Bacchetta Corsa

[Riggsbie]

Today I had my first go on a Bacchetta Corsa.....

Awesome, really really good.....loved the low speed handling, better than my Musashi as there is no chance of heel strike on the front wheel !

Very easy to set off and clip in, very neutral handling, very stable.....very versatile with seat position and seat angle, the only issue I had was that the bars were a bit too short for me......

I was always a little scared of high racers but the Bacchetta has cured that.....now do I need a high racer ?

Thanks to Rick Harker for selling his old bike to my mate ! Now there will be a pod of three regular recumbentists in the Geelong area !


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[John Lewis]

Sounds interesting. I did have a sit on a bacchetta some time back. Unfortunately my legs were a bit too short to adequately reach the ground or the pedals for that matter but I think I could get to like the position.
I recall reading somewhere that a highracer was easier than a lowracer to balance. A bit like balancing a broomstick versus a pencil on your finger I think was how it was put.
Well they reckon the right number of bikes is N+1 so there you go.

John

[Aushiker]

Sort of on topic. I saw this photo over at CGOAB of a Giro. The riding position seems pretty upright. Is that normal with this model?



Andrew

[Riggsbie]

The seat angle is completely adjustable ! It can set almost upright and then into full aero position at a very low position.....not sure exact angle but at least 30 degrees but maybe lower.....the adjustment takes 30 seconds....

The seat also slides on the boom with a quick release bracket so no messing with the chain and crank position, so it's ideal for letting people try a recumbent, unlike most recumbents !

My friend rode 100km (with VeloRossi and me) on his yesterday, his third ride on a recumbent, with 10% climbs, that shows easy it is to ride if you are a competent rider !


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[rdp_au]

Certainly would have to agree. I’ve had my Corsa for nearly 5,000km, mostly commuting. It’s proved to be comfortable and fast, and the highracer format works well in traffic. Low speed, stop/start manoeuvring, particularly starting on a hill are probably the most challenging aspects to master. Once you get the hang of it, it’s ok, but not as quick off the mark as a conventional bike. I am always slow off the line and have to reel people in once I get going – good opportunity to give them the ‘recumbent grin’ as I sail past . While you don’t get heel strike, you can get ‘handlebar strike’ with the superman bar layout (arms outstretched, hands outside knees) until you get used to coordinating things on tight turns. On the move, they really do handle very well, from a walking pace to very fast indeed. As Riggsbie says, the seat is fully adjustable for reach and recline – I have mine set to a recline of around 25 deg, which seems a reasonable compromise between aerodynamics and manouevreability in traffic.

[Aushiker]

The seat angle is completely adjustable ! It can set almost upright and then into full aero position at a very low position.....not sure exact angle but at least 30 degrees but maybe lower.....the adjustment takes 30 seconds....

Nice. Thanks for the clarification.

Andrew

[Baalzamon]

The seat is adjustable by stock grenade pins. But they can rattle around a bit. Instead you can get seat strut clamps which will then give you even more play with your angles as you can get in between the holes for the pins and they can't be lost either.

[just4tehhalibut]

Those are the Velogenesis clamps, I bought these when I got my Giro 4 years ago from Flying Furniture, kept the old grenade pins but never had to. The other advantage of these, besides ease of adjustment, is that if you need to remove the seat you can leave the clamp bolted onto the narrower strut so that when you bring the struts back together you still have your struts set for the right length. Ease of reinstall.

[rdp_au]

I have heard that the Velogenesis clamps are a worthwhile upgrade, but I'm still using the standard PIP pins. I cable tied the pull-rings to the struts which helps to silence the rattles, and makes it more difficult for one to be removed by a light-fingered passerby. I also made a bridge to fit between the struts to give me somewhere to mount a mudguard. This has a handy side effect of adding some bracing, giving the seat a bit more rigidity. The seat is the standard Euromesh, fitted with a homemade ventisit pad, which I prefer over the standard foam version. If I had my time again, I'd opt for the carbon seat, which is lighter, stiffer, and lower.