The great Silvio/Vendetta swap

[LarryOz]

OK - it is Monday morning, September 29, 2014.
My new (new to me) Vendetta 2.0 is finally done and ready to ride! Yeah. Too bad it raining ALL day!!

A bit of history for those who do not know it (for those that do, don't worry , I'll keep it short!)
On June 1, 2014 I drove from Asheville, NC to Fredricksburg, VA to pick up a Silvio 1.5 that Buddy was selling, then to New York and delivered it to Seth, who was selling his Silvio 2.0 (but wanted a S1.5 again), then back to Asheville, NC 1100 miles, 26 hours. I guess I wanted a Cruzbike really bad!
That is how I acquired my first Cruzbike Silvio 2.0.
I took my first ride on the S2.0 on June 14th. I was a true clutz! At that point I did not ever think I would actually be able to ride it on a real road, ever, but I was pretty determined. After 7 day s of riding it around my neighborhood after work, I finally ventured onto the main rode, and finally to a local park. On Sept 23, I started "fearfully" commuting to work, and then I just loved riding it so much that I just rode and rode and rode. I quickly got to where I wasride between 20-25 miles on my way to work and 20-25 miles on my way home, and then centuries on the weekend.
After about 500 miles I just knew I wanted a Vendetta. Why, well, I guess I am just a speed junky!!!! So,I kept riding my S, all the while trying to figure out how I could get a V.
I finally decided to sell my 2007 BMW Z4M Coupe. Then... On Sept 6, I saw a post on this forum from John Hausler that he wanted to sell his V2. I turned out that he just built it, but due an issue with his neck he could not lay in the seat and bend his head forward enough to see the road. He wanted to get a Silvio 2.0 instead. We agreed to trade bikes and swap components!
He shipped me his Vendetta, which arrived on Thursday, Sept 25.
On Saturday (Sept 27) morning I went to a local park that has a 1/3 mile track and took my final ride on my S. I road a series of 5 minute rides attempting to maintain a constant wattage on each ride, starting at 100 watts, and ending at 360 watts, in approximately 25 watt increments. These rides will serve as my benchmark on a stock Silvio.
We started swapping out the parts on the two bikes about 10am this same Saturday!
My very good friend, and custom Vendetta owner, Gary (bentAreo), spent 7 hours Saturday and 2 hours Sunday helping me swap components of both bikes, and tune the V2 for me to ride.
We finished up around 6pm (Sunday, Sept 29). What a quick turnaround! Thanks so much Gary. You are the best!
....
So, after 15 weeks and 4,156 miles on the S2, I now have a V2 to commute, train and race with. I am very excited, and look forward to returning to the same park that I did the benchmark testing on and run the same rides on the stock V2. I will post my results to the forum and we can all dissect them!
Below are some pictures of both bikes during the dis-assembly and re-assembly process.

Thanks again to everyone who offered me assistance in setting up and getting me going so quickly on the Silvio. Of course it just made me want to get a Vendetta!
It is a shame I could not keep her (my Silvio), but I think we (me and my new V) will be very happy together. Just a killer that I can't ride since it is raining!
Note: Funny thing happened after I got the V from John: My BMW sold the day after I received it! Oh, well.
But at least now I have some funds for power meters, carbon wheels, and who knows what else I might need to go faster and farther. Maybe I'll still have some $ for a V3 when it comes out.

Ivan, sorry buddy, I know you might feel I have defected over to the dark (or.. yellow side).. I guess I have, but you probably will too someday...

yeah - I know I will have to change my picture now too!
Larry

p.s. for some reason, I am not given the option of adding picture to this post. Not sure why. WIll try and add them after

 

[LarryOz]

pics of swap...

some pics of the swap and final bike on stand

 

[Jeremy S]

"Rode and rode and rode" is

"Rode and rode and rode" is right! You put up some crazy numbers on Strava. Looking forward to hearing about your V experiences.

 

[ratz]

You'll note

Jeremy you'll not he says 20-25 miles on the "way" to work. Rumor has it that his commute is about 10-15 miles. Mileage and Speed junkie no doubt.

Congrats Larry; now that the BMW is gone you can order an S30 with fenders so you can ride that on rainy days.

 

[Rick Youngblood]

..."speed and mileage junky" for sure

Hey Larry glad to see the V is ready ready to ride, congratulations.

Bob, you got that right, the man is "speed and mileage junky" for sure.

I'm trying to join the "mileage junky" club. But find I have to take those dreaded rest days to let legs heal.

 

[Andrew 1973]

Great Story

Quite a round-about way of getting a Vendetta, but it seems like everything worked in your favor.

 

[Ivan]

I can just hear Larry

I can just hear Larry grinning from ear to ear as he wrote all that out! The number of defectors is alarming! If I had someone to swap with like that it would be very tempting! Or perhaps a few years down the road with Vendetta 3.0...

 

[LarryOz]

Bob, Jeremy, Rick,
I am

Bob, Jeremy, Rick,
I am ashamed to admit it, but my shortest "ride" to work would be only 7 miles! - I definitely take the "long way" if I have time.
The way I look at it; "if your going to go to the trouble of getting all outfitted for a ride, it might as well be at least an hour."
But it's nice sometimes, when I really need to be home quickly (ie. working late and have to be somewhere else), then I can be home in under 20 minutes pretty easily!
Of course, it gets harder and harder to put the long hours/miels in as the temps drop and the days get shorter and shorter. We'll have to see what happens with that! Makes it a lot harder to train for something like Sebring that happens in Mid Feb. too.

Ivan - I'm with you on the V3. Of course, you kind of wonder, what else could John do to make the frameset more aero or lighter? Who knows? We'll have to wait and see....
....
Still waiting to actually get a first real ride on it too - since raining ALL day!!!!! Going nuts.

 

[Lief]

Dear Going Nuts,
While trying

Dear Going Nuts,

While trying to think of something witty and clever to say to somehow make a good-natured joke at your expense - I find that I cannot.
I cannot because your drive and cleverness trump any attempt at humor or deprecation.

Driving that far, meeting up with Seth, trading bikes, putting >4KMiles in just one "rookie" season, trading again - that's not luck.
You have a skill and a passion and a drive for this that cannot be denied.
Good on ya! - I bow down.

I'm almost (though not quite) as eager for the rain to stop in your hometown as you are - just to watch the KOM's roll in.

 

[ratz]

Does make me want to

Does make me want to commuted to work by bike. Since I work from home that would be entertaining. Especially the requirement to ride home each night.

 

[Jim Gerwing]

Welcome to the yellow side

The force IS with you. JG