My experience with a QX100 and a Q45

[Donald48]

For several years now I have been riding a QX100. For about half of that time my n+1 "wish" bike was a Q45 with a Thor seat. Last Fall Cruzbike offered some returned Q45s at a very attractive price and I could not resist. I ordered the bike and the seat. Getting the seat was a bit of a problem. Gregor said the Polish post office wouldn't take it so it would have to go by FedEx at an additional cost of $138, (I think). I paid the extra and finally got it but now FedEx is sending me bills and saying I owe still more. Anyway, I have it and a number of people on this forum gave me good advice on mounting the seat. Thanks to all of you. I got it mounted. It was awful. It is so far forward that when I try to stand up I am stopped by the handlebar in my chest. I could not stand up and I almost fell trying to get off the bike. So I put the OEM seat back on. (I can't move the handle bars further away as I already hit them with my knees unless I am careful)
Back when I was dreaming about a Q45 I wrote Marie and asked how the Q45 improved on the QX100. She said, among other things, that it is less twitchy and an all around better bike. I am currently alternating between the Q45 and the QX100. I have to say that it is not much less twitchy. On either bike I can focus and ride straight down the white line but if I am not paying strict attention I suspect that my track is somewhat serpentine. The Q45 is a bit taller which I like. I particularly like the gears. The worst problem I have had with the QX100 is the chain coming off when I shift to the lower front gear. No problem on the Q45. The Cruzbike site brags about how well these bikes climb. That has not been my experience. The guy I bought the QX100 from says he is also challenged by climbing but then he tells me that I need to train more. And he is at least part right. I am ok if I see it coming and keep my speed and cadence up and get in the right gear but a sudden or steep hill is still a problem. On the QX100 I feel like all the energy I exert against the handle bars goes no further. On the Q45 I have not tested it yet but I feel like some of that energy is getting to the pedals.
Other things: I had planned to move the bike rack from the QX100 to the Q45. It won't fit. I bought a new one.
I was going to put my Racktime bag from the QX100 on my new Q45 rack. It won't fit. Haven't bought a new one yet but I will at some point.
My QX100 had two bottle cages. I had to take one off because it interfered with the mechanism on our bike carrier. I though well I'll use it on the Q45. It won't fit.
So what's next? I am going to mount the Thor seat on the QX100 and see how it works. Commentary on these forums is almost all pro Thor so I'm not ready to give up on it but if it does not work better than on the Q45, I'll have a Thor seat to sell. If anyone has any comments or suggestions on mounting a Thor on a QX100 I'd like to hear them
I am also considering converting the QX100 gears to a 1by like the Q45 (If any one has done that I would appreciate hearing of your experience. )

 

[Always-Learnin]

Really sorry to hear about your challenges with the Q45. If you decide to sell it post it here in the CB Marketplace. You’ll likely find a buyer.

 

[CruzRider]

@Donald48 Sorry to hear about your experience with the Thor. I have it on on two bikes - a V20 and a Q45. I cannot imagine riding the stock seat. But I guess seats are like saddles and comfort is individualized.

I do wonder sometimes if my Thor is too far forward in my Q. It is not for lack of cockpit fit, but I do not like riding as tall. So, my experience is the opposite of yours. I think there are some options to adjust for cockpit fit, such as moving the seat back to the second attachment point (would need a different custom post at the back). A curved slider would also move the bars up and give room for your legs.

In any case, I went to the Thor because of Recumbutt after an hour of riding. If your rides are shorter, you don’t need the Thor. Also, the space in the standard seat was biting into my back.

FWIW, I think the Q is a great bike. Easier to ride than the S and V. I think it is worth tinkering with.

As far as climbing goes, I think the claim of superiority is relative to other recumbents. I do not think any recumbent climbs as well as a standard bike.

 

[jeffssmith1]

After I adjusted the derailleur, my Q45 shifts smoothly to all gears including the 42T which I need for steep climbs. It climbs a little better than my Bacchetta Corsa, but as CruzRider said, it does not climb as well as a DF bike. Flipping the seat post to get a more reclined angle works for me--no recumbutt. I'm using the Ventisit seat cushion on the stock seat. I have 2 water bottle cages directly below the seat.