ZOX 20 log

Summary

This page details how I came to buy my ZOX 20 and what modifications etc. I have made to it (jump to most recent entry).

Or << Back to ZOX 20 introduction page.

16th April 2000 - SPEZI test ride

The SPEZI is an annual exhibition of 'alternative' bikes in Germany. I was not too bothered about the indoor exhibition - what I wanted to do was try out some other recumbents, and especially some lowracers. The organisers provide a short circular test course, and a pit area. The idea is that you all queue up, then a group of 20 (?) get to enter the pit area and try out as many bikes as they want in the half hour. The popular bikes get grabbed as soon as they enter the pit lane - others sit on the sidelines :-(

I tried quite a few bikes, including several lowracers and learnt;

The single Greenspeed trike supplied by German importers HP Velotechnik seemed to be the most popular vehicle; I did not have the patience to wait for it to be free.
I do not like 'tiller' steering e.g. on Challenge recumbents (I know, maybe I would get used to it!!) .
I loved riding the ZOX 20 straight away :-) I was impressed by the easy handling and loved the Lowracer feeling. I like the idea of 406 wheels and the FWD seems to make sense on a lowracer.

17th April 2000 - Recumbent Grin

I still had that recumbent grin the next day - I had not gone to the SPEZI with the intention of buying a new bike, but...

28th April to 5 May 2000 - Order ZOX 20 frameset

In the end I gave in to temptation and after much exchange of email I ordered a ZOX 20 frameset with rear suspension and a wooden seat (mainly because this is the one that was on the SPEZI test bike). The idea was to use my Pashley PDQ as a donor bike to build up the ZOX.

13th? June 2000 - Frameset arrives

Unfortunately it was the wrong shape. This was when I learnt that the frame styles page on the (pre-2001) ZOX web-site does not list all the ZOX frame styles. The frame designs are hand-drawn and I had assumed when ordering that "Frame style A" was the lowracer; but I now learnt that it is not. What I needed was the Z frame, so after a phone call to Sergio I posted the frameset back :-(

4 year old Lucas sitting on my ZOX 20, feet on floor, holding the handlerbars

10th August 2000 - Frameset arrives (2)

After delays (frame painters have summer holidays and then when the frame was due to be shipped I was on holiday so it had to wait till I returned). I got the frame, forks, rollers, seat, handlebars and stem from ZOX. My Pashley PDQ donated its wheels, transmission and brakes. No problems at all with the assembly; although there are no instructions so you must work out for yourself how the adjust the seat for distance and angle :-)

(After assembly I was interested to see that my 4 year old son could easily sit on the seat, reach the handlebars and scoot forwards along the ground!!)

14th August 2000 - First test ride

Round the local park where I had learnt to ride my Pashley PDQ. Initial observations;

This bike is fun to ride - more recumbent grin than the PDQ.
Stopping - strange to be so close to the ground; I am used to stretching down to the ground when I stop - it now feels like I have to lift my foot to put it on the ground. I have not tried putting only my hand down yet (instead of unclipping from the pedals).

15th August 2000 - First real ride

A short loop of 21miles / 33.6km after work, including town riding, up-hills and some fast down-hills.

Bike was excellent but it will require a bit of practise before I feel comfortable with the different handling of this bike. But it sure felt fast. I am sure that I was getting into a higher gear quicker, and I definitely reached top gear more often than on my Pashley PDQ.
I had the feeling that I got more stares than on my PDQ (a definite MINUS point for me). Children tended to laugh (it is nice to bring a little cheer into someone's day, but it was not really the aim !!), others pointed and/or stared, but my favourite is when people just ignore me !!
Not sure about that wooden seat yet - had my first taste of "recumbent butt" - never a problem on the PDQs mesh seat that can be fine tuned to your body shape (but see update below). Maybe time to experiment with some foam pads.

22th to 23th August 2000 - fine tuning

Remove spacer from above headset and cut down fork by 26mm / 1inch in order to lower handlebars enough (aiming for close leg clearance to optimise aerodynamics and the view over the handlebars).
Fit old Cateye Astrale computer from my junk box. I was happy to find a good method of mounting the cadence sensor, often difficult on a recumbent and I never managed it on my PDQ. The button sticking down ("1" in photo) is a handlebar end-plug screwed into a boss under the boom tube around which the standard Cateye bracket ("3" in photo) fits. (There are 2 bosses under the ZOX boom, presumably for fitting a front fairing (60mm / 2.36inches apart).) The magnet ("2" in photo) is zip-tied over the chainwheel bolt (the instructions say to put the magnet on the crank, but on the chainwheel works fine for me).

This is what my ZOX 20 looks like now (or click for a pure side view) :

25th August 2000 - Next ride

Same short loop of 21miles / 33.6km after work (the Astrale shows 21.85miles / 35km and I measured the actual wheel circumference so I guess I had not calibrated my old Cateye Mity 2 correctly).

Excellent fast ride, although difficult to compare with the PDQ. Average was 14.5mph / 23.2kph, best on the PDQ was 14.2mph / 22.7kph and I was not trying too hard today as I am still getting used to the bike. So definite promise.
Downhill freewheel speed on this loop; I normally make 30/35mph / 48/56kph but today I touched 41.7mph / 66.7kph without any noticeable tail wind.

1st September 2000 - First ride with rain

Longer ride (36.4miles / 58.2km), more fast down-hills but most memorable for the torrential thunderstorm on the way home.

The combination of Lowracer, no mudguards and rain leaves a very wet rider. At the back the rear wheel sprayed exactly onto my neck like a cold shower, and at the front the wheel sprayed grit onto my lower legs. But the frame itself kept the worst of it from spraying on to my front. And wheel spin was quite easy starting from the lights !! So maybe mudguards are the next accessory to get.
Another discovery came the next day when I lifted the front end to do some maintenance and water drained out of the main frame tube where the rear fork tube enters. I then realised that without protection water can easily get in there from rear wheel spray, and the main frame tube then slopes DOWN towards the front (side view photo shows this) so the water stays in :-( So I tied up the bike and blasted a load of WD40 down the tube !!

September 2000

Out for rides when family / work allows.
Seat moved forwards slightly.
Add mudguards (Hebie) fitted but not tested in the rain yet.
Trying to track down a source of Coroplast substitute to make a tailbox.
Fit new, lower fitting adjustable stem; Ahead type with a quill adaptor because of the greater availability in stems. I am still aiming for just leg clearance. When I am happy with the reach and clearance I will probably fit a fixed angle, possible quill stem (lighter and neater).

October/November 2000

Now I have found the best handlebars position fit a fixed angle stem.
Gave up on finding Coroplast and bought a foam camping mat with which to build a rear tailbox. Also collect various bits of wood, aluminium, clips and brackets and lots of drawings but no results yet; partly because I an still playing with the seating position.
Move seat back to more reclined position. This of course messed up my careful positioning of the handlebars :-( so I bought another stem.
Oh yeah: and I rode it a bit as well (difficult with a young family, winter setting in). Perhaps I should invest in a home-trainer for the winter !!
Seat is definitely getting more comfortable !! I have noticed that the foam is permanently shaping to my body.

November/December 2000

Not much riding on the ZOX; thought again about buying a home-trainer but could not decide on a roller (good for improving balance) or a mag. trainer.
But I spent plenty of time in the cellar working out how to build a tailbox from a cheap camping foam mat and some bits of aluminium, some zip-ties and some hot-glue.
Also I fitted a better mounting block under the seat (see photo). (The seat base is shaped to curve upwards from to back to stop the rider sliding forwards. But my ZOX came with a rectangular section mounting block so as you tightened the mounting screws it pulled the seat base down towards horizontal.) So I made a new block from plain wood to hold the seat in its' natural position and I am very pleased with the result. But it is not yet weather proof.

1st May 2001 - First test ride with foam tailbox

Quiet and light.
I never really solved the problem of how to actually store stuff inside and close the lid so this is not working too well!!.
One ride does not a record make; but I reached my fastest time yet on my standard downhill (no noticeable tailwind) at 46.3mph / 74kph (last highest was 45.0mph / 72kph).

Conclusions on foam tailbox

Foam is good for a racing tailbox (i.e. requirements are light weight and no need to carry luggage).
Started planning Tailbox #2 out of wood.

July 2002 - Wooden tailbox

I never got round to testing it yet (!!) - partly because I never really solved how to hold the lid on - and after weighing it, and looking at it I lost enthusiasm :-(

Conclusions on wooden tailbox:

Very strong.
Heavy.
Ugly !!
Next ? - see below

May 2001 to April 2003

No entries here partly because I have not been riding the ZOX much :-) I still love the bike and have no desire to replace it but at the moment it does not really fit in well with my lifestyle with a young family. I know that I could make the time to cycle more for "fun", especially on my preferred riding time of Sunday mornings, but other things are taking priority.

But I am still riding recumbents every day - just more practical ones !!, e.g my Flux V220 and Hase Kettwiesel trike, one of which I use each day often with a child-trailer, and I enjoy riding them !!

June 2003

The weather is good and I have a need-for-speed :-)

It would be nice to solve the luggage carrying problem (e.g tools, waterproof and spare top). Perhaps either a NovoSport fibre-glass tailbox, a new, lighter wooden tailbox, or the foam tailbox reinforced with wood for shape.

And I think I will move the seat back to it's more upright position.

October 2003

Another summer flushed for the Zox :-((

It was taken mostly with the final details and the move to our new flat, and by a one month family holiday in the UK.

SPEZI 2005

Bought a NovoSport "Sport mini" NovoSport fibre-glass tailbox (1.6kg, 25l).

July 2006

Finally got off the couch and have been out for a few rides on the Zox in the last few weeks. Bit wobbly at first after a couple of years of hardly riding it, but it is OK now and still great fun to ride :-)) However I felt I was a little too close to the pedals and the seat was at the max. extent on the slide rails so I drilled 2 new holes in seat base to move it back (still plenty of space between the seat back and the rear wheel). Much better once I got used to it.

Not managed yet to fit the Novosport tailbox to the Flux wooden seat.

May 2008

Clean up, ride, 2 punctures, tyres bit rotten, fit new tyres.

August 2008

Final fit the Novosport "Sport mini" fibreglass Novosport Sport Mini tailbox bought in 2005 (see above).

2009

More cycling (not just commuting), Kett during week and Zox at weekend.

October 2009

Fit Garmin Edge 305 using the supplied mount and zip-ties.

Seems to pickup the satellites OK, even with the less than optimal position (horizontal is recommended).

April 2010

After 9.5 years move parts *back* to my Pashley PDQ for a more relaxing ride and a bike that is more practical to ride to work before using on training ride back home again. Keep frame, seat, bits in case I change my mind/fancy a change !!

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