Stealing a Cruzbike

wordy

Member
Has anyone had a Cruzbike stolen by someone hopping on and riding off?

I imagine that would be very unlikely and another plus for the design! There's something comforting about having a bike that only you can ride! I'm awaiting the delivery of my Softrider with excitement and trepidation!
 

Mark B

Zen MBB Master
wordy wrote: Has anyone had a Cruzbike stolen by someone hopping on and riding off?

I imagine that would be very unlikely and another plus for the design! There's something comforting about having a bike that only you can ride! I'm awaiting the delivery of my Softrider with excitement and trepidation!

For the most part, I think you are correct in that a thief would not be able to ride away on your bike. I have, however, seen people get on and ride the bike with ease. It seems rare, but not impossible.

Mark
 

JonB

Zen MBB Master
Mark B wrote:
wordy wrote: Has anyone had a Cruzbike stolen by someone hopping on and riding off?

I imagine that would be very unlikely and another plus for the design! There's something comforting about having a bike that only you can ride! I'm awaiting the delivery of my Softrider with excitement and trepidation!

For the most part, I think you are correct in that a thief would not be able to ride away on your bike. I have, however, seen people get on and ride the bike with ease. It seems rare, but not impossible.
As long as you go straight i think it is possible. But they could also just put it into a van, or on the back of a pickup.
 

MailSeanBell

Active Member
I think if you were in no hurry to get away on a slight downhill you could slowly ride off... I think that trying to sprint away would be a challenge...

I can see myself walking up to the guy and giving tips and then offering to show him and then riding off :D
 

Mark B

Zen MBB Master
SeanBell wrote: I think if you were in no hurry to get away on a slight downhill you could slowly ride off... I think that trying to sprint away would be a challenge...

I can see myself walking up to the guy and giving tips and then offering to show him and then riding off :D

I can see me walking up and putting pop-knots on his head. I hate thieves.

Mark
 

wordy

Member
Mark B wrote: ....snip..... I have, however, seen people get on and ride the bike with ease. It seems rare, but not impossible. Mark

I believe you, but I can't imagine that! The normal way to get a recumbent going is a sharp push on one pedal. With a Cruzbike this results in a U turn at best and the casualty department at worst!

I'd really like to know the 'secret' of keeping it straight while pushing the steering sideways!

Is it the arms or is it counter pressure from the 'non driving' foot?
 

John Tolhurst

Zen MBB Master
Some people do just jump on and go, then build solid skills in the following days. Dont assume that the riding skills replace the customary lock. Often it is young people who can ride it straight away.
 

Gromit

Guru
A drunken guy once asked to give my Sofrider a ride. I declined but I reckon he would have done alright because the alcohol would have relaxed him and stopped him tensing up and getting the beginner's 'death grip' on the handlebars. :lol:
Note that I'm not advocating riding a bike whilst intoxicated. :roll:
 

Mark B

Zen MBB Master
Gromit wrote: A drunken guy once asked to give my Sofrider a ride. I declined but I reckon he would have done alright because the alcohol would have relaxed him and stopped him tensing up and getting the beginner's 'death grip' on the handlebars. :lol:
Note that I'm not advocating riding a bike whilst intoxicated. :roll:

It can be challenging. :roll:

Mark
 

wordy

Member
Re: Stealing a Cruzbike - 14 y.o. rides it easily

Your point about the Cruzbikes being rideable straight off is now confirmed locally!
I showed the 14 y.o. neighbours son the Softrider and invited him to ride it. He got on and rode off basically without a wobble. Then I got out my Orca and we both rode a few kms in a loop around the district (at his request.)
He loves it and was rolling at 35 kph. Rubber bones no fear etc!

I was impressed.

So:
A: Yes, they can be ridden 'sight unseen.'
B: The advantage of the instant leg adjustment lets everyone have a go without tools or messing with chain lengths.

(Later addition)
Beaten by a 14 y.o? I don't think so!
Cruzbike owners say you have to 'unlearn' the normal bike riding instincts, so I made my mind a blank (it gets easier as you get older...,) put the bike into a low gear and simply rode away! Easy! All I need now is a few hours riding and I'll be smooth as silk. I want to ride this machine hands off.
 
Re: Stealing a Cruzbike - 14 y.o. rides it easily

wordy wrote: Your point about the Cruzbikes being rideable straight off is now confirmed locally!
I showed the 14 y.o. neighbours son the Softrider and invited him to ride it. He got on and rode off basically without a wobble*. Then I got out my Orca and we both rode a few kms in a loop around the district (at his request.)
He loves it and was rolling at 35 kph. Rubber bones no fear etc!

I was impressed.

So:

A: Yes, they can be ridden 'sight unseen.'
B: The advantage of the instant leg adjustment lets everyone have a go without tools or messing with chain lengths.

*(temporary seat mount and all!)

14 year olds learn fast but they don’t have much money at that age! :( I’m sure many at that age would buy a Sofrider if they had the money to pay for it. Then we would see more videos and get more information on this forum because they are also good with computers! :cool: But for those of us that have passed that age for some years ago we can still learn even if it takes longer. ;) Learning to ride a Sofrider can be rewarding you have learned something new which at first for most of us was difficult the first time. Now I can ride longer and experience comfort there wasn’t much comfort for me on an upright. It’s also a good feeling having learned something new and useful. :D

Peder
 

goulven

New Member
Hi
As you might have seen, i am an upright bike rider tempted by the Silvio.
That thread is almost enough to convince any upright bike rider to try the Silvio, just for the physical challenge and to join into its weird world ((1) definitely out of mainstream, upright AND recumbent!! and (2) its nutters members that creates such posts!)

A quiz to you :
How do you recognise a male chocalate bar from female chocolate bar ?
 

RecycledPlastic

New Member
Has anyone had a Cruzbike stolen by someone hopping on and riding off?

I imagine that would be very unlikely and another plus for the design! There's something comforting about having a bike that only you can ride! I'm awaiting the delivery of my Softrider with excitement and trepidation!


I kept my Freerider locked to the railing on my front porch steps with a heavy cable and Master's best lock. My wife came in to tell me she heard a noise at about 5 am in the morning and looked outside to see someone walking away with my bike. I jumped outa the sack and flew out the door to my truck hoping to catch up with the thief. I made a couple of 50/50 guesses of which way he went and sped after him. It was still dark and when I looked down a street about a mile away from my house I saw a dark figure wobbling along pretty slow. I drove up and cut him off with the truck and yelled to freeze while getting out of my truck. He dropped the bike and ran off. It was now getting light and I was blocking traffic. Still in only my shorts, I picked up the bike and put it in the back of my truck and rode home thinking over the events........how'd he cut/break the lock so easy?......my lucky guesses of which way he went? .......good thing he wasn't armed (I was)....... And just glad I didn't lose my ride. (I was already thinking of where I would get the dough to buy another one) Good thing it was a bent, cause I would never have caught up to him otherwise. I even laughed as I thought of what he must of felt as he tried to ride away on such a screwy bike......

I bring my bike inside now. When I'm not riding it, it's now just a new piece of living room decor.
 
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We have a public school nearby for "gifted and talented". As I rode by one morning I was told by a busload of our minority community's best and brightest that they were going to kill me and take my bike. I smiled and thought it would be one of the slowest, funny looking getaways on record.
 

DavidJL

Well-Known Member
Some people do just jump on and go, then build solid skills in the following days. Dont assume that the riding skills replace the customary lock. Often it is young people who can ride it straight away.
Just yesterday, I stopped by at a guy's house with the QX, and he wanted to try it out. He basically took off with no previous experience, and he is about 40 years old. So for some, FWD will just come naturally. He did have some previous recumbent experience, though.
 

Cruzbiker

Active Member
Everyone who asked to ride my Cruzbike was able to do it. I guess it is a state of mind. If you got so far as asking if you can try it, you will make it. Though it seems that younger ride it easier.
Once I was going through a poor community and was kind of lost. I stopped to ask for information and was surrounded by something like 15 kids of all ages. Of course they asked if they could try it. All of them rode the bike, one of them even better than myself...
 

bladderhead

Zen MBB Master
Two guys, about 14 years old, asked to have a go. The first one whizzed off down the street. He could have stolen it. I was really glad when he turned round and came back. The second one got on, fell off, and the frame cracked. Nobody but me is going to ride the replacement.
 
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