15
5-7 trAnSPortIng your VolAe
Removing the mesh or hardshell seat for transport is easy and does not effect your seat adjustment settings. The seat on your
Volae is designed to be removed by loosening two quick release skewers. The rear seat bracket is removed from the seat stays
by loosening the quick release skewer lever and simply lifting the seat up.
(Fig. 5-6)
The seat is removed from the seat slider by
loosening the quick release skewer lever and unscrewing the top hat enough to clear the safety indent in the seat base bracket.
(Fig. 5-7)
Be sure to remove the seat slider quick release lever and Top Hat nut if you transport your Volae on the outside of
your vehicle with the seat on be sure to remove the seat foam on the hardshell seats. The seat foam is attached to the hard shell
seat with hook and loop fasteners to make removal and reattachment easy.
Fig. 5-6
Fig. 5-7
Seat slider quick
release skewer
top hat
Seat base bracket
safety indent
CornerIng
At first you will do more steering and less leaning in the corners. However, as you gain confidence you will find you can lean into
the corners more and steer less. Use caution, when the corner has sand, stones or debris on the pavement. In these cases you
may need to slow down lean less and steer more.
Heel oVerlAP
It’s possible (on virtually all short wheelbase recumbents) for your heel to hit the front wheel during sharp turns. Heel strike is
most likely to happen in slow-speed, sharp-steering maneuvers but never seems to happen under normal road riding conditions.
You will learn to avoid heel strike as you gain experience on your bike.
It’s common to feel wobbly at first. It may take fifty to one hundred miles of riding before you start to feel the same confidence
that you are accustomed to on your upright. Avoid riding in traffic during this start up period. It’s also common to feel slightly
weaker or slower at first because you may be using a muscle group that is not as well trained as the one you are used to.
HAnDlebAr/leg InterFerenCe
You may notice some contact between the handlebars and your leg in sharp turns. When making slow speed sharp turns it’s
helpful to either take the inside leg off the pedal and hold it out like an outrigger or keep the inside leg straight and the pedal all
the way forward while coasting through the turn. Remember how you had to keep the inside pedal of your upright bike up while
coasting through a sharp turn? This is a similar situation.
5-4 muSCleS
SlIgHtly DIFFerent
You will be using a slightly different muscle group when riding your recumbent. Commit to riding your Volae. This muscle group
will get stronger and you will get noticeably faster. It can take months or even a full season of riding to get the full benefit of the
stronger muscle group.
5-5 PeDAlS
ClIPleSS & SHoeS
It’s impossible to spin on a Volae without Clipless pedals and bike shoes. We highly recommend a good quality bike shoe with
a very stiff sole and a good set of Clipless pedals. Some Clipless pedals, like Speedplay and the new Shimano - Click’r are
excellent choices for anyone that is concerned about getting quickly out of the pedals.
5-6 DeSCenDIng
tAnDem rIDerS:
See “Descending on a Volae Tandem” under Tandems.
