V20 Build with Replacement Seat

[BJ686]

Pics below of my V20 build. A few notes that might be of interest to others:

1. Crankset is a SRAM Apex double compact with shortened cranks (155 mm). Received from Bikesmith Designs.

2. Front Brake is TriRig Omega X (thanks to Ratz’s build diary for the idea). This helps eliminate any leg rub issues on front brake.

3. Seat is from Thor. The Stock seat does not work for me since it is flat and I prefer to have a little more “upcurve” on my upper back. First impression of the Thor seat is good, but the seat is a little long for me as the “up-curve” for the upper back starts too late. Ordered an XL, but should have gotten M or L (I am 6 feet tall). Did not want to drill holes in frame, so for purposes of bolting seat to frame I used the existing two holes in the frame at the seat pan area, and the two headrest holes at the top. Used Rick Y’s idea of using pieces of a rubber jeweler’s block as a base for the seat and a support at the top.

4. Neckrest is from ADEM. I’ve tried other neckrests before and I am impressed by this one. However, I’m still struggling to get 100% comfortable on it. I think this is more of a personal neck issue as I am just not comfortable with neckrests, although it is needed given how reclined the seat is. I have also added some padding behind the top of the seat pad in order to raise my head up so there is less pressure on the neck rest.

5. Water Bottles. I tried adding a water bottle cage on the bottom of the boom/slider in the holes that are provided, but it hits my legs when pedaling. For lack of a better idea, I used a bottle cage handlebar mount to attach a cage to one of the rear stays (see pic).

6. Bag is a Bacchetta Brian Box. I had to cut some of the threading so that the headrest post would fit through the bag support, but otherwise works pretty well.

7. Frame Size is standard. During the build, I thought that the crank seemed a little low, so I ordered a large chainstay. However, this seemed to make the crank too high, so I think I am a bit "between sizes". I ended up going with the standard chainstay for now, and it is working fine. Perhaps I will switch it out if I ever want to be more aero.

Rode initial 35 miles over the past weekend. It felt good, other than a little discomfort in the neck. A bit wobbly, and had the newbie “deathgrip”, but otherwise it went well. I put about 500 miles on a Silvio 1.0 about 5 years ago, so I wasn’t a complete novice to MBB. All things considered, initial impressions are very positive. Any thoughts or recommendations on the above are welcome.

Brad

 

[ratz]

5. Water Bottles. I tried adding a water bottle cage on the bottom of the boom/slider in the holes that are provided, but it hits my legs when pedaling. For lack of a better idea, I used a bottle cage handlebar mount to attach a cage to one of the rear stays (see pic).

I have that same problem; so we went with the overly expensive Giant Aero bottles; in the end it was worth the cost to have one on the boom and two under the seat that can be rotated while riding. Replacement bottles were easy to get on Ebay. If you know someone outside the U.S. you can also get the cages cheaper from the oem than from giant.

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Gian...o-aero-kit-with-water-bottle/32413247318.html

The cage is carbon hence the cost; replacement bottles are $7

 

[super slim]

Is it possible to mount two water bottles in the triangle area without drilling holes in the seat?
Would the bottles be reachable there?

 

[ratz]

Is it possible to mount two water bottles in the triangle area without drilling holes in the seat?
Would the bottles be reachable there?

New seats come with the holes pre-drilled.

 

[BJ686]

I have that same problem; so we went with the overly expensive Giant Aero bottles; in the end it was worth the cost to have one on the boom and two under the seat that can be rotated while riding.

Thanks Ratz. Funny, when I tried a regular size bottle and it didn't work, I thought that it would be nice if someone made a skinnier bottle and cage. Didn't realize they actually existed.

 

[BJ686]

Is it possible to mount two water bottles in the triangle area without drilling holes in the seat?
Would the bottles be reachable there?

One of the downsides of using a different seat like I did, is my seat did not have enough room on the sides to mount waterbottles due to the "arches" on the back of each side of the seat. The Cruzbike seat is perfectly flat like Ratz alluded to, and comes predilled for holes for this purpose. As far as using the rear triangle, you could mount a bottle cage to one of the stays like I did, but I ended up putting mine directly below the seat so that it was easier to access. Was also concerned that the bottle might rotate and hit the spokes while riding if mounted right beside the wheel (or that I might accidently stick my hand in the spokes while trying to grab the bottle).

 

[BJ686]

Got the first 200 miles on the bike, and so far so good. Still working on eliminating the "death grip"--have noticed some hand soreness after 20 or so miles and am realizing I have been squeezing very tight for an hour or more. I think others have suggested riding open palm, so I may work on that. Also ended up using a Camelback 50 oz bladder instead of water bottles and that worked well.

Got in about 100 miles in Charleston, SC on vacation over the past week. Here are some pictures of the V20 at rest on the Ravenel Bridge and the Shem Creek Bridge.

 

[BJ686]

Thought I would add a few pictures of the lights I added in case others were interested in seeing. Added a DesignShine 500 in the back, and the Gemini Duo in the front. Thanks to Ratz and others for the recommendations and reviews on these lights. Really like both, and in particular the remote control for the front light. Both lights are incredibly bright, even in the daytime, so it is nice to be able to easily turn off the front light with the remote if I am in a neighborhood, etc.

Frankly, I sometimes wonder if these two lights are too bright even in the daytime when set on the highest settings (although maybe you can't be too bright in the daytime!). I have been running these during the daytime at just below the highest settings. Also, have been using a 4 cell magic shine battery which fits pretty well on the rear stays under the seat.

 

[John Dorlon]

Also ended up using a Camelback 50 oz bladder instead of water bottles and that worked well

I was going to suggest that. I have a similar bag on the back of my V, and the camelbak bladder works great with it. I don't know about your bag, but there is a slit at the top of mine that I route the camelbak hose through - I can easily pull it out and shove it back in (so only the bitevalve sticks out) while I'm riding.

 

[GetBent]

Why go with shortened cranks? A clearance problem handle bars and legs?

 

[BJ686]

Why go with shortened cranks? A clearance problem handle bars and legs?

Shortened cranks do help a bit with handlebar clearance. But I use them because they feel more comfortable/natural to me than "normal" size cranks in the recumbent position, and I have them on all of my bikes. For what it is worth, I think you will find many on this board (and on other recumbents) that use shortened cranks. I'm not sure I feel any performance difference one way or the other, so for me just boils down to personal preference.

 

[DavidCH]

Cleat positioning on the feet are worth looking into also. Quite a number of us have cleats placed more towards the heel than the usual road bike setting. (Don't like using the word normal)

 

[ChaleJake]

Shortened cranks are better for bad knees. I run 150mm cranks on my Silvio. The shortened knee bend is much better on my bad knees.