mschwett
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
hi all! first post, first year riding bikes.
my situation is a little unusual, i've always been fairly athletic (swam/water polo competitively, later distance running) but due to a heart rhythm condition and many subsequent catastrophes, i'm very limited in the intensity of my cardio. HR needs to stay well below 130, and well below the point where it would be difficult to have a conversation. i live in san francisco, in pacific heights, surrounded by big hills.
right after christmas, i got a vanmoof S3. brilliant city transport, powerful (69nm, 500w peak), and as much as i loved cruising from playground with my kids (one with me, one on her own bike!) i really really loved riding it fast. put 1,000 miles on it in 2-3 months. this led me to think i should get a bike designed for... going fast. on paper the turbo creo seemed to fit the bill, much lighter, higher max boost (class 3 / 28mph), more gears. i test rode an L of the EVO version (i'm 6'2, 195), and it felt very cramped, very unstable, like i was going to tip forward and off.
tried an XL of the comp carbon, still didn't love it and didn't feel comfortable getting out of the saddle. shop suggested flipping the stem, going a little shorter and a higher angle, and heavier, more puncture resistant tires since i ride everywhere from my door, meaning through the city. after all that, it was starting to feel really good. i went with the black version, and other than the tires, hybrid pedals, removing some fiddly bits, and adding a quad lock out front (flipped around) it's stock. i didn't really understand the benefits of the various trim levels, but as a new rider, the cheapest one with the carbon frame was probably the right decision. and, to be honest... it had to be black, preferably matte black.
10 days later, i freaking love it! i've ridden it almost every day, rides ranging from 15 to 40 miles, vertical from 750 to 2,500 feet. my goal is to use the battery as little as possible, and on my last ride mission control tells me that i did 36 miles, used 120 watt hours, with an average speed of 14.78mph and 1,709 feet of elevation. i try and avoid level 3, i turned level one down 5%, and turn the motor fully off on the flats unless there's a wicked tailwind.
i'm now wondering if - given my primary interest in going fast and using the least power - upgrading to a carbon wheelset would be worth it. it seems like custom is the way to go given the odd dimensions, maybe with a 700x38 tubeless setup to allow a little more cushion and some gravel capability? i was originally happy to have some rotating weight for stability, but now i feel very comfortable on the bike. would an amateur rider like myself notice the difference in a lighter carbon+tubeless setup, to the point that it would be worth $1k or so?
my only annoyance at the moment is the cycling app ecosystem... none of them do all the things i want. mission control shows power, precise battery usage, speed from the bike directly, and gives you a map, but won't read HR from my apple watch, and you can't plan a route with navigation and elevation profiles. ridewithGPS has amazing route planning, sometimes (not usually) reads the heart rate, and shows elevation profiles in advance but can't (at least i can't figure it) connect to the bike's power meter. cyclemeter pro has the BEST HR display, including a real time graph for the ride, shows elevation profiles after the fact (but not in advance), can't connect to the power meter, and doesn't have route planning. at the moment i'm using mission control and ridewithGPS together and just looking directly at my watch for the HR. any suggestions on that front?
iphone 12 pro max on quadlock out front:
and, the city bike, which i still love and use every day for errands. the anti-theft features are brilliant and twice the torque as the creo is just the ticket for trips to the grocery store up a 20% grade!
my situation is a little unusual, i've always been fairly athletic (swam/water polo competitively, later distance running) but due to a heart rhythm condition and many subsequent catastrophes, i'm very limited in the intensity of my cardio. HR needs to stay well below 130, and well below the point where it would be difficult to have a conversation. i live in san francisco, in pacific heights, surrounded by big hills.
right after christmas, i got a vanmoof S3. brilliant city transport, powerful (69nm, 500w peak), and as much as i loved cruising from playground with my kids (one with me, one on her own bike!) i really really loved riding it fast. put 1,000 miles on it in 2-3 months. this led me to think i should get a bike designed for... going fast. on paper the turbo creo seemed to fit the bill, much lighter, higher max boost (class 3 / 28mph), more gears. i test rode an L of the EVO version (i'm 6'2, 195), and it felt very cramped, very unstable, like i was going to tip forward and off.
tried an XL of the comp carbon, still didn't love it and didn't feel comfortable getting out of the saddle. shop suggested flipping the stem, going a little shorter and a higher angle, and heavier, more puncture resistant tires since i ride everywhere from my door, meaning through the city. after all that, it was starting to feel really good. i went with the black version, and other than the tires, hybrid pedals, removing some fiddly bits, and adding a quad lock out front (flipped around) it's stock. i didn't really understand the benefits of the various trim levels, but as a new rider, the cheapest one with the carbon frame was probably the right decision. and, to be honest... it had to be black, preferably matte black.
10 days later, i freaking love it! i've ridden it almost every day, rides ranging from 15 to 40 miles, vertical from 750 to 2,500 feet. my goal is to use the battery as little as possible, and on my last ride mission control tells me that i did 36 miles, used 120 watt hours, with an average speed of 14.78mph and 1,709 feet of elevation. i try and avoid level 3, i turned level one down 5%, and turn the motor fully off on the flats unless there's a wicked tailwind.
i'm now wondering if - given my primary interest in going fast and using the least power - upgrading to a carbon wheelset would be worth it. it seems like custom is the way to go given the odd dimensions, maybe with a 700x38 tubeless setup to allow a little more cushion and some gravel capability? i was originally happy to have some rotating weight for stability, but now i feel very comfortable on the bike. would an amateur rider like myself notice the difference in a lighter carbon+tubeless setup, to the point that it would be worth $1k or so?
my only annoyance at the moment is the cycling app ecosystem... none of them do all the things i want. mission control shows power, precise battery usage, speed from the bike directly, and gives you a map, but won't read HR from my apple watch, and you can't plan a route with navigation and elevation profiles. ridewithGPS has amazing route planning, sometimes (not usually) reads the heart rate, and shows elevation profiles in advance but can't (at least i can't figure it) connect to the bike's power meter. cyclemeter pro has the BEST HR display, including a real time graph for the ride, shows elevation profiles after the fact (but not in advance), can't connect to the power meter, and doesn't have route planning. at the moment i'm using mission control and ridewithGPS together and just looking directly at my watch for the HR. any suggestions on that front?
iphone 12 pro max on quadlock out front:
and, the city bike, which i still love and use every day for errands. the anti-theft features are brilliant and twice the torque as the creo is just the ticket for trips to the grocery store up a 20% grade!
used 141Wh
