hurri47
Well-Known Member
My first Cruzbike is a conversion kit on a dual-suspension mountain bike (Cannondale Super V). I rode upright bikes until about six years ago when I went recumbent. I ride a variety of recumbent geometries but no high-racers and no suspensions. My normal cadence is in the high 80s and low 90s, so I'm not a mad spinner, but not a grinder either.
The first thing I learned about climbing on the Cruzbike is how much higher a gear I can use (compared to other recumbents) because I'm allowed to pull on the bars. This gives me some impressive uphill speeds on the short hills I've tried so far (including not downshifting at all from flat-ground gearing), but the conventional wisdom on both conventional recumbents and Cruzbikes is, "spin, don't mash." The problem I'm having is, when I drop to what seems like an appropriate spinning gear, the front end bounces up and down like crazy.
I've done a search on this site for the word "pogo," and it always seems to refer to what happens at the rear of a suspended mountain bike under heaving pedaling. This effect is allegedly all but eliminated due to Cruzbike geometry, so what I'm experiencing may need a different name.
This front end bouncing can't be good. I suppose I could apply some experimental science (instead of guessing at a good "spinning gear") and do hill repeats in progressively lower gears to see what kind of crossover point there is between smooth climbing and bouncy-bouncy. I should probably also mount a cadence meter - I'm running instrument-free so far on this bike.
But first - has any one else dealt with this? Do I more likely have a problem with technique or equipment? Could it be the Cannondale non-adjustable and non-lockable Headshok? The 175mm cranks? (All my other bikes are 170mm.) Or do I just need to learn to pedal rounder circles?
-Dan
The first thing I learned about climbing on the Cruzbike is how much higher a gear I can use (compared to other recumbents) because I'm allowed to pull on the bars. This gives me some impressive uphill speeds on the short hills I've tried so far (including not downshifting at all from flat-ground gearing), but the conventional wisdom on both conventional recumbents and Cruzbikes is, "spin, don't mash." The problem I'm having is, when I drop to what seems like an appropriate spinning gear, the front end bounces up and down like crazy.
I've done a search on this site for the word "pogo," and it always seems to refer to what happens at the rear of a suspended mountain bike under heaving pedaling. This effect is allegedly all but eliminated due to Cruzbike geometry, so what I'm experiencing may need a different name.
This front end bouncing can't be good. I suppose I could apply some experimental science (instead of guessing at a good "spinning gear") and do hill repeats in progressively lower gears to see what kind of crossover point there is between smooth climbing and bouncy-bouncy. I should probably also mount a cadence meter - I'm running instrument-free so far on this bike.
But first - has any one else dealt with this? Do I more likely have a problem with technique or equipment? Could it be the Cannondale non-adjustable and non-lockable Headshok? The 175mm cranks? (All my other bikes are 170mm.) Or do I just need to learn to pedal rounder circles?
-Dan
