Silvio 700c Recumbent Cruzbike |
The ergonomic road bike - it's a road bike, but not as we know it
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Silvio 700c
$2395 plus $95 delivery |
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| A road bike, transformed into front wheel drive |
| Carbon fibre chainstay, full molded seat and a fork and frame that integrates suspension |
| Fully compatible with a road bike groupset and wheels - any grouppos you like |
| Weight-saving aluminium frame |
| Air suspended front triangle |
| Suspended rear triangle |
Description
Silvio is a front wheel drive moving bottom bracket recumbent capable of being fitted with the latest Shimano Durace or Ultegra 10 speed systems,
etc, without modification and with all components working as they were designed to. Silvio is sold as a frame set or as a complete bike.
The dual suspension fitted to Silvio has a carbon fiber, elastomer dampened system in the rear and a fusion system in the front, integrating an
adjustable compressed air suspension fork, with a carbon fiber chainstay suspension yoke in a patent pending new front triangle assembly. The
frame is aluminum 7005 T6 and integrates the seat shells into the structure for added strength and weight savings.
Seat Back angle is 45 degress and is not adjustable, that is, the seat shells form an integral, structural part of the rear frame. The main down
tube is a teardrop cross-section.
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Maria Parker
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This is the bike that carried Maria Parker to a
course record for any woman on any unfaired bike on the Saratoga 12 hour race for distance in July 2009, covering
211 miles for an average of 17.6mph in difficult conditions. Read more.
This is also the bike that carried Maria Parker to a UMCA world record for any woman on any unfaired bike for distance covered in 12 hours in
October 2009, covering 241 miles for an average of 20.08mph. Read more.
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Download Silvio Assembly Procedure and Parts
Diagram
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Download Doug Barton's Technical Summary
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Check out the Silvio Assembly Guide
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Slender, light weight, built for speed |
Teardrop Monotube frame design with structural seat shells |
Silvio 700c Specifications |
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- Rear travel is 13mm 0.5" by elastomer damping, single rebound titanium leaf spring and carbon fiber rear chainstay
- Front travel is 40mm 1.5" by adjustable air head shock and carbon fiber chainstay
- Wheelbase 1020mm 40"
- Weight distribution with 70kg (154lb) rider: rear 50% front 50%
- Frameset weight as supplied is 6.5kg / 14lbs, with final weight in the order of 11.5 to 12.5kg (dependent on the components and
wheels each person selects.
- The Silvio is designed for a double or triple crankset.
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Seat height |
Crank to seat back |
To pedal x-seam |
Crank rise over seat |
Crank height |
| Shortest fitting |
540 |
820 |
970 |
210 |
750 |
| Median fitting |
540 |
930 |
1080 |
110 |
650 |
| Tallest fitting |
540 |
1065 |
1215 |
-70 |
470 |
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While building a light bike is an objective, it is not the only objective. It must have dual suspension and must be stiff through the drive
structure, including the seat. We were asked why we are so keen on suspension, since a road bike without suspension tends to be lighter, stiffer,
less complex, and usually faster. A top 10 reasons list to use suspension might look like this:
- It's the 21 century, should be no reason to do without it
- Cruzbikes do not suffer pogo - so low stiction suspension systems work well and decrease rolling resistance
- The front leg adjustment requires pivots in the triangle and so the pivots to make suspension work on the front are already there
- FWD needs to get good traction on the front, suspension helps that by keeping an even pressure against the road
- The hard shell seat is solid to promote good power, so this calls for suspension
- Our Taiwan manufacturing partner has some lovely suspension technology that we've been able to integrate
- Kudos, to build a light recumbent road bike including dual suspension
- Target segment is pretty surely over 40, should have lost the anti-suspension machismo nonsense by then
- Better grip on the road, better handling, better passive safety
- It's nice to ride down staircases! (legal note - not actually recommended)
Removing the suspension would make the bike lighter and give it slightly increased rolling resistance, a slight reduction
in consistency of traction, and possibly increased rider fatigue.
The FWD system probably needs a little more closed body angle than other bents. Also, the heart is perhaps better placed if it is not below the legs.
You may lose some aero that way, but the key to a quick bike is average speed. If you are 10% faster on the 10 minute climb, who cares about being 2%
slower on the 3 minute descent? Anecdotal evidence on the Silvio indicates it climbs roughly as well as a normal upright road bike, and possibly better
than a low racer. It has about the same aero performance as an upright rider who is contorted into the best non-pedaling aero position they can manage.
The design of the rear of the bike presents very little to the wind, which has paid off. Having riding characteristics that are somewhat like a road
bike is important, as the Silvio is designed to be ridden socially in a group with upright road bikes, who share a love of quality road bike
wheels, components and riding experiences.
Handlebars are a personal choice, but a center to center grip spacing of at least 44cm 17.3" is recommended.
There are only two things that can change that would affect the suitability of parts for building your Silvio.
- Some front derailleurs clamp around the tube (clamp ons) and some bolt into a brazed on lug (braze-ons). Silvio requires the braze-on.
- There are two main handlebar clamp widths, 25.4/26.0 and 31.8. Silvio needs the 25.4/26.0."
Please note, Silvio uses the British/ISO 68mm format for the Bottom Bracket, as do most of today's bikes. |
Want to find out more about Cruzbike recumbent bikes? Go to
www.cruzbike.com |
Please Note: Bike specifications can vary and are subject to change without notice. |
*Ruthy's Rides distributes bikes on the understanding that before they are ridden the
assembly will be checked by a qualified mechanic. We cannot accept any responsibilty, and in the event of an incident due
to incorrect assembly, responsibility lies with the person(s) who assembled the bike. |
