The New S30: Robert Holler Rides and Reports
June 7, 2016/ Robert Holler
"This bike loves to be thrown into corners and with the right tires and road can outrun anything. Strap in. This is the Cruzbike equivalent to the Mercedes AMG GT-S. It’s a luxury sports machine.”
Editor’s note: Robert built up the first of the new S30s and took it out to put it through its paces at the Cycle Pendleton ride Memorial Day Weekend, 2016. This is his report, originally for internal use. But we had to share it.
THE REPORT
First thing – the finish on this bike is superb and the graphics are awesome. This frame is the perfect example of quality in the details – it looks great at 20 feet, better at 10, and up close all the little goodies and other quality aspects pop.
I was very pleased with this bike’s performance during testing. The lower front head tube has resulted in a bike that handles better than any Silvio before it at high speeds. Holding speed in the mid to upper 30s is butter smooth.
The back end feels amazing, something changed there with the geometry that makes this bike click. The back feels great over bumps and it handles them at higher speeds well which is nice. There is good travel without bounce.
The front end is rock solid. It is more like a mini Vendetta in the front. This bike has the medium stay, so the BB is a bit higher than the previous S30. This means that the straight slider is an excellent fit for this bike.
I don’t miss the front suspension, the bike handles so much better that it’s not even in the same league. There is no bounce or vague feeling when hitting high speed corners/bumps/switchbacks. This bike loves to be thrown into corners and with the right tires and road can outrun anything. Strap in. This is the Cruzbike equivalent of the Mercedes AMG GT-S. It’s a luxury sports machine.
Notching up the seat angle a few degrees distinguishes this bike even more from the V20, which to me is a true race machine. At this seat angle you can still sit up a bit to get a look around or ahead for road obstacles/around corners when needed without feeling like you are completely disconnecting with the bike or doing an extended half pull-up.
OVERALL:
This is the best version of this bike. Win. This bike reminds me of the earlier V1 Vendetta.
Best things: Feels fast like a “mini V” of the old days but super cushy. No headaches.
Tag: “The most plush Cruzbike”
Items that need work: None – this is the top of the S30 food chain.
WEEKEND STATS:
New S30: Top speed: 46 mph
Max Flat Burst Speed: 30 mph
Crawling speed: 5-6 mph
For reference/comparison:
V20: Top speed: 49 mph
Max Flat Burst Speed: 32 mph
Crawling speed: 7-8 mph
I wish you would have had this ready a month or two ago. I would have totally bought a new one instead of the used one.
Robert I love the look of your SilVio30. It is a beautiful looking machine. What wheels are you using? How does the seat angle compare to the old Silvio 2.0? It is a 2013 edition.
Thank you for your comments! The wheels are custom laced SON H Plus rims and Shimano XT disc brake hubs. Finding good 700c road disc brake wheels is a challenge so they had to be custom laced.
Sounds like a lot of minor changes to make the Silvio a even better riding machine. Happy to hear that the seat angle is a little more upright than previous version.
can you give some key details on how this version differs from the Silvio S 30 from Earlier this year?
The biggest difference is in the elimination of the front suspension and the resulting lowering of the front end. This change raises the seat angle to 33 degrees, rather than 27 and improves handling a bit, too.
Hi Robert,
Could a previous model S30 be modified to be like the current model. I’m wondering if there is any other changes such as geometry or a different fork.
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