Thinking about an S30...

Pelagic

New Member
Hi folks,

I'm new here. A little background on me: I have been riding recumbents for a long time. I have owned a DeFelice LWB (circa 1988), a Slipstream LWB and my current ride is an HP Velo StreetMachine (SWB). I commute to work on the StreetMachine, and since it's a touring bike I can carry as much stuff on it as I need, generally one full pannier with clothes, shoes, lunch plus another little bag with the usual spare tubes, tools, pump, etc.

I demo'd the Cruzbikes a few years back and liked the FWD. It only took me 20 minutes or so to get used to the new riding dynamics.

My question is...how would a Silvio be for carrying that much stuff? I see there are options: the "Carbon Fiber Race Case", the "Scarab Bag" (which doesn't have a picture to show where it fits on the bike) and the "Sling Pack" which looks like it would hold some tools and a tube. I know there are folks who commute on the Silvio - what do you do to carry your stuff?

I also have a Camelback UnBottle (hydration bag) on the StreetMachine - much more convenient than water bottles, and better insulated. Does anyone use something similar on a Silvio?

Thanks in advance!

--clark
 

ccf

Guru
I commute on my S30 2-3 times per week. I use the Cruzbike Scarab Bag to hold a laptop (13" Macbook Pro), pants, and shirt. It fits under the low part of the frame (you can see it in my profile photo). I put shoes, socks, underwear, wallet, etc plus tools in a Bacchetta Brain Box on the back of the seat (I recently retrofit the S30 with a Thor seat, so the Brain Box fits better now than what you see in my profile photo).

I just bought a 1.5L Platypus bladder last weekend. It fits perfectly in the pocket inside the Brain Box. I don't carry water on my commutes. I'll be using the Platypus for longer weekend rides.

-Cliff
 

Pelagic

New Member
Wow! A lot of options. I have to admit, the tennis racket case solution was quite an innovation!
 

tiltmaniac

Zen MBB Master
I used my S30 to go up (tour) the US east coast, from Key West up into Maine.

I used Radical Design Banana bags, as well as a under-frame bag (sling pack) for tools/pump.
I had the dual waterbottle holder just behind my head, which worked fine for hydration.
All in all, I could carry my (2-person) tent, clothes, laptop, food for the day, and an extra two water bottles etc. in a fairly comfortable and aero fashion with room to spare.
 

Bentas

Well-Known Member
Looking at the specs on the Cruzbike website, can anyone tell me why the head tube angle of the Sivio differs by a couple of degrees to the Vendetta?
 
Which Banana bag can fit silvio/vendetta? Is ut just the Racer, or their other options - Banana s, m and l (2 x 35l sounds attractive)?
 

tiltmaniac

Zen MBB Master
I used the Banana s.
Larger would fit fine, and potentially better than the S.
Really the thing you need to make sure of is that the bag doesn't rub against the wheel. The height is unlikely to be a problem with any of those bags (the Silvio is high enough to make that a non-issue).
If it *was* rubbing, you just need to add a spacer or similar at the bag's top (the only place it is likely to rub). It could be made of just about anything (including stiff cloth).
 
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