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  1. billyk

    Is there a stronger seat for the Q45? - Resin keeps breaking :(

    Same here. Thor easy since I got my first edition Q45 in 2019. I’m only 185 but I’d say I ride it pretty hard: over curbs and potholes and whatever city streets dish out.
  2. billyk

    Great interview with Jim and Maria

    Nope. Not Ringling. I co-founded a juggling troupe in California (state and county fairs, rock concerts … lot of wild stories I will not tell here), but spent most of my performing time with the Pickle Family Circus, who toured the west coast and did a season in London. We were one of the early...
  3. billyk

    Great interview with Jim and Maria

    Yup. Even though I’ve been following CB for more than a decade, I learned stuff. But I also noticed that @Maria Parker said she likes the challenge of new skills and is learning to ride a “one wheel”, I’m assuming that means unicycle. Way way back I spent a decade as a circus acrobat, mostly...
  4. billyk

    Tools for removing cranks and bottom bracket on Q45?

    Some wisdom from @Always-Learnin here. Maybe it’s the bottom bracket but consider something simpler before buying a bunch of tools you probably won’t use very much. Spokes can be the cause of infuriating clicking and creaking. And the noise can travel and appear to come from anywhere on the...
  5. billyk

    Expert Advice on a Used Quest 2.0?

    I agree with @castlerobber on both points: I had a Q2.0 with front suspension that didn’t do much and made the steering feel loose. And upgrading the spring shock to an air shock (Kind RR1-A5) is a major improvement In the ride. The response is less bouncy and the frame stiffens. They cost...
  6. billyk

    Q45 climbing dirt roads

    4-6 degrees, wide knobby tires, yes. 10 degrees or more, well, maybe. Probably not, in any case it would be a source of continued worry and likely frustration as you’d be slipping and then walking on at least some of them. Sorry to be a bringdown, but my experience (more than 20k Q miles...
  7. billyk

    New Cruzbike Rider Q45

    This is about the Kind A5-RR1 air shock, right? We've had a bunch of discussions here about this over the years, with the strong consensus that the shock gives a better ride (less bouncy), stiffened the bike frame (less energy loss due to flex), and is a helluva lot lighter. Also more...
  8. billyk

    Smallest travel box

    The wheels will be the limiting factor. Long ago I traveled with my Q559 in a plastic hard shell suitcase that was airline-legal (not oversize), but those 559 wheels are smaller than 650s I think. They barely fit in. Very awkward packing wheels!
  9. billyk

    No longer newbie - still struggling

    Joining the chorus ... It was something like 600km when I started to feel comfortable on - at that time - first-gen Quest. Double that before I felt like I "owned" the bike. Willing to mix it up in urban traffic. But once you get it, you got it. It'll be just like, I don't know, riding a bike.
  10. billyk

    new to 'bents, question, knees...

    Yup. Good advice. Make sure you’re in a low gear when you attack a hill. Then go one lower. Without being able to stand up on the pedals you’ll find yourself mashing and that ain’t good for knees. I also agree with the short crank advice above.
  11. billyk

    Just starting out with the Q45

    Yup. Treat it like the thrill of learning to ride a bike like when you were 5.
  12. billyk

    noticed a Cruzbike home page feature...

    FYI Australia, not NZ. John Tolhurst (designer of the original Cruzbikes and a remarkably wide range of other innovations) lives and works in Perth. Every once in a while he pops into these forums. Google will tell you more about his interests, bikes being only one of many.
  13. billyk

    3d printed visor

    As important as your printer is the software you'll need to design your models. I use Sketchup, but am becoming disenchanted with its ever-increasing price since they went to a subscription model. There's a huge range of capabilities and price, but I hesitate to hijack this forum with such a...
  14. billyk

    Setting an A5-RR1

    I’m pretty sure it doesn’t matter which way it’s installed. That is, there’s no “upside down”.
  15. billyk

    First ride

    Yeah, but you’ll figure it out like all the rest of us. We have all levels of riders here. No high level skills needed, though some here (not me) do have those skills. It took me weeks before I was comfortable in close traffic. But once you do get it, these are fun bikes to ride. After...
  16. billyk

    Setting an A5-RR1

    My read is that each of us has a different way we like the bike to feel. So there won’t be one “right” set of pressures. Your starting points are fine. I like stiffer, so mine is set higher (but it’s been months and probably 1000s of miles and I can’t remember what settings I used!). I usually...
  17. billyk

    The emeljay mod

    I have what I think is a Q559 inside boom in my pile of parts. (Should be the same as the Q451 except maybe for the length ... which matters). My boom is a perfect cylinder, OD close to/very slightly larger than 17/16th inches, about 27mm. You are welcome to it if you want. The length matters...
  18. billyk

    First Day!

    Yes, welcome! Impressive first day! I'll take a wild guess that you're not in one of the many cold-wet-snowy places today ... Take your time and get the bike - and yourself - tuned. The Q has a lot of adjustments. Small changes can make a big difference in the feel of the bike. You'll find...
  19. billyk

    Cruzbike S40 in Nairobi, Kenya!

    Yes, but even a strong rider like Andrew gets caught on the uphill.
  20. billyk

    Fairings! Does anyone use Fairings!

    Sure. I live in NE Seattle. This should be possible on a weekend soon. But I'm going on a work trip through Thanksgiving weekend, so not till after that. Message me again in early December and we should be able to work something out. What do you ride?
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