Cruzbike Recommendation

[richa]

I'm trying to decide between a Sofrider, Quest 451, or Quest 559.

I'd use if for commuting, running errands, and general exercise. In the future I'd likely do short tours on it. Fenders are a possibility as it rains here (Oregon City, OR). I'm also hoping both me and my wife (and possibly 10 year old kid) would use it to learn how to ride MBB bikes. I"m 5'11", she's 5-something.

We have big hills nearby so I like the gearing of the 451, but I think (possibly incorrectly) bigger tires are more efficient (although I'm not sure by enough to matter) . I would probably have to put a smaller chainring on the 559 or a triple on the Sofrider. If I got the 451 I'd want the longer forks as I like a higher BB (I used to have a trike). I'm curious how high the BB would be on the 451 and 559.

So, without being able to see or test ride any of them, I'm hoping to hear from people that have ridden them to get your opinions on how you like them and what you feel are the pro's and cons of each. And any other useful advice you have.

Thanks in advance,

Rich

 

[Jeremy S]

Hi Rich, I believe a lower

Hi Rich, I believe a lower bottom bracket is easier to learn on, so the Quest 451 with the matching shorter chainstay might actually be your best bet as a starting place, especially if it's for the whole family. (I have some experience from owning a Sofrider, and test riding a Bacchetta stick bike.) You could probably upgrade the Quest with bigger wheels and a longer chainstay later on.

 

[Charles.Plager]

Hi, I own a 26" Sofrider, but

Hi, I own a 26" Sofrider, but have drastically changed the gearing (34T small ring to 22T small ring).

I'm 6'1" and if I were to buy a Quest, I'd buy the 451.

Yes, smaller diameter tires have a little more rolling resistance larger diameter tires (just like skinny tires have MORE rolling resistance than fat tires - at same tire material and pressure), but it's a small effect and rolling resistance is not your dominant source of drag once you hit 15 mph (ish).

The 451 Quest is geared much more reasonably (in my opinion) than the 559 which is just too big for going up big hills if you're a spinner.

The disadvantage of getting the 451 with the longer chainstay is that it becomes harder to pack in the suitcase. If it were me, I'd stay with the original (but your reasoning for going with the larger one is not at all crazy).

Cheers,
Charles

 

[John Zabriskie]

Cruzbike Recommendation: SR, Q451 or Q559

Hi Rich,

The Quests are more versatile than the Sofrider, at least in gearing & stopping -- 3 x 9 + disc brakes front & rear. You can add/change these components later on the Sofrider (the front disc is just a bolt on, while you'll have to make/get a rear brake mounting bracket), but the seat is higher on the SR & you can't do anything about that without major frame mods.

Since you're concerned about shorter riders, the Quests would be preferable. [personal opinion] The problem with the Q451 is the lack of tire sizes. The largest size available is 1 3/8. I've got some Maxxis Holy Rollers (20 x 1 3/8) on my wife's Q451 v1. They're quite nice as an all-around tire, performing reasonably well on both paved roads & gravel trails.

I ride a Q559 v1 (modified into a Q29er -- 700c x 37) as my daily commuter. I also ride an older Sofrider V1 with 26 x 2.3 Kenda K-rads in the winter, but only when the roads are not snow-covered or icy (I live in Idaho). All the bikes will handle fenders, but normally fenders limit your tire choices (except for the Q451, where you'll have lots of room).

The roads in Idaho are not as smooth as in regions with milder climates, so I really like having suspension in addition to fatter tires. I've put a Cane Creek Cloud Nine air shock on the back of the Sofrider, so it is possible to tune out most of the chip-seal vibration. Further, I've put on a front disk brake & converted the drivetrain to 3 x 9. The front fork has a little more suspension travel than the Quest V1's & a lot more than the V2's, since they have a rigid fork now.

I like the riding position of the Quests more than the Sofrider. The 'cockpit' seems more open & the handlebars are not so close. The BB is higher on the Quests, also. However, all the bikes are very comfortable. I setup all my bike seats to have the 45 seatback angle of the Silvio. This seems to be a pretty good tradeoff between visibility in traffic & good aerodynamics. The new component upgrades on the V2 Quests are quite nice & may justify the price difference. I've found the short chainstays on the Q451 to be a problem for my wide feet & hitting the rear derailleur while pedaling, unless my heels are splayed out. I've tried some 10mm pedal extenders, which help, but the solution I prefer is to use the longer chainstay yoke from the Q559. I'm 6' 2", so the telescoping top tube is extended a lot.

Here are some measurements to peruse (all the bikes are set up for a 47" X-seam):

model handlebar height seat height BB height notes

Sofrider v2.2 45 (to ctr) 26 1/2 23 1/2 w/ stock 26 x 1.5 tires

Quest 29er v1 47 26 26 w/ 700c x 37 tires

Quest 451 v1 41 5/8 22 19 1/2 w/ 20 x 1 3/8 tires & long chainstay

Have you ridden a MBB bike yet? If not, perhaps we could set something up. My son will be going back to Corvallis for school later this summer, which will give me an excuse to include Oregon City in our travel plans I'd bring the Q451. Or, if you want to take a vacation to Yellowstone, I'm on the way (Idaho Falls, ID) & you could ride all 3. What's your timeframe?

John

 

[richa]

Thanks

Thanks everyone for all your replies.

Charles, I"ve read through your blog which also had lots of good info. Thanks,

John, the measurements are great. I'm confused, though, about why the quest 29 seat height and BB height are the same while the 451's are not, given it too has a 559 chainstay. I was under the impression that with the 559's chainstay the frames would be the same, and while the seat and BB height would both be lower on the 451 (due to smaller tires), they should still have the same offset for a given X-Seam as the 559's (0 in this case). Am I missing or confused about something?

Also this is the best looking quest I"ve seen. Took me a minute to figure out why I thought that and then realized it was the black tires on black rims that made the wheels look more "substantial". Really nice looking quest.

Do you by chance have a pic of your 451 with the 559 chainstay?

I'm looking to order one this week, so while I really appreciate your offer of test rides, I'm not inclined to wait. I rode a conversion a few years ago for about 100 yards, and while I had almost no instruction and was all over the place, I'm confident I'll get the hang of it.

Rich

 

[Romagjack]

Hi Rich,I can't speak for

Hi Rich,
I can't speak for the 451, but I've had the 559 Quest 2 for several years and recommend it highly. I'm a big fan of the SRAM Dual Drive, especially for commuting, as a flick of the thumb puts you in the right gear when stopping and starting as opposed to a lot of downshifting and being caught in the wrong gear. There are no steep hills here so I can't speak to the gearing. I normally cruise at 15 - 17 mph in the middle range of the top SRAM gear and rarely use the middle and lower step on the IGH except for starting and medium hills. I use clipless pedals all the time but have the type that are flat on one side in case someone else wants to try the bike. Disc brakes are important to me. The folding feature is not important to me (fits great on a bike rack), so unless you're planning on putting it in a suitcase on a regular basis, the bigger wheels are better - would not be a problem for your shorter wife either. The look and performance of the larger wheels appeals to me, especially for a guy of your height - I'm 5' 10". It also nice to be able to adjust the seat angle. I have mine set at about 38 degrees and have tried everything from 27 to 45 degrees. Love the color. I put a fender over the rear wheel to protect the back of my neck from spatter from wet roads.

The Quest 2 still has a front suspension (the V3 does not). I do a lot of riding from roads to bike paths and I appreciate the front suspension when transitioning over the 1 inch "curbs" at speed. (With the V3, I'd use a little "jump" maneuver).

I'm very curious to see how John Z modified his 559 to fit 700c's as I might like to do that also. What's the secret - my front forks aren't even close.

 

[John Zabriskie]

question on BB height differences -- the secret's in the fork

Rich,

The Q29er is built using a fork substitution from a Freerider/Sofrider. It relaxes the fork angle & raises the BB height by a similar angle as you can see in the photo with both Quests shown below. Both Quests are set up for the same leg length & the Q451 has the longer chainstay (from a Freerider). I've also attached a photo of both forks to illustrate the differences in height. The stock Quest fork is on the right. I've also removed the kickstand & cut a 'warranty-voiding' semicircle for clearance into the kickstand mount to allow enough clearance for the 700C x 37 tire in the back. There's not much clearance left in either the front or back.

Other mods: the Q451 has a pair of Funn EZR brakes using the stock 140mm disc rotor in the back & the Funn 160mm in the front. The Q29er uses Avid BB7's with a 205mm front & 160mm rear rotors. The wheels are Vuelta's with bladed spokes & 135mm hubs. The rear arm-mounted rack is a temporary solution until I can cook up one that is mounted to the seat & doesn't get hammered by the tire on bumps. I'm all for reducing unsprung weight.

I agree, it's a good-looking bike. Thanks.

Romagjack,

Thanks for the clarification on when the suspension fork was deleted from the Quest. I'll try to work in some fender features into the rear rack.

John

 

[Romagjack]

John, very cool. Love the

John, very cool. Love the Q29er.

 

[richa]

The Monster Truck of recumbents


Thanks for the additional info and pictures.

The pic of the Q451 next to the Q29er makes the Q29er look like the monster truck of recumbents.

Both sizes of the Quest had their advantages, but in the end I ordered a 559. I liked the looks of it better (even though it's not a Q29er!) and the additional height it'd give me when riding in traffic. I rode a recumbent trike in the past and while it was great fun the low low seating position sometimes made it impossible for cars to see me (if I pulled up next to them at a light, for instance). I know there's not a big difference in the height, but every little bit helps.

On the downside, I might miss the lack of front suspension, and will probably have to replace the E-ring with something smaller, but it seems the Q559 owners were just as happy with their choice as the 451 owners.

I'm now looking forward to learning how to ride it next week.

Rich