoming worthy of Gary's beautifully built up steed.