The Road to 500 miles in 24hrs

RojoRacing

Donut Powered Wise-guy
We'll call this my introduction as well as my progress report thread as I try to adapt my prior experiences to mastering my first Recumbent bike the Vendetta V20. I've been called over analytical more then a few times so be prepared for some details. I'll post updates as I go and feel free to chime in with advice and ideas you think will help. If you want to see my daily progress of the rides themselves you can follow my Strava page and see where, how far and fast I'm riding from day to day. https://www.strava.com/athletes/rojoracing

My name is Jason Perez currently 30years old and an aspiring MTB endurance racer. I may be a bit younger then the average recumbent rider but I've always been told I have a maturity about me that makes me easy to get along with. I tend to be impatient like most younger people, but I have an open mind and don't weigh anyone's opinion too heavy which includes my own. I look and new and different things and think huh that's different and don't judge it negatively just because it's different.


The Motorsports years

In 2000 I started riding and racing my first street motorcycle a YSR 50 and each year I progressed enough to jump up to the next size bike and class and found myself racing as a privately funded Professional at the world and national levels. At the end of 2007 I decided my favorite fun hobby of racing motorcycles had become to politically strained and no long fun so I promptly retired to retain my love of the sport. 2008 I raced motocross bikes in several varying disciplines and rediscover the thrill of racing two wheels.


The Ultra Running Years

2009 I attempted my first 50k(31miles) Ultra Marathon trail running race which quickly grew into an addiction to see how far my body could go. 2010-2012 I raced at least thirty 50k's, half a dozen 50 milers, and three 100 milers including the famed Western States 100. 2013 I quite all running and cycling and bought a Kawasaki Ninja 250 sport bike which I promptly started modifying top to bottom which would later become a very important part of what I do now.


Becoming a MTBer

The end of 2013 I was invited on a 10 day mtb trip through parts of Oregon. This was the turning point from when I transitioned from riding a mtb on local boring fire roads which I hated, to full fledged Mtber unable to quench his thirst for new trails. When I got back from that Oregon trip I ordered the parts to build a single speed mtb and as soon as I finished it on a friday night I drove 3hrs north got a few hours of sleep and lined up for a solo 24hr mtb race which I went onto winning with 202 miles in 21hrs. I had fallen in love with racing all over again but needed a more fuel efficient transport vehicle then my toyota tundra. That's where my highly modified street bike comes into play. With a little enginuity I fabricated a bicycle rack for my motorcycle that would allow me to carry everything I would need to camp and race over a full week. In 2014 I competed in 41 mtb races ranging from local 20 mile XC races to 8, 12 & 24hr solo races and as far from CA as New Mexico. It seemed the longer the race I better chance I had at winning so I tries focusing on my endurance and general riding skills. 2015 I've done fewer short distance races and really focused on the ultra distance events which would include the 2015 WEMBO 24HR SOLO Mtb world championships in two weeks time. I recently won the 24hrs of Bend completing 252 miles(new personal record) on the mtb on a course mostly consisting my windy single track.


Where I'm headed now

With my performance over these last 2 years as well as my carefree attitude towards trying anything if it sounded interesting I now find myself in possession of a Vendetta V20 on a limited trail curtosy of the folks at CruzBikes. The idea is to see if I can't put the hurt on the standard road bike field in the upcoming World 24hr Road Time Trial held on Nov 13-14 http://24hrworlds.com/24/index.php?N_webcat_id=360 setting some kind of record would just be icing on the cake.


The Trial


Day 1


So I received my brand new Vendetta fully assembled in what could be considered the worlds biggest bike box. During my lunch break I tried hopping on for a quick spin to get a feel for it and quickly found myself overwhelmed by a lack of balance. It took me a couple minutes to get both feet clipped in and rolling through our parking lot like a drunkard leaving the bar at 2am. I never feel over but in the short 15 mins I attempted to ride the bike I put my feet down a lot. I tried riding down our street but was quickly overcome by a severe sense of fear for my life, which may honestly be the very first time I can recall that happening EVER. I mean I'm comfortable with going nearly 200 mph and dragging my knee through corners at 140mph on a motorcycle knowing full well death is only a small mistake away but I never felt fearful for my life. I was afraid if I happen to get one of those assholes in a vehicle who passes you within inches and I just happen to swerve left due to my current lack of balance I'd get myself killed. I my area in order to safely road cycle you need to actively control your environment which means hand signals and occasional swerving to get the cars behind you to show a little common sense. This means on my 30 mile commute I spend nearly half my time checking my mirror to see how the cars are acting behind me. You can't look in a mirror if you so focused on merely balancing a bike that you can't look anywhere but strait ahead. With less then ½ mile on the bike I rolled in back into my show so I could bring in my truck to take it home where I could safely ride my local bike path.


Day 2
24.6 miles
https://www.strava.com/activities/394515652

This would be my first true ride on the Vendetta so I spent some time riding back and forth in my street which has zero traffic. I made several adjustments to the ergonomics but with no prior recumbent experience I was just guessing on what it should feel like. After I got the bike to fit me and shift a little crisper I rode to our local paved bike path that in about 9 miles long and has one section of about 2.5 miles with no road crossing and several turns good for practicing cornering. I rode back and forth several times on this long section taking mental notes of what I felt and trying ideas to smooth out my balance. I found if I didn't pedal I could proceed perfectly strait and navigate corners with ease, so every time I passed a person I would simply coast by then start pedaling again. Another thing I noticed was I had zero issues with very hard accelerations since I found the high pressure on the pedals combined with me pulling back hard but consistently on the bars mad for a stable ride. The sudden easing up on the pedal force after sprinting would cause me to wobble though. I couldn't ride with only one hand so I would stop to drink out of my bottle.


I feel like a superstar when I can cleaning navigate between to bollards and check for cars at the road crossings on the trail. It goes something like "ok keep it steady, don't hit the pole, don't hit the pole, ohhhhh damnnnn......YEAH! I didn't hit the pole, damn are there any cars, crap I'm falling over, need....too.....keep.....pedaling....no not that way, Oh! another pole, don't hit the pole, don't hit the pole" it's pure comedy in my head.


Things I learned

I lifting your head slightly seemed to aid in balance and vision through corners. With the laid back position the sun is always in your eyes and makes it hard to see in some situations, yes I'm already wearing the darkest sunglasses I own. You trade a sweaty and sore ass or a much larger sweaty back. I sucks not being able to carry all my items in my rear jersey pockets. Don't carry item on your shorts like cell phones, wallets and such because they WILL fall out. I have zero perception of speed so it's hard to tell if I'm faster or slower on the Vendetta vs my standard road bike. Kids absolutely love seeing something different and new so you get a lot of positive chatter when rolling through the local park.


Day 3
17.2 miles
https://www.strava.com/activities/395902868

I mounted my front and rear lights so I could do the same ride again but this time at night when there less traffic both pedestrian and vehicular. Half my road cycling commute is in the dark(3am) and almost all my local Mtbing is also at night due to most the trails being illegal to ride so I at home in the dark. If you've used Strava to record your rides via GPS you'll understand this next part but if you've never heard of strava then just do your best. At the end of the bike path I ride there's two 2.5 mile strava segment, one in each direction so after 5 miles to establish my balance again I rode as fast as I could through these two segments in hopes of gauging my speed on the Vendetta vs my other bike. I ended up about 10 second shy of my best recorded times on both segments which is very impressive when you consider it was a night on a bike I'm still struggling to balance with some rather tricky blind corners. At the end of this ride I saw a noticeable improvement in my balance as well as my starting and stopping skills so I decided I would start an hour earlier then the local fast guy group ride and practice riding the surface streets of the city. If I felt safe enough after the first hour I would join the group ride and just play it by ear.


Things I learned

Because your head is in contact with the head rest it's not in a fluid state like when it's not in contact with anything on a normal bike. I feel this makes it feel like my head it locked in place and I feel like I've lost a ton of peripheral vision. If I lift my head off the rest I get a lot of it back but that's an extra movement that seems to be hard to do automatically right now.


Day 4
51.7 miles
https://www.strava.com/activities/396470205

7am and I'm rolling out my driveway and I notice I takes me almost no time to get as comfortable as I was the night before. I swung by my local doughnut shop for breakfast, yes I eat donuts before riding on weekends. I met up with a friend who wanted to see the bike in action which was perfect because I wanted his opinion of whether he felt safe enough riding with me which would be a good indicator of whether I would join the group ride later. We rode around and he got a good laugh at how I looked stable but then I have a small random swerve like if I got hit with a gust of wind. When he rode next to me I felt a little cramped and my nerves would spike a bit. We rode the the side of town with some 10% climbs to see how well I could climb. I think most off what I felt was the fact the the Vendetta is almost 10lbs heavier then my other bike but it felt notably slower getting it up the hill. I also found myself serving due to reduced balance at the slower speed. After cresting over the top we coasted down the other side and it just felt like the bike was picking up speed faster then I'm used to which put a smile on my face. The GPS recorded 41.6 mph and the bike was as stable as can be. I felt good enough to join the group ride so we jumped in with the group. I hung out at the back as we slowly cruised through town and everyone chuckled about my new machine and why I have it. Once we got out of town and onto two lane country roads I moved to the front and pulled the group for a bit then dropped back to the rear. As the other ride rotated back I would let into line in front of me and just hold the rear. After most of the group had a turn at the front I accelerated back to the front and started slowly picking up the pace to about 30mph. I held the lead for about 1.5 miles till we hit the next traffic light. I felt like I had work pretty hard to hold that pace and judging from the deep breaths everyone around me was taking I had made them all work hard to stay with me. There was a couple more times I was at the front and when I wanted I could accelerate to a point where no one could hold my wheel and then I could maintain that pace and open a gap. Everyone in the group knows me as one of the faster riders in the area and they all knew they were in for trouble with me showing up on a recumbent. I couldn't convince anyone to give it a try but we all joked about how fast we could all get going in a pace-line if the dozen of us all mastered the Vendetta. With each ride I make huge steps in my control over the bike but the finish line is still so far away which will keep me fiercely practicing to make the most out of these next two months.


Things I learned

Because of the laid back position of my body and the headrest hold my head up it's pinching off my wind pipe a bit. It's not enough to notice when just riding at a good effort but when sprinting I noticed I was running out of air and I started to wheeze like an asthmatic. The headrest is far from comfortable but I'm not sure what I should be shooting for in a good angle or point of contact. The adjustment dial in the rear of the helmet started to dig into the base of my skull where it kind has a high spot like a tail bone. I really think a headrest contacted lower on the neck that is also suspended to give way when hit bumps would go a long way for comfort. I know I could rough something up but I don't know if I'll have enough time before the race to test several ideas. If anyone has any other ideas or even some pictures that show you on the bike with a good representation of how it's fitted to you that could help speed up the process of what I can make.


It's hard to look behind you even when sitting up and fully turning your head. I'm sure this gets easier when I can balance better but for now it hard spotting riders who are more then 100' behind me. I have a mirror but its to convex to make out anything of detail unless its within 20' behind me. The fact that my face is pointed up into the sky isn't helping because it seems your eyes are like camera lenses and have their own auto white balance so when it's bright my mirror and GPS get darker and hard to read.


Here's a few pictures of what I've done so far.

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ratz

Wielder of the Rubber Mallet
Excellent progress; this is going to be fun, boarding on riotous, observing this from afar.

Couple quick items:

1) I use the same front battery. Try putting the battery so that hangs under the boom, maybe about 4-5 inches forward of you photo. After a bunch of tweaking I've found that to be the most weight neutral position for it.

2) We need to get you Ventisit seat pad. It will solve the sweat program; and it will give you a more solid connection to the bike.

3) As you found with the neck and breathing; under extreme effort it helps a lot to put some arm pressure into just slightly lifting the pressure off the head rest; I leave my head touch the rest but remove all the weight and that makes a world of difference.

4) Silly as it sounds a few minutes each day slow riding and attempting to steer with just your foot pressure seem to give the brain a lot more confidence that your feet don't provide much input if you pedaling is balanced. Spread eagle runs help a lot but your might be well beyond that with natural balance.

5) In Week 2, try lengthening the boom 5mm and see how that feels most of us here found that as we got comfortable pushing the boom out just a tiny bit was better.

Off to go find you on Strava.... oh and again Welcome to the fray.
 

BentAero

Well-Known Member
yes I eat donuts before riding on weekends.
You say that like it's bad. Real cyclists know those are round powerbars.

Welcome Jason, you'll do fine on the V. Strong riders do very well on this platform.
Cut aero drag wherever you can; it all adds up.
If you've got time, route the cables inside the handlebar. If not, tape them up so they're not in the air stream.
Move your headlight battery to the underside of the boom, out of the air stream.
If you're not going to put a bag behind the headrest, consider getting one of the twin water bottle holders that mount to the headrest frame. (Available on the CB website) Moving the bottles out from under the seat will reduce aero drag, which is very important for you fast guys.

The headrest is a mixed blessing. There are several threads here about improving comfort, just search them out.
 
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RojoRacing

Donut Powered Wise-guy
I may stick with a some short afternoon drills and rides these next two weeks because I'm supposed to be preping for the Mtb 24hr race in 13 days. After that I can shift my focus back to the Vendetta and start logging in some long miles. I've already lengthen the boom several times and felt it was better each time but then I was generally getting better at riding as well. Today my friend noted while riding next to me I was nearly at leg lock with my toes pointed a bit so I wanted to try coming back a little to see what difference it made but we didn't have a 4mm wrench long enough to loosen the BB clamps. I'll keep moving things around little by little as I get more comfortable because as I get better changes may need to go another direction.

I don't think I can do what you describe in #3 without lifting my back a bit which would not seem like a good idea over the long term so I must have the headrest way off. Does your headrest contact only your neck. a little neck and some helmet or just the helmet? If I move it back an an inch then maybe it'll drop my head back a bit and let me breath but then I think my main point of contact would be the helmet which may or may not be good?

When you guy practice steering with your feet are you just going super light with the bars and focusing on the foot input? are you pedaling or just coasting? if your just coasting then what position are your feet at, 6-12 or 3-9?

My friend who rode with me today is also an ex pro motorcycle racer and has balance and skills on the mtb that even I respect as better then me. I let him have a go on the vendetta the other day and we couldn't stop laughing at how much trouble he was having just going strait. After a few laps on my street he came up with the same one word I used to describe the bike, "humbling". Even if I didn't continue racing the V20 in the future I may just need to keep one around for house parties and such, because who doesn't like laughing at their friends struggles ;)
 

ratz

Wielder of the Rubber Mallet
I was nearly at leg lock with my toes pointed a bit so I wanted to try coming back a little to see what difference it made but we didn't have a 4mm wrench long enough to loosen the BB clamps. I'll keep moving things around little by little as I get more comfortable because as I get better changes may need to go another direction.

Yes that sounds a tad long.

Does your headrest contact only your neck. a little neck and some helmet or just the helmet?

We'll have to have Larry chime in too. Mine intersects where the spine and skull intersect about the height of my ears. I had to go to a Giro Air attack helmet to prevent hard interference from the helmet. Definitely air gap between the neck and the head rest if I don't press into the seat.

When you guy practice steering with your feet are you just going super light with the bars and focusing on the foot input? are you pedaling or just coasting? if your just coasting then what position are your feet at, 6-12 or 3-9

This is a drill I do with newbies that come here to learn. I have them put feet at 6 and 12. Then open palms and just put light pressure against the steering to keep a straight and easy coast. Then try to steer by move feet laterally while costing using ball of the feet to try and drag the pedal left and right. No resisting the motion with the hands. The idea is to show them that if you are pedaling smoothly; then any sloppy lateral pressure won't really steer the bike because the front wheel wants to go straight, only unbalanced massing has to be countered with the arms, if you pedal smooth the right foot will counter the left and you will go straight, this is how many of us ride no-hands. I have these student do 3-5 drills of this down hill on a 1% grade. The brain quickly figures out that the feet are hard to create steering input with; this helps beginners quickly figure out that they are over correcting out of what they think is happening versus what is really happening. @DuncanWatson said it well as he is learning. You don't want to burn in bad reflexes as it takes too long to unlearn those things.

Give you background with dragging a knee you should also practice figures-of-eight and leaning out to keep the weigh on the wheels while pedaling through turns. I suspect you'll be carving a turn much sooner than the average beginner. Eventually you'll learn when to lean into the turn. @Eric Winn and @LarryOz are the best at leaning in that I've seen photos of. I'm guessing Jim, Maria, Ben, and @Lief are pretty good at it too.

You're only about 3 hours from @Rick Youngblood if he could squeeze you into his riding schedule that might be a worth while trip. While he'll claim not to be a speedster; he's got massive miles on the bike climbing and riding in dicey situations, like glass bridges. An afternoon riding with him could be a fruitful experience since he could spot rough spots in your setup. He's also got the best alternative seat and headrest setting going.
 

Lief

Guru Schmuru
Excellent post here.
You've clearly got the goods for a serious distance ride.
Can't wait to see what you can do on this V.

Cut aero drag wherever you can; it all adds up.
I'll add that you'll get a fair amount of aero gain out of going with straight drop bars over the flared bars. (or the bullhorns @ratz discusses)
Bring the brifters down into line with the drops, brings your elbows into your sides, brings your hands in next to your legs.

@LarryOz is taking it to an extreme with a super skinny customized steering wheel type thing for his UMCA attempt on a track.
On a long road race I wouldn't think it advisable because *I think* you still need *some* leverage and different options for your hands/arms.

Another interesting option (that I haven't found success with personally - mostly because at this point I haven't tried real hard) would be the @ratz bullhorn with pistol-grip brifters.
starts here - http://cruzbike.com/forum/threads/bullhorn-and-dropbar-options.7014/
summarized exceedingly well on page 9 - http://cruzbike.com/forum/threads/bullhorn-and-dropbar-options.7014/page-9#post-108843

Possibly/probably more aero and a bit less in the way of hand position options, and depending on your config might end up getting your arms up at an angle which, appears to me, less aero.

On my two endurance rides - whenever I get over about 36-37mph (usu downhill) I stop pedaling to conserve energy, tuck my arms in tight, bring my knees in tight against the boom and (as long as I won't cause a cramp in my calf) point my toes on the pedals. (edit: I see the elev-profile of the ride you'll be doing doesn't call for this sort of aero gain - so nevermind this piece).
With each of those adjustments I can feel the bike "lunge" forward as I gain aero advantages (the feet! and legs are the most dramatic changes).

off to strava-friend you.
 
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DavidCH

In thought; expanding the paradigm of traversity
Welcome RojoRacing ,
You have had quite a start, I have a yellow V 2.0, a most beautiful machine. I decided for comfort as I train. Luv what you did to the mirror but I am ok with the standard small. I noticed if you put the rear brake to the higher setting, you can invert your bag that's hanging so its above the support struts (below the seat). It improved my times. Even the best of us stop peddling. You might get the freezing sensation too. When you are really bombing down a hill and the road gets rougher and there are cars trying to overtake you... you stop peddling. Sometimes when you start peddling again, you get a wobble; just start peddling slowly... which isn't too fun if you are fast. I have a huge 54t Q ring but it sure comes into its own going down a hill. Guess you have the standard 39t/52t chainwheel setup which is perfect. Enjoy your trial. I wouldn't be surprised if you buy the V after the trial!

I too have the Ventisit seat pad... its excellent!

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jond

Zen MBB Master
listen to ratz and do the fig 8 drills low speed handling etc carpark drills. with your experience and youth 500klm should see you right for your pilot licence. and then it only gets better. with over 7k on my bike now i feel as planted as i was on my df and feel the bike is part of me now with zero woh nellie moments. but i am still to let her go on a big big descent....... with a 53 x 11 i routinely pedal out downhill 2-3% slopes according to garmin edge so this bike is a racehorse. a bit easier to do it with an aero wheelset but 220 watts does it with training wheels. enjoy the journey unique to yourself. very soon you will connect with leg steering the bike and then the rest will come quickly as yo develop your style and power delivery. small adjustments make a big difference. start marking that boom discretely. ps i found the round bidons under the seat marked the paint work so went aero bottles instead.
 

RojoRacing

Donut Powered Wise-guy
listen to ratz and do the fig 8 drills low speed handling etc carpark drills. with your experience and youth 500klm should see you right for your pilot licence. and then it only gets better. with over 7k on my bike now i feel as planted as i was on my df and feel the bike is part of me now with zero woh nellie moments. but i am still to let her go on a big big descent....... with a 53 x 11 i routinely pedal out downhill 2-3% slopes according to garmin edge so this bike is a racehorse. a bit easier to do it with an aero wheelset but 220 watts does it with training wheels. enjoy the journey unique to yourself. very soon you will connect with leg steering the bike and then the rest will come quickly as yo develop your style and power delivery. small adjustments make a big difference. start marking that boom discretely. ps i found the round bidons under the seat marked the paint work so went aero bottles instead.

My bottle cages wouldn't fit under the seat at all so I spaced them 1" out with delrin spacers. I've already removed the bottle from underneath the seat and I've already started on making my own head rest dual bottle cage setup.
 

RojoRacing

Donut Powered Wise-guy
I actually did a solid 40 mins of stop sign practice as well as zig zagging between benches, tables, trash cans and the basket ball court between my 1st and 2nd day on the bike. I really analyzed the effect that different foot positions had on left vs right turns. One thing I noticed is I was ok and turn and and apexing but my timing for opening my arc and finishing the corner was always late. I would end up continuing my corner longer then I wanted and I'd have to over correct the other direction to straiten out. What I found out is if you are cornering left while coasting if you have your right foot at 12 oclock and go to pedal out of the corner your initial foot pressure turns the wheel left and stands the bike up aiding in acceleration and opening your arc to straiten out. If you have your left foot up top and go to pedal out it will have the opposite effect and you'll have to add in correction. When on a DF bike I always descend, coast or corner with my left foot forward and if I somehow end up with my right foot forward on the mtb going through a technical rocky section my balance becomes completely screwed. I doubt I'll need to program myself to have unique positions for each direction of turning when I can ride the bike with ease but it still a cool idea to have in your back pocket. Really the only drill I think I haven't done automatically just by riding around is the steering with my feet which I will start working on my next chance. Riding with only one hand on the bars is something else I practice every time I have to wait for the group to reform and I'm good enough now that if the road is smooth I can take a drink from my bottle.

I messed with the headrest position today and took some picture in sequence at 1/2" adjustments, chime in on the picture you think looks the best. Honestly I think it was pretty good where it was originally but it's my helmet that has to go. The roller dial in the back of my Rudy helmet is at least 3/4" thick and its low enough that it's getting pressed into my skull. I tried on a Giro mtb helmet the other day and kind of scoffed at it'd micro sized dial wheel in the rear because it was a little hard to turn but now I'm thinking that's exactly what I'll need to use with the V20.

Anyone have any tips for keeping the sun out of your eyes? do those funny little cycling caps help at all? I'm about ready to try using my welding helmet for those noon time rides.

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ratz

Wielder of the Rubber Mallet
What I found out is if you are cornering left while coasting if you have your right foot at 12 oclock and go to pedal out of the corner your initial foot pressure turns the wheel left and stands the bike up aiding in acceleration and opening your arc to straiten out. If you have your left foot up top and go to pedal out it will have the opposite effect and you'll have to add in correction.

Hey now that's a good observation; I just looked at some video footage from my safety camera and sure enough when I coast a turn my inside foot is always up between 11-1 on the clock; same as I would do on reflex on a DF. Looks like that habit carried forward. I mostly pedal through turns now; but that would be a good reason for why I haven't ever felt unstable re-applying power mid to later turn. I think you are on to something we should teach.

Photo #3 is how I have ours set so there some flexibility in shifting in the seat while riding. If running TT's #2 would be the way I leaned. I find the headset a PITA to move once it's set; I'd move between the two by tweaky the boom position as I find that easy to do. I also seal around the head set pipe with bath-caulk to prevent water and sand from the rear wheel perspirating into the frame along the pipes; the yellow V doesn't have a weeping hole and the frame tends to collect sand if you don't seal are the headrest poles.

I tried on a Giro mtb helmet the other day and kind of scoffed at it'd micro sized dial wheel in the rear because it was a little hard to turn but now I'm thinking that's exactly what I'll need to use with the V20.

That's why a lot of use went to the Giro Air Attach helmet. Add in the (1) high rear clearance; (2) solid top to block sun on the head, (3) surprisingly great air flow / ventilation. (4) ability to rotate farther forward on the head without compromising fit, and (5) high end version with a face shield to block the sun and wind, and suddenly the stupid expensive helmet solves a wide range of issues.

If you are going to do you own behind the head setup you can steal possible bits and bobs from this thread which documents two seasons of working through that.

http://cruzbike.com/forum/threads/how-i-spent-my-summer-vacation-an-ongoing-vendetta-saga.7599/

For under the boom and seat here's some water bottle ideas to consider that are more inline with your high speed goal.

vwater2.jpg vwater3.jpg vwater1.jpg

Two sources for the aero bottles
http://www.4zaonlinestore.com/category.html/aero
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/gear/product/airway.aero.water.bottle.cage.kit/562/56236/

We carry liquid fuel in the 3 black ones, drinking from the boom bottle and rotating in the ones from under the seat. Put plan electrolyte water in the two behind the head. And if it's really hot and a self supported effort add two throw away gas station water bottle in the back jersey pockets like @trplay is fond of. And let them flop to either side of the seat pan. In the end we often ride with empty cages but when it gets hot all 5 get used despite the weight penalty.
 
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jond

Zen MBB Master
sun in your eyes try "da brim" works for me in the 4" size but you will look like a regular . i also use the sunrunner cap from outdoor research. and for the legs i use uv leggings from netti.
 

1happyreader

zen/child method
One thing I noticed is I was ok and turn and and apexing but my timing for opening my arc and finishing the corner was always late. I would end up continuing my corner longer then I wanted and I'd have to over correct the other direction to straiten out.
Sounds like what plagued me on slow 90deg turns. I now take great joy carving thru those same turns. I sit up enough so I can drop the bike into the turn (move the handlebars and bike off center of my body) and pedal thru with my body remaining upright.
Try dropping your outside shoulder

Anyone have any tips for keeping the sun out of your eyes? do those funny little cycling caps help at all? I'm about ready to try using my welding helmet for those noon time rides.
don't like caps.
Da-brim is a great stop gap; It comes in sizes (see my avatar for 4 ") can be a shady porch for your face. very adjustable , not a permanent mount .
Rick Youngblood mounted a large moto-cross visor, pics in fourum
Hostel house had a carbon sheet (thin) that zip tied on.

Riding with only one hand on the bars is something else I practice every time I have to wait for the group to reform and I'm good enough now that if the road is smooth I can take a drink from my bottle.
IMHO Signaling turns, grabbing water, and adjusting your shorts are essential SKILLS that should be first practiced in a controlled environment. ( subdivision or parking lot )

Enjoy the ride,,, later
 

RojoRacing

Donut Powered Wise-guy
Ok so I grabbed a Giro Air Attack Helmet and I test that out later if I get a chance to ride. The fruit of today's labor is the completion of mt headrest bottle cage mount, 100% Delrin with stainless helicoil inserts of thread strength. Plastic is just easy to work with but if I like all the positions I may make a skeletal version of it with no adjustments because machined billet alloy always has a nice personal look to it. It wieghs in at 118g but I'm confident I can get it under 100g if I made it again.

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trplay

Zen MBB Master
Funny how we all see differently. The music to my eyes is the simplistic wooden bike stand. Will have one made today. :)
 

RojoRacing

Donut Powered Wise-guy
Funny how we all see differently. The music to my eyes is the simplistic wooden bike stand. Will have one made today. :)

The trick not to be overlooked is the spacing front to back with the 1"x6" cross section pieces. They are spaced exactly far enough for the tire to just barely contact the ground so the bike won't want to roll at all. The 1"x2" piece are on top to create a a finger gap for easy lifting. If you have the bungee cord/O-ring stabilizer it all so works great for the rear wheel as well.
 

RojoRacing

Donut Powered Wise-guy
Super short on time to ride the V20 this week with me needing to focus on the mtb for 24hr Worlds next weekend and the 8hr this weekend. I did manage to get out last night late for another ride in the dark. Unfortunatly I didn't get a chance to do any parking lot drills like I had planned, I'm looking for a suitable place nearby that isn't in use. Last night I rode a much more strait line and only had a could random wobbles from me moving this around on the bike while moving. My speed seems to be good but I still feel like I'm tired or uncomfortable at hold my pace. I think I'm still a bit tense on the bike and there could be some fatigue from my faster lunch time mtb rides.

I did get to borrow a Giro Air Attack helmet and you guys were right, it's the perfect helmet for a bike with a head rest. I've already ordered the version of the helmet with the magnetic shield and I'm already looking into a strip or tint for the upper half to really block the sun in the section you don't really look through.

I also got a flat tire and had to remove the front wheel for the first time and it was very dark. I've got to say removing the front wheel was a PITA but I'm sure there had to have been an easier way. I think I'll play around with it in my garage when I'm not stuck on the side of the road in the dark.

My head rest bottle cage with two 25oz bottles held up perfectly, but my cages hold the bottle a bit too tight and I could easily remove them on the go.
 

DavidCH

In thought; expanding the paradigm of traversity
Front wheel flat is a bit of a show stopper. I carry a plastic tie so I can fasten the derailleur to the fork so that it doesn't all fall apart when I pull the axle rod out. I do this also when I clean the cassette. I have filled both tires with slime, since doing it - I haven't had a flat.
 

twhbent

Active Member
That's why a lot of use went to the Giro Air Attach helmet. Add in the (1) high rear clearance; (2) solid top to block sun on the head, (3) surprisingly great air flow / ventilation. (4) ability to rotate farther forward on the head without compromising fit, and (5) high end version with a face shield to block the sun and wind, and suddenly the stupid expensive helmet solves a wide range of issues.

Just found a Great price on the Giro Air Attack helmet if you're in the market for one. https://www.westernbikeworks.com/product/giro-2015-air-attack-shield-helmet
Price usually only good for a day or two with limited size and color.
 
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