Hello, recumbent noob

MrSteve

Zen MBB Master
Cruzbikes are like D.F. bikes, kind of, when stopping hard: Stoppies!

My original Sofrider V1, with its tall seat, short wheelbase and powerful V brakes generated stoppies easily.
(A "stoppie" is when the bike is braked hard enough to lift the rear wheel up off of the ground.)
My modified Sofrider is much harder to stoppie with, now that it's seats are lowered... although
hard stops going downhill are still a thing to watch for.

If you sit up in your seat and brake hard, especially going downhill, expect your rear wheel to leave the road!

On the V, with the longer wheelbase, weaker caliper brakes, lower seat height and reclined seating position, I've yet
to pull a full stoppie on it.
Nevertheless, the rear wheel does transfer some load, some weight to the front wheel under hard braking,
so be aware of sliding your lightly loaded rear tire under hard braking.

Edit:
My years of experience as a professional (salaried) motorcycle test rider keeps me honest
on my self-powered two-wheeled street machines.
What you just read was my experience on my machines on roads I'm comfortable using.
Do not try anything you have read without first understanding that anything you choose to do is, for sure, not my problem.
I'm outta here... mic. drop.
 
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bladderhead

Zen MBB Master
I have disk brakes. I think it could happen with rim brakes too. Better than going over the handlebars and getting a faceful of road.
 

super slim

Zen MBB Master
Another "new bent rider" observation - I can brake more abruptly than DF bikes. Before you can hit the brakes hard on a DF, you must brace your arms and position your body in anticipation of braking. On the 'bent, I can grab the brakes any time I have the need...without pre-positioning my body.

Due to the low centre of gravity of the rider (200 mm above the seat height, 0.75 m above the ground) on a Cruzbike Vendetta, compared to 1.4 m on a DF , the maximum deceleration, when the rear wheel just lifts off the ground, is 7.0 m/sec2 (0.71 G) for the Cruzbike, compared to 3.5 m/sec2 (0.356 G) for a DF racer, using rim or Disc brakes.

The Silvio is 6.5 m/sec2, Quest is 6.0 m/sec2, Softrider is 5.5 m/sec2! due to seat heights.

This high breaking ability, allows you to brake hard in a straight line, when a blind un-signed corner comes up, that looks sharper than expected!
 

brokemyback

Well-Known Member
Great math! And another great safety point to bring to my wife about the Cruz! Both my major crack ups on my DF involved going over the handlebars.

My second group ride was today. And the bike's speed is clinched! I have zero aerobic conditioning being off the bike since March 2015. However - on today's windy 30 mile ride, I paced the lead riders the whole way (as they traded out lead), won the hill climb sprint to the rest stop, and dropped my old riding buddy by pulling him up to speed and just powering away from him. I was seriously interested if he could feel any benefit from my draft. He said "No, and it felt like trying to hang on to a Ferrari!" I'm trying to quantify the difference in speed for myself. It's definitely more benefit that you'd realize by drafting at the back of a paceline all day. I'm probably going to settle for an estimate that it adds 2-3 miles per hour to my road speed, just by virtue of being a faster bike. I'm thrilled!
 

brokemyback

Well-Known Member
Last night was the local "Wednesday night rip-your-legs-off-hammer-head ride". I've been participating in these for over 10 years - til I broke my back exactly one year ago. I'm well familiar with the riders, the pace, the sprints. Last night was my THIRD bicycle ride since Mar 2015. I've been off the bike completely, no aerobic conditioning, and very little gym work (I hate the gym!) Holy guacamole! I'm giving all the performance credit to the bike. I hung with the lead riders all night as they dropped folks, powered gaps into the paceline and sprinted up the usual hills. I covered every single sprint and closed every gap throughout the ride. I pulled draft rotation at the front of a double paceline between 23-24 mph, and hit 27 mph at the end-of-ride sprint. I couldn't be more happy!
I'm also noticing some physiological differences. During the ride I never got the usual "out of breath" and "feel like I'm going to die from lack of oxygen" that I normally experience on the DF. (I always push myself hard!). After dinner on hammer night I normally get light-headed oxygen deprivation head rush when I stand up. I experienced none of that last night. Less effort from not supporting my torso on my arms throughout the ride? Head is lower in relation to my torso on the Silvo? Less strain on my heart resulting from elevated legs? Psychosomatic benefits from spending thousands $$ on a new bike? Something is definitely going on, but the results are fantastic.
 

LarryOz

Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
Holy guacamole! I'm giving all the performance credit to the bike. I hung with the lead riders all night as they dropped folks, powered gaps into the paceline and sprinted up the usual hills. I covered every single sprint and closed every gap throughout the ride. I pulled draft rotation at the front of a double paceline between 23-24 mph, and hit 27 mph at the end-of-ride sprint. I couldn't be more happy!
haha - I remember getting my Silvio back in June, 2014. I picked up the same speed and just reclaimed my love of riding and riding fast. I just could not get enough just wanted to ride more and more. I hate to say this, but start saving for a Vendetta now because you "can and will be more happy!" haha. I traded my Silvio in for a Vendetta after only 4 months and have never looked back! If the Silvio is a Ferrari to your friend, then the Vendetta will be a V-12 Lamborghini with twin turbos! There is no going back in the relentless pursuit of speed! Can't wait for your continuing story!
 
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brokemyback

Well-Known Member
I'm revising my estimates. I'm convinced the Silvio adds 5 mph over a DF. Yesterday was my FOURTH ride in a year. I pulled a long draft at the front of the group - up and down grades, with light head wind in the middle of our 30 mile ride. Perceived effort was 18mph - especially for no cycling in the last year. My actual speed was 23 and 24 mph! If the bike was any faster I'd be off the front of the cycling group. I fully expected to be training fo 6 months before I could resume my previous riding speed and be able to stay with my group. With this bike it's a done deal from the very first ride. Incredible.
P.S. Guys say I have gone from being the best person to draft (at 6'4") to the worst person to draft on the recumbent. I feel so bad. But not really.
 
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LarryOz

Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
P.S. Guys say I have gone from being the best person to draft (at 6'4") to the worst person to draft on the recumbent. I feel so bad. But not really.
.. and so it goes -
Gee wait until you get your Vendetta - you'll have to drag a parachute behind you so you don't lose the group. Of course, that is wonderful "moral" killer for everyone on the DF!
 

brokemyback

Well-Known Member
Just to update my progress - after roughly 5 months of ownership:
- I can out sprint everyone in my riding group except one guy, a dedicated bike racer. On flat ground I can accelerate to 30mph pulling hard enough to drop anyone directly behind me in the draft.
- I started trying no-hands riding. I can only go about 20 strokes before I must grab the bars.
- Every downhill is a coast-fest for me. The rest of the paceline will be pedaling, and I'm coasting and recovering.
- Uphills take some work but I can always hang on. I just need to pour on some horsepower. (Probably no more than the DF guys.) I always get payback on the next downhill. See the previous note. :)
- I'm can't hold a razor straight line in the paceline. But my line is every bit as good as my club riders.
 
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