Whoo Hoo, just ordered the Softrider V2 & 16 speed upgrade!

[JustinWhits]

I'm pretty exicted. Earlier, i had ordered the conversion kit...and well that wasn't working out too good because i was having a hard time finding a suitable donor bike seeing as i wouldn't be able to bend, weld, etc. anything.

So i figured why not spend the extra few hundred or so and order the Softrider V2 which in all reality would be a much better bike for the price than i could spend for a nicer donor bike and conversion kit. (i was combing Craigslist, all the major department stores, Amazon, etc, for awhile).

So.. It's been a waiting game of patience, but thankfully everything has cleared up and i should be getting the Softrider pretty soon and really look forward to becoming an avid cyclist. I plan on using it as one of my main transportations for commuting to work, food shop, etc (i have a car, but prefer to use it as little as possible). I might eventually add a Golden Eagle ( 4stroke) motor to it, but not anytime soon. Speaking of which, btw, does anyone know how many spokes are on the wheel of the softrider, i've read that you have to have either a 32 or 36 spoke wheel, which are pretty standard?


(i didn't even so much as sniff the kool aid before drinking it, i plunged head first into a pool of kool aid)

 

[Nanda Holz]

You could have also went for

You could have also went for the V2/K frame since you already had the conversion kit eh
http://www.cruzbike.com/v2k-frameset

 

[JustinWhits]

Re:

Hi Nanda,

If i was mechanically inclined and experienced with bike work, going with the frame set and conversion kit would have probably been a good idea, but i'm not on either count.

I asked my LBS how much it would have cost me to just put the conversion set on the bike (assuming no issues like having to bend the seat post etc), and they told me over a hundred (they had no experience with cruzbikes whatsoever, did even know about them though they carry some recumbents). No doubt they would have charged more for having to also install the frame set as well.

The kit was 430 (including shipping), the bike i originally chose was 170, the frame set is probably with shipping about 260 or so, and the LBS work charge would probably run me around 150. That's a total of 1010.

So, unless i put everything together myself, i would only be saving a couple hundred or so and it would still be an inferior bike to the upgraded Softrider V2, which seems to have noticably better components and parts than the original Swhinn aluminum ladies comp bike i chose.

The other cool thing about the softrider is that i can put it together myself. I might need a little help in tweaking the gear system and brakes to the optimal, but i can do everything else and they shouldn't charge me much at all for the former.

Thank you for the reply

 

[JustinWhits]

Just tried the Softrider out!

Just got back the bike from the LBS. The first few attempts in the parking lot were a bit shaky and hairy, but after just a few minutes i started to really get the hang of it. Then later on i brought it to some very unbusy streets and practiced for about a half hour or so and really enjoyed it! Had a couple of brief, nervous moments but for the most part was comfortable, relaxed and enjoying it.

I can see where it will probably take a couple or few weeks to feel more fully comfortable, but i already brought it out on a major and somewhat busy street briefly and did fine (but maybe that wasn't a good idea, at least i wouldn't recommend to others the first day...).

Then i took it down my gravel road for about a quarter of a mile--not as bad as i thought it might be, but that will definitely take a little more extra time to fully get use to.

Thank you very much Cruzbike Team for an excellent, comfortable, well performing, and interesting product. I will definitely be recommending this bike to others.