Tyaitch
New Member
The last parts of CBSV117 arrived a couple of weeks back and I completed the build last weekend by which time it was dark and wet so I decided to wait until this weekend before attempting my first ride. I'm at work during the daylight hours in the week and preferred the thought of dry and daylight for my first ride. I'm glad I waited as we've just had a dry & sunny spring weekend - perfect conditions for my first Silvio riding.
I haven't sent in the usual pictures as mine is just another black Silvio 1.5 - While this makes her a very elegant machine I knw you've already seen pics of tsimilar bikes! She has a SRAM Rival groupset with a 50/34 chainset and an 11 through 32 sprocket (I'm a spinner rather than a grinder and I live at the top of a hill with 5 approach roads, 4 of which make a nice 1 mile hill climb) and the remainder of the standard parts from the Cruzbike Silvio web page. I'm in the UK and a recreational cyclist and had only ever seen Cruzbikes on the web and never ridden one. I've been waiting for the Silvio 1.5 to come in stock since October last year. Ever since I first tried a mate's recumbent around 15 years ago I've been keen on them but have been disappointed by their hill climbing capabilities and had, until now, avoided taking the plunge and buying one. I've ridden short & long wheelbase models and was very impressed with what I'd read about the Cruzbikes. The Silvio in particular struck a chord for me - it has so many features that look and feel appropriate.
• Frame apart , it's built using and around normal; components - available at the LBS.
• It retains the rider at a reasonable height - which is sensible for the small element of my commute that is in traffic.
• My intuition told me the front wheel drive was going to be more positive and direct in feel than previous recumbents I had ridden with their elongated chains and tension springs (& I'm pleased to report I'm not disappointed here).
• The hard seat back makes so much sense - Intuitively I could see that pushing from a firm platform made so much more sense than pushing from a sprung seat back (& I'm pleased to report I'm not disappointed here).
On the other hand I won't deny I spent a fair while watching you tube videos to reassure myself that the front wheel drive/steer weren't going to interfere detrimentally with each other - again I'm pleased to report not being disappointed though I remain a novice regarding this experience and have much to learn yet.
First impressions on various features of my first Cruzbike riding are as follows:
Was very surprised how the first few rides had me wandering without directional control - was obviously used to recumbent riding but not the front wheel drive. The lack of rake in the front fork and closer nature of the wheel also contributed but I wasn't aware of these until I measured them afterwards - more on these later.
I'd naively thought I was going to set the final trim on the gears on my first ride! None of that though - I just set a mid low gear and spent a few mins getting used to riding. Once I had the hang of this I set the final trim on the gears and have to say I was impressed with how seamlessly this went. The front derailleur needed no trim (a first for me - I usually find these a real bind to set up) and the sprocket derailleur just needed a couple of turns on the barrel adjuster and it was fine. What a pleasure to tune such a high quality machine.
By this time I'd realized I'd set the hoods a little too far inbound on the handlebar and was catching my right knee on the right hood. This was partly due to being a novice and "klutzing" around a little but I've since moved the hood out slightly and this makes a huge difference. Previously I'd set them up for what I perceived as "hand comfort" (not realizing the knees were going to interfere with them) and to avoid having them protrude laterally so they'd catch on walls or wherever I leaned the bike.. I was glad I hadn't (& still haven't yet) put my bar tape in place. Having moved the hoods well outside the brake lever is now going to catch on walls whenever I lean the bike which I don't like. I guess I'll just have to get used to this and avoid walls!
I spent a while doing figures of eight in the local car park to get a feel for the tight turning capabilities and was well impressed here. Can't say I'm an expert yet but I have felt tight turns are relatively easy and don't cause issues to the pedaling as obviously (why didn't I think of it before?) there is little power being input in such manouvres. Each time I venture out I take a few turns round the car park to build this feel.
I can feel I'm gripping the handlebar too much - at times I manage to relax and at others I realise I'm too tense - I guess this'll calm with experience.
I'm pleasantly surprised how effectively the suspension works - I was slightly worried about this as I know on my diamond frame (DF) I think nothing of hurtling into light bumps but taking all my weight in my legs so the bike can just absorb the bump without momentous impact. Obviously this isn't feasible on a recumbent but the Silvio suspension is considerably better than I expected and smooths the bumps very well. Having said this I also like the very "direct" feel of the bike - both in terms of the way power is injected direct to the wheel and the way I can feel the road and every nuance in it. A superb balance has been achieved here.
The biggest negative at the moment for me is the steering. (I think it's the steering?). My DF has 5cm of rake on the front fork (The wheel is 5cm ahead of the projected line of the steering column) but on the Silvio this is reduced to nothing (I haven't compared the angles of the steering columns which will also affect this but they look similar). Consequently the steering feels incredibly squirrelly and sensitive to me. I have experienced this on some mountain bikes and have never liked it much but expect it's something I can get used to. On top of this the wheels are 6cm closer together than on my DF and so the whole steering experience is considerably more sensitive than I'm used to. Add to this the fact that it's a recumbent and its FWD with the chain-wheel well ahead of the steering column so there are plenty of contributing, interfering and unfamiliar factors - I'm learning a whole new experience here and just need time to get used to it. I've only ridden 20 miles so far and am happy to take this nice and easy. For now I avoid too much speed and any need for careful steering at speed.
My other negative is the lack of carrying capacity - I have a handy bag on the DF and am used to just slinging anything I want in there. Obviously this will be remedied when I get the rack fitted on the Silvio. If you know anything about fitting a rack please respond to the post I'll be putting up about that shortly as I can't see how to fit my rack at the moment - This will be my next move. I'll also be fitting some under seat and behind seat storage capacity but those can come later.
I notice already I use the range of the gears more than I realsied I would. The SRAM Rival chainset provides a greater range of gears than the triple on my DF and I notice I've been in top gear when cruising gently along a straight and I've been in third from bottom when pulling up the steepest hill so far (there is a real beauty about 10 miles way I'm dying to try but I think I'll cultivate some of the right muscles first!). I was horrified at "feeling" the muscles and tendons on the outside at the back of my legs after so little riding - this bike definitely reaches different muscles so I can look forward to some work here!
I do find myself questioning whether or not I've opted for the right chain-set combo? I mention above I'm more of a spinner than grinder (on my DF). I like to spin around 90 but there is no way I'm going near 90 rpm on the Silvio yet - I need to cultivate some confidence and capability first and suspect such rpm would put me into a hyper wobble at the moment. Having said that I also wonder whether the Cruzbike encourages grinding over spinning. I find I'm quite relaxed at a slower rpm. I don't really know how fast I'm going yet either as I haven't yet fixed my cycle computer and I know being slightly closer to the ground gives a feel of speed so I'm not in a position to make an objective judgment. I do however quite enjoy cruising (rather than racing) and wonder if this is a novelty or will this feeling be sustained?
I've tried 3 of the 4 "one mile hills" within a couple of miles of my house and am quietly reassured here. My location means I can't avoid hills and this was a slight concern when deciding to buy a recumbent. I was pleased to read the Silvio is reckoned to be a good climber and I'm relieved to find this is true. Currently I'd be considerably quicker up these hills on my DF but was very pleased with the direct performance of the Silvio here. On one of the (damp leafy) corners I encountered some wheel-spin which I found off putting but this was down to my lack of familiarity with the bike. I quickly realized most of the weight was behind the wheel which spun when on the damp leafy section while pulling my bulk behind it. I've since ridden the hill again without issue as I was able to feel my way into the damp area. Normally I like to stand up and move around on the DF to rest muscle groups while maintaining momentum up hills and can see I'll no longer have that luxury - I'm just going to have to get used to burning muscles. Not a worry as I get plenty of opportunity where I live. I can already start to feel what folks are referring to when they write of being suspended out of the seat when sprinting or hill climbing. I haven't tried this yet but will do so when I get more familiar and comfortable with the whole experience.
She certainly evokes reaction from passers by. I guess one has to be slightly exhibitionist to ride a recumbent anyway but I was surprised how outspoken passers by were. Generally positive but a couple of locals managed to show how ignorant they are too - another factor I'll just have to get used to.
Overall impression is very pleasing. There is no doubt she is more "fun" to ride than a DF. I wonder whether this is a novelty? Had I been riding a Silvio all my life and just bought my first DF would I be thinking it adds "fun" to riding? What does it matter - I'm looking forward to my next ride. I'd offer my congratulations to John Tolhurst on what I think is a superb design - well done!
If I'm off kilter on any of the above please feel free to straighten me out - I'm happy to learn from the more experienced.
I haven't sent in the usual pictures as mine is just another black Silvio 1.5 - While this makes her a very elegant machine I knw you've already seen pics of tsimilar bikes! She has a SRAM Rival groupset with a 50/34 chainset and an 11 through 32 sprocket (I'm a spinner rather than a grinder and I live at the top of a hill with 5 approach roads, 4 of which make a nice 1 mile hill climb) and the remainder of the standard parts from the Cruzbike Silvio web page. I'm in the UK and a recreational cyclist and had only ever seen Cruzbikes on the web and never ridden one. I've been waiting for the Silvio 1.5 to come in stock since October last year. Ever since I first tried a mate's recumbent around 15 years ago I've been keen on them but have been disappointed by their hill climbing capabilities and had, until now, avoided taking the plunge and buying one. I've ridden short & long wheelbase models and was very impressed with what I'd read about the Cruzbikes. The Silvio in particular struck a chord for me - it has so many features that look and feel appropriate.
• Frame apart , it's built using and around normal; components - available at the LBS.
• It retains the rider at a reasonable height - which is sensible for the small element of my commute that is in traffic.
• My intuition told me the front wheel drive was going to be more positive and direct in feel than previous recumbents I had ridden with their elongated chains and tension springs (& I'm pleased to report I'm not disappointed here).
• The hard seat back makes so much sense - Intuitively I could see that pushing from a firm platform made so much more sense than pushing from a sprung seat back (& I'm pleased to report I'm not disappointed here).
On the other hand I won't deny I spent a fair while watching you tube videos to reassure myself that the front wheel drive/steer weren't going to interfere detrimentally with each other - again I'm pleased to report not being disappointed though I remain a novice regarding this experience and have much to learn yet.
First impressions on various features of my first Cruzbike riding are as follows:
Was very surprised how the first few rides had me wandering without directional control - was obviously used to recumbent riding but not the front wheel drive. The lack of rake in the front fork and closer nature of the wheel also contributed but I wasn't aware of these until I measured them afterwards - more on these later.
I'd naively thought I was going to set the final trim on the gears on my first ride! None of that though - I just set a mid low gear and spent a few mins getting used to riding. Once I had the hang of this I set the final trim on the gears and have to say I was impressed with how seamlessly this went. The front derailleur needed no trim (a first for me - I usually find these a real bind to set up) and the sprocket derailleur just needed a couple of turns on the barrel adjuster and it was fine. What a pleasure to tune such a high quality machine.
By this time I'd realized I'd set the hoods a little too far inbound on the handlebar and was catching my right knee on the right hood. This was partly due to being a novice and "klutzing" around a little but I've since moved the hood out slightly and this makes a huge difference. Previously I'd set them up for what I perceived as "hand comfort" (not realizing the knees were going to interfere with them) and to avoid having them protrude laterally so they'd catch on walls or wherever I leaned the bike.. I was glad I hadn't (& still haven't yet) put my bar tape in place. Having moved the hoods well outside the brake lever is now going to catch on walls whenever I lean the bike which I don't like. I guess I'll just have to get used to this and avoid walls!
I spent a while doing figures of eight in the local car park to get a feel for the tight turning capabilities and was well impressed here. Can't say I'm an expert yet but I have felt tight turns are relatively easy and don't cause issues to the pedaling as obviously (why didn't I think of it before?) there is little power being input in such manouvres. Each time I venture out I take a few turns round the car park to build this feel.
I can feel I'm gripping the handlebar too much - at times I manage to relax and at others I realise I'm too tense - I guess this'll calm with experience.
I'm pleasantly surprised how effectively the suspension works - I was slightly worried about this as I know on my diamond frame (DF) I think nothing of hurtling into light bumps but taking all my weight in my legs so the bike can just absorb the bump without momentous impact. Obviously this isn't feasible on a recumbent but the Silvio suspension is considerably better than I expected and smooths the bumps very well. Having said this I also like the very "direct" feel of the bike - both in terms of the way power is injected direct to the wheel and the way I can feel the road and every nuance in it. A superb balance has been achieved here.
The biggest negative at the moment for me is the steering. (I think it's the steering?). My DF has 5cm of rake on the front fork (The wheel is 5cm ahead of the projected line of the steering column) but on the Silvio this is reduced to nothing (I haven't compared the angles of the steering columns which will also affect this but they look similar). Consequently the steering feels incredibly squirrelly and sensitive to me. I have experienced this on some mountain bikes and have never liked it much but expect it's something I can get used to. On top of this the wheels are 6cm closer together than on my DF and so the whole steering experience is considerably more sensitive than I'm used to. Add to this the fact that it's a recumbent and its FWD with the chain-wheel well ahead of the steering column so there are plenty of contributing, interfering and unfamiliar factors - I'm learning a whole new experience here and just need time to get used to it. I've only ridden 20 miles so far and am happy to take this nice and easy. For now I avoid too much speed and any need for careful steering at speed.
My other negative is the lack of carrying capacity - I have a handy bag on the DF and am used to just slinging anything I want in there. Obviously this will be remedied when I get the rack fitted on the Silvio. If you know anything about fitting a rack please respond to the post I'll be putting up about that shortly as I can't see how to fit my rack at the moment - This will be my next move. I'll also be fitting some under seat and behind seat storage capacity but those can come later.
I notice already I use the range of the gears more than I realsied I would. The SRAM Rival chainset provides a greater range of gears than the triple on my DF and I notice I've been in top gear when cruising gently along a straight and I've been in third from bottom when pulling up the steepest hill so far (there is a real beauty about 10 miles way I'm dying to try but I think I'll cultivate some of the right muscles first!). I was horrified at "feeling" the muscles and tendons on the outside at the back of my legs after so little riding - this bike definitely reaches different muscles so I can look forward to some work here!
I do find myself questioning whether or not I've opted for the right chain-set combo? I mention above I'm more of a spinner than grinder (on my DF). I like to spin around 90 but there is no way I'm going near 90 rpm on the Silvio yet - I need to cultivate some confidence and capability first and suspect such rpm would put me into a hyper wobble at the moment. Having said that I also wonder whether the Cruzbike encourages grinding over spinning. I find I'm quite relaxed at a slower rpm. I don't really know how fast I'm going yet either as I haven't yet fixed my cycle computer and I know being slightly closer to the ground gives a feel of speed so I'm not in a position to make an objective judgment. I do however quite enjoy cruising (rather than racing) and wonder if this is a novelty or will this feeling be sustained?
I've tried 3 of the 4 "one mile hills" within a couple of miles of my house and am quietly reassured here. My location means I can't avoid hills and this was a slight concern when deciding to buy a recumbent. I was pleased to read the Silvio is reckoned to be a good climber and I'm relieved to find this is true. Currently I'd be considerably quicker up these hills on my DF but was very pleased with the direct performance of the Silvio here. On one of the (damp leafy) corners I encountered some wheel-spin which I found off putting but this was down to my lack of familiarity with the bike. I quickly realized most of the weight was behind the wheel which spun when on the damp leafy section while pulling my bulk behind it. I've since ridden the hill again without issue as I was able to feel my way into the damp area. Normally I like to stand up and move around on the DF to rest muscle groups while maintaining momentum up hills and can see I'll no longer have that luxury - I'm just going to have to get used to burning muscles. Not a worry as I get plenty of opportunity where I live. I can already start to feel what folks are referring to when they write of being suspended out of the seat when sprinting or hill climbing. I haven't tried this yet but will do so when I get more familiar and comfortable with the whole experience.
She certainly evokes reaction from passers by. I guess one has to be slightly exhibitionist to ride a recumbent anyway but I was surprised how outspoken passers by were. Generally positive but a couple of locals managed to show how ignorant they are too - another factor I'll just have to get used to.
Overall impression is very pleasing. There is no doubt she is more "fun" to ride than a DF. I wonder whether this is a novelty? Had I been riding a Silvio all my life and just bought my first DF would I be thinking it adds "fun" to riding? What does it matter - I'm looking forward to my next ride. I'd offer my congratulations to John Tolhurst on what I think is a superb design - well done!
If I'm off kilter on any of the above please feel free to straighten me out - I'm happy to learn from the more experienced.
