Vendetta finally tested

[snilard]

After more than year of dreaming I have finally tested Vendetta in real. One French distributor (Gabriel Mensi) was offering test ride on Spezi exhibition this year.
I have riden few MBB bikes last year for few minutes so pedal stear was not absolutely new for me. I had to start flinstowning to get some speed and that start pedaling. The bike is really fast. I love it. I was testing it only for few minutes and I was feeling my abdominal muscles and hands fow more than hour.
The bike is pretty high for me but I think that I can manage it. For out of city riding it should be ok. For riding in city with a lot of lights, stop and go traffic, cobbles and tram rails it will be real pain. I live in centre of Prague (CZE)
Vendetta will be my next bike but I don't know when
It was some older version with aliminium seat welded to frame. Is the angle of seat same as on V2.0 and V20?

 

[John Dorlon]

If the seat is aluminum and welded to the frame, then I believe that's a Vendetta 1.0.
In the 2.0 version, the seat was a layer of fiberglass and a layer of carbon fiber, and velcro'd to the seat (which sounds like it would be a problem but it really isn't). Also the distance between the wheels was extended a bit in the 2.0, so it's a bit easier to handle.
In the 20 (the red one), of course the color changed and the boom is slightly different, but I believe the seat angle stayed the same across all versions.

 

[Abbott Smith]

After more than year of dreaming I have finally tested Vendetta in real. One French distributor (Gabriel Mensi) was offering test ride on Spezi exhibition this year.
I have riden few MBB bikes last year for few minutes so pedal stear was not absolutely new for me. I had to start flinstowning to get some speed and that start pedaling. The bike is really fast. I love it. I was testing it only for few minutes and I was feeling my abdominal muscles and hands fow more than hour.
The bike is pretty high for me but I think that I can manage it. For out of city riding it should be ok. For riding in city with a lot of lights, stop and go traffic, cobbles and tram rails it will be real pain. I live in centre of Prague (CZE)
Vendetta will be my next bike but I don't know when
It was some older version with aliminium seat welded to frame. Is the angle of seat same as on V2.0 and V20?
View attachment 280 View attachment 281

Looking good! If you're dealing with cobblestones, you might consider the Silvio because it has suspension. Another option is to put a dampening material under the seat like Joseph demonstrated in the thread on my new Vendetta.

 

[snilard]

Looking good! If you're dealing with cobblestones, you might consider the Silvio because it has suspension. Another option is to put a dampening material under the seat like Joseph demonstrated in the thread on my new Vendetta.

Thanks for support.
I am not planning to use V for city riding so it is not so hot with cobblestones. I am a little bit affraid of tram rails what I cannot avoid on my rides. I have learned how to jump between it on my recumbent so I will learn it with V.
I was siting on S and it is too high for me. And also I am not sure that rear suspension would work for my, I am <60 kg. I really would like to go as fast as possible so V is only option. I have got relativlely comfortable bike, now I need more speed to compete with DFs .

 

[Jeremy S]

I'm fairly sure the seat angle changed with the 2.0.

 

[snilard]

I'm fairly sure the seat angle changed with the 2.0.

How much?

 

[John Dorlon]

Differences between 2.0 and 20 are listed here, but seat angle is not one of the differences listed. http://cruzbike.com/vendetta
Somewhere on this forum I remember John Tolhurst saying that although "20" comes from the seat angle, he said was rounding down and (not as sure on this part) that the seat angle is the same as before. I tried to search for it, but didn't find it.

<Edit>
OK, I found it - regarding the rounding, turns out he was talking about the Silvio (27 degrees, rounding to 30 for the name).

 

[Jeremy S]

Differences between 2.0 and 20 are listed here

Yes -- I believe the seat angle changed with the 2.0 model (looking for a reference...), not with the v20. The angle on the Silvio S30 is rounded up from 27.

 

[snilard]

Differences between 2.0 and 20 are listed here, but seat angle is not one of the differences listed. http://cruzbike.com/vendetta
Somewhere on this forum I remember John Tolhurst saying that although "20" comes from the seat angle, he said was rounding down and (not as sure on this part) that the seat angle is the same as before. I tried to search for it, but didn't find it.

V 2.0 and 20 have same seat angle, but what about bike what I have riden?
I need to know because the bike was near edge of what I can use with my short legs. I can use low bikes with really laying seat, I can use high bikes with more upright seat. But I cannot use high bikes with laying seat because I cannot touch ground by my feet.

 

[ratz]

V 2.0 and 20 have same seat angle, but what about bike what I have riden?
I need to know because the bike was near edge of what I can use with my short legs. I can use low bikes with really laying seat, I can use high bikes with more upright seat. But I cannot use high bikes with laying seat because I cannot touch ground by my feet.

"I rode a vendetta achievement unlocked, proceed to the next level of the game"

Ok so The seat angles on the 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and V20 are all very very close aka you won't be able to tell any difference so don't sweat that. The big change was the geometry of the front end and bend in the boom was improved with each iteration. The 1.0 is a bit of a hand full at speed down hill, the 1.5 is better, and the 2.0 all problems are gone. For a city like prague you might be a pursuing that that popup seat that Happyrider has on his V.

Tram lines ..... ick, yeah rails parallel to the direction of travel still give me the creeps.

You learn really quickly how to get your feet on the ground and achieve a sitting position on the bike as you develop this hip rotation trick which is basically a reverse slide and glide. My ability to get feet on the ground today resembles nothing like what I was doing the first 1500 miles. With miles comes a new second nature. As for weight and suspension, Mrs Ratz is more than 10kg lighter than you and the silvio rear suspension works for her; we just have no preload set on it.

To make the bikes just a tad shorter; you can put the "standard" thin Ventisit seat pad on any of the bikes and that will lower the seat height about 60mm over the stock seats. That makes a huge difference. You also have enough experience to be somone considering 26" wheels but I really don't think you'd need that.

 

[snilard]

"I rode a vendetta achievement unlocked, proceed to the next level of the game"

Challenge accepted I finished and submited my masters thesis this Moday and I have got my final university exam on 9th June. I was on job interview for my first full time job this Wednesday.

Ok so The seat angles on the 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and V20 are all very very close aka you won't be able to tell any difference so don't sweat that.

Thanks for information.

For a city like prague you might be a pursuing that that popup seat that Happyrider has on his V.

No modification. I would like to have as simple and a light as possible. OK, It will get my homebuild light

Tram lines ..... ick, yeah rails parallel to the direction of travel still give me the creeps.

I have crashed only once on tram rails (and ~five times without rails). It was after maybe 15 hours on bike. Rails was wet after rain. I am more careful on wet rails now.

To make the bikes just a tad shorter; you can put the "standard" thin Ventisit seat pad on any of the bikes and that will lower the seat height about 60mm over the stock seats. That makes a huge difference.

Really 60 mm? I use standard Ventisit on my bike and really like it.

You also have enough experience to be somone considering 26" wheels but I really don't think you'd need that.

26" wheels means really bad availability of road racing wheels and tyres. I can walk to any LBS and buy 700c tyre and tube, but with 26" I will get only 2" thick MTB tyres. I play with idea of 25 mm Tufo tubular tyres. Tufo is Czech company so big plus. I can source relatively cheap aluminium tubular wheels from another Czech company Remerx.

Is it huge difference between V and S on long rides in comfort?

 

[ratz]

Really 60 mm? I use standard Ventisit on my bike and really like it.

Typo 20mm-25mm sorry. The Ventisit thing pad is just 20mm thick (just measured it) If I recall before you sit on it the stock pad is 50-60mm thick. I know I had to change the boom length when I changed the pad out.

Is it huge difference between V and S on long rides in comfort?

The V is totally comfortable over 100miles, but the S is nap inspiring comfortable.

 

[Rick Youngblood]

s it huge difference between V and S on long rides in comfort?

Due to my back issues, I'm most comfortable at more reclined positions. So for me the Vendetta is more comfortable than my Silvio.

I ended up selling my Tour Easy because of it's more upright seat back causing pain in my lower back.

Everyone is different and will have different opinions. But I would image when watching your speed-O on the Vendetta, you will feel very comfy !

 

[Abbott Smith]

Due to my back issues, I'm most comfortable at more reclined positions. So for me the Vendetta is more comfortable than my Silvio.

I ended up selling my Tour Easy because of it's more upright seat back causing pain in my lower back.

Everyone is different and will have different opinions. But I would image when watching your speed-O on the Vendetta, you will feel very comfy !

No offense. But I don't want to see pictures of anyone wearing just a Speedo on their Vendetta. Some things cannot be unseen.

 

[Rick Youngblood]

No offense. But I don't want to see pictures of anyone wearing just a Speedo on their Vendetta. Some things cannot be unseen.

Hey, why not? I'm sure Charles would approve?

 

[snilard]

But I would image when watching your speed-O on the Vendetta, you will feel very comfy !

I don't understand. Do you know my speed on my actual (slow) bike? You are not following me on Strava.
Btw. I have started to follow a lot of Cruzbikers on Strava. Maybe You didn't noticed it because I have my real name on Strava - Matěj Novotný and different avatar. I follow Larry, Bob, Rick, Jim, Maria, Ben and Jeremy . And I am impressed by averages. Larry is really great athlete. But I am also impressed by Your averages, Rick. Your averages are higher on leasure ride than mine on training ride. And I would say that I am a little bit more trained than You and have knees without any surgery.

 

[Charles.Plager]

Hey, why not? I'm sure Charles would approve?

Let's keep this a family friendly forum...

 

[Rick Youngblood]

Maybe You didn't noticed it because I have my real name on Strava - Matěj Novotný and different avatar

I just found you on Strava and now following you.

Let's keep this a family friendly forum...

Okay, if you insist Charles, I was just about to post a pic of me in my Speed-O and on Vendetta, but will save it for another day.

 

[battleaxe0]

I don't understand. Do you know my speed on my actual (slow) bike? You are not following me on Strava.
Btw. I have started to follow a lot of Cruzbikers on Strava. Maybe You didn't noticed it because I have my real name on Strava - Matěj Novotný and different avatar. I follow Larry, Bob, Rick, Jim, Maria, Ben and Jeremy . And I am impressed by averages. Larry is really great athlete. But I am also impressed by Your averages, Rick. Your averages are higher on leasure ride than mine on training ride. And I would say that I am a little bit more trained than You and have knees without any surgery.

Your speed is better than mine I joined Team Cruzbike on Strava (Robert says Silvio should ship today/tomorrow, so I'm only jumping the gun a tad) and noticed I have the lowest average speed of the bunch. If it were golf, I'd be winning. Sad thing is - I'm a flatlander. I've got a couple of overpasses and a levee that might barely qualify as a speedbump to Larry, but everything else is billiard table flat. I'll get there eventually - ya'll wait up ok?

 

[Jeremy S]

If anyone wants to compete for lowest average speed -- I'm in!