Just a quick "Hi"(edit-maybe not so quick) to all here as I have
been the proud owner of a new V2 Softrider for the last week or so
and I have to say, so far it's been excellent fun.

I'd describe myself as a 'young' (doesn't everybody) 39 yr old with
an urgent need to get fit. So in my mind, I recently had a choice
between putting my name down for an unknown Cruzbike kit or buying a
lightweight road bike. As I couldn't find a donor bike in the UK, I
bought myself a correctly sized, second-hand, carbon framed road
bike. Whilst I found its acceleration, speed and hill climbing
amazing, about 30minutes was all I could stand, I even changed to a
stem with a 30degree rise, but it still wasn`t comfortable, nor was
the saddle! Unfortunately, it hasn't been the answer to my lack of
fitness as I haven't used it much at all.

So back to the Cruzbike option. I decided to buy the kit. When I
went to pick it up, I went for a quick test ride on a new V2
Softrider and much to the wife's horror, decided to take it instead
(with a 9month old I can`t see me having the time to build the kit).
The wife has given me strict instructions that one must go, (I`m sure
I'll get back what I paid for the road bike).

Anyway, I can't believe how much fun the Softrider has been and how
much I have ridden it in the last few days. I went out for a quick
local ride the other day, returned home, then turned round and when
straight out again, 3 times, I didn't get out of the seat for 3 hours
and felt fine, it's sooo comfortable compared to the racer.

To anyone who thinks it's all about having a bike as light as
possible (like i did), there seems to be a lot of truth in the
saying, "It's not when you get there but how!" OK, the Cruzbike is
much heavier than my carbon road bike and maybe(?) not as fast,
especially up hill, but at least I'll get there with a smile on my
face and ready for anything, rather than needing a lie-down on a
stretcher and a chiropractor .

I found the learning curve fairly manageable, I managed short
stretches with "no hands" by the second day and the whole street by
the 3rd, still improving all the time though. If I can offer any help
to anyone trying `hands-free' (which seems to be the secret to less
wobbles), from a newbie's point of view, it seemed that starting the
power stroke early, i.e. pushing upwards with the foot slightly
before pushing out into the power stroke, was the start to my
success. Also, stopping pedalling when things seem to be going wrong
(wobbly) would make things 10 time worse, so keep pedalling.

I have since put the Clip-ins on and hadn't realised how much effort
I was using to keep my feet on the pedals and the extra power really
makes it fly along on the flat.

I wasn't sure I would be able to stand the comments and funny looks
whilst riding around on a recumbent in a built up area, but I have to
say, it's all been good. It's not often I get a smile from the nice
young women in the street, but I have had more than my share lately,
whether it's `at me,' or `with me,' I couldn't say, but a smile is a
smile in my book and it makes my day!

Finally, as I took the bike ready built, I do not have a Softrider V2
Manual, is there anywhere I can download a copy, even the V1 manual
would do?

So far it's been the best money I ever spent, I spent far more on the
gym and never went there for a whole year!

Cheers.
Stuart.
UK, Surrey.