hurri47
Well-Known Member
After a year and a half gaining MBB/FWD confidence riding my Cannondale conversion, I finally came across a Silvio 1.0 with my name on it. I've only been on it about a hundred miles so far (including twenty-five miles on the first day, in heavy bike traffic at the Tour de Palm Springs), and yesterday I matched my best speed (set on a Challenge Fujin lowracer) over a flat thirty-mile loop.
As you can see, I'm dealing with anticipated traction problems by loading up the boom with heavy objects like a headlight, a pump, and a frame bag to increase the forward weight bias. (<-- joke) The little Sunlite bag is under two inches thick and it mounts with no interference anywhere just like it was made for this application. I don't think it's in their current catalog (it's an Epic Tour Small), but I found one locally after studying every seat and frame bag in town. Recommended.
For weather changes requiring extra clothing, I have a set of Radical Design saddlebags that hang off the back of the seat (they also fit the lowracer and the Euromesh seat on my Barcroft Virginia), but I don't want to lug them around every day.
alt="dan's silvio 1.0"
.JPG)
I photographed the Silvio and my old conversion in the same orientation for comparison purposes. I sit five or six inches lower on the Silvio, but my hands are nearly the same height on both. My hip angle is actually more open on the conversion, due mostly to the 100mm extension Hal installed on the Silvio, but I'm comfortable in either position, and if I remove the extension my hands will go even higher. The curved boom in all the newer models was clearly the right way to go.
I also have slightly more recline on the conversion, from back in the days I was trying to get my arms straighter. Neither bike will fit upright in the back of my minivan, so now that I've given up that battle, maybe I can straighten up the conversion seat a bit to see what happens.
alt="cannondale final"
I am loving my Cruzbikes! I have an eclectic collection of seven other recumbents, but on the increasingly rare occasions I take one out, I am frustrated at the necessity of forcing my upper body to remain calm and useless. In an unheard-of development, I am probably going to let a few of them go. Then like a vulture on a fence, I will wait for somebody to dangle a Silvio 2 in front of me.
-Dan
As you can see, I'm dealing with anticipated traction problems by loading up the boom with heavy objects like a headlight, a pump, and a frame bag to increase the forward weight bias. (<-- joke) The little Sunlite bag is under two inches thick and it mounts with no interference anywhere just like it was made for this application. I don't think it's in their current catalog (it's an Epic Tour Small), but I found one locally after studying every seat and frame bag in town. Recommended.
For weather changes requiring extra clothing, I have a set of Radical Design saddlebags that hang off the back of the seat (they also fit the lowracer and the Euromesh seat on my Barcroft Virginia), but I don't want to lug them around every day.
alt="dan's silvio 1.0"
I photographed the Silvio and my old conversion in the same orientation for comparison purposes. I sit five or six inches lower on the Silvio, but my hands are nearly the same height on both. My hip angle is actually more open on the conversion, due mostly to the 100mm extension Hal installed on the Silvio, but I'm comfortable in either position, and if I remove the extension my hands will go even higher. The curved boom in all the newer models was clearly the right way to go.
I also have slightly more recline on the conversion, from back in the days I was trying to get my arms straighter. Neither bike will fit upright in the back of my minivan, so now that I've given up that battle, maybe I can straighten up the conversion seat a bit to see what happens.
alt="cannondale final"
I am loving my Cruzbikes! I have an eclectic collection of seven other recumbents, but on the increasingly rare occasions I take one out, I am frustrated at the necessity of forcing my upper body to remain calm and useless. In an unheard-of development, I am probably going to let a few of them go. Then like a vulture on a fence, I will wait for somebody to dangle a Silvio 2 in front of me.
-Dan
