"BTW, how long does it take for the average Joe to get really comfortable on a Cruzbike? I've been doing 5 miles or LESS for 15 rides and my v20 exhausts me from tension. I've ridden and raced the DF for a LONG time and the Cruzbike pedal steer and balance issues are frustrating ..."
After completing my conversion build from my DF after riding for almost 50 years to a brand new V20, I sat in the seat for the first time, staring at the ceiling. I suddenly realised that this was not going to be as easy as the hype and my brain had decided that it would be. I followed the You Tube Videos on the baby steps (Important!) once I was able to pick both feet up off the ground and gain a little more speed, the curbs didnt appear to be so formidable. My neighborhood, that first 2 weeks saw 3 pretty spectacular crashes with some pretty bloody road rashes on my elbow before I changed venue to smoother roads with less traffic in a protected park. Similar to you, I started with 5 mile trips and lots of figure 8's. Getting used to riding involved convincing my brain with modifications to the typical DF stopping process specific to when to put your feet down in a panic. Another forced lesson was how to identify road hazards before you hit them since you can't jump over them. Finally if you tip over, Then fall to the left away from the Deraileurs... These are the three most signifiant lessons that once mastered, brought my confidence level up to a point where I could begin to focus on relaxing and pedaling rather than simply holding on. Timing to get to this point was 3 times a week starting at 5 miles per trip and eventually buildinng up to 20 miles a ride in a span of 4 weeks.
I started with sneakers, blue jeans and T shirts and during this period I bought some skateboard elbow pads. They worked well. Now I just bring them with me to threaten me if I see myself getting too cocky. At the end of the 6th week I was tweaking the Fit to the BB and my uniform graduated to riding shorts and my HHH100 jersey from 2018 Then on with clipless pedals and SPD mountain bike shoes from the DF. At 10 weeks I gave up on the water bottle brackets and installed side panniers under the seat to hold drinking water bladders. Peak speeds during this time were slowly evlolving from 10 MPH to about 15 to 17. as soon as I was able to confidently hold 20 mph for more than a few seconds and relax my arms enough to be able to signal and use one hand for drinking at speed, I began to expand my rides to 30 mile with occasional 50 miletrips and I tried to go out a minmum of 2 times a week. Ive been doing this for about 5 months now, so with that regimine, my average speeds have been building up slowly with my fitness levels and I generally find that I am doing most of the pulling in my rider's pelotons. They simply cant maintain the power and speed if there's any kind of wind like the C20 can. I can honestly say now that jumping on the bike is like sliding into a comfortable pair of cowboy boots. Really comfortable. Best part is not hurting all over when you're done.
Give it time and stay enthusiastic. Eventually the rest of you will start to beleive it too
Len Duncan
