Is the Vitamin a BSO?

EKE_38BPM

I've just been on the FCN calculator and its giving me an FCN of 7 for my Vitamin whereas on my roadie my FCN was 5!
Only a two point drop going from a proper aluminium road bike on 700c 23mm Conti Gator Skins, SPD-SLs, lycra etc bike I could ride all day to a £70 single speed, 26x1.75" B-Twin tyres, toe-clips (remember those), mud guards short journey only, commuter.

I've gone from being one of the fastest bikes on the city roads to one of the slowest but with only a 2 point FCN drop?! I think maybe there needs to be a revision here.
I'm not dissing the Vitamin. For what it is, I think its great VFM and I'm loving the Airzound & mudguards

Hopefully the new job I'm going for and the staff discount that comes with it will lead to some carbon bling for summer, but for now I'm FCN 7 and even that feels high!

ketsbaia

Stick some panniers on it, wear civvies, etc. Doesn't it almost qualify as an MTB with slicks?

deptfordmarmoset

EKE_38BPM wrote:

I've just been on the FCN calculator and its giving me an FCN of 7 for my Vitamin whereas on my roadie my FCN was 5!
Only a two point drop going from a proper aluminium road bike on 700c 23mm Conti Gator Skins, SPD-SLs, lycra etc bike I could ride all day to a £70 single speed, 26x1.75" B-Twin tyres, toe-clips (remember those), mud guards short journey only, commuter.

I've gone from being one of the fastest bikes on the city roads to one of the slowest but with only a 2 point FCN drop?! I think maybe there needs to be a revision here.
I'm not dissing the Vitamin. For what it is, I think its great VFM and I'm loving the Airzound & mudguards

Hopefully the new job I'm going for and the staff discount that comes with it will lead to some carbon bling for summer, but for now I'm FCN 7 and even that feels high!

I know nothing about FCNs but how is the Vitamin as far as size is concerned? I think you said you were 6'2'' and the only Vitamins to be found were ''medium.'' I'm curious because I'm a long-bodied 6'1'' and they didn't look as though I'd fit on one.

EKE_38BPM

I'm a long-legged 6'2" so I've got the seat post up to the limit and the handlebar stem up higher too.
Its still a little too small, but it will get me through the winter (I hope).

whyamihere

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

I've just been on the FCN calculator and its giving me an FCN of 7 for my Vitamin whereas on my roadie my FCN was 5!
Only a two point drop going from a proper aluminium road bike on 700c 23mm Conti Gator Skins, SPD-SLs, lycra etc bike I could ride all day to a £70 single speed, 26x1.75" B-Twin tyres, toe-clips (remember those), mud guards short journey only, commuter.

I've gone from being one of the fastest bikes on the city roads to one of the slowest but with only a 2 point FCN drop?! I think maybe there needs to be a revision here.
I'm not dissing the Vitamin. For what it is, I think its great VFM and I'm loving the Airzound & mudguards

Hopefully the new job I'm going for and the staff discount that comes with it will lead to some carbon bling for summer, but for now I'm FCN 7 and even that feels high!

I know nothing about FCNs but how is the Vitamin as far as size is concerned? I think you said you were 6'2'' and the only Vitamins to be found were ''medium.'' I'm curious because I'm a long-bodied 6'1'' and they didn't look as though I'd fit on one.

I'm a bit under 6', have a large Vitamin, and if anything it's a touch small for me. I am used to very stretched out racers though.

I only use mine for the bike path to uni really, so I'm not up against any real competition, meaning I'm still the fastest thing on the route. For a longer commute where the FCN would come into play, it should be higher than a 7.

FWIW, working it out starting from 'MTB with skinnies' and adding the modifiers for the way I use it, I get an FCN of 13, much more like it...

EKE_38BPM

Its the gearing that does my head in. Its so low. On the flat I spin like a dervish, coast for a bit, spin again, coast, repeat ad infinitum...

So far I haven't had to stand to climb a hill. All downhills are coasted down.

As far as I can tell there is no way to increase the gearing either.

roger_merriman

I presume your all in lycra? i'm FCN 7 this week on my good (road) bike as it's only a few miles away so i just use normal clothes, though I need SPD shoes.

on the Vitamin i'd be FCN 13.

you should be able to swap the rear sprocket for something that gives a bit of a stiffer ride.

W1

BSO?

roger_merriman

W1 wrote:

BSO?

Bike Shaped Object

ndru

It's a bicycle. Will you grow up!

Chiggy

FCN ?

Found it, done it, I'm 7.

notsoblue

ndru wrote:

It's a bicycle. Will you grow up!

Whats the FCN modifier for stabilisers?

EKE_38BPM

ndru wrote:

It's a bicycle. Will you grow up!

I hope not!

EKE_38BPM

roger merriman wrote:

I presume your all in lycra? i'm FCN 7 this week on my good (road) bike as it's only a few miles away so i just use normal clothes, though I need SPD shoes.

on the Vitamin i'd be FCN 13.

you should be able to swap the rear sprocket for something that gives a bit of a stiffer ride.

I'm in tights or 3/4s and a L/S jersey under a soft shell, so not street clothes. Using a rucksack and wearing a lid and wrap-around safety glasses.