Neophyte in need of Vendetta V20 setup help...

[Winded Lowrider]

Some frustration /Some success:

Good:
1) Rode around the neighborhood (with my son in tow) CLIPPED IN! scary at first, but the bike handles way better when the feet are connected. Switched pedals to my "worn-in" pair from my other bike...
2) Fit is better with crank pushed back 1"
3) Climbing is efficient. This is my main reason for choosing a CBV

Bad:
1) Front derailleur just won't shift to big ring. Working on adjusting. Have derailleurs gotten worse in the past 10 years? Searching Sram rival front mech setup...
2) Shifting the SRAM Apex levers from the brakes is not intuitive for me. I miss my grip shifters.
3) the combination of 1&2 has me super frustrated...enough to consider taking the bike in to a local shop for adjustment. I almost never do that, as I am usually a capable bike mechanic. Most of my knowledge was gained pre 2000, so things have changed quite a lot.

Meh:
Headrest needs to move in about 1/2 inch
I want to add foam to the lumbar spine support area... somehow. Seat cushions slide around considerably, maybe more velcro would help?
Do most folks look over or under the bars to see the road?

My 13 yo son out sprinted me twice ( I could not figure out how to shift quickly to the right gear. Doh! Errg!)

Please continue to shower me with encouragement, hints, tips and opinions!

_

 

[castlerobber]

1) Front derailleur just won't shift to big ring. Working on adjusting. Have derailleurs gotten worse in the past 10 years? Searching Sram rival front mech setup...

Is it a Rival Yaw derailleur? Setup is way different from other front derailleurs. They're great once you get them right, though.

First Silvio ride was a wash...literally

Q-ring/front derailleur issue

 

[Kerry Kerr]

Lowrider , you sound like me in January and February. It will take time, just get miles under your belt and try not to get"ahead" of yourself. When I started out, I had been riding a CA2 for two years so the reclined position wasn't intimidating but it was different feel because of the MBB. You'll be able to get the FD dialed in, I had the same problem, just work on it. Also, it was my tendency to have the pedals too far out, as a result I felt the headrest was wrong. Just try different positions till it feels right. You want to look over the handlebars, I promise, stay after it and it will become so natural and its the most fun recumbent I've ever had, AND you will be able to climb must easier with the V. I hated the bike for the first month or so, till we started bonding. Now Im like Rick Youngblood, aint going back to rear wheel drive again!!

Some frustration /Some success:

Good:
1) Rode around the neighborhood (with my son in tow) CLIPPED IN! scary at first, but the bike handles way better when the feet are connected. Switched pedals to my "worn-in" pair from my other bike...
2) Fit is better with crank pushed back 1"
3) Climbing is efficient. This is my main reason for choosing a CBV

Bad:
1) Front derailleur just won't shift to big ring. Working on adjusting. Have derailleurs gotten worse in the past 10 years? Searching Sram rival front mech setup...
2) Shifting the SRAM Apex levers from the brakes is not intuitive for me. I miss my grip shifters.
3) the combination of 1&2 has me super frustrated...enough to consider taking the bike in to a local shop for adjustment. I almost never do that, as I am usually a capable bike mechanic. Most of my knowledge was gained pre 2000, so things have changed quite a lot.

Meh:
Headrest needs to move in about 1/2 inch
I want to add foam to the lumbar spine support area... somehow. Seat cushions slide around considerably, maybe more velcro would help?
Do most folks look over or under the bars to see the road?

My 13 yo son out sprinted me twice ( I could not figure out how to shift quickly to the right gear. Doh! Errg!)

Please continue to shower me with encouragement, hints, tips and opinions!

_

 

[Winded Lowrider]

Thanks KK will take that to heart.

Front derailleur is SRAM rival. It does not look like a yaw style. When the lever is pushed the cage does not move far enough to move the chain onto the larger ring. Stop is set much farther out than cage will move. Cable is very tight. There is a barrel adjuster but I'm not entirely sure how to turn that to adjust . Never had an inline cable barrel adjuster before....Maybe the recumbent angle makes it hard to shift?

How do I hold the bike to adjust the derailleurs. Is there a trick? A stand? I tried to flip it over.... that was almost worse...hang it from a bungee?

 

[Kerry Kerr]

Yes you'll need a stand, or someone to hold the bike for you. My wife likes the stand. Sounds like you need to reset everything to factory settings and start over on the adjustments. There's several threads on the forum that address this and how to get it right. In fact, ratz replied to me on my New Vendetta post on the FD setup, also Castlerobber posted a couple of links also. The barrel adjuster isn't hard to set up and adjust.

Thanks KK will take that to heart.

Front derailleur is SRAM rival. It does not look like a yaw style. When the lever is pushed the cage does not move far enough to move the chain onto the larger ring. Stop is set much farther out than cage will move. Cable is very tight. There is a barrel adjuster but I'm not entirely sure how to turn that to adjust . Never had an inline cable barrel adjuster before....Maybe the recumbent angle makes it hard to shift?

How do I hold the bike to adjust the derailleurs. Is there a trick? A stand? I tried to flip it over.... that was almost worse...hang it from a bungee?

 

[Winded Lowrider]

what type of stand will hold a CBV and where does it connect?

 

[Kerry Kerr]

what type of stand will hold a CBV and where does it connect?

I have a Feedback stand, it fits under the slider in front of handlebars.

 

[RojoRacing]

In my opinion based on your last posted pic your handle bars are nowhere near tipped back far enough for best function of the hands, this could be part of your loathing for the sram shifters.

 

[Winded Lowrider]

RR:

Ergo-wise they feel fine. I can reach and move them. I'm still adjusting to short push down/ long push up for the rear derailleur. Not being able to see the shift happen makes it harder. It's all feel which is OK if you can feel it. Lots of unfamiliar things are happening at one time on this bike. I'm making slow progress. Its frustrating having a new fast bike that I don't dare ride fast yet on the road or even moderately fast on the MUP.

Right now I make 2 rides per day. One slow short wobbly learning ride on the CBV. and one longer screaming fast ride on the low racer. The new bike makes me appreciate the old bike. The zox rides like a sports car and carves turns like its on rails...But it can't climb, so back to the CBV.

 

[ReklinedRider]

Some frustration /Some success:

Good:
1) Rode around the neighborhood (with my son in tow) CLIPPED IN! scary at first, but the bike handles way better when the feet are connected. Switched pedals to my "worn-in" pair from my other bike...
2) Fit is better with crank pushed back 1"
3) Climbing is efficient. This is my main reason for choosing a CBV

Bad:
1) Front derailleur just won't shift to big ring. Working on adjusting. Have derailleurs gotten worse in the past 10 years? Searching Sram rival front mech setup...
2) Shifting the SRAM Apex levers from the brakes is not intuitive for me. I miss my grip shifters.
3) the combination of 1&2 has me super frustrated...enough to consider taking the bike in to a local shop for adjustment. I almost never do that, as I am usually a capable bike mechanic. Most of my knowledge was gained pre 2000, so things have changed quite a lot.

Meh:
Headrest needs to move in about 1/2 inch
I want to add foam to the lumbar spine support area... somehow. Seat cushions slide around considerably, maybe more velcro would help?
Do most folks look over or under the bars to see the road?

My 13 yo son out sprinted me twice ( I could not figure out how to shift quickly to the right gear. Doh! Errg!)

Please continue to shower me with encouragement, hints, tips and opinions!

_

I had to look this up. Ratz shared this a while back: (I'm a computer impaired person, I still can't do a link) google Tailwind Coaching, go to podcast #13. Great written instructions on SRAM Yaw setup. Better than Art's YouTube video. Better by far than my previous post. This is the one I refer to anytime I need to work on Yaw front D for any reason.
KM

 

[ratz]

I had to look this up. Ratz shared this a while back: (I'm a computer impaired person, I still can't do a link) google Tailwind Coaching, go to podcast #13. Great written instructions on SRAM Yaw setup. Better than Art's YouTube video. Better by far than my previous post. This is the one I refer to anytime I need to work on Yaw front D for any reason.
KM

Here you go: http://tailwind-coaching.com/2013/04/26/installing-sram-yaw-front-derailleur/

All the new 22 gear SRAM stuff is YAW as of this year.

The number 1 mistake I make is to install the cable with the shifter in the wrong position.

Did you run the wire through the pulley or old school around the bottom bracket?

 

[Winded Lowrider]

OK it IS a YAW type derailleur... the center line marks prove that. It appears to be w-a-a-a-y out of alignment. I guess I need to re install from scratch. Currently aligns between the 2 chainrings when shifted all the way to the large chainring, hence my trouble shifting up. I'll watch the video again and see if I can manage to adjust and or reinstall. The gap is very large 3-6mm to the teeth and the post bolt connection is adjusted all the way down so there is no room to move it closer...hmmmn

 

[Winded Lowrider]

I did not install it, Robert ( CB) did. looks like it's routed around the pulley....I'm scrambling to figure this out without breaking it first. ;-)

 

[1happyreader]

Do most folks look over or under the bars to see the road?

Twilight zone time :
You look forward to see the road, just like you do in a car.
If you know where your knees are you know where your wheel is.
maybe some day I will instinctively put my knee just outside the pot hole and keep my tires safe.

 

[trapdoor2]

LOL, I had to revisit the SRAM YAW video just this past Sunday when I re-configured my V20. I had very similar issues with 'brifters' in that I'd been riding a twist-grip shifter for the previous 15 yrs...prior to that my shifters were all on the downtube (1960's Schwinn "Varsity"). It took me a long time to get used to shifting with brifters. Mine are SRAM Rival. Once they're properly set up (and you're no longer fighting them), they're very nice. However, I am sooooo looking forward to the Xshifter (electronic shifting).

Riding without 'white knuckles' will happen. It simply takes some time to internalize all the changes. You have all these sub-conscious routines set up for your previous bikes...now you get to re-program yourself with a new set of parameters.

 

[Winded Lowrider]

Trapdoor2: Thanks! that's encouraging. I still miss the simplex friction shifter derailleur on my 1980 Peugeot. I did not mind reaching down for a shift.

1Happy reader: When I look forward now the cross bar sits directly in my line of sight, so my question is: Should the vendetta be set up so the handle bar level is below eye level? If so how? adjusting the head rest brings things forward but not up really. The boom moves forward and backward not up and down. Maybe if I the bring the head rest forward it will help me scoot up a little in the seat?

 

[trapdoor2]

When I look forward now the cross bar sits directly in my line of sight, so my question is: Should the vendetta be set up so the handle bar level is below eye level? If so how? adjusting the head rest brings things forward but not up really. The boom moves forward and backward not up and down. Maybe if I the bring the head rest forward it will help me scoot up a little in the seat?

I prefer my head to be a bit more vertical than your "set up" picture shows. Looking over the bars, I can just see the front chainrings, my big damn feet, etc. Once you get your FD sorted out, you'll stop focusing on the front end and start looking down the road (and at the scenery, etc.). The supplied headrest is a 'starting point', it does not fit everyone perfectly. I rode with it for a month or two before I decided that I needed a better solution. I've added the 'accessory' headrest (available from Cruzbike) and after messing around with it, it appears to be a winner for me. I use it as a 'neck rest', so the pad sits just below my helmet at the nape of my neck. I find that to be very comfy.

I finally figured out that I was using way too much leg extension. I had previously set my extension by the old 'heel on the pedal' method. Recently, I opted to move the pedals back until my full extension was measured by the angle at my knees...about 150 degrees (guessing). I can no longer lock out my knees at full extension. One benefit is that I'm now able to move my body around in the seat (bridging if I need to, pushing myself back a bit when I need to, etc.). I can't tell if it helped my power production...but it feels better all around.

 

[Jeremy S]

hould the vendetta be set up so the handle bar level is below eye level? If so how?

Sounds like you are a candidate for either a curved sider or maybe a longer chainstay.

 

[BentSk8r]

Hi Brad,

Congrats on the arrival of your new V. I'll be back in town after 6/20. By then you will be much more comfortable on the V and I'm looking forward to a ride. But...stay away from the Zox. You are just confusing and delaying grooving the new reflexes required by the V. The V is a willful, high spirited steed who doesn't yield her gifts easily. The advice we give aspiring speed skaters is "You gotta go slow to go fast."

I probably haven't ridden more than 1k miles and only consider myself an adept neophyte but things are way different than at 100 miles. I finally took Freya on a group ride and she was mostly well behaved and didn't get me kicked out at least. Huge progress in my book. So get the mech sorted and then do Ratz' learn to ride progression and be patient, Grasshopper.

I don't know if the V20 comes with the stem slammed, but if not you can always lower the pivot clamp to get better visibility. Or just keep adjusting, I think I am getting close though some of us seem to be slow learners.

 

[Winded Lowrider]

Eric:

Yeah struggling a bit. Mostly with setup, not riding skill. The riding is coming along nicely, all things considered. The setup is frustrating esp. the front derailleur. Riding around in low gears is getting old fast. Yaw derailleur adjust video might help me....