Neophyte in need of Vendetta V20 setup help...

Winded Lowrider

Winded Lowrider

Well-Known Member
Calling out to any Cruzbike setup wizards!

I'm a longtime recumbent rider, BROL member ( winded lowrider), life long cyclist, and former USCF racer ( cat 4). I live in the Seattle area and ride very occasionally with Lief Zimmerman ( CB-V), Tim Turner ( CA2), Eric Partch ( CB-V), and Duncan Watson ( CB-V)

The stars aligned for me and I'm looking at a new vendetta 98 percent assembled leaning against my couch.

How do I set this up for correct leg length (32.75" inseam, 44" x-seam), handle bar reach and (the kicker) crank height?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Oh and I don't know how to ride it yet :)

Thanks
-BradIMG_1331.JPG
 
Lief

Lief

Guru Schmuru
It's ok. It'll rain until Sunday. You have time. :)

@ratz or @Robert Holler have the measurement basics on here somewhere.

We are gonna HAFTA get you, Duncan, me, @Robert O , and Eric (haven't met him) together for a CB-V tour before long.
 
Winded Lowrider

Winded Lowrider

Well-Known Member
yeah, first approximation fit is what is not going well...still looking for good help. I think If I hook it up to my trainer I can more easily dial in the fit. The adjustments are dynamic--- meaning if you adjust one they all change ( boom, reach, bb height )....
How extended should my arms be? slight bend? almost straight? Right now it feels very claustrophobic.
How high should the BB be? level with seat? higher? Lower?

And its sunny and dry today Lief!
 
RojoRacing

RojoRacing

Donut Powered Wise-guy
I'd recommend you rotate your handle bars back a lot so when you hold the drops your wrist is strait. Set the crank far enough away that your leg are extending the correct amount, just like a regular bike. Move the handlebars so your elbows are bent 45-90 degs from strait to start and dial that in to what you feel is most comfortable. The headrest is a whole other beast that you'll ether love or hate from the start and if it's the latter you may be in for a long dialing in period.
 
Winded Lowrider

Winded Lowrider

Well-Known Member
Thanks RR. I appreciate your set up tips. This is a really different bike for me.
I did rotate the bars some. I see why folks do that now...looks goofy but free/easy steering is kinda important
Head rest feels OK. Need to rejigger my helmet straps slightly to cant the lid forward on my head.
I did the standard "bare heels on pedals back spin" to get the crank distance roughly...
Mirrors? what do you use?
Frame bag?
Bottle cage mounting?
Lots of details to dial in
I do enjoy adjusting things just right....

Did my first training ride....I'll start another thread for that
 
RojoRacing

RojoRacing

Donut Powered Wise-guy
Mirror? Look no further than the Cycle Star mirror http://www.perennialcycle.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=9 . It's real glass for that prefect clean view and has a slightly lower convex rating than the average mirror so you can see cars coming from a little further back. Get the short model and then you'll pull it apart and direct mount the mirror to the bar clamp without any extension for a low profile clean look. For a frame bag if you ride in the dry you may consider some cardboard and duct tape to fashion a storage box under the seat in that frame area in front of the rear brake, that's been my storage option of choice for the past two years. Another option would be to buy the new cruzbike behind the headrest carbon storage box which I believe holds to water bottles but probably not much in the way of clothing.
 
RojoRacing

RojoRacing

Donut Powered Wise-guy
A690B320-663A-4235-A80F-7FB02DA43F2D_zpsqpnq9bql.jpg


Most people say I have my bars tipped back too far but my wrists are happy and that's more important than style. My right pedal in near full extension so that sould give you idea of what to look for in that regard but as I said it's the same as a regular bike.
946BA685-A73B-4A6C-A8EE-D358B69D7191_zpsbmkz5cji.jpg


Notice the arm bend is nice and relaxed and you can see my cardboard and duct tape under the seat before I covered it all in fake carbon vinyl.
06B8545E-4BE6-4486-BD74-EABBB9B375CE_zpsit29hdvu.jpg
 
B

Bill K

Guru
Winded Lowrider

Winded Lowrider

Well-Known Member
RR:
Thanks again, that's really helpful. I'm an artist/ graphic designer specializing in package and display design... so I can whip up a hard corrugated box for under the seat no problem ( see attached seahawks head project). Water proofing might be a challenge though...duct tape, latex or oil paint might work
 

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Winded Lowrider

Winded Lowrider

Well-Known Member
Vendetta dial in photo. Requesting informed observations on my set up. Hard to see in jeans but my legs are slightly bent. I feel like my head needs to tilt up a bit more, but that could be just something I need to relax into? Bottom bracket too low? Arms feel about right, wrist angle seems OK. I am at the "cul de sac" phase of riding today. I can turn big circles both directions while pedaling. I can start from a flat dead stop with some wobbling. Seems like the bike handles better under power. I did some 50meter 85% "sprints" with no issues. I can hold a straight-ish line. Slow speed maneuvering is still a bit shaky...
VendettaDialIn.JPG O
 
ratz

ratz

Wielder of the Rubber Mallet
The boom looks like it is out too far but might be the correct length. For the first adjustment, Bring it back 1 inch without shortening.

If that results in the handlebars too far back at first you can compensate with your arms while you while you get the feet settled. Once the feet are good; you can short the boom until arms are good or leg hits the handlebars. Like a road DF bike, you should be able to "knee" the bars if you try; but when you pedal normally you will just clear them. There is always more room on the road than there is against the wall. If you get the feet good and can't get the handlebars far enough out; that is where short cranks start to be very useful.

For the head, rest start with it too far forward. ride 5 minutes, move it out, ride 5 minutes, repeat. When you get it to the right distance it will be obvious. Again what is good on the road is not the same as what is good on the trainer. The picture makes it look like the head rest is pushing you too far forward on the seat. but that hard to judge from street clothes.
 
Winded Lowrider

Winded Lowrider

Well-Known Member
Thanks Ratz!

Will do. The adjustments are so dynamic that this might take a while to dial in... I feel too far forward, too low angle. The standard seat foam shifts around alot. I can see now why folks upgrade to a ventisit seat. It seems ridiculous to me that a $4500 bike needs an upgraded seat....grrrr!
 
DavidCH

DavidCH

In thought; expanding the paradigm of traversity
Well I have a ventisit delux seat pad and I don't use it. I actually have been using a 15mm foam gym mat that I cut out. You can put extra lumbar support in too. Why did I do this? I lost so much weight I didn't need the ventisit pad and also I prefer the responsiveness of the bike. The thing I don't get use to is the hot back effect. But it's a cheap option. I put extra support for shoulders as well.
 
ratz

ratz

Wielder of the Rubber Mallet
Winded Lowrider said:
Thanks Ratz!

Will do. The adjustments are so dynamic that this might take a while to dial in... I feel too far forward, too low angle. The standard seat foam shifts around alot. I can see now why folks upgrade to a ventisit seat. It seems ridiculous to me that a $4500 bike needs an upgraded seat....grrrr!
Click to expand...

Yeah, I can understand that point of view, but a Trek Project One bike at $12k come with a seat most people throw away. The number of people that keep the stock pad is surprisingly high. Those foam ones don't drive up the price of the bike; adding a Ventisit to the base products just mean some people would be penalized when then wanted something different. So the defaults have to be the lower cost item. You can at least try it and see if you like it without a dollar penalty.

Once you have acclimated to the bike the stock seat pad won't move around; the main problem with them is they don't handle large amounts of sweat and water well.

Just remember those Grrrr become Grin's that the reward for making it through the fit process and learn to ride the rocket.
 
Lief

Lief

Guru Schmuru
Brad,
Looking at your right leg - it's more than 90°. For the strength-efforts/sprinting you plan to do that might cause you some knee pain (as it did me). That plus @ratz 's comments indicate shorter cranks might be a good option.

I would be there already if I'd been riding much this year.
 
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