Cruzbike Silvio

So I am making some changes in my life and want to get back in shape. This means getting a bike I will ride. I won't ride a diamond-frame or any non-recumbent. I gave it a whirl and it is just too hard on my body. The Raptobike aka White Rabbit is a great bike but it has some failings of my own design. I switched to disk brakes and a drum brake rear making it too hard to change any tire. It still has a 20" front wheel which has been difficult during road construction or any obstruction of my cycling route. I am also more fearful since a few people have been killed on my commute route. It also won't fit in any of the cars we own at the Watson house and I like having that backup if something goes wrong on a ride.

The Mango is difficult to work on and repair. I love the bike but unless I learn to be a better bike mechanic I will be selling it to buy a Cruzbike Silvio V30 or possibly a Vendetta V20 (both are approximate seat angles by the way, not versions). The bent online community is conspiring to have me choose the Vendetta and I do prefer a stiff frame but I get ahead of myself. The two Cruzbike models mentioned are both high end bikes that perform well in the road riding world. They have both been involved in record setting mostly by Maria Parker, who is an amazing athlete. They are Front-Wheel Drive Moving Bottom Bracket bikes, aka FWD-MBB. This means that the pedals up front turn with the front end. It apparently takes some getting used to though it has advantages in climbing. Various types of theorists may fight over that claim but anecdotal evidence supports the climbing benefits. I don't think I will have too much of a learning curve and if I just ride the darn thing then I will adjust. The level of comfort I have even now on the Raptobike is very high and I have had some interesting spills on it.

Given that the Vendetta has a lower seat height and other advantages, if I can get it into a Ford Focus Hatchback than I will likely make that my choice. At this point in time. I could change my mind. I also hope to buy a few new accessories with the mango money, lights, camera, gps, bike bags and a hard-shelled bike box for air transit. But that is more long term. At the moment I am cleaning up my bikes, doing the basic maintenance and riding. Lets see how it goes...

Tired but some thoughts on bikes

I am tired today, I have been slammed at work and kept chained to my desk by trying to support remote people via IM. My Mango is currently down while I deal with repairs and so I have been thinking about secondary bikes and fair weather bikes.

When I hurt my Mango (still a painful thought) I cleaned up and got both my Corsa and Raptobike road worthy again. The Raptobike process was basically filling the tires and adjusting the seat pad. The Corsa had been loaned to Doncl for testing and so I had to adjust the seat, change both tires and tubes. Then I had to get lights, seat bag, and all the accoutrements necessary for riding (water, snacks, keys, tools, pump) all set up.

The raptobike is still my favorite bike ever. It is just an amazing machine and now that I have the mango I am considering modifying my setup to be less commuter/tourer and more light and fast. I was thinking of changing the gearing from Rohloff to 65t big ring, and 9 speed cassette with 11-28. That is 42-108 gear inches, a bit high end but doable for a fast bike. Switch everything back to v-brakes and go as light and strong as I can with the wheels. I would put dacron wheel covers (home made) on the rear wheel too. I would strip off all accessories except the fastback bags. I would leave my tail lights on too (two on rear fork, one on headrest). I could remove the lights for racing. I could use this for sunny organized rides and group rides in the puget sound once I get my fitness back.

I am also considering the raptobike midracer.


Big wheels, fast bike, and it is a travel bike. Wow hard to resist.

Then Arnold at Raptobike also shows us his new prototype, the Raptotrike:




It blows me away that a tiny manufacturer based in the Netherlands has such a variety of amazing products. The raptobike lowracer is awesome and a great price point. I don't even see competition for the raptobike midracer, which is pretty amazing, and then the raptotrike tilting delta, wow. And Arnold wants to do a streamliner kit for the trike too.

Very impressive and I am a very happy customer of Raptobike.

Commuting in the rain

I just want to say, I commuted in the Mango today. It was raining and 40 degrees F. Yet I wore short and a t-shirt without using the foam top. It was a wonderful ride and great fun.

Bikes and Preferences

Since I got my Mango Sport I have found it hard to commute and ride my other bikes. I will jump on the raptobike for a quick ride and sprint around my neighborhood or to get the mail, but I ride the Mango for most any long rides. The difference is when I want to ride with Kristin or a friend. Then I get on the Raptobike as it is better to keep the same pace as others. The few times I rode with groups on the Mango I really put-putted along.

What is amazing is that for commuting, there is no substitute. The Mango Sport "The Carrot" is so suited for packing a laptop, some tea supplies, my lunch and a change of clothing. To do the same with my Raptobike or Corsa means dealing with one or two panniers. With the Mango I just pack it into my backpack or place it loose inside. I get to work, pop out, grab the satchel and go inside. No worries about water proofing as the mango takes care of that.

I can't wait until Wednesday when I get the Carrot back.

Optima Voyage

Optima Voyage, originally uploaded by Watson House.

The Optima Voyage is a version of the classic Baron lowracer that folds. There is an awesome video of this at recumbentblog.com

This is very cool and I am happy to see recumbent bikes finally coming up with a fast folder that is a decent bike as well. I would happily use this for either travel or urban mixed mode commuting.

Mango Sport and my fickle desires

Sinner has introduced the Mango Sport a 60 lb Velomobile. I am blown away by the idea of a 60 lb velomobile. This is 15 or so lbs lighter than the Quest Velomobile. Just yesterday I was dreaming about the Musashi as a go-fast bike in my stable since my raptobike has commuter duties now. And now today, I really want a Mango Sport. I spent a few hours talking to other Velo owners (Zyzzyx) and debated the pros and cons of the Mango Sport, the Quest, the Glyde and the Go-one and the Versatile. In the end for me it comes down to the Mango and the Quest. With the Mango Sport edging out the Quest due to the weight. I want to talk to David Hembrow, he has been riding a Mango the past year and works for Sinner so I can get some indirect feel for it, but I am smitten.

I could stand to lose 40lbs from my engine right now. So if I shed the weight and have a mango, I should be as fast up the hills with the Mango as I am today with the Raptobike. I can handle that, especially since that means I can take any hill, any road etc. Suspension and three wheels stability means I can ride the gradually worsening Seattle roads with aplomb in nearly any weather. The Mango Sport will allow me to race, to do fast century rides and commute in the same vehicle. I can use the Raptobike for brevets, hot weather and fun.

So it is time to sell the pile of stuff in my garage so I can afford a Velomobile. I don't think I can resist the allure of this siren call.

Waiting

I have been riding the Corsa lately. The White Rabbit is in the shop getting a new front wheel and new brake pads. I miss the raptobike greatly. With the rear rack on the Raptobike I have a much higher carrying capacity and can take my laptop home which I cannot do confidently with the Corsa. The internal hub and easier start off the line makes the Raptobike a much better commuter as well.

The new rim is in and Kirkland Bike Shop is doing their normal stellar job of building me a new front wheel. So soon I will be back to this:

Commute Pictures over time.

I love commuting by bike. It is fun, it keeps me in shape and I get to decompress after work with a beautiful ride and workout. I thought it would be fun to show a number of the pictures I have taken commuting over the Spring and Summer. So here goes:

The Recumbent Point of View.


Raptobike Commuting in the Rain.


The View from behind me.


Me and My Steed.


The Raptobike at the Office.


The traffic I avoid


The view behind me on the Sammamish River Trail.

My Commute - a photo essay

My morning commutes in the summer are beautiful and a great way to start the day. Hopefully this gives you an idea of why I like it.

DKW arrives at my house to start the ride. We head out from here N on Market. That route quickly gets us to Juanita Dr. Since there is a downhill section on Market I wait for DKW after the left turn on Juanita.

Here I am.

Here is DKW.

DKW snaps a picture of me as we start up the hill on Juanita. After the 2 or so miles uphill there is a long downhill section, I normally hit 38 mph in traffic, 43 mph if there is space. I generally lose DKW on the downhill. Today I made both lights and had a bit of time to wait.

Here I am.

Here is DKW (hiding in my helmet). We now get on the BG trail and take it to the Sammamish River trail.

Here is the river.

The headwinds give me the advantage on this part of the ride


DKW is a machine though and rides alone with me even when I push it on the SRT.

The trail always has such nice views.

Check out my entire photoset for more pictures of the commute. I love this ride. It always makes me feel good in the morning.