I have been out for five rides now over several weeks time on the V20 and have the bike fairly well adjusted for riding position and accessories. Before buying the V20 two concerns I had were how to mount a gear bag and how to carry fluids. For carrying gear, first I tried using two small bags, one strapped to the lower stays under the seat and another riveted under the seat using the right side cage mounting holes. After a couple of rides I decided there was a better way and ordered a Fastback frame bag to give that a try.
With bag in hand I looked how I might mount it under the right side of the seat where it would be out of the wind and not on center of the bike (where it would pickup more wheel spray in wet conditions). I decided the Velcro straps had to go and cut them off, almost a shame after spending $$ on the bag. Then I drilled two more holes in the upper right side of the seat, held the bag against the bottom of the seat and marked the position of the four holes in the top of the bag. Used a hammer and round hole punch to make the holes in the bag. Finally assembled the bag to the seat using 3/16" pop rivets with re-enforcing washers on the inside. I left the stiffener in the top of the bag for strength. Today was my first ride with the Fastback bag and I am pleased with this new setup. Note: I see Cruzbike has just released a bag to fit V20 and S30 and imagine it will work very well for those wanting even more on bike gear storage space.
Concerning hydration I decided to use water bottles and wanted all cages accessible with left hand. One cage is mounted under the steering boom, one under the left side of the seat, and one is mounted behind the headrest fixed to the left headrest tube. I am very pleased with this setup and can retrieve or store bottles in all cages while riding, though the under boom cage is the easiest one to use.
I had to shorten the headrest cushion pieces by a couple of inches to mount the third cage and found the shorter cushion did not want to stay in place (actually I put the cut pieces back in the headrest to make the cushion thicker). To secure the headrest again I ran a blue shoelace through two preexisting holes in the top of the CF seat (see pic). The shoelace looks a bit funny but it is cheap and effective.
Today was my first ride using the Ventisit seat pad and it does seem more comfortable than the original two piece seat cushions. I have used the two piece setup on my Silvio 1.5 for the past four years and like it fine on that bike. I suppose the difference with the V20 is the more laid back riding position.
Finally, I have included a couple of drive train pics. The X9 "rear" derailleur (designed for 10 speed use) is working relatively well with the Force 1 11-36, 11 speed cassette. The crankset is Driveline Zele compact (50t/34t) with 165mm arms. Except for the fact that I mucked up the clearcoat on the right crankarm when the chain overshifted to the outside during my first ride, I am happy with the Zele cranks. I have since made a very slight stop bolt adjustment on the Force 22 "front" derailleur to keep the chain from being thrown to the outside. Also I used the low 34t/36t gear combination today climbing Kings Gap Road at Pine Mountain Georgia (during a short rainshower) and was able to spin up the steep grade without losing traction. This was my first V20 ride with any significant hills and the bike performed very well on climbs and descents. The engine is still acclimating and wants more power, which should come with more riding.
Cheers.
