Silvio 2.0 Journey, Build, and Ride Video

[BentBierz]

You have an incredibly

You have an incredibly beautiful bike...hope mine turns out looking half as nice!

BTW, Cruzbike ought to pay for some of your pictures...better than the Silvio pictures they currently have on their website which, if I'm not mistaken, is still the 1.0. Reminds me...when I told a buddy that I was buying a new bike, I sent him your picture since sending him to the CB website would have not done justice to the 2.0.

 

[marshall2389]

Ivan, I like the position

Ivan, I like the position that the chainstay extension puts you in. I would like to recreate that when I get an S2. I am 5"10 but don't know my x-seam. I am wondering whether I should go with a 100 or 150mm extension and where that would put my handlebar. If the handlebar is too low I would have to find a way to extend the top of the fork tube to raise the handlebar. How did you figure out which extension length you wanted?

 

[Eric Winn]

Is that reflective tape on

Is that reflective tape on your seat stay or some sort of light?

-Eric

 

[Nanda Holz]

John, what is the hold up

John, what is the hold up getting the new 2.0 Silvio and Vendetta, and 3.0 Quest and Sofrider pix update on the bike model pages? It's embarrassing to have to refer people to the CB website, then explain..."well this has changes and this looks different," etc. and the new hydro formed frames are drop dead gorgeous and add even more of a roadie bait factor!!!

 

[Jeremy S]

Agreed (with Larry), some

Agreed (with Larry), some really nice pictures, Ivan...

Like Eric, I'm curious about the reflective strip on the seat stay. I have yet to work out my own reflector/lighting plan for my bike.

Ivan, I guess you are monitoring your speed with your Garmin? How much slower are you, at this point?

 

[low wong]

I am curious where you can

I am curious where you can find the proper path or street for your Silvio in Sg. It seems no any bike path in Sg but you still finished 20km cycling, it's amazing!

 

[Ivan]

Elliot, it's important to

Elliot, it's important to measure your X-seam. Mine is 42" and I am just under 5'8". You can see my chainstay angle is closer to vertical right? So for you, lengthening the boom a little for your longer legs would not drop the BB height by much. Suppose your X-seam is 1.5" longer than mine then your BB may lower about an inch and your handlebars raise slightly. My guess is you would be happy with the 100mm extension. You can print some of the side pictures, cut out the boom and chainstay outlines and adjust to see what the angles would turn out to be.

 

[Ivan]

I am working on taking some

I am working on taking some suitable pictures with a white background (that's the hard part) to send to John for the product page. No drops or crashes yet - better stay that way before the pics!

Two Fibre Flares (http://fibreflare.com) are on both seat stays. Usually people put one, but I had two on hand, so having 2 flashing strips of light, one red and one orange, really gets attention! Plus these provide excellent side visibility. I have small LED on my helmet and a tiny Blackburn Flea mounted on my chainstay extension below the BB.

Jeremy, I think I am about 10% slower now. My heart rate is not going up high but my lower quads (nearer my knees) are getting more work on my Silvio with high BB than on my DF, where I feel the burn more on my upper quads. This is the main musculature difference I am feeling. I guess the training of these muscles and technique is what I need to get up to speed. Others told me about 200 miles to get to my previous roadie speeds. That makes sense and is very reasonable. That's about 2 weeks of commuting when I dare to brave my city traffic...

Vovolc, Singapore national parks and park connectors have changed and improved a lot in the past 10 years. There are lots of good leisure cycling paths now which didn't exist when I first came here 18 years ago. But roadies here still ride on the road cos the paths have too many pedestrians and obstructions that slow you down if you want to cruise anywhere near 30kph. Those shots were taken around Marina Bay Promenade, Marina Bay Sands, and Gardens by the Bay. I often enjoy my Brompton on these paths! Good to see another Brommie with a Cruzbike!

 

[Eric Winn]

Apparently Fibre Flares are

Apparently Fibre Flares are yet another Aussie Product. Pretty cool. Ivan, what model did you use on your seat stays?

Now if we can get John to invent Mr Scott's transparent aluminum we could have transparent seat stays with built-in Fibre Flares. Sorry, couldn't resist...

-Eric

 

[Ivan]

Eric, mine are the full size

Eric, mine are the full size fibre flares.
http://fibreflare.com/products/fibre-flare-full-size-red

 

[Ivan]

Bottle Cage Mounting

I have mounted two water bottles underneath the fiberglass-carbon seat by drilling holes in carefully measured locations. A small dremel drill bit made quick and neat holes. I selected locations high up in an aerodynamic position, however I will not be able to reach these while riding. Since I can reach my water bottle behind my headrest, the seat back location was a good compromise for me. It is possible to mount bottles under the seat pan and reach these, as others have done, but this location would be less aero. It is likely that I will use one of my three bottles for tool storage.

 

[marshall2389]

looks great!  I really hope

looks great! I really hope Cruzbike offers some kind of standard brainbox soon so that storing a water bladder, tools, food, and extra storage space (you know, for living life, carrying cargo) is easy. That would be so awesome if there were something easily detachable from the headrest tubes. The fact that there are two headrest tubes is a good start for the stability of mounting cargo back there.

 

[Jeremy S]

Ivan, I'm considering

Ivan, I'm considering mounting a water bottle cage to the seatback as you did, or possibly strapping it onto one of the seat stays (I don't seem to care as much about aero as you plus I don't have any light sabers in the way). Thanks for the pics, I'm more likely to go ahead with this now.

Agree with Elliot, I'm hesitant to order a nice big bag without being sure it will mount well on my bike, and an official Cruzbike solution would clear that up (but I'm not holding my breath).

 

[John Tolhurst]

Please note the following

Please note the following picture. Pads must be swapped left right when using a rear brake on the forward side of the seat stays, as with Silvio 2.0.

Thanks for your attention to this small important detail.

 

[Ivan]

Thanks John, that makes

Thanks John, that makes sense! Did not think of that when I installed it. I have corrected this error.

 

[John Tolhurst]

Come over to the dark side,

Come over to the dark side, nha haa. * We have light sabers ... and cookies !

* insert Darth Vader smiley.

 

[Charles.Plager]

That lighted flag poll on

That lighted flag poll on your Silvio is just wicked cool . Nicely done!

You're right to concentrate on riding smoothly and not worrying about speed. The speed will start to come soon (although if this is your first recumbent, it may take a while to get your full 'bent legs).

Keep the pictures coming.

 

[Ivan]

Silvio had a photo shoot

Silvio had a photo shoot yesterday, followed by her third road ride tonight. 50+km along the coast and to the airport made for a nice late evening ride. I am getting faster, but more importantly getting more comfortable and enjoying the ride. So I shan't worry too much about speed but focus on technique and keeping a straight line. I am fine in light traffic but would not yet venture out for my commute. Now I am stopping in the middle of lanes at the lights, and finding out that starting at a traffic intersection with vehicles all around is more difficult that on a bike path -- the pressure is on!

I finally figured out a way to attach my son's led flag to Silvio. A mini-pump holder mounted to my bottle cage bracket behind the headrest served perfectly. The pump holder grasped the flag base. Now I have a flapping, blinking light saber to keep me safe. The under seat bottle cage holders worked well.

 

[Eric Winn]

+1 for wicked cool and

+1 for wicked cool and concentrating on technique now and speed later. As Yoda and Obi Wan would say, "Use the Force Ivan, use the Force"

@John, cookies ?

-Eric

 

[Jim Gerwing]

Nice pics, Ivan

Even the pic of you taking a pic is supremo. And they're right side up which really boggles my mind.
Happy 'motoring'.
JG