You might be able to order a Cruzbike softrider with a triple and
short cranks.155s .The short cranks are easier on the knees,Its not
hard to build a 36lb kit but the softrider would be cheaper if you
dont do your own work. Jack

On 6/2/09, pramodanm <pramodanm@...> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I agree - if the area is hilly -
> number 1 criterion is - go for a lighter frame.
> The kit adds a 6 Kgs to it. So lighter the original frame is the better.
>
> I did not use a Y frame bike, instead chose 17.5" frame that was light. Its
> original weight was 14 kg. So after adding the kit it has become 20 kg. I
> find it ok for climbing slopes. My city is hilly too and there are a lot of
> man made slopes to climb.
>
> The other side of having to climb slopes is to get a nice speedy coasting
> when going down:)
>
> Also the wheel size should be 26" to give a decent drive speed.
>
> A frame should be in the range of 15" to 17" so it gives an ideal height to
> the cruzbike seat. It helps to get more stability and for
> easier mounting/dismounting.
>
> Building it was not easy for me to do myself - I had to take help of a local
> cycle shop to get it fitted. Some customizations were necessary as the
> original bike had disk brakes on both wheels.
> Now in the converted bike, I have disk brakes for rear and V breaks for
> front.
>
> Regards
> Pramodan
>
> --- In Cruzbike@yahoogroups.com, "pastor1212" <pastor1212@...> wrote:
>>
>> --- In Cruzbike@yahoogroups.com, "Jerry Rivers" <ripshod@> wrote:
>> >
>> > Hi. My name is Jerry and I live in Knoxville, Tennessee. I haven't
>> > ridden a bicycle since 1981. I'm hoping to get back into bicycling but
>> > I'm totally ignorant of the choices available today. I'm 51 and I have
>> > bad knees and arthritic wrists and one thing I know for sure is that if
>> > I put in a mile on that bike I rode in the 80's, my body would seize up
>> > and break apart. For that and other reasons, I'm drawn to recumbents.
>> >
>> > If I really wanted to I could afford to buy a complete top-end bent but
>> > that just doesn't make any sense. Way too many folks have bicycles in
>> > their garages which haven't been ridden and I won't join their ranks,
>> > but I need a good entry-level avenue and I think the Cruzbike conversion
>> > is just the ticket. On the plus side I actually get to build something
>> > (yeah!) and if I'm real lucky I might get to actually buy another tool
>> > (but I doubt it).
>> >
>> > I have a lot of very ignorant questions. You seem like nice folks but I
>> > might put that to the test.
>> >
>> > On the "Choosing a Y-frame bike..." web page, it suggests a 17-inch
>> > frame. From what I remember, that sounds tiny. That's basically a
>> > kid's bike, right? My problem is, I don't know how to tell. Doubling
>> > the problem is the fact that I suspect lots of people selling bikes
>> > don't really know either. Here's an example:
>> > http://knoxville.craigslist.org/bik/1185971126.html
>> > I asked this guy what size the bike is and he said, "It's a kid's bike".
>> > Is it, I say, a 17" frame? "I don't know, I think it's about two feet
>> > tall. But the seat goes up and down."
>> > Bear in mind we're dealing with a man who lives in Sweetwater, Tennessee
>> > (motto: It Ain't Really All That Sweet - Here, Have A Taste). I want to
>> > tell him to take his tape and measure from the center of the crank hub
>> > to the top of the seat post. Would that be correct? Then I should tell
>> > him to write down the size that's stamped into the tire's sidewall,
>> > right? I can't imagine how to ask what style of brake mechanism it has,
>> > linear or center-pull.
>> >
>> > Other than that, I doubt very much that the knobbies on that bike will
>> > be my tire of choice. What should I look for? All in all, if I end up
>> > paying $25 for a bike, I imagine I can install whatever type components
>> > I need but it's best to know beforehand what I'm getting into.
>> >
>> > It turns out that all my friends are elitist uprighters and they're no
>> > help at all. It so happens that Knoxville is a very hilly place and
>> > everyone says that recumbents are crappy at hills. Any truth to that?
>> >
>> > Sorry I've gone on so long. These are just the first of many questions
>> > I have - many of which I haven't even thought of yet. Thanks for your
>> > time.
>> >
>> > Jerry
>> >
>> I live outside Chattanooga in Northwest GA on top of Lookout Mountain.
>> Same type hills as Knoxville. In fact, Lookout Mt. of course has a
>> serious four mile(?) uphill ride.
>>
>> A friend of mine helped me build a conversion kit last year. My normal
>> ride- for exercise, takes me across numerous hills. It is not a hard ride
>> and my cruzbike climbs the hills very well.
>>
>> The only problem I have is weight. My bike weighs 50 lbs. I would love
>> to have a lighter bike. I used an old bike I had. Wrong size most
>> definitely - a weight issue.
>>
>> Hope this helps.
>>
>
>
>