!!! Vision Complete Upgrade Details !!!

VISION R45 UPGRADE (The Return Of The King)
I’ll just apologise for posting this so late. I started writing it and then got carried away, so the result is this lengthy review and general comments. Hope you enjoy?!

I've included as many photos as I'm allowed to.

So there I was, thinking do I go the Whole-Hog and buy a new Bent. Not just any Bent, but a ICE Trice XLL Trike (See www.icehpv.co.uk). The model XLL was about the £3000 mark, but of course, I wanted ALL the options and so this bumped up the price to around £4000. That's around the $7500 US.

Or do I go the other route and upgrading my Vision R45.

After some careful negotiation with the wife. In which, we had an adult conversation about the pros and cons of the various options available to me and how I had worked so hard for the past five years. Yet, I had not brought any major items for my self, with my hard earned cash in all that time. How I selflessly provided funding for jaunts like holidays. Bearing in mind that she-who-must-be-obayed also works.

And how the quality of the workmanship from the ICE boys is exceptional. That each ICE Trike is hand crafted, to order. That the ICE boys construct the beautiful tri-art constructions from the customer measurements, minimising the weight. That the component options are one of the best available in the market today, and if the customer wants zero comprises then these boys will go that extra mile. A true representation of the Best of British Engineering within the bent community. I've been dreaming of buying one for the past seven years.

So, I was instructed by the wife, and I'll paraphrase, "OVER MY DEAD BODY!!! ", yes I think that was the polite intonation that was used.

Well, not really. I will not expand on the other colourful phrases and expletives that were used to describe my dreams, as they came crashing down on the Rocks Of Wifery, in that age-old-choice of purchasing the item or saving the marriage.

So I went down the other route and upgraded my Vision R45. But, to stick-it-in-her-eye, I didn't cut anything out.

Yes it was over board. Yes it did cost alot. And Yes it was, most certainly, totally unnecessary.

If anyone else had thought about it carefully, they would have either told the wife to Sit-And-Swivel, then ordered the Trike and a lawyer. Or sold the Vision R45 and just brought a new recumbent that was not as expensive as the ICE XLL Trike.

But I Didn't...
What I did do was upgrade everything. I stripped that Vision R45 to the frame and then, if it could be upgraded, I did it.

Why? Why do it?

There are a several good recumbent manufactures out there that are producing quality products that could of easily fulfilled the requirements that I wanted. Many of the latest recumbents are good pieces of bent engineering at a good price, the, the HP Velotechnik Grasshopper, the Volae Club and the Optima Dragon, all are good systems.

There is something about Vision owners that makes them very loyal riders. Once they own a Vision they don't usually want to switch. They might trade it in for a better model, but who wouldn't.

Vision had gone out of business, and I got thinking... Well what sort of recumbent could the Vision R45 become? It has a few sort falls, but so did many other bents at the time of its manufacture. What sort of ride would you like, if you could use the frame as the base level on which you built the components for this R45?

The old R45 mesh seat is not that good, that could use an upgrade. Those wheels don't transmit the power down very efficiently, upgrade. The Balistic Fork is heavy and unresponsive, upgrade. The brakes need to stop the bent, upgrade. The chain set doesn't have the touring gear range I wanted, upgrade, ect ect ect.....

I think you get the picture. So here they are. The before and after pictures. (See below)

"YOU'VE SPENT THE MONEY, BUT WHAT'S IT LIKE TO RIDE?", I hear you ask. So here is a in-depth analyses of the components and the general responsiveness of the bent after the upgrade. Read on...


SEAT – MESH SEAT TO M5 CARBON FIBER SEAT
This proved to be the most technically difficult upgrade, because the mounting brackets were designed from scratch.

Ideally if they could be created in Aluminium there would be a better weight advantage. However, after talking to several people, they all say that aluminium would have problems with fatigue stress from the repeated pounding that the brackets would get from the bent hitting bumps and the added body weight.

So the only option would be to make the brackets out of steel. By using steel, it would also be easier to find a welder to do the work.....

....OK, having written all this and designed the brackets for the seat mounts, it seams that Voela (www.volae.com) are going to make mounts that will attach a M5 seat to a Vision bike. Here is a copy of the Email that they sent to me from Rolf Garthus :

“We are making progress on the seat brackets for mounting the moulded seats on Visions. It appears that the price of the brackets will be $60.00.

We are currently waiting for prototypes of the new brackets, which we expect to approve. Then it's just a matter of ordering them and waiting for production.

I will notify you when we have the brackets in stock.

Thanks."

So we should see the Hard Shell Mounting Brackets on sale at the Volae and the Hostel Shoppe web site (www.hostelshoppe.com) by end of February 2005.

It also looks like that Volae are taking on the responsibility of supplying parts for the Vision parts, Great!!!


SUSPENSION FORK - BALISTIC 600 ACII TO WHITE BROTHER RC 0.8
The clearance on the White Brother RC.8 (See www.whitebrotherscycling.com) suspension fork is around 80mm. The suspension is provided by a air system, which is adjustable by using a suspension air pump.

Once the fork is installed, the ride is certainly alot more refined, the fork is about 2Kg lighter than the old Balistic Fork and therefore is a lot more responsive when steering. (See photo WhiteBroRC8.jpg).

As you turn into the corners the fork adjusts to the road contours and gives you very positive feed back. All this without the expected po-going. This translates into a very comfortable ride and being capable of taking those corners at a lot higher speeds with added confidence, provided you have installed the correct tires!


WHEELS - SUNCR14 RIMS TO VELOCITY THRACIAN WHEEL SET
These were changed to Velocity Thracian (See www.velocityusa.com) wheels. Which have been specifically designed for the recumbent market. And can be made up to most specifications (i.e. dished, non dished)

The Vision needed a rear wheel that could take a rim brake, as the Vision frame doesn't support disk brakes.

The rear wheel standard rounded spokes were also changed to C-X Ray Bladed Spokes. However, my recommendation is to stay with the standard rounded spokes if you are doing commuter cycling or touring. For street racing and circuit, riding go for the bladed spokes. The rounded spokes are more likely to withstand a small knock from the side then the bladed spokes.

Remember that there were changers made by the Vision manufacture, to the rear Drop Out Size, Dishing direction and Dishing Size. Which all depends on the vision model and year it was manufactured.

My particular Vision R45 is a 1999 model. The Rear Wheel Hub has a Drop Out of 130mm and is Dished 1 1/4 inches to the drive side. This information had to be derived from taking the old wheel to a bike mechanic and measuring it with a Dish Measuring Tool.

If you intend to have wheels made up, be careful on how you are wording any correspondence with wheel maker regarding the wheel set up, as it may be easily misinterpreted. I should know.

The front wheel had a rim that could take a rim brake, but it was built around a disk brake hub. This was done, so that the White Brother RC.8 fork brake disk mounts could be used, but the front rim needed to match up with the rear rim.

The wheels perform very well. They actually feel like your putting more of the power down in propelling you forward. They are very positive and precise in there handeling and cornering.

With less than 1670 Grams in weight, the advantages of aerodynamic rear bladed forks, a low spoke count and a stiffer rim; the Thracians are good accelerators, and they look good too.


CHAIN SET - SHIMANO ULTRGRA TO SHIMANO DEORE XT
Original setup Shimano Ultegra set up:
- Cassette 12-27 (9 speed)
- Chain Ring 30-42-52
- Ultegra rear derailleur

Replacement set, Shimano Deore XT set:
-Cassette 11-34 (9 speed),
-Chain Ring 22-32-44
-Rear derailleur Deore XT with a long arm

The chain set was completely changed from the Shimano Ultegra Set to the Shimano Deore XT Set. (See photo DeoreXTSet.jpg)

The Deore derailleur provided a very smooth action when moving up and down the gears. However, it does take some time to set up the gear positions, but once they are correctly aligned, then the movement is very smooth.

The gear range offered by the Deore XT is much more useful if you do touring or have to tackle hills. If touring or hills are not on the agenda then stick to the Ultegra Set. The Chain was replaced with a SRAM chain.


GEAR SHIFTERS - SHIMANO ULTEGRA STI TO SHIMANO XT THUMB SHIFTERS
The original brake and gear shifters were integrated Ultegra STI's. The gear shifters were changed to Deore XT shifter. These have a far more natural shifting action, and can be positioned at the precise optimum angle (See photo ThumbShift Brakes.jpg).

The Formula B4 Pro Front Disk Brake has it's own brake handle. The rear brake handle was changed to the Deore XT brake handle.


BRAKES - SHIMANO MINI-V BRAKES FRONT/REAR TO SHIMANO LX DEORE REAR & FORMULA B4 PRO DISK FRONT
The original Mini V-Brake system that were supplied with the Visions were not very effective, to say the least. To enable you to brake, a Cable Pull Booster can be installed to take up the slack in the cable. (See picture Rearbrake.jpg).

This will allow you to apply more pressure to the rim, and therefore allow you to have a more precise and positive braking action.

The Rear Mini-V Brakes were completely replaced with Shimano Deore LX Rear Brakes (See picture Rearbrake.jpg). These have much longer brake arms, and therefore have the leverage to apply greater pressure on the rim, but you still need to attach a Cable Pull Booster to take up any cable slack.

The Formula B4 Pro Front Disk Brake completely replaced the Front Mini-V Brake. The Formula B4 is one of the lightest systems available.(See Frontbrake.jpg)

This should be installed by a qualified bike mechanic, as the installation can be a bit tricky, and obviously is imperative that it is installed correctly. I found that I had to order extra long tubing to go from the handle bars to the wheel as it is a much longer distance then normal.

It takes a 5 to 10 miles trip to bed the braking pads in, but once that's done, they shouldn't require readjustment, as the pads are self adjusting.

The braking feels very positive and precise. When braking around a corner, it's important not to over exert the brake, as sudden hard braking will loose the front wheel easily, so watch out. Installing the Formula B4 Pro Front disk brake will give you the confidence to stop regardless of the conditions

ACCESSORIES ADDED
AIR HORN – DELTA AIR ZOUND
The air horn will produce a 115db sound that will make sure that car / lorry / big thing notices you are on the road. As far as I'm concerned it's a must have. On the same level as decent lights. This thing produces enough loud noise to spontaneously cause heart attacks as you cycle down the street and is louder then most cars, but I am talking about British vehicles.


PANNIERS - ORTLIEB CLASSIC ROLLERS 40LTS (2441 CUBIC INCHS)
Ortlieb do a wide range of panniers (www.ortlieb.de). Decide what your needs are and then order the panniers in the colour that you want.

I choose the Ortlieb Classics Rollers Rear in yellow. These are waterproof, have a 40lts capacity and are highly visible, with a 3M Reflective patch on the front and back of the pannier.

It is possible to add increased visibility by adding more 3M Reflective materials to the front and back parts. You need the Respro Hi Viz 3M reflective transfer for material. You cut out the shape that you want and then iron on the patch using a cool setting. NEVERTHELESS, remember you can only iron on the material. If you try to iron on the rubber, it will melt.

Because it was possible to mount a under seat rack to the main frame, the racks can take a bigger pannier. If you are looking for maximum capacity, then you could mount two sets of large Ortlieb Classic Rollers Rear. One set on the rear rack and the other pannier set under the seat.

I’ve also found the Radical Panniers products which have a very interesting design (See Radical.jpg) (See www. radicaldesign.nl).

RACKS - ATEC TOR TEC EXPEDITION REAR RACK & TERRA CYCLE EASY REACHER
The rack was changed to the Atec Tor Tec Expedition. This rack has a built in light mount and can take 25kg of weight. It does weigh a bit heavier then some of the racks available today, but this a sturdy design. (Photo RearlightsRack.jpg)

A Terra Cycle Easy Reacher Underseat Rack for Rans (www.terracycle.com) was mounted on to the frame. This integrates into the commuting and touring aspect of the Vision surprisingly well. It does change the handling aspects and I would advice careful acclimatisation to the new set up before you decide to ride the vision hard.

I would also advice the use of rubber cushions (light mount rubber cushions) to mount between the Terra Cycle rack and the bent frame to protect the paint work


LIGHTS - CATEYES & Mega Bike Strobe Light
I've added the Mega Bike Strobe Light to the rear of the rack. Yes this is completely and utterly over-kill. The light is huge, ridiculously big, but wouldn't you rather be seen then not.

My advice is not to buy this rear light, as the support mount brackets are not very good, there seam to be gaps in the rubber seals so they let in water and the on/off switch seams to have a life of it's own. Stick to a set of Catseyes products. They are creating some excellent rear lights these days

I've also added two Rear Cateye TL-LD600 Rear to the sides of the seat these are set off centre so that you can be seen from the side. (Photo RearlightsRack.jpg)

On front T-bar, next to the front chain set, I've mounted a Cateyes IS-1000. On the Minoura Swing Grip T-bar mount on the OSS I've mounted a spare Cateye IS-1.


CARBON PROTECTORS
I mainly used these to protect the paint work. When there was a possible wear point, I stuck one of these down. You may need to use a strong glue to ensure that they stay on, because they don't seam to bend around corners to well.

I also use these on the M5 Carbon Fibre seat to re-enforce the mounting holes. This may be a bit over-kill but I felt better for installing them.


CYCLE COMPUTER - TOPEAK PANORAM COMPUTER
I brought the Topeak Panoram Computer (See photo ThumbShift Brakes.jpg).because I thought it was the best one to get at the time. My advice on the subject of cycle computers is DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!

Find out what it is you want to know about or during your trip. There are computers that will, monitor your heart rate and tell the temperature. Just make sure that the lead that is provided with them is long enough to go from the mounting point to the wheel.

However, if you intend to use a GPS system mounted to the bent then it might not be necassary to buy a cycle computer, as the GPS will do nearly all that you want.


CHAIN GUARD - TEFLON CHAIN TUBE & SPRING TUBE CLIPS
The chain was installed with a Teflon chain tube for the return flow of the chain from the front chain set to the rear cassette. This covers the entire length of the chain. It doesn't seam to interfere with the chain movement. (See TeflonTube.jpg)

You do need to make sure that when the derailleur changes chain position, it does not interfere with the way the chain glides over the cassette. The chain tube is kept in place with two Spring Tube Clips. This was done using plastic ties but they were left loose. It keeps the Teflon chain tube in place but allows it to move with the chain as the chain changes cassette position.

There are some research figures out there in the web ether, that confirm the tube drag coefficient on the chain movement is negligible. Don't ask me where the figures are, I don't know. So at least mathematically, I've been assured, that it has been proven that a chain tube guard has minimal drag effects, on the chain movement energy.

Riding with it installed, I've noticed no noticeable change to the energy required to propel my self forward. And I'm glad that it is installed as my cloths don't get grease marks on them any more. These were brought from the kind Hostel Shoppe people (www.hostelshoppe.com)


CHAIN ROLLERS - VISION ROLLERS TO EASY SPORT ROLLERS
The Chain Guard Rollers were one of the easiest upgrades. The Easy Sport Rollers were ordered (See www.hostelshoppe.com) as they provided the closest match for installation on the Vision attachment bolt. They provided a much smoother action on the chain as it flows over the rollers.(See Rollers.jpg)

HOWEVER, you might need to adapt the installation of them, by using PTF tape. This is tape used to wrap around the threads of screws. You use the PTF tape to wrap around the bolt, this will take up the slack between the bolt and the roller.


MOUNTING BAR - MINOURA SWING GRIP (T-BAR)
This was mounted on top of the brake and gear cables on the Steering Column. The cables were covered up using break and cable sleeves (See Cablesleeves.jpg). This can be done by inserting one to two inch sleeves and then mounting the T-Bar on top of this.

The mount can have several uses but if you put it on the OSS then you have the option of adding a secondary light that will follow the steering as you turn the handlebars.

But the main use for this mount would be to add a GPS navigational device. Yes admittedly this is over board, and kind of negates the use of the cycle computer. But it will get you from A to B without wasting time looking at maps. Allowing you to spend more time enjoying your surroundings.


FRONT & REAR TIRE
I've attached a 1.95 x 26 Shimano Armadillo Rear Tire. This is a anti puncture tire that has a very hard tread. Now, admittedly this tire is a bit tall for the Therarican wheel (which recommends a 1.5 tire), but if you do not have rear suspension on your Vision then you need as much cushioning as possible. Just be a bit careful about taking those corners.

Front Tire is a Vredestein S-Licks 20 x 1.3 which is a Holland company.


CONCLUSION
So we have put all the parts together, BUT HOW DOES SHE HANDEL.....!!!?
Well there's alot more control that wasn't there previously. You feel like you can take those corners that little bit faster, that little bit more nimble and alot more confident. But be warned... this does not make you superman / superwoman, the laws of gravity still apply. If you push hard enough you will go down. I know.

Bearing in mind that I came from the Sun CR14 rims and went to the Velocity Tharican Wheel set (See www.velocityusa.com), I found huge improvements in the acceleration and general handling. But as the wheels are based around Areo rims, they are defiantly stiffer and will not be as forgiving going over a bumpy road.

The wheels are superbly put together by Spin Lite Cycle (See www.spinlitecycling.com) and my thanks to Lyle Strickland for his work and speedy despatch.

These improvements will not suddenly make you more appealing to the opposite sex. They are just improvements that work well together; that provide an improvement better then the individual parts. In my opinion they make the ride the sort of bent that, I would like to think, Vision were moving towards.

It certainly feels like a completely different ride to the one before the upgrade but this is not surprising as you can see from the extent of the changes. But the under lining question for this project is, "WAS IT WORTH IT....?"

Well for me... YES.

WHY? Because... :
- It has answered my question of "How good can we make this R45!"

- We Vision owners seam to be pig-headed about being loyal and keeping the Vision name alive.

- This bent now has the component level and handling that it had always deserved.

- The new set up brings out the characteristics of the Vision design that we have come to admire, and only seam to make you appreciate it that little bit more.

- It makes you feel like getting on the bent and taking it out for that two week, out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere, camping trip that you had promised your self for the last five years. And THAT’S what recumbent riding is all about...

...And any-way, it was great to see the wife’s face drop as all the lovely parts started rolling in!
If you want more info, please feel free to contact me...

Kind Regards From
Jemil, South London U.K.

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It looks like you've set it up to be a good tourer, and most of the changes make sense in that light. The only one I'm left scratching my head over is the wheels. Thracians are light and fast, and of course they look way cool; but once you mount fat ( >1.25") tires you've lost the aero advantage. Standard 32/36 spoked wheels would have been equally stiff for touring without the worry of special spokes, or whether a light wheelset will handle touring loads. After riding on mine all last season, I can say they performed excellently WRT both speed and durability, but I didn't do any loaded touring. Was there a particular reason you went with the Velocitys?

Hi There

Well I went for the Velocity Thracian wheel set because I couldn't get HED or Aerospokes to fit my particular Rear Drop Out and Dish direction.

Yes, I know it was a bit overboard and there are wheel sets that are probably better suited for touring, but hell they do look good. Also the majority of the time I'm riding light for day rides. It's once or (if the wife lets me) twice a year that I can go on a fully laden tour.

I agree, Thracians just look cool. I love my set. I just don't do any loaded stuff with them other than loading them with me (200lbs.) I'm trying to get my hands on some of the new Continental Sport Contacts. They are somewhere between full racing tires and the 1.3 touring tires you're using.

Just curious...why are you converting to a hard shell seat?

I know you say the Vision seat is uncomfortable, but aren't there other mesh seats that fit? Like a Rans seat, for example?

My thoughts are that your BB isn't high enough for a molded seat that is very reclined. It would effectively mean that your hip-angle will be very flat, thus resulting in less power for climbing. Plus don't you have lots of traffic on the island? Maybe too much for an extremely reclined bent? I'm only basing these comments on my own experience with shell seats. Maybe I'm wrong about this?

If so...
And if the brackets don't pan-out, then you can buy steel plate scraps and have them cut and bent at a machine shop. You don't need to weld anything. Just have them bent in a squared U-shape. Trim as much excess as possible for weight reduction.

Hope it helps...
NR

__________________
Bent, but never out of shape!