Paris or bust ... probably bust
- Thread starter Mwhwsmith
- Start date
Abbott Smith
Guru
What's the standard water bottle mounting position on the V20? Realized that I assumed it had cage mounts somewhere and that this assumption might be false.
Abbott Smith
Guru
Thanks
Charles.Plager
Recumbent Quant
Agreed!
Mwhwsmith
Member
Hit a milestone today with my first (metric) century.
Have attached a link: ~2hrs of cycling (the first 50km) condensed into 7mins. Its rather poor quality, generally quite dull and very vomit inducing!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkNs6JgJISw
Two highlights:
a) Just before the two minutes marker, I freewheel down a hill and while being overtaken by a Land Rover, I narrowly avoid running into the hedge at the bottom
b) At 6min 45sec, I am overtaken by a rather proficient looking chap with ‘Sky’ written on his ass. After he passed I was able to keep up with him and was shocked by the difference in effort required. I’m wondering if the aero benefits of riding behind someone are bigger for a recumbent ie. more of my bike fits more easily/completely into the hole in the air that he creates.
Am rather sunburned also!
Mike
Have attached a link: ~2hrs of cycling (the first 50km) condensed into 7mins. Its rather poor quality, generally quite dull and very vomit inducing!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkNs6JgJISw
Two highlights:
a) Just before the two minutes marker, I freewheel down a hill and while being overtaken by a Land Rover, I narrowly avoid running into the hedge at the bottom
b) At 6min 45sec, I am overtaken by a rather proficient looking chap with ‘Sky’ written on his ass. After he passed I was able to keep up with him and was shocked by the difference in effort required. I’m wondering if the aero benefits of riding behind someone are bigger for a recumbent ie. more of my bike fits more easily/completely into the hole in the air that he creates.
Am rather sunburned also!
Mike
Abbott Smith
Guru
Am I the only one who watched this and heard the Benny Hill theme music playing in my head?
Seriously, you're doing great. Paris here you come!
jond
Zen MBB Master
close call with the hedge on the narrow road. glad to see you pass the "sky" at 7min. a cruzbike vendetta shall not be passed by any roadie wearing team kit. rule 12. often down at the cycletrack i have guys try to sit in the v's slipstream. they dont stay there for long. not sure we need to sit in their slipstream but for sure you can feel it when you do. on a road bike at 32klm per hour i see a drop of almost a 100watts when in the slipstream. lots of people out and about on your ride. well done on unclipping in time at the coffee stop. if you can negotiate your way around all those walkers on the track and dogs too without sitting up then you are doing very very well. keep up the good work
now for the sunburn advice from an expat in the very sunny australia. for your face take a look at a product called "da brim" if i adjust the visor right and have my helmet properly fitted it is stable on the helmet to 80klm per hour despite its rating. be aware that at these speeds if you do not have your head and visor into the wind the peak can flex and or be torn from the velcro. happened once to me at 92klm per hour as my helmet was loose and rode back on my head making the peak an air brake which understandably came off. the peak is attached by a velcro band which encircles the helmet. thus the peak can be angled to suit conditions like a setting sun. i even use it to combat car lights on long audax rides. on extreme days i use the 100mm version of the peak with a bandanna and / or the sunrunner cap and cape from outdoor research. the sunrunner cap has a detatchable cape and it is great for side protection and neck protection and sits under the helmet without any discomfort. once again it is very light and not like a normal cap. in this way i do not need suntan lotion at all in high summer in australia where you can burn badly in an hour. i also use UV leggings and arms by a company called NETTI. they are very light available in black or white are very cool and can be stored on the bike . i use the white ones for ease of identification from my warmers . they are made out of lycra type material and zips for the leggings. keep up the good work. posted a pic from high summer during a trike tour. i am wearing the sunrunner cap and da brim 100mm. sure you look like a dork but when the sun is biting and you are exposed you will do anything to be comfortable even look like this
oh by the way the black band under the cap is a halo sweat band. i find they are better than a sweatgutr.
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1happyreader
zen/child method
Awesome. !!!!!!
1+ on DaBrim. My avatar shows the LARGEST size bill/BRIM shading my face in Florida,USA.
When you return from Paris we hope that you will continue to read and post in the forums.
later bye
1+ on DaBrim. My avatar shows the LARGEST size bill/BRIM shading my face in Florida,USA.
When you return from Paris we hope that you will continue to read and post in the forums.
later bye
Mwhwsmith
Member
I'm finding I'm progressing quite nicely. I had my first 100km ride at the weekend - in a healthy but not startling time of 3hrs 56mins. Certainly fast enough to keep pace with the fastest of the three groups that will be making the Paris trip. This, for me, is a huge win as I would have been worried about keeping up with the slowest group before.
However, after weeks of very comfortable riding, I have noticed the first signs of soreness when riding the bike - specifically the area at top of my thighs at the 'crease' that is formed when the legs is in the upper most position, was getting very uncomfortable. It started after abot 90km and the final 10k was quite sore.
I was hoping someone may be able to help me figure out how to avoid this. Is it a sign that the bike isn;t quite fitted right - is the boom too short perhaps? Or am I sitting too high or low low in the seat ie. I need to perhaps lengthen the headrest to give me more room?
Any help would be much appreciated.
Thank you
Mike
However, after weeks of very comfortable riding, I have noticed the first signs of soreness when riding the bike - specifically the area at top of my thighs at the 'crease' that is formed when the legs is in the upper most position, was getting very uncomfortable. It started after abot 90km and the final 10k was quite sore.
I was hoping someone may be able to help me figure out how to avoid this. Is it a sign that the bike isn;t quite fitted right - is the boom too short perhaps? Or am I sitting too high or low low in the seat ie. I need to perhaps lengthen the headrest to give me more room?
Any help would be much appreciated.
Thank you
Mike
Charles.Plager
Recumbent Quant
So, nobody's going to be surprised, but I want pictures and maybe a video or two. We'll have a better idea of how to give you fit advice if we know with what we are working.
Mwhwsmith
Member
Here is a link to a couple of photos of me on the bike also. Similar angle, but show my leg at the fully compressed and extended positions.
https://plus.google.com/photos/111027165268345294317/albums/6148487622866697585
Thanks
Mike
https://plus.google.com/photos/111027165268345294317/albums/6148487622866697585
Thanks
Mike
ratz
Wielder of the Rubber Mallet
Little bit of no-mans land on the fit and very familiar looking You are really close but it does look like the fine tuning is still needed.
Here's my thoughts. (I'm curious what other think)
Option A is based on the video which I think is more accurate than the photo. In the photo you leg looks too extended but in the video you pedal stroke comes up short because you are ankling. I tend to think the video is more accurate to what you are doing on the road.
Option A - a more forward sitting position:
If you think the photo is more accurate
Option B - Shift boom:
These solutions both will increase the bend in your knee a bit one by changing your hip angle a bit (a) and the other by shortening your stroke (b) that can only be corrected with shorter cranks but you not in the red zone on your knee bend in that video just yet.
Depending on how your build was done you may have to release your front derailleur cable before making the changes and reset it afterwards if that's the case test BOTH options in little ring to see which you prefer. Personal preference needs to be heavily weighted.
Here's my thoughts. (I'm curious what other think)
Option A is based on the video which I think is more accurate than the photo. In the photo you leg looks too extended but in the video you pedal stroke comes up short because you are ankling. I tend to think the video is more accurate to what you are doing on the road.
Option A - a more forward sitting position:
- Slide farther forward on the seat about 30mm
- lengthen your boom about 35-40 mm
- Get you 5-10mm more extension on your leg
- Move you forward to a slightly stronger position
- Get you more clearance at the handbar
- Reduce the bend in your legs.
If you think the photo is more accurate
Option B - Shift boom:
- Legs looks really close to the handle bar at the top of the stroke
- Leg is just a few millimeters too straight at the bottom of the stroke in the photo.
- Bring the entire boom up a bit (moving the handle bars closer to you) by say 20-30mm
- Then lengthen the boom itself 10-15 mm
These solutions both will increase the bend in your knee a bit one by changing your hip angle a bit (a) and the other by shortening your stroke (b) that can only be corrected with shorter cranks but you not in the red zone on your knee bend in that video just yet.
Depending on how your build was done you may have to release your front derailleur cable before making the changes and reset it afterwards if that's the case test BOTH options in little ring to see which you prefer. Personal preference needs to be heavily weighted.
JOSEPHWEISSERT
Zen MBB Master
While I can't speak to your symptoms specifically, and I am no expert, I am about your height and x-seam. I had read the lively postings in this forum on crank lengths, got to thinking, made some measurements of myself, and found that my legs are bending way lower than 90 degrees with 170 mm crank arms. So I talked to one of the guys in this forum for some recommendations. Now I am going to try custom-built 150 mm crank arms so that my legs will bend no less than 90 degrees. To go even further, I learned about elliptical chain rings (Rotor brand Q-Rings) and am having the 150 mm crankset built to include those. There are a lot of very knowledgable guys in this forum, more so than myself, who will probably have a lot of good advise. But I just thought I would mention the crank length as one possible cause of your problem since I am your size, I have made the investment in this direction, you mentioned that you are using 172.5 mm cranks, and it appears for the video and pictures that your legs bend well under 90 degrees as do mine.
LarryOz
Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
Thanks Ratz- that is one selfie that I want to stay away from!
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LarryOz
Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
Mike, You should not have any problem with 50mm rim depth in wind. I ride 88's almost all the time now and no issue. The wide rims do make the bike look awesome - it does go a little bit faster too - and personally I can't really feel any issue with the weight for climbing steep grades - although I have not tried anything steeper than 15%. Is that steep?
You also want low rolling resistance - I suggest Conti 4000S - pretty high up on the list, and very affordable. Stick latex tubes in them with sealant - they ride great. That is what I race in - love them. Train with gatorskins hardshell as they are tougher!
We need some pictures of the bike with those Fulcrum Red Wind - or else I'll have to send Charles out after you.
You also want low rolling resistance - I suggest Conti 4000S - pretty high up on the list, and very affordable. Stick latex tubes in them with sealant - they ride great. That is what I race in - love them. Train with gatorskins hardshell as they are tougher!
We need some pictures of the bike with those Fulcrum Red Wind - or else I'll have to send Charles out after you.
Mwhwsmith
Member
I have had a bit of a play with the bike.
Given the lack of of an obvious 'fix' I thought I would try the easy stuff first: so I took snilard's advice and moved the ventisit back a bit and then I also lengthened the headrest about a inch or so. This avoided the need to start re-adjusting cables etc.
I then did a 100km ride on Saturday and while I started to get the onset of the same pains, I found I was able to adjust my seating position slightly to alleviate them. I suspect the extra space from the headrest adjustment gives me a little more literal 'wiggle room'. I then did another 90km on Sunday with no ill effects.
My Sunday ride was also my first with other riders around me - it was a local charity ride with about a 1,000 participants of all abilities - although there were four course of various lengths. I found it quite eye opening for a few reasons:
1. The number of people who inquire about the bike - mostly by asking if it is comfortable. This seemed rather an odd question as I was resting sat on my bike, while everyone else was resting off their bikes
2. The aero advantage is huge ... it was very obvious that I was working less hard on the flats and modest downhills. It gets a little frustrating when you find yourself braking to avoid running into someone through a dip.
3.My (modest) climbing isn't as slow as I expected. I should say, I haven't developed a good coordinated technique for using my upper body when climbing/sprinting. However, while 'sit n spin' feels slow ... by comparison to others it was still a quite respectable pace. However, I still lack the ability to do really steep stuff (>10%) for more than 5oyds
4. I get a lot more smiles and waves from passers-by than other riders do!
Really enjoying the bike ...
Mike
Given the lack of of an obvious 'fix' I thought I would try the easy stuff first: so I took snilard's advice and moved the ventisit back a bit and then I also lengthened the headrest about a inch or so. This avoided the need to start re-adjusting cables etc.
I then did a 100km ride on Saturday and while I started to get the onset of the same pains, I found I was able to adjust my seating position slightly to alleviate them. I suspect the extra space from the headrest adjustment gives me a little more literal 'wiggle room'. I then did another 90km on Sunday with no ill effects.
My Sunday ride was also my first with other riders around me - it was a local charity ride with about a 1,000 participants of all abilities - although there were four course of various lengths. I found it quite eye opening for a few reasons:
1. The number of people who inquire about the bike - mostly by asking if it is comfortable. This seemed rather an odd question as I was resting sat on my bike, while everyone else was resting off their bikes
2. The aero advantage is huge ... it was very obvious that I was working less hard on the flats and modest downhills. It gets a little frustrating when you find yourself braking to avoid running into someone through a dip.
3.My (modest) climbing isn't as slow as I expected. I should say, I haven't developed a good coordinated technique for using my upper body when climbing/sprinting. However, while 'sit n spin' feels slow ... by comparison to others it was still a quite respectable pace. However, I still lack the ability to do really steep stuff (>10%) for more than 5oyds
4. I get a lot more smiles and waves from passers-by than other riders do!
Really enjoying the bike ...
Mike
