C y c l i s t Recumbent - Steve Briggs

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“Volae recumbents are designed to out-performthe best upright road racing machineswhile providing the incredible comfort thatrecumbent bikes are famous for. Volae offersrecumbents equipped with carbon forks, topnotchcomponents, racing wheels, and lightweight,high-tech, molded seats and they areproudly built in the USA. These recumbentslook like what they are: modern, sleek racingmachines.” — Volae RecumbentsRCN Road Test:The Volae ClubBy Bob Bryantbob@recumbentcyclistnews.comVolae is a relatively new companyfounded by Rolf Garthus and family,the owners of the Hostel Shoppein Stevens Point, WI. The bikes were designedby Rolf and the prototypes wereworked out by Vision Recumbents before thedemise of that company. Rolf worked as thebuilder for Richard Schwinn’s WaterfordPrecision Cycles (www.waterfordbikes.com). The result of Rolf’s efforts is astunning, yet slightly different, take on aperformance highracer.With the backing of the Hostel Shoppe,customizing the specifications is easy. Volaeoffers seven models. Our test unit, the $2300Volae Club is a beautiful example of a Volaehighracer.SYSTEMSPerhaps the biggest benefit of thehighracer concept is the ability to use offthe-shelfhigh-performance road andtriathlon parts — such as forks and wheels.Even the seat is a fairly standard Euro-styleshell with Volae mounts.Frame: The Volae Club’s frame is one ofthe finest examples of craftsmanship you’llsee on a recumbent. The frames are built inthree sizes by Waterford Precision Cycles,successors to the builders of the prestigiousand high-end Schwinn Paramount framessince 1938. Paramount frames were knownfor their fine quality and beauty. The Volaeframe is no exception. While there are nocrafted lug works or two-tone paint, the weldbeads and craftsmanship are sheer kinetic art.Note: The 2003 Volae models were built forby ATP Vision, which has since gone out ofbusiness. The transition to Waterford tookplace in early 2004. Vision’s Steve Nash builtthe jigs/alignment table.Fork: The fork is a high-modulus carbonfiber steerer tube and legs and with a threadlesssteerer. The dropouts are aluminum andFor1. Excellent fit & finish2. Smooth ride3. Light & fast4. Excellent service5. Moneyback guarantee6. Shipped almost fully assembledAgainst1. Must be purchased direct2. Tall bike3. Roadie performance bike(no fenders or racks)4. Chain management/idler noise5. Very stiff rideWhy Buy This BikeThe highest quality Highracer this side of a Bacchetta AeroContactVolaeWeb: www.volaerecumbents.comSpecificationsModel: Volae ClubType: SWB OSS HighracerSize: 3 frame sizesWheelbase: 44.5”/45.25”/46.75””Seat height: 26”/26”/26/25””Pedal height: 32.5”/33”/33.5””Weight: 26 pounds (RCN digital scale)Frame: 4130 ChromolyFork: True Temper Alpha Q EXPrice: $2300SeatBack/Base: M5 Carbon Shell (2 sizes)ComponentsCrank: Truvativ Elita 30/42/52 170mmBottom bracket: Truvativ ISISHeadset: FSA Orbit XL-IIDrivetrain:SRAM X.9 (rr.)/Ultegra (ft.)Cassette: 11-32 9/27 speedShifters: SRAM 9.0Chain — SRAM PC9Gear inch range: 23.4-118.2Pedals: NoneWheels: Velocity Spartacus 650cTires: 650c x 23c 120 psi Conti GPBrakes: Shimano 105 Dual Pivot SidepullColors: Light Brass powdercoat16 Recumbent Cyclist News
the fork weighs just 375 grams.Steering: The Volae Club has a fixed overseatsteering (OSS) stem/riser. A threadlessstylestem attached to the mast holds thehandlebars. The stem and riser length are setat the factory based on all those funny littlemeasurements you supplied with your order(including height, weight, shoe size, armlength, x-seam, seated shoulder height, standingshoulder height and inseam). The amazinglycool thing about this is that once the factoryhas all these measurements, very little timeis needed to fit the bike to you because it’smostly already done. You need to set the seatrecline and position the handlebars (though aproper setting was suggested by Volae and itworked for me). The ergonomics were exceptional.The “fit” of the Volae is something specialand seems to be a very refined processgiven the young age of this company.Weight: The Volae Club is supposed toweight 26-pounds — and ours came in justunder that amount. The Volae Club has aweight limit of 250 pounds.DRIVETRAINComponents: The Club comes with SRAMX.9 shifters and rear derailleur — whichshifted the Truvativ Elita 30/42/52 (170 mm)crankset flawlessly. The bottom bracket is aTruvativ ISIS. Truvativ components are usuallypicked as a cost-saving measure, as a fullUltegra would be more expensive (at least thisis my understanding from the road bike world).Personally, I prefer Ultegra components, butthere is absolutely no problem with theTruvativ spec on this bike. The Club comeswith an Ultegra front derailleur, and bar-endshifters could be an option.Chain Management: The upper chain rollsunder a very durable modified Greenspeed 15-tooth idler modified by Volae with taperedteeth and a 10 mm bearing. The lower chainrolls over a small Vision-style idler to guidethe chain by the front wheel and out to thecrankset. While the chainline looks good andworks smoothly, the chain management is abit noisy on the Volae. The chain, derailleurpulleys, and Greenspeed idler placed under thatstiffly mounted carbon-fiber seat act as a resonatingchamber which makes the drivetrainnoisier than the competition. The idlers andparts seem to be very high quality, but whenall parts come together, there is noise. Thechain management is quieter on both theBacchetta and the RANS. When we rode thebike with the Vision-style mesh seat it wasquieter as well.Gearing: The 30/42/52 crankset and the 11-32 cassette give an effective gear inch rangeof 23.4-118.2 which is close to perfect for thisbike.Braking: Our test bike had the fantasticShimano 105 dual pivot side pull brakes. Ifthese brakes are good enough for the Tour deVolae’s Rolf GarthusVolae’s optional mesh seat was formerlythe ATP Vision seatFrance, they should be good enough for mostevery recumbent rider. They are easy to adjust,offer great braking power and give a cleanlook to the bike.Wheels: The Club comes with a VelocitySpartacus 650c lightweight and aerodynamicwheelset. This was our third set of these wheels— and all have been trouble-free. These fastand durable wheels are good for riders under250 pounds.Tires: The Continental Grand Prix 3000650c x 23 were very fast and trouble-free, howeverthey are too skinny for my weight, ridingstyle and home terrain (rough roads). Be sureyou carefully consider tire size.COMFORTOur test bike came with an M5 seat, as didmost 2004 models. Shortly after we finishedour test, Volae began producing its own shellseats in both fiberglass and carbon fiber. Accordingto Volae, “The seats are available inthree sizes: small, medium and large. Riderswill notice that the longer and more upturnedseat pan on the Volae seat cups their butts betterthan other molded seats on the market. Thiseliminates the recumbent butt that some ridersget on the backside of their butts when usingother molded seats. The fiberglass seat weighsabout 2.2 pounds (medium) and the carbon fiberseat weighs about 1.5 pounds (medium).”The optional Vision mesh seat is also available.I spent a fair number of miles on the optionalVision seat. It is more comfy than I remembered,but there is what we call a seathorn that sticks out forward center of the seatbase and can cause irritation under your groin.Some riders are sensitive to this, others are not.This has always bothered me on Vision bikes,and on Ryan Recumbents before them.The mesh seat raises the riding position andchanges the dynamics of the bike. I had tomove the seat forward 1-1.5 inches, and I wason my tiptoes at stops. The mesh seat is alsoquite noisy. While the bike is quieter with themesh seat, the seat itself squeaks. The bike isvery fast with either seat. The Vision seat isalso very light, and is about the same weightas our M5 seat.One of the beauties of this bike is the seatmount — it seems bomb-proof. The Volae systemis similar to the former Vision (drilledholes in the frame). A unique seat mount slidesfore-and-aft and there are adjustable seat backbraces as well. Volae’s seat mount is reversible,making for a full range of seat positioning.While not as quick as a Rad-Loc orBacchetta system, it locks down very tight, andmakes seat removal quick.RIDEThe Club is fast and stiff — like a drop-barroad bike. The mono-tube frame has someminor give or flex, but the Volae rear seat strutsare extremely tough and stiff. The seat mountseems stiffer than either the RANS orBacchetta. Volae’s theory is that this puts morepower to the rear wheel — but it also seems tomake for a slightly rougher ride.The bike feels like a much longer bike —read: stable. That is until you go bombingdown some rough country roads. I got intosome trouble zooming down the back side ofMorgan Hill in Port Townsend: I had a deathgrip on the bars at 30 mph when the bikestarted to bounce on the road surface. I wasconcerned that my hands would slip off thehandlebars, but this didn’t happen. This doesn’thappen with just the Volae, but with otherhighracers, and even with some LWB OSSperformance bikes. The stiff frames, wheelsMarch/April 2005 17
Page 1 and 2: RecumbentC y c l i s tNewsRCN 087 A
Page 3 and 4: Recumbent NewsTerraCycle reinventst
Page 6 and 7: Letters To RCNWe want to hear what
Page 8 and 9: . . . WizWheelz cont’d from the c
Page 10: Options & Accessories: WizWheelz ha
Page 13 and 14: sent me a digital photo that showed
Page 15: The Sun Edge fairingThe Sun seat-ba
Page 19 and 20: STELVIO:BIG APPLE:16" 28-349,17" 32
Page 21 and 22: heavier than SWBs, and won’t go o
Page 23 and 24: the optional handlebars.)Finish: Ou
Page 25 and 26: Now I Know Jack (knife)By Tom Beuli
Page 27 and 28: ike types. It largely depends on ri
Page 29 and 30: RCN CalendarThe Bike Center Recumbe
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