Author Topic: PBP/LEL and audax: cruzbike,metabike or Nazca  (Read 7391 times)

PBP/LEL and audax: cruzbike,metabike or Nazca
« on: 15 April, 2012, 01:47:55 pm »
I am an 48 year old audax/randonneur cyclist based in Spain who has just completed PBP. Unfortunately, I have been diagnosed as having two hernias in my neck and my doctor has advised me to change my bike for a bent but with a neck support. I am torn between getting the metabike randonneur, nazca gaucho or cruzbike sivio and I would appreciate your comments about what would be the best bike for long distance cycling (comfort-hills-carrying capacity). Thanks

Wothill

  • over the hills and far away
Re: PBP/LEL and audax: cruzbike,metabike or Nazca
« Reply #1 on: 15 April, 2012, 02:53:43 pm »
I did PBP (and all my audaxing) on a Challenge Seiran SL and find it just about perfect for that. It's one of the lightest 'affordable' recumbents but it is not so good for touring since you can only put a small rack on the back and the total weight is restricted. Mine has 650 wheels for which you can only get 23mm tyres but they suit me very well and it's a comfortable bike to ride. The metaphysic sounds an interesting bike but I have never seen one. I believe it is Spannish so you could perhaps see one more easily. My other bent is a Bacchetta Giro with 700 wheels. I like it too and am about to do a long tour on it (with Radical recumbent panniers) but the Seiran is my favourite bike for audax. Edinburghfixed (on this forum) did PBP on the Nazca Gaucho with 700 wheels and I don't think I would be misrepresenting him to say that he found it a good bike for the purpose. If he sees this, perhaps he'll comment himself.

Hope the neck problem works out! It was a chronic bad back that made me switch to recumbents a few years ago. No problems now.

Alf

Re: PBP/LEL and audax: cruzbike,metabike or Nazca
« Reply #2 on: 16 April, 2012, 07:19:55 pm »
Hi Rupert,

I posted my thoughts on the Gaucho here. It is indeed a capable bike - it would have to be, since I comfortably finished PBP on it despite having borrowed it for just 50 miles before the start!  :thumbsup:

The Metaphysic has a lot of fuss being made just now but from all accounts it's a harsh ride (I've seen and sat in one, but not ridden it). You should be able to find one more easily as Alf says.

Cruzbike are MBB, not something I fancy frankly, but it takes all sorts!

I would definitely consider the new Challenge Chamsin. This is just about perfect as a brevet bike - quite a lot lighter than the Gaucho but a similar idea.


Kim

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Re: PBP/LEL and audax: cruzbike,metabike or Nazca
« Reply #3 on: 16 April, 2012, 07:57:22 pm »
I would definitely consider the new Challenge Chamsin. This is just about perfect as a brevet bike - quite a lot lighter than the Gaucho but a similar idea.

*little moment*

Re: PBP/LEL and audax: cruzbike,metabike or Nazca
« Reply #4 on: 16 April, 2012, 08:01:33 pm »
I'm not familiar with the non-dutch recumbents mentioned, but I think the Nazca Gaucho and the Challenge Chamsin both require a certain leg length. So the first question I would ask is about (leg) length. I finished PBP with a Spanish guy and he was at least 10cm shorter than me.
When I first came with my 26" Challenge Furai to their office/garage in Apeldoorn I got a remark "if I knew you were under 180cm I wouldn't have sold you this bike". I'm 177cm. I have a bit of crank/tyre overlap with 40mm tyres, not with 35mm. This is not a real problem for experienced riders, but it's dangerous for new darksiders.

FYI: I cycled to Paris (650km) and back (1000km) as well, with light camping gear. No cooking gear.
Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It has been too many days since I have ridden through the night with a brevet card in my pocket...

Kim

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Re: PBP/LEL and audax: cruzbike,metabike or Nazca
« Reply #5 on: 16 April, 2012, 08:08:01 pm »
When I first came with my 26" Challenge Furai to their office/garage in Apeldoorn I got a remark "if I knew you were under 180cm I wouldn't have sold you this bike". I'm 177cm. I have a bit of crank/tyre overlap with 40mm tyres, not with 35mm. This is not a real problem for experienced riders, but it's dangerous for new darksiders.

If tyre overlap is the issue (rather than inability to reach the ground), presumably shorter cranks can mitigate this?

Re: PBP/LEL and audax: cruzbike,metabike or Nazca
« Reply #6 on: 17 April, 2012, 08:10:03 am »
Yep, and the beauty is that you need to move the BB 1mm for every 1mm the cranks get smaller (so not only is the radius of the circle decreasing, the whole circle is moving away from the wheel too).

i.e. if you had standard 175mm cranks and went to 170mm, you'd need to slide out the boom by 5mm to preserve your leg length and there would be 10mm of extra clearance at the wheel.

Good catch though, I just assume because I have quite short legs that everybody else will be ok, but it's what you're comfortable with too!

Re: PBP/LEL and audax: cruzbike,metabike or Nazca
« Reply #7 on: 19 April, 2012, 11:23:03 am »
many thanks for your comments. I am 5.7 (1.m 68cm) so now I am not sure if the challenge would be a good option

Re: PBP/LEL and audax: cruzbike,metabike or Nazca
« Reply #8 on: 19 April, 2012, 11:33:27 am »
I have very short legs, although I'm taller than you. On recumbents I've tried riding, this has been a real issue.

What about an ICE B1?

[edit] ignore that suggestion. Looks like ICE don't make bikes anymore :(
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Re: PBP/LEL and audax: cruzbike,metabike or Nazca
« Reply #9 on: 19 April, 2012, 12:02:33 pm »
many thanks for your comments. I am 5.7 (1.m 68cm) so now I am not sure if the challenge would be a good option
Well, Challenge does make mini versions of some of their bikes, so you can always ask if they do it for the model you are interested in.
I know this because I (5'4'' or 164 cm) have been riding a Fujin mini for a bit more than two years now.

Edit: Lots of people comment about the perfect match of me and that ride.

Wothill

  • over the hills and far away
Re: PBP/LEL and audax: cruzbike,metabike or Nazca
« Reply #10 on: 23 April, 2012, 07:01:22 pm »
The other thing you can do if your legs are short is to move the seat forward by drilling couple of new holes an inch or two behind the old ones. Worked well on my Seiran SL
 (carbon seat) but not possible on the Bacchetta which doesn't have an extendable boom.

Re: PBP/LEL and audax: cruzbike,metabike or Nazca
« Reply #11 on: 23 April, 2012, 08:43:08 pm »
For what it's worth I also completed PBP on a Bacchetta Giro. It's a very comfortable bike and, with a rear rack fitted, can carry plenty. I rode 400+km to the start with so much luggage attached that I could barely lift the bike up.

Too much luggage actually because rack snapped by the time I got to Paris!
You're only as successful as your last 1200...

Re: PBP/LEL and audax: cruzbike,metabike or Nazca
« Reply #12 on: 26 April, 2012, 03:19:42 pm »
I feel your pain. The photo below doesn't include the bike/wheel bags that I was also carrying:



I've asked Laid Back Bikes in Edinburgh to get me a Chamsin SL as soon as one appears (assuming it does, and it's not suspended - like a 700C Seiran) so there's my £0.02 x 105 on the subject...

Re: PBP/LEL and audax: cruzbike,metabike or Nazca
« Reply #13 on: 27 April, 2012, 07:34:46 am »
I think I have "form" on this overloaded bike thing. For the 2001 LEL my Orbit Crystal was described in an article in Arrivée as being "barely visible under a mound of luggage". :)
You're only as successful as your last 1200...

Re: PBP/LEL and audax: cruzbike,metabike or Nazca
« Reply #14 on: 18 May, 2012, 01:25:05 pm »
Personally, I'd get a Quest or Milan velomobile, in the SL version if you can fit. Much more expensive, and much heavier than the above options, but with suspension, weather protection, and outside of a very hilly route by far the fastest.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/OMEqaMjkyHE&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/OMEqaMjkyHE&rel=1</a>
Your Royal Charles are belong to us.

Re: PBP/LEL and audax: cruzbike,metabike or Nazca
« Reply #15 on: 24 May, 2012, 08:51:31 am »
Hmm, although I'd love a Milan SL, I'm not sure it's necessarily the best option. It would be quite a solitary experience I think, whereas at least on a normal bike you can ride with groups of uprights if you want to.

Still, yeah. There was a Milan SL camped just next to me at PBP, Christian von Ascheberg who holds the world 24 hour record at something over 1200km IIRC? He wouldn't let me touch it...  :'(

Auntie Helen

  • 6 Wheels in Germany
Re: PBP/LEL and audax: cruzbike,metabike or Nazca
« Reply #16 on: 29 May, 2012, 07:43:28 am »
I'm interested in the headrest requirement as I have one on my ICE Sprint trike and can't use it whilst riding due to the jiggliness. I just use it when stationery.
My blog on cycling in Germany and eating German cake – http://www.auntiehelen.co.uk


Kim

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Re: PBP/LEL and audax: cruzbike,metabike or Nazca
« Reply #17 on: 29 May, 2012, 02:08:01 pm »
To be fair, the jiggliness will vary a lot between machines.  A trike jiggles you on two axes, wheras a bike only jiggles you forward/backwards, and large wheels and/or good suspension can make a hell of a difference.  The same sort of issues we discussed in the mirror thread, in fact.

While I don't feel a need for a headrest, I can slip down in the seat on the Streetmachine and rest my skull against the top of the seat without too much brain-shaking.  I wouldn't want to do that sort of thing on barakta's Sprint (admittedly only the rear suspension model), as it's much shakier.  Kevin urged us to get a headrest for the trike, but we decided that having a slightly more comfy armchair wasn't worth the extra width while carrying it through doorways sideways.  Barakta has since discovered that a rolled up jersey or jacket wedged between the top of the seat and her Carradice rack bag makes a reasonable headrest while stationary, anyway.