Beautiful Medium Corsa for sale

This just posted on BROL. I don't think it will last long. Really clean, gearing isn't the best for hills though.

http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/showthread.php?t=44711

Ward

 

Yeah I saw that too Ward. Nice bike, I like the Corsa, but I too noticed the gearing......a 12-25 cassette and 53-39 double just wouldn't cut it in East TN, for my skill level anyway......

Don
Original RocketRiders Member #6, August 25, 2004

 

mine either Don, The Sea Dragon is coming with 12-26 rear and I usually run an 11-32 or 11-34. The smalles front chainring is a 30t and I really like my 26t.

What I am doing is simply switching my cranks and wheelset over to the Sea Dragon from the Aero. This also makes it so I can advertise the Aero as having new components.

Ward

 

In over 20 years of riding I have rarely found a bike that came with gearing that would work for me. Manufacturers have to spec their bikes for what they think the majority of the market will want.

I don't even worry about it anymore. I look for everything else I want the bike to do/be then take it as a given I'm going to have to change out the cassette and/or chainrings to get the gear range and pattern I want.

Usually if you do this at the time of purchase (with a new bike) the dealer can cut you a break and it won't cost near as much as full aftermarket.

 

good points Mike, buying used you just have to take what you get. Even though the Sea Dragon is basically a demo with just a few hundred miles on it because it was in New York with Bryan Ball and not in California Dana at Bent-up-Cycles couldn't exactly switch stuff out for me.

I am happy with my Rotor Cranks and since the Sea Dragon has been dismantled for shippng anyway it won't cost too much more to have the components switched from one bike to the other.

Now I am going to hijack my own thread and ask MIke about that ti-Rush. Do you ride it faired or unfaired? Whats your longest ride on it and did you have issues with recumbutt? How does it climb compared to other bikes you have owned?

 

Ward,

I ride with the front fairing (CF double bubble style, this is a narrow fairing) on all the time. I have used a tail sock a few times but have never used the body sock. I really like the fairing. I has definite advantages for both speed and comfort. It does not hamper climbing. It does hamper low speed tight turns, there is interference between the fairing and pedal.

The longest ride I have done is 40 miles. It has the cool-back seat. There is a little issue with recumbent butt but not much. Reclining the seat a little more solved most of it. I'm not particularly fond of the seat pad. I have bought a multi-density piece of conforfoam (used it aviation seats) but haven't tried shaping it yet. I have also thought about putting a RANS seat on it.

As for climbing, the Ti-Rush out climbs any other bike I've had. I cannot balance the Ti-Rush at anywhere near as low a speed as I could the V-Rex (3.5 mph vs 1.8 mph). However, hills that I would be climbing at 1.8 mph on the V-Rex I climb at about 4 mph on the Ti-Rush.

Also, I am able to run higher gearing on the Ti-Rush compared to the V-Rex. Both bikes have an 11-34 cassette. The V-Rex has a 22/32/44 crankset while the Ti-Rush has a 26/39/50 (it had 30/42/56 chainrings when I bought it). The Ti-Rush also has 700C wheels vs 26" for the V-Rex. Bottom line, the Ti-Rush has a higher gear range than the V-Rex (21-123 vs 17-104 respectively).

To be fair I do have Rotor cranks on the Ti-Rush and I have not had them on any other bike.

 

Mike, I love my Rotorcranks. I have only had them on my ti-Aero so I can't compare to my Strata but I do feel they make a difference for me not just climbing but also when I am motoring along in a high gear on the flats.

I have always admired the ti-Rush and I must admit that I absolutely lust after the CF Rush. However, I am beginning to think that my next purchase will be either a trike and/or velo kit.

 

Ward,

I need to stay a long way away from an CF rush ......

I agree with you about the Rotors. I would never have bought them outright, I could never see paying that kind of money but since they came on the bike I kept them. Really glad I did too.

Laurie and I met a guy goes by the name of Krash at the RBR rally by Penn State this past spring. He designs and sells lightweight Velocraft kits.

http://www.krash.us/velokit.html

 

Very cool, now does he do a streamliner version for you ti-Rush?

 

Unfortunately no, just trikes as I understand it. My faring/body sock combination would probably be the closest to a removable streamliner I could get.

 

interesting fabric choice you got there. I like it, not the usualy yellow/green or Flag motiff that I see alot of.

What sort of speeds on the flat can you hit with that baby fully socked

 

low 30's with the tail sock only, haven't tried it yet with the full sock.

 

Very Nice. I hit 32 in a sprint one time for just a short period on the Aero when I was in top form.

 

Yeah, low 30's is an all out effort for me. Sustained would be low 20's for me. The bike is capable of more, I'm not.