Hi Maria, as I commented under the original video, I did the Dragon Ride gran fondo on the very same roads last June with a Silvio 2.2, properly fitted and with adequate gearing (and 2 years of experience); 215km with over 3.300 m of elevation and a handful of 20%+ sections, even with the wet roads I finished without any problem and I enjoyed it. I’d never have tried to tackle such a long and difficult ride on an upright bike, simply because i don’t like to suffer on a saddle; so thanks to recumbents and Cruzbike for opening a whole randonneuring world to me!
That was so brave of Hank... somehow i think he slept like a baby. But honestly though, if you fell off a upright bike 3 times on roads like that, i think your injuries would be worse.
Hi Maria, given that most of my local roads look similar to Hank's route (I'm in SW Scotland), it's useful to hear your recommendation of the S40 over the V20c. I'm flip-flopping trying to decide between Q45 with a nice wheelset and road tyres, or the S40. Suffice to say GCN's depiction of the Cruzbike hasn't put me off in any way, I'm excited for a new learning curve! I was surprised at the negativity in the general comments on the video though, I guess fewer people are willing to try something that seems different than I expected.
I think the Q45 might be a good choice. Suspension is nice. The fork is roughly the same on both bikes so you can get a reasonably wide tire even with a larger diameter on the Q45. However, we sell the S40 as a frameset (and not the Q45) so you may want to go that direction and build it up anyway you want.
@@thepandaman Aren't we ALL, lol! I've been trying to save for years ever since they released the first model. These bikes are awesome but on the HIGH END of the bike scale compared to all bikes on the market.
@@thepandaman I'm in Ireland and got an S40 frameset. Definitely pricey with the taxes too. I run 35mm tyres on roads similar to those Welsh lanes with no problems. Just ordered 38mm for extra comfort on the bumps. I find seeing potholes no problem which is good because you cant hop over them on a CB (yes, I've tried). If you ask on the CB forum there may be someone near'ish to you who could let you try one out.
Maria's comments can only be shared 100%. I think they are the same considerations that any recumbent cyclist with a minimum of experience could have expressed. Unfortunately the message passed on the GCN channel was taken by traditional cyclists in the way we read ... no surprise. We can only hope that the GCN team, Hank in particular, wants to continue seriously with recumbent bikes, deepening their potential and making an objective comparison with traditional bikes. An approach in the style of the "Top Gear" series is only useful to raise a few smiles and collect not very useful jokes. Maria, congratulations on your "politically correct" approach. Thanks to Cruzbike for their effort in promoting recumbent bikes; please continue with your hard work!
Thanks @enricomaulettie8669 Some things work, other things no so much. We still feel like any publicity is good publicity. At least they know we're there.
I enjoy the GCN gang. I really appreciate Cruzbike folks reviewing this video and sharing the running commentary. Mrs. Parker was very gracious and honest. It’s more fun when everyone plays nice! Haha
Besides the MBB being too high, his hands look like they're aligned more with his hips. The S40 designer commented once on the FB group that the handlebars should be aligned to your midrift, otherwise you end up working a lot harder & getting the wobbles. That, and hevtook a V20 out in some tough conditions... My Q45 handles sand, gravel & potholes extremely well, def. the right bike for that road. Not as fast or terrifying, but still a magic carpet ride.
4:32 I don't think it does any disservice at all, I think often it does a brand more harm to hide the the difficulties you experience when you're new to something. as an example the difficulties with switching to pedaling clipped in are very well known but imagine what would happen if people did it without knowing those difficulties beforehand? the same worries that riders have about riding clipless also translate to riding with poggies, and also translate to riding recumbent... most people are probably worried that they won't be able to bail when things go wrong. and much like pogies and clipless pedals, most of the time it's probably not a huge deal, and seeing Hank do it and come through it unscathed, number one tells people that if this experienced pro is having trouble, then they probably will too, and that makes it more okay because it's not a fault only with them nor with the bike, it's something everybody has to experience, and number two he came through it unscathed, and so they probably will as well. as a side note: if you look at sports that have a lot of risk such as MTB, skateboarding, mountain climbing, NONE of those influencers do anything to hide the risks or the accidents, nor how long it takes to learn things. even the super polished high production cost edits are always accompanied by a follow-up video which usually includes montages of how many takes it it took to complete individual tricks shown in the video. in other words they celebrate the failures, rather than hide them, and all three of those sports continue to grow regardless
@better.better - This is funny. You think people who are commenting negatively about this video are being deceitful by somehow trying to hide the fact that Hank fell. No one is saying that at all. What they are saying is that GCN was being deceitful by framing this bike ride as a "REAL" bike ride when it isn't. Those conditions for a high racer recumbent with that gearing are just comical. It makes about as much sense as sending a trike into the Tour De France and expecting to win. Maria made it very clear in her response that CB would have never recommended such a bike if GCN had been forthcoming with the kind of terrain they planned to be taking the bike on. They were not. Are recumbent riders subject to falling? Of course they are, just like any cyclist, but certainly not on "REAL" bike rides. This wasn't one and GCN was not forthcoming about that. You've got the source of the deceit (or at least not open information) backwards.
This is a great take, and I appreciate your positivity. Our problem is the traditional bike world doesn't get enough positive images of recumbent bikes. This video didn't help.
Optimistic perspective Maria, but personally, I feel like GCN did a disservice to CB and all recumbent manufacturers and riders. Unfortunately, what people will remember is the fact that Hank laid the bike down, which is completely unfair. The title of the video should have been changed to something like, "Can a beginner recumbent cyclist survive on a ride with horrible conditions?" Not "a REAL bike ride." That's ridiculous. I would never ride on any ride starting out in those slippery dangerous conditions, not to mention just how bad that road surface was. And your point about safety on a recumbent was a good one. Can you imagine if Hank was on a diamond-frame bike and had a spill going downhill in those slippery conditions? The chances of a serious head injury are very high. But on a recumbent a head injury is very unlikely. You simply fall on your side and even at high speed you walk away. I know not everyone will see it this way (especially your diamond-frame riders that haven't even ridden a recumbent), but riding a diamond-frame bike nowadays feels like someone is punishing me. A recumbent is relaxed, safer, more fun, and far and away the better design in almost every category. Just my two cents.
@@notalwaysright71 I fall all the time on my Q45. It sits too high and I have to balance on a toe when I stop. Sometimes, I flop over when getting started or coming to a stop in a tricky situation. I modified the Q45 to be reclined as far as possible, so that's part of the problem.
I'm glad you put this up although I do think you were extremely understanding Maria. Your just too nice (not a bad thing really). Hank did do very well considering and said some nice things but the fact there was no effort put in to learning to ride it half properly and the choice of route considering the type of machine is a bit annoying to see. Especially after the help and advice offered. I hope he takes you up on a ride on suitable terrain. I ride my S40 on roads like that but have 35mm tyres (38mm coming) and a good few miles on it. They should put a link to this video in their description.
I disagree, that wet gravel and mud can be extremely slick. I used to ride in the Seattle area and I fell numerous times on my DF bike due to gravel, mud, potholes etc.
The GCN video only made me want one even more!! Maybe the vid should’ve been titled “beginner attempt a hill” but I thought it was awesome to see Hank that has years of upright experience be able to tackle a “real” bike ride on a recumbent!! I hope to afford a Cruzbike one day soon!!!
Haven't seen one of your reviews but was pleasantly surprised to see an honest constructive review. Was expecting you to gloss on the positives and ignore the negatives. Personaly I chose to get an ICE VTX recumbent trike. Considered a Cruz bike but living in a hilly area in Scotland was concerned about either falling over or wobbling into traffic climbing steep hills. You have a 100 mile trial but I gather that it is only in america , not the UK. The other downside if I recal was have to order from america, no local dealers I was aware off.
they subject regular bike to the worst conditions too, watch the one on Mountain vs gravel. They take a gravel in place in shouldn't be. I would never take my V20 on this route
I learned on a V20 and it took a week before I could put my feet on the pedals. A month before I could ride on the road. About 1000 miles before I felt totally comfortable. I've got at least 20K miles on it and I feel that I can ride it as well as any diamond frame. My S40 and Q45's came later and took no effort to ride them right away. I do occasionally flop over on my Q45 when starting as it sits too high and I have to balance on a toe when stopped. Also, I have the seat reclined back beyond the normal design.
Would love to see a proper ride. Let Hank practice for a month or two to get his balance and legs. I ride a road bike and have 3 recumbent bikes (rather old, but functional: Vision R40, Rans Stratus le, and Actionbent Jet Stream 2.) Guess you can say I love both worlds of cycling. Well done for Hank and Cruzebikes.
So you can get different boom lengths on this bike? That explains it. I bought miine from guy who was 6'5" and I am 6'0" How could I get shorter boom for my V20, not C :(
@@c.musard8712 Totally agree. I bought my Silva from a guy who was quite a bit shorter than I am, and got the extensions for my bike direct from Cruzbike. Helps a lot with the aerodynamics as well as ride comfort.
He was brave ! I ride a 20/26 SWB recumbent and it took me >1000km to feel comfortable . I admire his can do attitude to take a high ride fwd with moving bottom bracket on surface like that with >13% inclines and only come off three times. I could not do that today. It would be great if he came back and did same after a few 1000s of km experience
Right from the get go I can SEE that this is a communication issue with GCN. Apparently they were NOT interested in learning about the different Cruz Bike models and how they are oriented towards different types of riders and conditions. If you are truely interested in understanding something that is different and not the norm in the cycling world then you must take it seriously and take the needed time to do your homework. Talk to the experts and talk to the manufactures and get a proper briefing and training! That being said I actually ENJOYED watching the ride and the beautiful English countryside. It was a spectacular ride one that I would have loved doing myself but with a different model better suited for the terrain. And I am left scratching my head as to why GCN didn't accommodate you when you took the time to FLY all the way to England and address all their concerns and do a PRE-RIDE training and briefing? Why did GCN just flat out make sure this was going to be a RAW review on their part is beyond me. But they did several times qualify that they obviously were looking at this as a beginner ride on a new type of bike that they had never attempted before. In this they were very successful in showing that a real learning curve exists for the V20. The V20 is NOT everyone's FIRST recumbent, it has a lower CG, a far more recumbent position over the other models that are more like sitting up in a normal seat with your legs LOWER than your head. The V20 has your legs higher up, but with a different chain setup can be slightly lower than your head. I get it, not everyone likes recumbent bikes or likes having to CHANGE their way of thinking about biking. I get that GCN primarily is a channel that leans towards the standard upright bikes as that is were all the MONEY is. More people RACE with uprights than recumbents, primarily becuase the International and National racing bodies back in the early 1900's have never permitted recumbents in racing, as they deem these bikes too much of an unfair advantage. However, this is not true. If incumbents were made available to ALL participates in a race then ALL teams and individuals can do their OWN TESTS and look for the advantages that BEST works for them. Although I do get the NASCAR comparisons, meaning, in some race bodies you want a STOCK version of a BIKE to be used in racing. But when I watch the Touré De France I SEE similar bikes but ALL are different models with modifications made to work for each individual rider. And they have different bikes and gear for time trials versus the standard legs. Some bikes are different for mountain climbing versus flat areas. And of course different tires for different road conditions, such as cobblestones, brick, cement or tar surfaces. Yes, those mods are made within certain specifications but still not one bike is exactly the same as the other. This to me along with the other observations opens the door to allowing recumbent bikes into professional racing. That being said one of the MAIN REASONS people choose a recumbent bike is NOT for racing but due to the injuries and pains associated with upright bikes. Their are many people with back, neck knee, and wrist or arm issues that CANT ride the standard upright bike, and I am one of them. A recumbent bike is a lifesaver and makes biking enjoyable for me again. A recumbent is far better suited to ease all of these aches and pains versus an upright bike. I am not looking at SPEED in a race yet but primarily focus on comfort and enjoyment. Safety is ALWAYS a number one priority when riding ANY type of bike, and I dont have any safety issues as of yet with recumbent bikes as I ride during the day, stay in bike lanes, and wear protective gear and wear High visibility clothing to ensure I am seen. I stop at all stop signs and traffic lights. I will even walk the bike across an intersection if necessary when I feel its unsafe to ride across. Having rearview mirrors also helps in seeing traffic approaching you from behind. But for any avid bike rider all these safety issues should be standard fair and no more of an issue on a recumbent versus an upright bike.
To be clear, I do like that that GCN did show there is a REAL learning curve. You are NOT going to suddenly go from an upright that you learned to ride as kid and have muscle memory and balance memory to a recumbent in one day. EVERYONE has a learning curve in making the switch to any type of recumbent. Learning to STOP and START, especially on a hill, is a SKILL that must be learned over time. I do greatly appreciate GCN highlighting this fact. And as Maria stated he did REALY WELL for his first go at a recumbent V20 model. The V20 is a different animal than the other models so takes more time to get used to its handling over a Q45 or S40 as the CG changes a bit. Picking the correct model for your abilities and for the terrain are very important and cant be over stated enough.
I ride a recumbent but not a CruzBike. No matter what, many if not most conventional bike riders, especially purists, just look down on recumbents. Period.
I have an S40 and I lost confidence when ai needed to output more watts than I could handle up a short punch climb. I guess I need to get back out on it.
I really enjoyed that. Yes it a pity he didn’t get to get fitted by Maria and Jim but all in all he done great considering. Great to see more videos like this so more cyclists can get an understanding of Cruzbike recumbents.
I'm seeing his handle bars aligned with his hips, maybe too far forward. The S40 designer mentioned once on FB that too forward placement makes it harder to pedal & contributes to the wobbles.
I second that going down on any bike on a wet road and gravel is not going to be nice. I do also second that downhill is a rocket ride, and I have a Silva which isn't quite as aerodynamic as the V20c. I also have fallen and trapped my leg three times, all at speed, and the first time was a sprained ankle, the second a broken tip of my fibula, and the third time a broken tib and fibula. These muddy roads, I would not be riding anything but my mt bike which has seriously wide tires. On my DF when I have crashed I have seriously injured my hands. I think that my bones are not as strong as they used to be. But ride on a nice road the cruzbike is a joy. On my Silva I can sit up forward and put more weight on the front wheel if I think I'm going to slip. And yeah, this bike is not fitted to him.
Hank is looking down too much. Especially when trying to start on a hill. Pretty normal for early riders to do. I've ridden my V20 with 28mm tires on worse dirt/gravel than what he is riding on but with a lot more time under my belt. Lots of zig zagging around pot holes and really loose sections make for pretty tense riding. I'd much rather use a Q45 or S40 on that kind of terrain or my velomobile with 50mm tires. 😁
Personally I think this vid showed that GCN had no interest in the CB performing well, probably due to the huge sponsorships they enjoy from conventional bike manufacturers. Had they invested the time and training needed to get the best from the CB, their experience would have been far more positive. I don’t think CB or the rest of the recumbent world suffered as a result of a beginner showing his inexperience.
@@sneekz07Don't you understand, that praising the bike doesn't undoe comparisons with bungee jumping, complaining about lack of grip on the driving tire and implying that starting on climbs would be impossible? People who don't know recumbents will think he praised it because he had to say something good about the product presented.
idk what you're talking about. She's an elite athlete who's competed in, completed, and won some of the most challenging and soul-crushing cycling events in the world. She knows everything there is to know about these bikes and how to ride them - what kind of "exposure" are you looking for in a narrator?
Hi Maria, as I commented under the original video, I did the Dragon Ride gran fondo on the very same roads last June with a Silvio 2.2, properly fitted and with adequate gearing (and 2 years of experience); 215km with over 3.300 m of elevation and a handful of 20%+ sections, even with the wet roads I finished without any problem and I enjoyed it.
I’d never have tried to tackle such a long and difficult ride on an upright bike, simply because i don’t like to suffer on a saddle; so thanks to recumbents and Cruzbike for opening a whole randonneuring world to me!
Thank you. Do great to hear about your experience.
That was so brave of Hank... somehow i think he slept like a baby. But honestly though, if you fell off a upright bike 3 times on roads like that, i think your injuries would be worse.
Extremely gracious analysis Maria! Take the high road always.
The high, hilly road :) thanks @perrymcfall9275
What a boon that would be if one or more of the GCN crew took up a ride across America in some form.
Thanks Maria. That was a gracious response.
Hi Maria, given that most of my local roads look similar to Hank's route (I'm in SW Scotland), it's useful to hear your recommendation of the S40 over the V20c. I'm flip-flopping trying to decide between Q45 with a nice wheelset and road tyres, or the S40.
Suffice to say GCN's depiction of the Cruzbike hasn't put me off in any way, I'm excited for a new learning curve! I was surprised at the negativity in the general comments on the video though, I guess fewer people are willing to try something that seems different than I expected.
I think the Q45 might be a good choice. Suspension is nice. The fork is roughly the same on both bikes so you can get a reasonably wide tire even with a larger diameter on the Q45. However, we sell the S40 as a frameset (and not the Q45) so you may want to go that direction and build it up anyway you want.
@@Cruzbike Bit more saving into the bike piggy-bank first after seeing the duties & tax to the UK, so I've got time to mull it over :) Thanks.
@@thepandaman Aren't we ALL, lol! I've been trying to save for years ever since they released the first model. These bikes are awesome but on the HIGH END of the bike scale compared to all bikes on the market.
@@thepandaman I'm in Ireland and got an S40 frameset. Definitely pricey with the taxes too. I run 35mm tyres on roads similar to those Welsh lanes with no problems. Just ordered 38mm for extra comfort on the bumps. I find seeing potholes no problem which is good because you cant hop over them on a CB (yes, I've tried). If you ask on the CB forum there may be someone near'ish to you who could let you try one out.
Thank you Maria and Hank! Need more videos of experienced riders please
Maria's comments can only be shared 100%. I think they are the same considerations that any recumbent cyclist with a minimum of experience could have expressed. Unfortunately the message passed on the GCN channel was taken by traditional cyclists in the way we read ... no surprise. We can only hope that the GCN team, Hank in particular, wants to continue seriously with recumbent bikes, deepening their potential and making an objective comparison with traditional bikes. An approach in the style of the "Top Gear" series is only useful to raise a few smiles and collect not very useful jokes. Maria, congratulations on your "politically correct" approach. Thanks to Cruzbike for their effort in promoting recumbent bikes; please continue with your hard work!
Thanks @enricomaulettie8669 Some things work, other things no so much. We still feel like any publicity is good publicity. At least they know we're there.
I enjoy the GCN gang. I really appreciate Cruzbike folks reviewing this video and sharing the running commentary. Mrs. Parker was very gracious and honest. It’s more fun when everyone plays nice! Haha
I think the S40 was more appropriate for Hank like what Maria said
Besides the MBB being too high, his hands look like they're aligned more with his hips. The S40 designer commented once on the FB group that the handlebars should be aligned to your midrift, otherwise you end up working a lot harder & getting the wobbles.
That, and hevtook a V20 out in some tough conditions...
My Q45 handles sand, gravel & potholes extremely well, def. the right bike for that road. Not as fast or terrifying, but still a magic carpet ride.
4:32 I don't think it does any disservice at all, I think often it does a brand more harm to hide the the difficulties you experience when you're new to something. as an example the difficulties with switching to pedaling clipped in are very well known but imagine what would happen if people did it without knowing those difficulties beforehand? the same worries that riders have about riding clipless also translate to riding with poggies, and also translate to riding recumbent... most people are probably worried that they won't be able to bail when things go wrong. and much like pogies and clipless pedals, most of the time it's probably not a huge deal, and seeing Hank do it and come through it unscathed, number one tells people that if this experienced pro is having trouble, then they probably will too, and that makes it more okay because it's not a fault only with them nor with the bike, it's something everybody has to experience, and number two he came through it unscathed, and so they probably will as well.
as a side note: if you look at sports that have a lot of risk such as MTB, skateboarding, mountain climbing, NONE of those influencers do anything to hide the risks or the accidents, nor how long it takes to learn things. even the super polished high production cost edits are always accompanied by a follow-up video which usually includes montages of how many takes it it took to complete individual tricks shown in the video. in other words they celebrate the failures, rather than hide them, and all three of those sports continue to grow regardless
@better.better - This is funny. You think people who are commenting negatively about this video are being deceitful by somehow trying to hide the fact that Hank fell. No one is saying that at all. What they are saying is that GCN was being deceitful by framing this bike ride as a "REAL" bike ride when it isn't. Those conditions for a high racer recumbent with that gearing are just comical. It makes about as much sense as sending a trike into the Tour De France and expecting to win. Maria made it very clear in her response that CB would have never recommended such a bike if GCN had been forthcoming with the kind of terrain they planned to be taking the bike on. They were not. Are recumbent riders subject to falling? Of course they are, just like any cyclist, but certainly not on "REAL" bike rides. This wasn't one and GCN was not forthcoming about that. You've got the source of the deceit (or at least not open information) backwards.
This is a great take, and I appreciate your positivity. Our problem is the traditional bike world doesn't get enough positive images of recumbent bikes. This video didn't help.
Optimistic perspective Maria, but personally, I feel like GCN did a disservice to CB and all recumbent manufacturers and riders. Unfortunately, what people will remember is the fact that Hank laid the bike down, which is completely unfair. The title of the video should have been changed to something like, "Can a beginner recumbent cyclist survive on a ride with horrible conditions?" Not "a REAL bike ride." That's ridiculous. I would never ride on any ride starting out in those slippery dangerous conditions, not to mention just how bad that road surface was. And your point about safety on a recumbent was a good one. Can you imagine if Hank was on a diamond-frame bike and had a spill going downhill in those slippery conditions? The chances of a serious head injury are very high. But on a recumbent a head injury is very unlikely. You simply fall on your side and even at high speed you walk away. I know not everyone will see it this way (especially your diamond-frame riders that haven't even ridden a recumbent), but riding a diamond-frame bike nowadays feels like someone is punishing me. A recumbent is relaxed, safer, more fun, and far and away the better design in almost every category. Just my two cents.
I could have not said this any better!!!!
Completely agree
Yes!! Thank you.
Only ever fell off mine once. When I stopped and put my foot down on a wet drain cover.
@@notalwaysright71 I fall all the time on my Q45. It sits too high and I have to balance on a toe when I stop. Sometimes, I flop over when getting started or coming to a stop in a tricky situation. I modified the Q45 to be reclined as far as possible, so that's part of the problem.
Hank needed Jason Perez to have ridden along as an advisor for that advanced route.
Absolutely!
I'm glad you put this up although I do think you were extremely understanding Maria. Your just too nice (not a bad thing really). Hank did do very well considering and said some nice things but the fact there was no effort put in to learning to ride it half properly and the choice of route considering the type of machine is a bit annoying to see. Especially after the help and advice offered. I hope he takes you up on a ride on suitable terrain. I ride my S40 on roads like that but have 35mm tyres (38mm coming) and a good few miles on it. They should put a link to this video in their description.
@BBimble thank you! The best reaction video would be you doing this ride on our S40 and loving it.
@@Cruzbike I wish I could but the fibromyalgia has taken most of my energy. Only short rides for me now sadly. Short but comfortable.
Agree that the potential for injury might be greater on a regular bike, but he would have been much less likely to have fallen over.
I disagree, that wet gravel and mud can be extremely slick. I used to ride in the Seattle area and I fell numerous times on my DF bike due to gravel, mud, potholes etc.
The GCN video only made me want one even more!! Maybe the vid should’ve been titled “beginner attempt a hill” but I thought it was awesome to see Hank that has years of upright experience be able to tackle a “real” bike ride on a recumbent!! I hope to afford a Cruzbike one day soon!!!
That's so great to hear.
Haven't seen one of your reviews but was pleasantly surprised to see an honest constructive review. Was expecting you to gloss on the positives and ignore the negatives.
Personaly I chose to get an ICE VTX recumbent trike. Considered a Cruz bike but living in a hilly area in Scotland was concerned about either falling over or wobbling into traffic climbing steep hills. You have a 100 mile trial but I gather that it is only in america , not the UK. The other downside if I recal was have to order from america, no local dealers I was aware off.
Yes, we need dealers in the UK!
GCN usually subjects road recumbents to the worst possible conditions.
they subject regular bike to the worst conditions too, watch the one on Mountain vs gravel. They take a gravel in place in shouldn't be. I would never take my V20 on this route
I learned on a V20 and it took a week before I could put my feet on the pedals. A month before I could ride on the road. About 1000 miles before I felt totally comfortable. I've got at least 20K miles on it and I feel that I can ride it as well as any diamond frame. My S40 and Q45's came later and took no effort to ride them right away. I do occasionally flop over on my Q45 when starting as it sits too high and I have to balance on a toe when stopped. Also, I have the seat reclined back beyond the normal design.
Thank you for being such a great customer!
That pothole fall would injure hank severely if he was on an upright, even risk a head injury
agreed
Would love to see a proper ride. Let Hank practice for a month or two to get his balance and legs. I ride a road bike and have 3 recumbent bikes (rather old, but functional: Vision R40, Rans Stratus le, and Actionbent Jet Stream 2.) Guess you can say I love both worlds of cycling. Well done for Hank and Cruzebikes.
So you can get different boom lengths on this bike? That explains it. I bought miine from guy who was 6'5" and I am 6'0" How could I get shorter boom for my V20, not C :(
Just use the contact page on the Cruzbike website, they’re usually quick to answer.
@@c.musard8712 Totally agree. I bought my Silva from a guy who was quite a bit shorter than I am, and got the extensions for my bike direct from Cruzbike. Helps a lot with the aerodynamics as well as ride comfort.
He was brave ! I ride a 20/26 SWB recumbent and it took me >1000km to feel comfortable . I admire his can do attitude to take a high ride fwd with moving bottom bracket on surface like that with >13% inclines and only come off three times. I could not do that today. It would be great if he came back and did same after a few 1000s of km experience
We agree!
Right from the get go I can SEE that this is a communication issue with GCN. Apparently they were NOT interested in learning about the different Cruz Bike models and how they are oriented towards different types of riders and conditions. If you are truely interested in understanding something that is different and not the norm in the cycling world then you must take it seriously and take the needed time to do your homework. Talk to the experts and talk to the manufactures and get a proper briefing and training! That being said I actually ENJOYED watching the ride and the beautiful English countryside. It was a spectacular ride one that I would have loved doing myself but with a different model better suited for the terrain.
And I am left scratching my head as to why GCN didn't accommodate you when you took the time to FLY all the way to England and address all their concerns and do a PRE-RIDE training and briefing? Why did GCN just flat out make sure this was going to be a RAW review on their part is beyond me. But they did several times qualify that they obviously were looking at this as a beginner ride on a new type of bike that they had never attempted before. In this they were very successful in showing that a real learning curve exists for the V20. The V20 is NOT everyone's FIRST recumbent, it has a lower CG, a far more recumbent position over the other models that are more like sitting up in a normal seat with your legs LOWER than your head. The V20 has your legs higher up, but with a different chain setup can be slightly lower than your head.
I get it, not everyone likes recumbent bikes or likes having to CHANGE their way of thinking about biking. I get that GCN primarily is a channel that leans towards the standard upright bikes as that is were all the MONEY is. More people RACE with uprights than recumbents, primarily becuase the International and National racing bodies back in the early 1900's have never permitted recumbents in racing, as they deem these bikes too much of an unfair advantage. However, this is not true. If incumbents were made available to ALL participates in a race then ALL teams and individuals can do their OWN TESTS and look for the advantages that BEST works for them.
Although I do get the NASCAR comparisons, meaning, in some race bodies you want a STOCK version of a BIKE to be used in racing. But when I watch the Touré De France I SEE similar bikes but ALL are different models with modifications made to work for each individual rider. And they have different bikes and gear for time trials versus the standard legs. Some bikes are different for mountain climbing versus flat areas. And of course different tires for different road conditions, such as cobblestones, brick, cement or tar surfaces. Yes, those mods are made within certain specifications but still not one bike is exactly the same as the other. This to me along with the other observations opens the door to allowing recumbent bikes into professional racing.
That being said one of the MAIN REASONS people choose a recumbent bike is NOT for racing but due to the injuries and pains associated with upright bikes. Their are many people with back, neck knee, and wrist or arm issues that CANT ride the standard upright bike, and I am one of them. A recumbent bike is a lifesaver and makes biking enjoyable for me again. A recumbent is far better suited to ease all of these aches and pains versus an upright bike.
I am not looking at SPEED in a race yet but primarily focus on comfort and enjoyment. Safety is ALWAYS a number one priority when riding ANY type of bike, and I dont have any safety issues as of yet with recumbent bikes as I ride during the day, stay in bike lanes, and wear protective gear and wear High visibility clothing to ensure I am seen. I stop at all stop signs and traffic lights. I will even walk the bike across an intersection if necessary when I feel its unsafe to ride across. Having rearview mirrors also helps in seeing traffic approaching you from behind. But for any avid bike rider all these safety issues should be standard fair and no more of an issue on a recumbent versus an upright bike.
To be clear, I do like that that GCN did show there is a REAL learning curve. You are NOT going to suddenly go from an upright that you learned to ride as kid and have muscle memory and balance memory to a recumbent in one day. EVERYONE has a learning curve in making the switch to any type of recumbent. Learning to STOP and START, especially on a hill, is a SKILL that must be learned over time. I do greatly appreciate GCN highlighting this fact. And as Maria stated he did REALY WELL for his first go at a recumbent V20 model. The V20 is a different animal than the other models so takes more time to get used to its handling over a Q45 or S40 as the CG changes a bit. Picking the correct model for your abilities and for the terrain are very important and cant be over stated enough.
@@MichaelBuck I really appreciate your comments
I ride a recumbent but not a CruzBike. No matter what, many if not most conventional bike riders, especially purists, just look down on recumbents. Period.
We'd like to change that. It's a long uphill battle.
I have an S40 and I lost confidence when ai needed to output more watts than I could handle up a short punch climb. I guess I need to get back out on it.
yes! It takes time to get really good.
I really enjoyed that. Yes it a pity he didn’t get to get fitted by Maria and Jim but all in all he done great considering. Great to see more videos like this so more cyclists can get an understanding of Cruzbike recumbents.
That's nice to hear.
I'm seeing his handle bars aligned with his hips, maybe too far forward. The S40 designer mentioned once on FB that too forward placement makes it harder to pedal & contributes to the wobbles.
Yes, his fit wasn't right.
I second that going down on any bike on a wet road and gravel is not going to be nice. I do also second that downhill is a rocket ride, and I have a Silva which isn't quite as aerodynamic as the V20c. I also have fallen and trapped my leg three times, all at speed, and the first time was a sprained ankle, the second a broken tip of my fibula, and the third time a broken tib and fibula. These muddy roads, I would not be riding anything but my mt bike which has seriously wide tires. On my DF when I have crashed I have seriously injured my hands. I think that my bones are not as strong as they used to be. But ride on a nice road the cruzbike is a joy. On my Silva I can sit up forward and put more weight on the front wheel if I think I'm going to slip. And yeah, this bike is not fitted to him.
Hank is looking down too much. Especially when trying to start on a hill. Pretty normal for early riders to do. I've ridden my V20 with 28mm tires on worse dirt/gravel than what he is riding on but with a lot more time under my belt. Lots of zig zagging around pot holes and really loose sections make for pretty tense riding. I'd much rather use a Q45 or S40 on that kind of terrain or my velomobile with 50mm tires. 😁
The point about Hank looking down too much is a good one that I should have mentioned. I agree about bike choice!!! Thank you.
Personally I think this vid showed that GCN had no interest in the CB performing well, probably due to the huge sponsorships they enjoy from conventional bike manufacturers. Had they invested the time and training needed to get the best from the CB, their experience would have been far more positive. I don’t think CB or the rest of the recumbent world suffered as a result of a beginner showing his inexperience.
Agreed!
He literally praised the bike many times in the video. Some of you guys in the comments are really being insufferable for absolutely no reason.
@@sneekz07Don't you understand, that praising the bike doesn't undoe comparisons with bungee jumping, complaining about lack of grip on the driving tire and implying that starting on climbs would be impossible? People who don't know recumbents will think he praised it because he had to say something good about the product presented.
This lady, narrator is certainly a sheltered individual. 🤔
idk what you're talking about. She's an elite athlete who's competed in, completed, and won some of the most challenging and soul-crushing cycling events in the world. She knows everything there is to know about these bikes and how to ride them - what kind of "exposure" are you looking for in a narrator?