First rides on my V - well happy.

Nik Heathman

New Member
I've has this a few months, grabbed it while I can as they are like hens teeth this side of the pond.

I've dabbled with 'bents over the years, started with a Kingcycle, had an Optima Baron, Catrike Speed (fun but slow) and lastly a Quest velomobile (crazy fast, but just doesn't climb at well over 30kg).

I gave it a few runs round the block - practiced hill starts etc. Still a bit wobbly, but I figure the only way to get better is get some miles under my belt. I did a couple of 7 mile loops yesterday then tackled my commute this morning:

Well pleased with the result. I have no recumbent legs whatsoever, but have just come off the back of 3 x 300 mile weeks on my normal road bikes so cycling fitness is pretty good.

To put it into perspective, I'm 44 and weigh 74kg or so. I normally average around 18mph this time of year on that route on a top end Trek with deep carbon rims

The roads round here are bumpy (certainly the quiet ones) and I'm not that confident yet over 25mph on the bumps, but I think I've finally found a recumbent I can gel with. There's no avoiding hills here and the this thing loves them, barely any slower up the gentler (up to 7-8% maybe) climbs on the commute. It's never going to like the steep stuff - I had a bit of wheel slippage this morning in the dry so no good for the wet either I guess.

I didn't find comfort that bad with the standard seat - may well get the Thor and seat pad, but no hurry. Just need to log some more miles first, and maybe fit some Rotor rings which I have used for the last 40,000 miles on the rest of my bikes.
 

RojoRacing

Donut Powered Wise-guy
If you've been using q rings exclusively for awhile I bet your stability improves on the V when you get rid of the rounds simply because your legs well be better intune.
 

Nik Heathman

New Member
That's good to hear, pretty sure I've got a 39T at home, will there are a couple of used ones cheapish on ebay I can have a bid on, too pricey new, even at trade prices.
 

RojoRacing

Donut Powered Wise-guy
Ive been riding the indoor trainer with the V20 and q rings for a solid two months exclusively. Earlier this week tried my new DF bike on the trainer for the first time and the bike was wobbling left to right like crazy abs the whole setup felt unstable. Next day stolebthe q ring from the V and put it on the DF and tried the trainer again and everything was much smoother. If going from one ring design to another all of a sudden causes stability issues on a trainer I can only imagine what it does to a MMB design with pedal torque steer.
 

Nik Heathman

New Member
I've now got hold of some Q rings, now running 53/42 OCP3 on the bolt below the crank when facing forward.

I had to play around with the crank which is an Ultegra triple. I don't need the inner ring so have removed it and machined (well, put it against the grinder) off some of the plastic spacer on the inside of the right hand crank and added a wavy washer inside the left to compensate which also improves the chainline now it's only a double. I'd swap cranks to a proper double but these have been machined to 155mm. Shifting is fine with this setup.

Had a chance of a quick test spin for an hour in near perfect conditions. I got my first Vendetta KOM :):):) on a three minute segment I was a couple of seconds off on my DF. It only shows as my second best time as I have been quicker in my old Velomobile the only time I had a proper go at the segment in it. That ride is set to private or it would get flagged straight away.

Here's the ride: https://www.strava.com/activities/1155483650

I'm still only 150 miles in on my Vendetta journey, but I'm confident enough to start throwing it around a bit more and also my legs are feeling like I can attack some sections with a bit of power.

Next jobs are to maybe try a slightly longer boom position, only 1-2mm to see if that feels better or worse, and also to do something with the headrest. Will Jason's clamps work with my V1.5?

Also, any recommendations for a small bag that will fit the standard seat for phone/wallet/keys and ideally something that would also fit a Thor carbon seat which I'm likely to add at some point. I've lashed something together out of Neoprene and Duct tape at the moment, but it's not ideal.
 

Nik Heathman

New Member
The other thing I've noticed it that having moved my RH crank in a couple of mm, my sprinters thighs now contact the brake barrel adjuster and pinch bolt - anyone else have this issue/solution (disc brake fitting not an option!)
 
Last edited:

RojoRacing

Donut Powered Wise-guy
The other thing I've noticed it that having moved my RH crank in a couple of mm, my sprinters thighs now contact the brake barrel adjuster and pinch bolt - anyone else have this issue/solution (disc brake fitting not an option!)

You could get the center pull calipers that @ratz uses on his bike
 

DavidCH

In thought; expanding the paradigm of traversity
You haven't gone hydro disc yet because you haven't gone hydro disc yet. Once you truly experience hydro disc everything else is a cheap imitation :p
I know... I have on my mtb but not on my road. I am blessed with dry weather and the thought of the fiddly changeover isn't quite my ambition.

I have an injury and resting up. Otherwise I get tendonitis and then it's really irritating. I still have some flat Strava segments to battle out so perhaps when the new cycling budget comes into play for next year I get hydro disc brakes and a Giro Vanquish lid.

At the moment I am watching some astonishing riding in the La Vuelta. Tomorrow the action will be 30km away from me so I might get to see some live action instead of watching it on the eurosport viewer app.
 
Top