Cruzbike Quest: Flag? Seat Padding?

On Thursday, July 30, 2015, F--- M---- wrote:

Do you have a recommendation for a flag for the Quest?  I am feeling more confident and would like to venture out on the road.

Also I find the padding of the seat is not the greatest.  Any suggestions?  I have made a pad out of an old Yoga mat which has helped greatly.

Hi F---,

Flag: I personally don't ride with a flag, so I can't suggest a solution I believe in.  And I rarely sell flags except to trike riders.

Personally, I wear a high-viz lime green helmet (Bell and Lazer make models) and usually wear high-viz clothing -- a shirt or a highway worker's high-viz safety vest/jacket (avail. on-line) and/or a high-viz "buff" around my neck.  For high-viz gear, here's a link, though I don't know these guys.

Padding.  Again, it seems that different riders have different experiences with the seat padding.  For me, the standard padding is fine but I know others have wanted something softer or thicker.

Yours is actually one of the better solutions I've heard because it's probably closed-core foam rubber, which should be durable.  I'd maybe glue the old yoga mat together permanently and then cut it to shape, or search on-line for closed core foam sleeping pads that I could cut to shape.  If I was to do it properly, I'd also buy some velcro and attach it to the seat.  I have one customer who likes using computer packing foam under the back of his seat.  There's no "official" solution for this one, I'm afraid.

Have fun and stay healthy,

Robert

------------

Robert Matson

New York City Recumbent Supply

The Innovation Works, Inc.

copyright 2015 Robert Matson

Cruzbike: new jerseys and sale on Quest

For the month of June only, take $100-off your new Quest.
This is a cool bike.  Get one, if just for kicks.  I expect these to sell out quickly.


New Cruzbike Jerseys
They're very nice and feature their new logo.


See the email announcement here:
http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=d220aa789bdee9b5ed0705623&id=c131a0077d&e=56bc681e79





Have fun and keep cruisin',
Robert
------------
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2015 Robert Matson

News from Cruzbike: more records set by Vendetta riders

In May, team Cruzbike set three new course records, one UMCA record and took the 12-hour UMCA National Championship titles for both men and women on Cruzbike Vendettas. Join us and the whole Cruzbike community congratulating these awesome racers: Larry Oslund, Maria Parker, Ben Tomblin and Lief Zimmerman.

The links below may get broken at some point, but for now they're good.

At Calvin's Challenge

Course Record: Overall Female
257 miles (in 12 hours)
Rider: Maria Parker
Bike: Cruzbike Vendetta
Team: 3000 Miles to a Cure
Blog entry: http://cruzbike.com/maria-and-larry-go-calvins

First Place: Men
UMCA 12-hour National Champion
264 miles (in 12 hours)
Rider: Larry Oslund
Bike: Cruzbike Vendetta
Team: 3000 Miles to a Cure
Blog entry: http://cruzbike.com/maria-and-larry-go-calvins

First Place: Women
UMCA 12-hour National Champion
257 miles (in 12 hours)
Rider: Maria Parker
Bike: Cruzbike Vendetta
Team: 3000 Miles to a Cure
Blog entry: http://cruzbike.com/maria-and-larry-go-calvins



UMCA Washington State North South

Time: 12:28:00
Rider: Lief Zimmerman
Bike: Cruzbike Vendetta
Team: 3000 Miles to a Cure
Blog entry: http://blief.zwise.net/?p=2649&fb_ref=Default

Assault on Mt. Mitchell

Course Record

Recumbent Male

6:23:42

Rider: Ben Tomblin

Bike: Cruzbike Vendetta
Team: 3000 Miles to a Cure
Blog entry: http://cruzbike.com/ben-tomblin-sets-new-recumbent-record-assault-mt.-mitchell

Course Record

Recumbent Female

6:58:57

Rider: Maria Parker

Bike: Cruzbike Vendetta

Team: 3000 Miles to a Cure

Blog entry: http://cruzbike.com/ben-tomblin-sets-new-recumbent-record-assault-mt.-mitchell



Have fun and stay healthy,
Robert
------------
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2015 Robert Matson

Frequently, people ask me about the limit, in terms of grade of incline, that a Cruzbike recumbent bike can climb up a steep hill.  I personally have ridden a CB Silvio up short 25% grade sections and recently, during a New York Cycle Club ride, I climbed a fairly long, steep hill with grades ranging between 20-25%.  Skill and finesse are required to prevent the front drive-wheel from slipping, but the technique* can be mastered by most Cruzbike riders.  (*Consistent, slow, steady pressure on the pedals while leaning forward over the handlebars.)

Here in New York City, since few of us carry clinometers, it is useful to refer to a specific hill and incline that many cyclists know in order to explain how steep a Cruzbike can climb.  My hill of choice is the incline on the West Side Hudson River Bikepath, north of the George Washington Bridge, at that place where the path S-curves inland, up and away from the river and begins following right next to the highway.  It's an ugly stretch.  While the hill isn't long, three things make it hard: it's crazily steep, it's very narrow, it curves tightly at the steepest section, and -- four things -- there's a traffic barrier in the middle of the narrow bike path that you have to squeeze past.  Cyclists tend to think it's barely climbable on any bike, let alone on a recumbent bike.

I've climbed this hill on a Cruzbike Quest 20 when the asphalt was slick due to a drizzling rain.  And I did not put down a foot.  So, I can say with total confidence that this hill is climbable on a Cruzbike.  In addition, I point to this example as one of the reasons I like Cruzbikes for extended long rides where you don't have the privilege of choosing your route to avoid the hills.

Several months ago, I was having a conversation with a customer about how the Cruzbike climbs.  This guy now owns a Cruzbike Silvio in addition to a Volae Team rear-wheel-drive recumbent bike he bought from me several years ago.  We were talking about this hill so we'd have a common reference point.  He went out later and measured the hill with a clinometer app that he has on his smart phone.  Here is his note.


L___b

10/22/14

Robert,

Recall that you told me that on your Cruzbike you were able to climb that steep climb on the bike trail by George Washington bridge. I've never been able to climb it on my Volae.

Last weekend I measured that hill with my phone clinometer.

The bottom 20 feet or so are at an 18% grade.
The next 20 feet or so are at a 20% grade.
The next 20 feet or so are at a 12% grade.
The top 10 feet or so are at a 21% grade, going around a sharp left hand turn to the flat crest of the hill, and I measured on the outside of the turn where the bike would be.

Now you know exactly what you climbed.

Even though I ran the App calibration sequence, which is a 2-step process turning the phone 180 degrees to cancel out the phone being thicker at the camera end, I found that the app still measured 2 degrees different on the hill depending on which end of the phone was uphill. I measured both ways and averaged to get the numbers above.

This App from plaincode is the only free clinometer App I have found that has an option (still free) to measure in percent grade (after one-time setup in the configuration dialog to switch from degrees to percent) the way cycling people like to do. Plaincode makes their money on paid upgrades for advanced features.

This app is available on Apple, Android, and Windows phones and tablets. Website with links to each of the three App stores: http://www.plaincode.com/products/clinometer/

My ride was a 90-mile round trip from Yorktown Heights to Stinky Cheese on 20th street and back. Their Caveman Blue is beyond way out there. Just enough daylight for it at my all-day, 11 mph rate.

Regards,
J__ L____


(By the way, this same customer set up his Cruzbike Silvio with a Rohloff Speedhub.  I'll post a note about that sometime in the near future.)



Have fun, stay healthy, and go enjoy yourself on some steep hills,
Robert

------------

Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2015 Robert Matson

Extended customer review of a Cruzbike Quest

---------- Original Message ----------

Subject: on-line review
From: "O__ G___
To: "Robert Matson"
------------------------------------------

[Ed. note: this customer wrote an extended review of his experience testing, buying and learning to ride a Cruzbike Quest. I've reprinted only an excerpt here, but it's a useful review for those who want to weed out the real-life experiences of Cruzbike riders from the hype.]

"....I made an appointment with Robert (NYC Recumbent Supply, link below) for a lesson. He starts me out on a Cruzbike Quest, one of those MBB bikes. Mind you, I was prepared for a challenge. I’d read about the learning curve, and was ready for some difficulty. An hour and a half later, white knuckled, the beginnings of blisters on my hands from a death grip on the handlebars, and buzzing on adrenaline from 90 minutes of “OMG doesn’t riding a bike since you were six years old count for anything?” and I’m still riding on the edge between control and wipeout. I felt like a beginner. But you can’t really fall on a recumbent. When you lose your balance the leg on the side your falling towards instinctively goes out to catch yourself. I lost my balance many times, only at low speed, never crashed. During the lesson Robert also let me try a conventional rear wheel drive bent...."


Have fun and stay healthy,
Robert

------------

Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2015 Robert Matson

Cruzbike heavy duty rack modifications

Here’s the rack.

A customer called me the other day about getting some Radical Design panniers. He had made some modifications to the Cruzbike Heavy Duty rack on his Quest 20. Talking to him, I became very curious about the mods because it sounded like he was solving a problem I too had observed: no place to anchor pannier bags on the side of the heavy duty rack and no way to ensure the Rad. Design bags wouldn't touch the rear wheel.

His name is Tor Matson (no relation to me, as far as I know). Here are his notes and photos. He's happy to make the rack for others if you wish.

Hey Robert, here you go…  Here’s my rack, and a shot of my plush air shock, to boot…

This little aluminum rod bit is what makes it all happen; it’s relieved to fit the CB HD rack. Does require drilling and tapping of the rack. I could make these bits if there’s interest…

Here’s the kludge bit. Having the quick-release option is nice, as you can just slide the rack out of the tube, but the hose clamps aren’t so nice. Could TIG some aluminum tube onto the CB rack for a cleaner look, or fab up a better tube-and-clamp system. This is a beta test mule, function only!

Slipped some tubing over the pannier rack, and got a really secure mount. Solid and rattle-free!

I asked him if I could post the photos and his contact info. in case anyone else wants to order one.
Here was his reply:

Bueno! Post it if you like; I could make those pieces if anybody wants one, but I’m happy to just share the idea; it’s pretty simple to fab and is kind of a custom fit thing anyway, but happy to help if I can… If there’s demand, I could make a batch, not totally sure about the tolerances between racks… Mine took a bit of fitting to be perfect…
Cheers,
Tor Matson
Email him at "maryselapierre [AT] gmail"
You'll need to add the extension, etc. to that e-mail address.


Have fun and ride like the wind,
Robert

------------

Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2015 Robert Matson

Sebring 2015: Maria Parker sets new record on a Cruzbike Vendetta to win the 12-hour race.

Maria Parker set a new female record for the 12-hour race at Sebring, riding a Cruzbike Vendetta.  A good number of the Cruzbike crew were present at the race, and I heard from an authoritative source, who was present at the race, but who I will not name, that the diamond frame riders were seriously pissed.  The DF peloton refused to ride cooperatively with the recumbent riders during the race, one of them told a recumbent rider during the race that they "don't want [you] here," and, at the award ceremony, the actual trophy was handed to the top-finishing diamond frame female rider, instead of Maria, who was the female rider who rode the greatest number of miles. Wait, what's that?  Whoever rides the greatest number of miles wins, right?

Maria has a nice blog entry about the day here.  True to her good character, she makes no mention of the unsportsmanlike conduct of the standard frame riders.

Jim Parker won the 100 mile race in 4 hours, 14 minutes on a CB Vendetta.  He wrote an enjoyable blog entry about the Florida HPRA race, which occurred in the days before Sebring.

Charlie Ollinger, riding a Vendetta, broke course records in the 200 meter (36.725 mph) and 1 km (31.129 mph) velodrome events that had previously been set by Mike Mowett on a Morciglio M1 lowracer. Charlie also won the 50-lap velodrome event -- apparently -- "easily."

Interesting side note: a Bachetta rider, who lost the race, bought a Vendetta after the race.

Other fun little tidbit is that another Cruzbike contender, Daryl Hanger, raced his recently acquired Sofrider in the Stock category and scored 7th overall in points out of 15. I love it. The Sofrider is NOT built for speed, but as someone who rides one for city commuting, I have to say I'm not astonished to hear this. I continue to think it's one of the fastest, low cost recumbents available today.

Daryl Hanger shows what a Cruzbike Sofrider can do.

Have fun and stay healthy,
Robert
------------
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson

Recumbent Cycle Convention: brief notes

The most important note first:

Creating safe roads for cyclists is as important as building and selling bikes.

The town of St. Charles and the surrounding area -- where the show was held -- has wonderful bike trails and paths and I was able to enjoy them with the Cruzbike team on the morning of the second day of the show.

But I didn't see any bicycle advocacy organizations represented at the show.  It is vital that each of us, as cyclists and industry workers, are involved in advocacy.  We each play an important role in expanding opportunities to bicycle safely in the USA.  We can't simply be bike lane users.  We must also be bike lane builders.

Here's something you can do, starting today.  It's fun and you'll meet people who may become lifelong friends.  Dedicate just 4 hours per month -- 48 hours in the year -- volunteering for your local bicycle advocacy organization or otherwise engaged in bicycle advocacy.  That small amount of time will help save lives -- not to mention the planet.  It will help save the life of somebody with a name, and a mom and dad.  That "somebody" might be you or someone close to you.  Toss this aside and you're tossing aside someone's life.

If you don't have a local bicycle advocacy organization, then join Bikes Belong, a.k.a., PeopleForBikes and give them the equivalent of 48 hours/year of your income.  Want to do more?  Run for your local community board or city council.

Thank you to Charles Coyne, Coyne Publishing and the RCC Team for producing this show.

Visit them here http://www.rtrmag.com/

Charles Coyne and his crew do an amazing job of producing RCC.  It's is incredible that they are able to do so much.  All the workers were friendly and professional.  The show was well-organized and well-attended.  He had nearly all the top manufacturers there.  Also, on the above note of advocacy, Charles and his group are a great example of people working hard to promote bicycling with no eye -- as far as I can tell -- to personal gain.  If anything, it seems to me he's putting himself at significant financial risk to put on this show.  Thank you, Charles and team.

Cruzbike
The new Silvio and Vendettas are very impressive on many fronts - performance, adjustability, weight, features, capacity to work with wide range of drivetrains.   Both bikes share many of the same qualities.   I rode both and put in about 20 mi. on the Vendetta during the Cruzbike morning ride.  Both models are better than ever and they've shaved 16 oz. off both frames, in part by making the new seat in full carbon fiber.  I initially wondered if I'd like the new front boom and drive-triangle, shared by the V and S, but it's excellent: stiff, highly adjustable, light, clean appearance.  The new Vendetta's paint is a metallic red.  The white Silvio looks good too.  All in all, the new designs are winners.

There's a very interesting spec effecting drivetrain options, but it's not published so I don't want to spill the beans in case something changes.  In short, it's great news and it looks like there'll be more versatility than in the past.

The Cruzbike booth was popular and, often, nearly all the bikes were out on the test track.  I've already sold several Silvios so I anticipate the current run to sell out, maybe by end of winter.  Go and get yours now.

HP Velotechnik

Nothing but top marks for HP Velotechnik.  New Gekko fx 26 is perfect.  The new Scorpion "Plus," perfect.  The new "adaptive" pedals and accessories are easy to use and well-made.  The new seats, fine.

I'm at a loss for words when writing about the brand and the models, because there's nothing more to say.  They are the gold standard.  There are no surprises.  They simply continue to prove they are probably the most professional and reliable recumbent manufacturer in the market.

HP Velot. was one of the most popular booths at the show.  No surprise there either.


Hase

They're continuing their tradition of being one of the foremost manufacturers of adaptive cycles.  They are clearly entirely dedicated to producing the highest quality machines.  Again, I don't know what to say: they're great.  They too had one of the most popular booths at the show.

Patterson Transmission (from FSA)

Superb new internal gear system to replace front chain rings and rear wheel 3-speed hub gears.  Inexpensive, quiet, works well.  Only time will tell how durable it is over thousands of miles, but I liked what I saw and may well install one on one of my own bikes over the winter to use and abuse it.

http://pattersonbike.com/reviews/


Bent Rider On-line

Also one of the most popular booths at the show.  Bryan Ball seemed to be in high spirits and told me they sold out of their merchandise by the afternoon of the first "public" day of the show.

Go build a bike lane,
Robert
------------
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2014 Robert Matson

Recumbent Cycle Convention: Day 1, morning

Brief notes:


Arrived yesterday, Thursday, in St. Charles, IL (W of Chicago).


Had dinner with Cruzbike team.  Met new teammates Robert Holler and Lucia Parker and Jonathan (last name?) from Coventry Cycle Works.  Nice, smart people.  Talked about new current bikes, new fantasy bikes, discontinued models.  I'm going to keep mum on that point and leave it to CB to announce these.  (If they were to go with one of my ideas for a fantasy bike though, fans of CB would flip out.  I'll say no more.  We'll just have to see what happens.)


OK, about that new Red Vendetta that suddenly appeared on the CB website the day before yesterday.  I'm told that Tolhurst believes the new model has a stiffer front end than the previous V and is a POUND LIGHTER than the old model.  The front end is definitely more adjustable.  Personally, I liked the old Vendetta and the fact that the rider had a customized fit.  This is appropriate for a race bike.  But a more adjustable front end means riders can experiment more with their riding position as they get used to the bike.  Also, in truth, it makes the bike more sellable, both for me as a dealer, but also for the "used" market.  It's an interesting move.  I think it will be a hot item.


The new Silvio.  The seat angle remains 27 degrees.  The "S30" means seat=30 degrees, but it's really 27 deg.  I predict great things from this model.  I've already sold a significant number, so I anticipate this run will sell out very quickly.


This morning, Friday, we had the traditional Cruzbike Death March.  I don't know why, but it seems the term "death" really turns people off from showing up in the hotel lobby at 5:30am for a 3-mi. jog to the pool, an hour swim, a soak in the hot tub or sauna, and then breakfast.


Still, 4 of us were there.  Plans for tomorrow's Death March are forming, but we'd like to do a ride.  We're still honing in on the route, but, this year, I brought pedals and bike shoes in case we go far and fast.   By the way, in person Maria is very nice, quick to laugh, serious, energetic.  There must be something about a race that brings out her competitive side.  Or else, she's just competing at a whole different level than most of us.  It reminds me of when I've worked with other world class athletes like at the NYC Marathon, or pro open water swim competitions, or the English Channel-league swimmers (through CIBBOWS); there's an easy-goingness that they carry in their ordinary life that disappears -- surely it must disappear -- entirely in a competion.


I'll try and post more news later today or tomorrow.

Ride,
Robert
------------
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson

So, a customer (David D.) with a Cruzbike Quest 26 found himself with a problem none of us had encountered before.  Basically, it was this.  There are a few thick hard rubber pads between the seat and the mounting plates.  The pads were slowly migrating out of position.  The customer (David D.), was understandably concerned that he might lose the pads someday and, thereby, their functionality.

We didn't have a factory authorized solution, but had a shop solution (Gorilla Glue the pads to the seat).

David was looking for a solution that was more elegant, perhaps, and less fixed.  He wrote me the other day to tell me about it and I think it's a brilliant and creative "Home Depot" solution, truly worthy of a Cruzbike rider.  I love the resourcefulness he shows here.  If anyone else has a similar issue, perhaps you'll find this helpful!


David Deaton
Aug 9 (3 days ago)

to Robert,

Thank you for your help. I thought you would like to know that  I believe I have found a solution to my issue of shifting rubber pads under the quest seat. To replace the pads, I found at the hardware store a large rubber hose. This is the hose used to drain a clothes washer. The wall thickness was roughly the same as the pads. By heating it in boiling water I was able to flatten it and cut it as a single piece slightly larger than the bracket that the seat mounts on. By having a single pad that both screws pass through this pad will not be able to shift while riding. To address the issue of the screws loosening I added a star locking washer. This seems to result in stable seat attachment and still allows for an easy seat release that I need for placing my bike on my car rack.

David



Have fun, stay healthy, keep cruzin',
Robert
------------
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson

Cruzbike Quest on a car mounted bike rack

People often have questions about how to mount recumbents and Cruzbikes on a car-mounted rack.  (Some might call this a bike carrier.)

A customer recently bought the second to last new Cruzbike Quest 451 in existence.  He sent me these photos to show how he mounted his Quest in order to head out for his first rail trail ride.

Have fun and stay healthy,
Robert
------------
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson

Tires for the Cruzbike Quest 20 (aka Q 451)

The Quest 20", also known as the Q451, is taking a redesign holiday.  We hope to see it again in seven or eight months.  Meanwhile, there are a good number of Q451 owners already out there, who, like me, absolutely love the small wheel format for being so transportable.

One of the few downsides to the bike is the tire size.  In brief the metric size "406" tire is the common 20" tire found on BMX bikes and most recumbent trikes and bikes and the 406s are easy to find.  The metric 451 is harder to find at your corner bike shop (does a corner bike shop really exist in New York City anymore?), however it has its fans among discerning BMX riders, who seem to like that slightly larger wheel.

The 451 also seems to have a fan in John Tolhurst, the genius behind the Cruzbike design.  So, I keep a casual eye out for appearances of new 451 sized tires.

I've never been too concerned about the comparative rarity of 451s because I'm a Schwalbe dealer, and Schwalbe makes some of the best tires in the world hands down, and Schwalbe makes some extremely good 451s.

Here are the 451s produced by Schwalbe:

Durano 28-451 (20x1 1/8) - a great all-around road tire
Mow Joe, 37-451 (20x1 3/8) - a great knobby tire. Do you need it?
HS 302, 25-451 (20x1) - I know nothing about it, but it's listed on their site.
Shredda, 28-451 (20 x 1 1/8) and 37-451 (20 x 1 3/8) - a BMX tire for ramps, etc., which means it's also a great street tire and the widest 451 from Schwalbe.
Ultremo ZX, 23-451 (20 x 0.90) - one of the best -- fastest, lightest, most puncture resistant -- road race tires.
Kenda Kwest also makes a few 451s, but I'm less excited about them.


Have fun and stay healthy and get some better tires.
Robert
------------
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson

Solutions to aggravating little problems: lost rubber pads under seat of Cruzbike Quest

The rubber pads under the seat of a Cruzbike Quest are attached with glue.  As a result, those pads might move and migrate around their mounting point over time or even fall off while riding and get lost.  How annoying is that?

In the world of recumbent bikes, it's not uncommon to discover that a manufacturer isn't yet producing a replacement part for some tiny item, or their stock pile is small.  This might be an example.

So, what do you do if you lose one of those pads and don’t have a back-up yet from Cruzbike?  My solution is the following.

I’d create a pad of a thickness equal to the original pad by layering a bicycle inner tube multiple times with Gorilla Glue between each layer (like a wafer cookie).  Then I’d cut it to the necessary size and shape with an Xacto knife or box cutter.  (Finesse is unnecessary, by the way.)  In this case, I would use an inner tube mainly because it would have the right properties (flexible, grippy, cheap) and is the sort of thing a cyclist might have laying around.

If you don’t have an inner tube to sacrifice (or resurrect), I’d look for something with similar properties by browsing the isles of a large hardware store.  The main thing, it seems to me, is that you’re looking for a piece of strong rubber that would stay flexible under a wide range of temperatures and will not permanently compress.  Neoprene might be a good rubber for this purpose, too, but maybe harder to source.

Have fun and stay healthy,
Robert
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Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson

How to pack the Cruzbike Quest 20" in a suitcase.

How to pack the Cruzbike Quest 20" in the Samsonite F'lite suitcase, by John Tolhurst of Cruzbike.

Have fun, pack light, and stay healthy,
Robert
------------
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2014 Robert Matson

3000 Miles to a Cure and HOPE - Documentary Film Trailer

3000 Miles to a Cure (for brain cancer).

http://www.3000milestoacure.com/





Help make the world a better place,
Robert
------------
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson

Cruzbike Vendetta and Silvio: this will be brief. Fast. Whatever.

Maria Parker on a Cruzbike Vendetta. She's a lot faster than me.

OK, so, after a long cold icy winter of running, swimming, skiing, skating and hiking, and riding beater bikes fairly short distances on the salt and slushy streets, I finally felt like it was warm enough to deal with the 15? 20? 30? mph winds in the face while riding a Silvio or Vendetta.

I never ride the RAAM Vendetta I have in the shop.  For one thing, I like to keep it shiny, clean and new.  For another, I prefer not to string up the front derailers on S's and V's to make them easier to adjust for demo rides or the final customer.  So, any time I ride the shop's S, for example, I'm in the middle chain ring the whole time.  It's great for a demo, but it kind of puts a limiter on your fun.

For the V, I really don't do demos.  I offer look-sees and a demo on the S.  I simply feel V's are too fast and hard to handle for anyone who hasn't already put in a thousand miles or so on a high-speed CB.  Moreover, the sizing is a rather final on the V; you can't just slide a boom in and out over a long range to fit a wide range of different sized riders as you can for the Silvio.  It's more a measure thrice and cut once sort of deal.  And, I feel, for the rider, the Silvio 2.0 is so nearly like the V in ride quality, just less time-trial-y, that a demo on an S really tells you everything you need to know: do you like it?  Does it speak to you?  If you like the S, but want to go faster, get the V.

But spring has sprung in New York City and I began to get antsy from looking at the V all winter, fielding questions about it, and never riding it.  So I finished it last week and took it out in Prospect Park for a few demo rides.

Holy crap.

This thing is so unbelievably fast and twitchy and responsive and stiff and aero and with such a tight cockpit, that my first ride out was really -- again, as with all my first Cruzbike rides -- just holding on for dear life.

That first ride I did only about 7 miles because I was mainly just checking the build.  But, more than anything, when I got off, my primary thought was that I had absolutely no idea what I'd do with a bike this fast other than ride incredibly far in a lot less time than I'm used to.  I wondered if I needed to sign up for a brevet just to start bringing the world back into balance.

But I like going fast.  So I took it out again for another ride.  And then another.

My second ride, I went out for an hour, again still holding on for dear life, but getting a better sense of how to handle it.  I did 20.5 hilly miles in that hour and really felt no fatigue.  Kept up with some of the pros and semi-pros who train in the park and with whom I have no business keeping up.  Went out a second time a few days later, knocked off another 20 mi. in an hour.

Who is this guy?  My idea of serious riding is pedaling 13.5 mph down remote roads with 35 lbs of food, clothes, and wet camping gear on an HP Velotechnik Street Machine Gte.  The road itself changed character at the speeds I was hitting.  This isn't cycling.  Is this cycling?  I realized: this means I could ride the 180 miles up to Chatham, NY in one day instead of two.  I began to think about lycra, damn it.  Lycra!

So anyway.  Got a Vendetta here.  It's fast.  It really is.  If you like the idea of that, get one.  I'm pretty tempted to buy one from the shop for my personal use.  And I'm such a touring dork that I really might try and figure out how to hang panniers from it.  I mean, think about it.  If I'm doing 20.5 mph with winter legs, I could probably hold 17-18 mph on the open road with summer touring legs and Radical Design's aero panniers.  8 hours of riding, 8 hours of goofing around, 8 hours of sleeping....  That's like three and a half days from Brooklyn to Mt. Desert Ile.  Heck, it takes two days in a car and you'd be dying of boredom.

Kind of changes the notion of "possible." And of "cycling vacation."

Anyway, other things.

I received Cruzbike's regular, irregular seasonal newsletter the other day.

Silvios: they are sold out of all current models.  You missed it.  They anticipate having new stock in mid-June or so.
Vendettas: there are a few frames left.  I anticipate those will sell out soon and that'll be the last of the 25 models in the RAAM V production run.

Have fun and stay healthy,
Robert
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Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2014 Robert Matson

Drills to help master your Cruzbike.

Riding a Cruzbike requires a fair amount of coordination between the hands and feet.  For many people, myself included, it takes practice to master that coordination.  Some people are more patient with themselves than others, but I assure you that if you've bought a Cruzbike, your utter patience and practice is a worthwhile investment in a really neat, high performance machine.

The following are some of the drills I give customers (and myself), for refining the coordination required to confidently handle a Cruzbike.

The payoff is that these drills will help make the hand-foot coordination second nature more quickly than if you simply spend your time riding down the bike path.

Guiding Principals and Tips for getting the most out of the drills.

Press with your feet, pull with your hands.  So, you will pull with your right hand while you press with the right foot, then you will pull with the left hand while you press with the left foot.  Got it?  This is as opposed to pressing with the right foot while pressing with the left hand.  I know the "official" Cruzbike instructional videos show an open handed "pressing" technique for beginners; I teach a pulling technique.  We're both right but I find it easier for me to pull against the bars and that's how I teach others.

Concentrate on coordinating a brief moment of “punctuated thrust” between your foot (pressing) and your hand (pulling).  Continue a very tight mental focus on that coordination while doing the drills.  For a while (how long varies by individual), you the rider may need to think a lot about the coordination.  After a while, it will become second nature.

Make everything other than the coordination as easy as possible.  Bring the seat to the most vertical position possible.  This makes it easier to balance.

Wear reasonable shoes.  Don't try and learn with toe clips or sandals.

For all the following, first ride with two hands, then ride one-handed, alternating left and right.  When riding one-handed, switch from left to right hand on the bars after every 10-20 pedal strokes.  The exact number doesn't matter; you simply want to make sure you're working the same amount on both sides.

Bike speed is slow during the drills.  Although your cadence will often be fast, ride at a low comfortable speed for all drills.  In fact, your riding speed under all conditions should always be "comfortable" and under control.  Never, ever ride a Cruzbike (or any bike) at a speed beyond where the coordination feels comfortable and second nature.  Take this advice seriously.  Your welfare depends on it.

While doing the drills, your aim is to be perfectly in control of the steering, always.  This means there is never a moment where the bike is in control of you as opposed to vice versa.

Do the drills both laying back in the seat as well as sitting up straight, with your back off the seat.

The goal is to build your coordination between the motion of your feet and your hands.  Keep pushing at the limits of your coordination by increasing the speed of the cadence from slow to “too fast.”

These sorts of drills are not unique to Cruzbikes.  Every recumbent rider can benefit from them.  For the record, standard frame riders who want to ride well do drills like these as well.



The Drills

- Slalom “S” turns: pick a comfortable slow speed and maintain it.  Make slalom “S” turns beginning with narrow turns and then gradually get wider till the turn is exaggerated.
- Figure eights and double figure eights. Maintain perfect control, pedaling continuously.
- Figure eights: open circles, decrease the radius with each circuit till you can’t go any smaller.
- Cadence/coordination: Begin riding at a moderate cadence, gear up and ride with a very slow cadence.  While maintaining speed, gear down to easier gears, maintaining speed while increasing the speed of your cadence, keep gearing down while increasing cadence till you can no longer maintain the coordination between your hands and feet.
- Create an obstacle course on the ground, whether it’s by choosing marks on the pavement or dropping your hat and gloves in a pattern.  Challenge yourself to ride the course, changing cadence from slow to ultra fast as you ride.  Adjust the course, continually making it more challenging.



Have fun and keep on cruzin',
Robert
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Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson

Recumbent Cycle Convention [Conventional? Not.]

I just returned to New York from the Recumbent Cycle Con (RCC) in Los Angeles. A superb experience and a fun trip. Loved the light, ocean, and mountains. Too bad about all the driving, highways, and traffic. I've heard people wonder how New Yorkers get by without cars. But how do Angelenos get by with them? I felt I couldn't easily get anywhere!

Out with the Cruzbike family on our semi-daily daybreak Death March and chat, complete with great views and glorious sunshine. Robert on left. Tom in yellow. Abram with hat. Maria in green. Jeff in blue. Photo copyr. 2013 R Matson

But RCC was a blast. I continue to believe that the best things about bikes (and trikes) are the people you meet as a result of being a cyclist, and the experiences you have with those people, whether it's shooting the breeze with a fellow cyclist at a traffic light, or going on a group trip, or racing, or advocating for cyclists' rights, or helping a fellow cyclist you find sidelined along the road, or attending a bike show, or any of those other experiences that result from being an engaged member of the world's cycling community.

Robert demonstrates a brief track stand on a Mirage Nomad, a shaft-drive 'bent.
Glad to have had the chance to ride it. Photo copyr. 2013 R Matson

As for the machines themselves, bikes are cool, some more than others, but they're just bikes; they're a means to an end, not the end-all and be-all. They're a lever, a tool for amplifying what your mind and body want to do and could perhaps do anyway. Without the machine, you could have similar life experiences, you simply wouldn't go as fast, or as far, or, maybe, get into as much trouble. So, the potentially coolest thing about a bike show, for me, is the people; next, it's the experience I might have with them; thirdly, it's seeing what people are thinking about and the problems they're trying to solve with human powered equipment -- the bikes/trikes/drivetrains/chains/headsets, etc. Maybe it's because I'm less a gear-head and more a traveler, but what excites me about a great machine is not the engineering; it's the experiences a machine could open up for me and, then, whether that machine will get me safely to the other side. I feel similarly when it comes to dealing bikes. First and foremost it's about people and the experiences a 2- or 3-wheeled human powered tool make available to them, whether during the sales process, or years after when they're pedaling through Arthur's Pass (South Island, New Zealand).

At RCC, I met many people who, till now, I knew only by name, e-ml, phone or photo. People turned out to be pretty much as I anticipated: people I thought would be super, turned out to be super. I had wonderful conversations with the people from Cruzbike and HP Velotechnik and I'm going to continue what I'm doing with them. In their own segments they are the leaders for good reasons. Had good conversations with several others, too many to name. I met Catherine and Hubert van Ham of Radical Design, the recumbent pannier manufacturers, who didn't have a booth but attended the show as visitors; really nice people. Azub, Greenspeed, Ice, and Hase remain impressive. I was also pleased to meet the other dealers in my "neighborhood."

Trisled Rotovelo, brought in by Nanda Holz of SpinCyclz. Photo copyr. 2013 R Matson

Several discoveries in terms of bikes and trikes. Yes, lots of trikes were shown as manufacturers try and respond to the demand for T's. The average number of wheels per bike over the entire show was, I don't know, 2.9 or so; less cleverly, more clearly said: trike showings dominated though maybe not in terms of speed. A few manf's. had prototypes of clever trikes, folding and otherwise, and it'll be interesting to see what they present as production models. A few new bikes, some of which I may bring in. I won't be too specific right now so as not to disappoint people. Also, again, when it comes to recommending machines to customers, I'm highly concerned about reliability and quality and, with new machines that lack a track record, can we be sure to get that?

Cruzbike Morning Death March, group photo. Photo copyr. 2013 R Matson

Cruzbikes won the "slow-riding" as well as the "turning radius" contests.  No surprise.  But also the jockey Abram (photo of Abram) was, I heard, a gymnast in the past, so it might have been more than just "about the bike."

I realize readers of this blog might like to hear my analysis of what I saw and liked or otherwise, but since I'll be making business decisions based on my ideas, I'll keep them to myself.  Meanwhile, event organizer extraordinaire Charles (Chuck) Coyne of Recumbent and Tandem Rider Magazine was there, along with Chris Malloy and Travis Prebble of Recumbent Journal, and Bryan Ball of BentRider On-line, and I'm sure we can depend on them to write round-ups.


Recumbent Journal has kindly posted photos on Flickr, here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/recumbentjournal/sets/72157637250627184/with/10640849036/


Here are a few notes that I'll share:

- Nanda Holz of Spin Cyclz (CA) imported a couple dozen of the Trisled Rotovelo and had one at the show.  Good ride and nice idea for an inexpensive velomobile.  Good enough in every way with one aspect I thought was non-ideal: the pedals rotate rather close to the pavement so I personally needed to adjust foot position to avoid heel strike.  I don't believe I personally, could ride it with clipless pedals or toe clips; someone with small feet might be fine.  I pedaled near my instep with platform pedals, which is okay, but not my normal pedaling position.  I'd recommend using heel straps with it.  Lots of storage capacity inside.  Call me if you want one.

- HP Velotechnik was, as expected, extremely polished and professional and was possibly the busiest booth.  They had their usual top of the line bikes/trikes and the new dirt trike.  They showed their new electric/pedelec system which is, in several important ways, an improvement over the Bionix solution.  Call me if you want more info., etc.  (Robert: T: 646-233-1219.)

- Cruzbike was possibly the darling of the show and Maria Parker gave one of the best speeches I've ever heard at the industry dinner.  Entitled "Doing something hard," it was ostensibly about her experience during RAAM, but was equally a TED-type talk about how to...do something incredibly hard.  For the bikes themselves, only a very few people seemed to have trouble "getting" the Cruzbikes.  I think we (the dealers) have gotten better at teaching people how to ride them.  For a limited time, there is a slight discount on the 20" folding model.  Call me if you want more info., etc.  (Robert: T: 646-233-1219.)

- Prototypes of several new folding trikes and bikes were shown in addition to the usual suspects who have production models.  There's a long way between prototype and production model, but it was exciting to see people working away at this challenge.  I'll keep folding machines on hand and will increase what I carry if and when the new ones pass the various quality tests and go into production.

- The Mirage Nomad shaft drive prototype was there.  Nice idea and the ride quality is as good as similar designs.

- TerraCycle has a full length fabric fairing/sock.  They are again making their tailsocks but now they are also offering a full length sock that attaches with velcro to their front fairings.  So, if your bent can accept TC's LARGE/FULL front fairing, and has the mounting points for the TC tail sock, you can inexpensively make a fully faired ride.  Head opening at the top and totally open on the bottom.  I'm a Terracycle dealer if you want more info., etc.

- Lightfoot showed several of their HUGE fat wheel bikes and their ATV-like Quad.  They use Surly Large Marge rims/tires.  Fun to ride.

Next Recumbent Cycle Con. slated for Sept. 27-28, 2014, in Chicago!

I arrived in Los Angeles and went straight to Manhattan Beach for a swim.
While there, I took a photo of this guy who looks a lot like me. Photo copyr. 2013 R Matson

Have fun and stay healthy,
Robert
------------
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson

Cruzbike Silvio 2.0: spooth and 20 MPIB overall.

Smooth speed.  That'd be the two-word description of the ride quality of the 2013 Silvio 2.0.  The one-word description would be, I guess, spooth.

I have a Silvio 2.0 in the shop as a demo and I took time at lunch to ride 4 loops (16 miles) in a continuing effort to understand the current model a bit better.  This ride: avg. apx. 21 mph., high: 32 mph, low: 12 mph, 16 mpib, 1 drdh (drafting roadie dropped on hill).

The bike isn't set up with an odometer*, but, given I know the distance of the course, I can say with some accuracy that I've put in about 40 miles on this version so far and, though I can handle it better now than I did at first, it's not yet second nature.  Just for context, people should realize than when I say second nature I mean really truly second nature -- riding without having to think at all about coordination.  I ride a Cruzbike (Sofrider) every day for commuting, shopping, etc. so, as a general thing, the Cruzbike handling is pretty much second nature to me.  The Silvio 2.0 is forcing me to develop higher level skills.  But that's always been true of the Silvios; you must have higher level Cruz skills before you can safely handle any of their bikes at high speed. The Silvio, like any highly aero bent, is inherently fast when energy is input.  (*I rode with the Bike Brain app turned on so I'd know my speeds.)

The first time I rode the S 2.0, several weeks ago, I was focused on understanding the handling, otherwise known as "just trying to hold on" and figuring out the boom length and where to put my hands.  It is so much more reclined than the 1.0/1.5 model, that it's really a new bike.  It deserves a new name, not simply a new numeral.  The Goldio; the I-don't-know-ee-oh.  Yes, it's a lot more aero, and significantly faster on the flats and downs due to that, but also, due to my head angle (I mean skull, not head tube), I need to develop new techniques for watching the road, looking for obstacles and people, broken pavement and trash, looking behind me, etc.  At this point, my technique is to lift my head whenever I'm in an unpredictable area due to a rough road or crazy kids or murderous texting drivers.  Around unpredictable traffic, I'll pedal sitting fully up.

While riding, I also get more wind up my sunglasses so I've had to start wearing shades that are closer to my cheeks (facial).  Hmm.  I realize as I write this that I also seem to get a drier throat on the S 2.0 compared to the S 1.5 and other less aero bikes. I think the wind is hitting the roof of my mouth in a way that dries out my mouth; I don't think I'm getting more wind up my nose, but who knows.  Maybe my mouth is more open as a ride, maybe due to the highly aero position when using the headrest.  Maybe because the headrest supports me in that sweet spot on my neck, like someone is using the head-tilt method to open my throat for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

I've breathed in two bugs, that I can remember, over the 40 miles.  Now there's a stat that should be mentioned in bent reviews: miles per ingested bug.  The Silvio has a MPIB of 20 overall, for me.  The HP Velotechnik Street Machine Gte has a MPIB of about 325.  I don't know which is better.  It depends on the bug.

The main thing I appreciate about the S 2.0, from the first ride, is how much softer and smoother the ride is.  The new suspension design is fantastic.  (Just FYI, on Cruzbikes there is essentially no power loss from suspension.)  The bike here is set-up with Schwalbe Ultermo tires at 130 psi, which on the Silvio 1.5 could be jarring on rough roads.  The S 2.0 though is smooth, especially considering this is an aluminum frame.  Another context: when I say bad roads, I mean I rode it on cobble stones and paving stones for about 2 miles and then there are some areas with broken asphalt in Prospect Park right now that I'd take at about 20 mph.  You may not have roads like this.

It strikes me that the seats of most the bents I ride on a regular basis are fairly vertical.  I can't be bothered to measure them, but the seat angles are about 35 degrees or so.  Less than that and I need a head rest and I prefer to ride without one.  My beater Sofrider has an apx. 45 deg. seat angle.  My Street Machine touring bike is about 35.  With the Silvio 2.0, I feel so reclined (and comfortable) when I lean my head back on the non-optional headrest that I honestly sort of want to go to sleep...at the same time I'm the most aero and fast.  Resist the call of the nap!  (At least till you're off the road.)

On the speed front, the S 2.0 is extremely aero, so I'll simply say it's very fast.  I don't want to encourage people to ride like they are racing when they could be riding for pleasure.

Gotta go.  I have some bikes to build.

Have fun and stay healthy, and stop measuring your fun,
Robert
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Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson

Q: On a Cruzbike Quest, the black seat tube wiggles. A customer asks how to identify and fix the problem.

A customer writes:

On Tue, September 10, 2013 8:19 pm, Michael A______ wrote:
Hi Robert,
I am having trouble getting the seat-back to be held securely by the tube arrangement.  The black tube wiggles in the frame tube.  I have tightened the clasp as much as I think I can, but it still wiggles, with the net being the back is lower than I would prefer.
Any ideas?
Mike A____



Hi Mike,

The seat tube.  Indeed, this should not be loose.

Please check:

- Ring/quick release (QR) clamp is around the lower (frame section) of the seat tube, as opposed to being loose and floating on the upper (black) part of the seat tube.

- The ring/QR clamp is tight.

- Bolt in QR clamp is NOT broken.  (Excessive tightening force could have caused this to break.)

- Clamp has nothing interfering with its closing and tightening.  Check both ends: the clamp and the "end screw."  The water bottle cages might interfere with this in some positions, but it need not. There's a sweet spot where the clamp closes securely but there's no interference from the bottle cages.

- No looseness in the bolts at the top of the seat, which hold the seat and racks.

- Clamp is right side up (there is a ridge on the top side of the clamp).

- Clamp is oriented so that the closing part of the circular clamp is oriented with the cut-out in the frame, where the seat tube is inserted into the frame.

- Remove and reset the ring/clamp around the frame to make sure it's properly seated.

- Make sure the upper (black) part of the seat tube is securely inserted into the frame.

- The seat braces are properly oriented.  The seat braces connect the seat tube to the seat.  Generally, the braces should be somewhere between 180 degrees (vertical, running from the top of the seat tube up to the seat) to 90 degrees (with the seat braces running horizontally from the seat tube to the seat).  As you get to know the attachments here, you can experiment with this, even going so far as to turn the seat tube backwards in order to gain an extreme recline.  The main thing though is to ensure the seat tube is adequately seated into the frame to provide a secure connection there.

All best,
Robert

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Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson