2022 Q45 email

[BentNotBroke]

I just recieved an email this afternoon announcing the release of the 2022 Q45.

The email was light on details. Are there any changes to this release compared to the 2021? I'm a little curious to see the "limited" colors they mention.

--Joe

 

[Robert Holler]

More details will be coming soon via email.

 

[BentNotBroke]

Are the details still being worked out?

 

[Robert Holler]

Are the details still being worked out?

We are in a time of "flying by the seat of the pants" when it comes to shipping/spec/etc - but rest assured more Q45's are on the way very soon. I will be happy when the boat leaves and happier when it arrives and happiest when the container arrives at the warehouse.

If anyone watched the 60 Minutes episode that went over supply chain/shipping issues - you can know it is a real mess that won't be getting better IMHO (as someone who is dealing with it on the inside) FOR YEARS to come.

So bear with us - all info will come out in the emails.

 

[Paul Lacy]

I noticed in the email it appeared that there was a Q45 that had a black matte finish with a neon orange detail. Did I miss something, is this one of the new colors?

 

[ReklinedRider]

The new 'limited' colors look really good along with the new seat. Looking forward to this bike and definitely plan to buy one as soon as they go on sale, even though I'm a little concerned about the use of Jet Set wheels and Chosen hubs. Never heard of either. Reviews of Chosen hubs have been hard for me to find and what few there are have been uniformly bad. So far have not been able to find any reviews of Jet Set rims. Does anyone know anything about these components?
Also confused about the brakes....they are listed as being 'Jagwire MC-X' disc brakes. Didn't know Jagwire made disc brakes. Disc brake pads and rotors, yes. Well...live and learn.
Not complaining...supply side problems are still awful and no doubt it took a lot of effort to work around them to get this bike back available.
Excited about the through axles though and happy about the Microshift components and clearance for larger tires.
Calendar marked and phone notifications on for Dec 7, 11am EST!

 

[Robert Holler]

The new 'limited' colors look really good along with the new seat. Looking forward to this bike and definitely plan to buy one as soon as they go on sale, even though I'm a little concerned about the use of Jet Set wheels and Chosen hubs. Never heard of either. Reviews of Chosen hubs have been hard for me to find and what few there are have been uniformly bad. So far have not been able to find any reviews of Jet Set rims. Does anyone know anything about these components?
Also confused about the brakes....they are listed as being 'Jagwire MC-X' disc brakes. Didn't know Jagwire made disc brakes. Disc brake pads and rotors, yes. Well...live and learn.
Not complaining...supply side problems are still awful and no doubt it took a lot of effort to work around them to get this bike back available.
Excited about the through axles though and happy about the Microshift components and clearance for larger tires.
Calendar marked and phone notifications on for Dec 7, 11am EST!

Kline,

We have used the Chosen hubs for over 15 years and they are some of the best made for the prices. In all my years I have not seen or heard on a Chosen hub failure. They are smoother than most "expensive" brands out there (White Industry, CK IMHO)

The Rims are really good as well. 32 spokes and nearly bombproof without being tanks.

As far as other components - they are the best we can source in "covid spec times" because the usual stuff like SRAM are not available until well into 2023 and I would say 2024 or longer as far as quantities needed to put on a batch of manufactured recumbents. So we have either to spec what we can get or wait to have bikes for two years. of course the latter isn't an option.

Cruzbike isn't alone in this battle to source components - the entire bike industry is hammered and recumbent companies do not have sway when the likes of Giant and other huge brands from Japan, etc swoop in and mop up literally tens of thousands of name brand component sets.

 

[ReklinedRider]

Sounds good Robert, thank you for putting my mind at ease!
As stated earlier, I am counting down the days until Dec 7.
Kline

 

[Dudley]

Robert's explanation is welcomed but I think the whole issue about component shortages and people wanting to do their own thing strengthens the arguments for having framesets as an option, or the only option.
We're about to put in orders for two Q45s to replace our heavily used and much loved Q2 and Q3. We're going to replace the rear hub with a dynamo and we're seriously looking at replacing the front hub with a Rohloff. It means we're junking a couple of hubs, a cluster, a derailleur and shifter - basically the wheels and part of the drivetrain.

Just saying.

 

[Robert Holler]

We will see for sure in the future regarding a frame set. It isn't an impossibility - just not this go around.

 

[Dudley]

We've ordered a couple of new Q45s and are in the planning phase before their arrival.
I have a couple of questions that Robert is probably the best person to ask so I thought I'd do it here so others can see the answers.
We've ordered the underseat racks to replace the homemade but effective ones we've used in the past (see the photo on the left).
We're using Ortlieb panniers and want to make sure we have enough clearance with the 650B wheels. So question 1 is: what is the height above the ground of the underseat rack?

The second question is about the brakes. The specs say that they are "Jagwire MC-X Mechanical Disc" but as far as I can tell that is just the disk pad name. So, what is the make/model of the brakes?

Thanks in advance.

 

[benphyr]

@Robert Holler questions in previous post.

 

[Robert Holler]

We've ordered a couple of new Q45s and are in the planning phase before their arrival.
I have a couple of questions that Robert is probably the best person to ask so I thought I'd do it here so others can see the answers.
We've ordered the underseat racks to replace the homemade but effective ones we've used in the past (see the photo on the left).
We're using Ortlieb panniers and want to make sure we have enough clearance with the 650B wheels. So question 1 is: what is the height above the ground of the underseat rack?

The second question is about the brakes. The specs say that they are "Jagwire MC-X Mechanical Disc" but as far as I can tell that is just the disk pad name. So, what is the make/model of the brakes?

Thanks in advance.

The rack on the Q45 is not as high as on the S40 - sports usually the panniers that fit best are shallow ones or front bags. Ill have to get an exact measurement but I believe it is 16" from the top off the rack to the ground.

The brakes are indeed made by a company "Rever" with Jagwire brand pads/cable/housing - and MC-X is the model. These are not normally sourced for bikes going to the USA, but are used on a lot of bikes sold in Asia and Japan - but they are what I could get hold of for this production run during the "Covid-spec" times we are in without waiting 8 months for a specific brand like TRP.

The reality of picking a component spec today is it can change on the fly depending on what is available and also what is available and on order can suddenly become unavailable in the 10th hour and then has to change immediately - lest a batch of bikes be delayed by literally months.

I have the good ol' SRAM spec we are all used to on order from early 2020 for an eventual batch - but the date for when that will be actually in hand moves. It was late 2021, then mid 2022, and lately has been pushed to late 2023. The big companies have taken over and we only get the trickle down. And pricing for all components has done nothing but skyrocket from cranks to chains to derailleurs - no matter the brand or quality level.

The good news is that all these components - in this case the brakes - are made by a handful of companies anyway and these use pretty standard pads everyone will be able to find.

No matter what - my goal is always to spec the best I can get hold of within a reasonable timeline to ensure that we actually have bikes to sell.

 

[jond]

@Robert Holler sounds like a lived nightmare. Trying your best and surpassing expectations. That’s miraculous.. Aussie trooper award. Goodonyamate. Thanks for all you do and your active participation in the cruzbike house. Merry Christmas