Battlexe has joined team Cruzbike

[battleaxe0]

This has promise

Yep - it's finally here!

Got it all ready

and...

Got through Ratz instructions between sprinkles without figure 8s - no parking lot where I can avoid the thunderstorms.
First wipeout because wet, leafy street corners are slippery. Still kinda shakey on it, but I only got 35 minutes of wetness going round the block in both directions.

So... since I can't do much else with it today - thoughts on the setup?

 

[Abbott Smith]

This has promise
View attachment 320
Yep - it's finally here!
View attachment 325
Got it all ready
View attachment 321
and...
View attachment 326
Got through Ratz instructions between sprinkles without figure 8s - no parking lot where I can avoid the thunderstorms.
First wipeout because wet, leafy street corners are slippery. Still kinda shakey on it, but I only got 35 minutes of wetness going round the block in both directions.

So... since I can't do much else with it today - thoughts on the setup?
View attachment 322 View attachment 323

Way to go battleaxe! I'll leave the set up response to those more knowledgeable than me. But great to see your new Silvio.

 

[ratz]

That looks like a pretty good fit for right out of the box. Until you add clip shoes both leg reach and full flex looks good to start with; if you want you could go out probably another 20mm by moving the whole boom forward for a little less knee bend at the apex; and to get you arms just a tad more forward (depends on where you like your elbows). You seem to have plenty of cockpit room considering you have the 100mm extension installed. I'd say leave it as is practice and save the first major adjusting for when the clipless shoes go on the bike.

 

[Rick Youngblood]

Congrats on the new Silvio.

Everyone is different. But I too think the boom may need to go forward some, the top photo looks like knee may have to much bend. I think as mentioned elsewhere, photos and videos (or actually spinning the cranks on a ride) may show different results. Follow the trend (leg bends) you have with your other recumbents. Remember we are just giving suggestions based only what we can see in the 2 photos.

It takes me a few hundred miles to fine tune my bents, making small adjustments and then seeing what the front and backs of my knees say. Mine are pretty picky to say the least.

Darn rains, come when they are least welcomed. Same thing happened to me when my Silvio arrived last year.

 

[battleaxe0]

Thanks guys. Put it up on a trainer for a bit because of the rain, and about road myself to sleep. It's super comfortable.

 

[ReklinedRider]

Congrats on your S30! Love the Batman shirt. If you ever get back to Jackson let us know.

Kline

 

[LarryOz]

Congrats BattleAxe!
She is a beauty for sure - I still regret getting rid of my Silvio, but I was hot and heavy for a V at the time and couldn't see how to have both.
I concur with Ratz and Rick about the setup. It looks very close.
Whether you want/like you legs fully extended on your push-stroke - only you will be able to tell. It is about personal feel and comfort.
You one picture showing you knee bent looks like it is bent too much for my taste - again personal comfort, but if you like you leg fully extended on the other side, then your knee angle will open up. If not, you will be another candidate for some shorter cranks.
Good luck, great pictures, and have a great time!

 

[MrSteve]

Congratulations, Mr. Battleaxe0!

I don't know about you guys, but I forget that my bike is a MBB:
it just came to me....

When you first set up your first MBB bike, you really do want the pedals a wee bit closer
to you than is really optimal.

You veteran MBB riders, remember how your leg, when pushing the pedal down, trying to make power,
would also swing the bottom bracket away as well?
That's why, with your first MBB, it's probably a good idea to have the TFT -the boom- adjusted for more
knee bend, to start with.
The extra room will help keep your foot planted.
Then, when you're super comfortable with your MBB, you should readjust your boom:
Put your feet further out front, where they belong.
You'll know when you need to readjust: You'll start to feel a little hemmed-in.

Makes sense, right?
Well anyway, hope this helps.
-Steve

Bitchen' bike, dude!

 

[battleaxe0]

Appreciate all of the responses!
Stopped raining for a bit this morning so I got an hour of mostly dry parking lot time.
Lots of figure 8s, turning, slaloming. Still a bit gun-shy on tight turns after yesterday's mishap. Bike is still helping me pick which lines I'm going to take in turns.
Hard acceleration is still somewhat unstable, so not ready for speed trials. I'm assuming clips will help somewhat with this, but I'm not ready for clips anytime soon.
I was able to get a few successful starts from riding position, but not something I'd want to use regularly yet.
Able to go mostly straight with my head on the rest, but not comfortable using it when turning.
I was able to wave to a couple of people, so I can at least be friendly.

Setup - I do have it slightly in because I'm not clipped. At the end of the stroke I don't want my feet to dance on the pedals, but they still are a little.

Any suggestions on learning this baby are welcome. I know miles, miles, miles are the main tool, but I'll take any other advice I can get

 

[Abbott Smith]

Appreciate all of the responses!
Stopped raining for a bit this morning so I got an hour of mostly dry parking lot time.
Lots of figure 8s, turning, slaloming. Still a bit gun-shy on tight turns after yesterday's mishap. Bike is still helping me pick which lines I'm going to take in turns.
Hard acceleration is still somewhat unstable, so not ready for speed trials. I'm assuming clips will help somewhat with this, but I'm not ready for clips anytime soon.
I was able to get a few successful starts from riding position, but not something I'd want to use regularly yet.
Able to go mostly straight with my head on the rest, but not comfortable using it when turning.
I was able to wave to a couple of people, so I can at least be friendly.

Setup - I do have it slightly in because I'm not clipped. At the end of the stroke I don't want my feet to dance on the pedals, but they still are a little.

Any suggestions on learning this baby are welcome. I know miles, miles, miles are the main tool, but I'll take any other advice I can get

I'm still learning but the best advice I have is relax snd trust the bike. The more you ride the way it was designed to be ridden, the fewer wobbles.

Charles had a great example when he suggested that I relax my feet on the pedals whenever things got squirrely. Also focus on the horizon not your feet. And finally surrender yourself to the joy of a kid with his first bike.

Have fun.

 

[Rick Youngblood]

Any suggestions on learning this baby are welcome. I know miles, miles, miles are the main tool, but I'll take any other advice I can get

I can say if you are used to being clipped in and you are not, it is harder, to learn, not only with the Cruzbike but other recumbents as well. When I first rode my Silvio last year, I first tried unclipped and could not keep my feet on the pedals. That was the first 5 minutes, I thought to heck with that, so I changed shoes, clipped in. That for me made all the difference in the world. I had the setting so I could unclip as fast as I could fall. But never needed it. I think perhaps, not only are you learning to ride the Silvio, you may be re-learning to ride uncipped - just a thought.

Anyway, good luck, and keep us posted. And by this time next year, you will be giving new Cruzbikers help and encouragement like a pro. It's not hard at all to learn the MBB, be sure you remove that from your thoughts. It just takes a few miles to learn something new and soon you will be reaping the rewards of one the most efficient bikes on the planet.

EDIT: Try to not over think everything too. Let it come naturally to you. And yes, what Abbott said relax - upper body, arms, shoulders, hands. Smooth rounded pedal strokes.

 

[telephd]

Congrats Battleaxe! It looks like your got a pretty good fit out of the box. I really like your boom angle and your lower hand position. Im really thinking about adding an extension too.

One of the things that helped me the most was just tooling around in the parking lot. Though Ive got around 600 miles on my S30 I still piddle around with figure 8s and slow speed handling in the lots. I usually lift my head off the headrest during this practice because it just seems natural.

I put clipless pedals on mine the day I got it but that is largely due to the experience gained with 300 or so miles on my S1.0. I put clipless on it the second ride and it really helped me to feel connected to the bike. I still ride with the pedals on the lightest spring setting to facilitate the occasional need to bail out.

Have fun with your new ride and keep us updated!

 

[Rick Youngblood]

I put clipless on it the second ride and it really helped me to feel connected to the bike. I still ride with the pedals on the lightest spring setting to facilitate the occasional need to bail out.

I can't stress enough how this help me too...to become connected to the bike, that's good.

Edit: Another tip: I think most of the wobbliness comes from you upper body and arms. Your arms are over correcting what's going on with the MBB. Again, like Abbott said relaxing the arms and shoulders should help.

 

[ratz]

Ride in slow straight lines; take hand off of handle bar place on hip. You will quickly release that you are death gripping with your hands and creating wobble that doesn't come from your feet or the bottom bracket. Wash, Rinse, Repeat.

And watch out for those leaves; I did a similar spill on ice during my initial learning; ego takes the most damage thankfully.

 

[battleaxe0]

Congrats Battleaxe! It looks like your got a pretty good fit out of the box. I really like your boom angle and your lower hand position. Im really thinking about adding an extension too.

One of the things that helped me the most was just tooling around in the parking lot. Though Ive got around 600 miles on my S30 I still piddle around with figure 8s and slow speed handling in the lots. I usually lift my head off the headrest during this practice because it just seems natural.

I put clipless pedals on mine the day I got it but that is largely due to the experience gained with 300 or so miles on my S1.0. I put clipless on it the second ride and it really helped me to feel connected to the bike. I still ride with the pedals on the lightest spring setting to facilitate the occasional need to bail out.

Have fun with your new ride and keep us updated!

You were right - clipping in helped a lot. Much more stable once I actually get clipped in. Getting in is a trick in itself

Ride in slow straight lines; take hand off of handle bar place on hip. You will quickly release that you are death gripping with your hands and creating wobble that doesn't come from your feet or the bottom bracket. Wash, Rinse, Repeat.

And watch out for those leaves; I did a similar spill on ice during my initial learning; ego takes the most damage thankfully.

A small elbow and back road rash beats another broken collar bone!

Working on the one handed thing. If I don't pedal - no problem, but when I pedal it gets wobbly. Need more practice.

Went out to the parking lot for part 2 and it started raining. The oil sheen suggested I should take my practice elsewhere so I rode slowly back to my neighborhood where thunder put an end to it for a bit.

Not sure if putting it on a trainer is/was a good idea at this stage - that allowed me bad habits that don't work on the road. But it sure was relaxing.

The bike's ride is excellent, even on our pavement. I'm looking forward to getting it out on River Road, but first things first

 

[battleaxe0]

By the way... Robert did an excellent job! Thanks much!

 

[Wannabe]

Mega Congrats. I wish I lived closer to people who ride recumbents.

 

[battleaxe0]

Mega Congrats. I wish I lived closer to people who ride recumbents.

We'll meet up, but first I have to tame this beast

 

[Wannabe]

I need to procure some kind of two wheel single track machine. I might settle for a non-FWDMBB device. I just can not afford CB pricing right now. The Economy here in South Louisiana is in the toilet with gas prices being what they are. DAMICHK!

 

[battleaxe0]