I bought the suspended touring model (Q45), thinking suspension would be cushy (it is) for riding city streets and it would be good for commuting and running errands.
International ordering and shipping were super fast and easy. I ordered on a Tuesday evening and had two boxes of parts on Friday afternoon. There was some chipped paint but Maria at Cruzbike quickly supplied me with some touch-up paint.
I’ve done several practice sessions (lots of figure eights, learning to pull away (particularly on hills) and start pedaling after coasting up to speed on hills) and 3 round trip (35km each) commutes. I’m just feeling ready to move from flat pedals, to my SPDs, which I miss. The seat base starts to get a bit uncomfortable, after about 10km, but not too bad.
I’ve only experienced front wheel spin twice. Once on packed gravel (road construction), when it took me two tries to get going and once feeling it on a slight (2-3% grade) incline on wet asphalt, but not needing to put my foot down. It’s been a very dry month. I’ll see what happens as the weather changes in the Fall.
I was concerned that the 1x11 drivetrain (11-36T cassette) wouldn’t have enough overall range, but so-far it’s been fine, though I’m avoiding a route to work that has a very steep (about 14% grade) block long climb. I do have the option of an 11-42T or adding a braze-on front derauler.
Using more of my body and improving pedaling technique, were reasons I went for an MBB bike. Initially it was making my arms tired, but less so as I get the hang of pedaling better. I haven’t graduated to hands free pedaling yet. Cruzbike claims they climb well and I do feel it.
I’m experiencing my right hand going numb. I have had carpal tunnel issues, in the past, but never since switching to recumbents (USS Vision and open cockpit Baron HR). My wrist angle is comfortable, so it seems to be either the use of a twist-grip shifter (never had one before) or the fact that I’m gripping more to deal with the pedal steer. If I can’t resolve the numbness, I can’t continue with the bike.
In line with my commuting motives and the fact that as a rear suspension bike, a generic rack can’t be used. I ordered the OEM “touring and commuting rack”. It’s been rather disappointing. After quite a few hours of work, I’ve managed to make it low enough to go under the top cross bar of the two most common Vancouver bike rack styles, if I compress the rear suspension. I also do a lot of careful bending, to make it narrow enough to fit between the dividers of bike racks, which it wouldn't fit between. The TerraCycle under seat rack, is too much in the weather, for year round riding in a rainforest city like Vancouver.
I generally walk my old USS Vision, around a tight corner into my garage, on its back wheel. When I first looked at Cruzbike, a couple of years ago, I was concerned that the front end would flop over and make this difficult. In practice I leave the Cruzbike on its wheels and roll it around the corner. The MBB is like having a hinge in the middle of the bike and makes it really easy.
There always seems to be something to lean my bike against, so I’ve never used side stands on my bikes. I’m very glad this bike came with a side stand, since the MBB swings and makes it difficult to lean against poles or even my own body. I’ve almost knocked the bike over a few times, while trying to attach/detach panniers. Sometimes I can find something to lock to that also supports or has room for the MBB front end to just flop to one side. In busy bike racks, I have to fiddle around with a shock cord from the handlebar to the top of the seat. I would really like to see if I can adapt a Dutch bike style of damper spring, to eliminate the front end flop. Still on the parking front, it can be difficult to back far enough into bike racks for my U-lock to reach from just ahead of the swing arms shock mount, up to a rack. Sometimes the bike dangles from the lock. It’s also a bit difficult to see the swing arm, under the seat, when I’m between two other bikes.
The rear shock has an annoying squeak. I think it may just be its mud boot and am hoping to give it a shot of Teflon spray to see if it will quiet.
Most road and hybrid bikes, around here, use 700c wheels. I was at the fourth local bike shop, before I found a set of 26” finders that were wide enough for the plump 1.75” tires, but narrow enough to pass between the narrow fork crown. I had difficulty mounting the front end of the rear fender to the swing arm. I finally used two adel clamps on the shock mount, a cross bar between them and a long machine screw with spacer to the actual fender. The bike really a long back fender, on the front, in order to protect the drivetrain and my feet. I’m currently modifying a used fender, to extend the front fender that I purchased. Maybe Cruzbike can source and offer a ready to go double rear fender set.
The rear swing-arm only had 91mm between the dropouts, so fitting the 100mm wheel is very difficult. I’ve done some cold setting, but still only have it to 94mm. I’m concerned about getting the wheel back in, if I have a flat tire on the road.
I think I might have been better off with the unsuspended (easier to mount things and no side to side swing arm play) and lighter S40 model, but it would have pushed outside my price range too.
International ordering and shipping were super fast and easy. I ordered on a Tuesday evening and had two boxes of parts on Friday afternoon. There was some chipped paint but Maria at Cruzbike quickly supplied me with some touch-up paint.
I’ve done several practice sessions (lots of figure eights, learning to pull away (particularly on hills) and start pedaling after coasting up to speed on hills) and 3 round trip (35km each) commutes. I’m just feeling ready to move from flat pedals, to my SPDs, which I miss. The seat base starts to get a bit uncomfortable, after about 10km, but not too bad.
I’ve only experienced front wheel spin twice. Once on packed gravel (road construction), when it took me two tries to get going and once feeling it on a slight (2-3% grade) incline on wet asphalt, but not needing to put my foot down. It’s been a very dry month. I’ll see what happens as the weather changes in the Fall.
I was concerned that the 1x11 drivetrain (11-36T cassette) wouldn’t have enough overall range, but so-far it’s been fine, though I’m avoiding a route to work that has a very steep (about 14% grade) block long climb. I do have the option of an 11-42T or adding a braze-on front derauler.
Using more of my body and improving pedaling technique, were reasons I went for an MBB bike. Initially it was making my arms tired, but less so as I get the hang of pedaling better. I haven’t graduated to hands free pedaling yet. Cruzbike claims they climb well and I do feel it.
I’m experiencing my right hand going numb. I have had carpal tunnel issues, in the past, but never since switching to recumbents (USS Vision and open cockpit Baron HR). My wrist angle is comfortable, so it seems to be either the use of a twist-grip shifter (never had one before) or the fact that I’m gripping more to deal with the pedal steer. If I can’t resolve the numbness, I can’t continue with the bike.
In line with my commuting motives and the fact that as a rear suspension bike, a generic rack can’t be used. I ordered the OEM “touring and commuting rack”. It’s been rather disappointing. After quite a few hours of work, I’ve managed to make it low enough to go under the top cross bar of the two most common Vancouver bike rack styles, if I compress the rear suspension. I also do a lot of careful bending, to make it narrow enough to fit between the dividers of bike racks, which it wouldn't fit between. The TerraCycle under seat rack, is too much in the weather, for year round riding in a rainforest city like Vancouver.
I generally walk my old USS Vision, around a tight corner into my garage, on its back wheel. When I first looked at Cruzbike, a couple of years ago, I was concerned that the front end would flop over and make this difficult. In practice I leave the Cruzbike on its wheels and roll it around the corner. The MBB is like having a hinge in the middle of the bike and makes it really easy.
There always seems to be something to lean my bike against, so I’ve never used side stands on my bikes. I’m very glad this bike came with a side stand, since the MBB swings and makes it difficult to lean against poles or even my own body. I’ve almost knocked the bike over a few times, while trying to attach/detach panniers. Sometimes I can find something to lock to that also supports or has room for the MBB front end to just flop to one side. In busy bike racks, I have to fiddle around with a shock cord from the handlebar to the top of the seat. I would really like to see if I can adapt a Dutch bike style of damper spring, to eliminate the front end flop. Still on the parking front, it can be difficult to back far enough into bike racks for my U-lock to reach from just ahead of the swing arms shock mount, up to a rack. Sometimes the bike dangles from the lock. It’s also a bit difficult to see the swing arm, under the seat, when I’m between two other bikes.
The rear shock has an annoying squeak. I think it may just be its mud boot and am hoping to give it a shot of Teflon spray to see if it will quiet.
Most road and hybrid bikes, around here, use 700c wheels. I was at the fourth local bike shop, before I found a set of 26” finders that were wide enough for the plump 1.75” tires, but narrow enough to pass between the narrow fork crown. I had difficulty mounting the front end of the rear fender to the swing arm. I finally used two adel clamps on the shock mount, a cross bar between them and a long machine screw with spacer to the actual fender. The bike really a long back fender, on the front, in order to protect the drivetrain and my feet. I’m currently modifying a used fender, to extend the front fender that I purchased. Maybe Cruzbike can source and offer a ready to go double rear fender set.
The rear swing-arm only had 91mm between the dropouts, so fitting the 100mm wheel is very difficult. I’ve done some cold setting, but still only have it to 94mm. I’m concerned about getting the wheel back in, if I have a flat tire on the road.
I think I might have been better off with the unsuspended (easier to mount things and no side to side swing arm play) and lighter S40 model, but it would have pushed outside my price range too.
