Does anyone else have a design Wishlist for the next model of Q series?

[TylerWayne]

This is a good concept for a double stand - which is an item that I tried to work on for the stock bike for a few years to no avail. As you mentioned - the frame is too high and all attempts to create a workable stand were either insane expensive, heavy, way too long, could not collapse properly without interference, or were not very realistic or functional or aesthetically pleasing.

Also finding companies to even entertain the idea of helping with this sort of thing - yet alone make the small MOQ's of things like this that we would want (asking companies that are used to 10,000 - 15,000 MOQ's to make 100-200 of something is the fast track to being laughed out of the booth) - is financially prohibitive and nobody is going to buy a $250+ kickstand.

But as an added attachment for the underseat type of rack as a combo setup ... that would seem to get much closer to a realistic alternative.

I won’t copyright or trademark the idea, but if you come up with something that ends up working out, I wouldn’t mind being the guinea pig to test out prototypes lol
In all seriousness though, I think it would just be a matter of getting the kickstand bolt to work with the normal 4 attachment points that are currently being used by the Under Seat Rack, and building out the under seat truss to focus most of the stress and strain through the giant kickstand bolt that’s already on the frame. Those attachments are the blue highlights on my crude sketch. I think the bulk of the loading can be handled by the kickstand bolt(s), and side to side or twisting forces might be handleable by the regular rack attachments points.

 

[TylerWayne]

I also occurred to me that there is a third pair of threaded attachments at the back, although that would make the under seat rack more of a monstrous side skirt rack than a smaller rack for just two panniers

 

[kizarmynot]

Bret is correct about the Rohloff hub and Gates belt. We toured Europe (mostly Italy, Austria and Slovenia) on a couple of Q45s with Rohloff hubs and Gates belts. They were fantastic. The gear ratio we used was determined by the chainstay length and it suited us well. We are slow riders who enjoy the scenery but not the hills, so having a lower gear range than the stock standard worked well. But I'll leave the details to another post. Spoiler alert: it was a bit of pain installing the Rohloffs, but did prove to be a good learning experience.

I'd like to see the carbon fibre front end migrated to the Q45 as the current front end is very heavy.

I'd also like to see more flexible ways of attaching panniers. I rigged up some racks that lifted up our panniers up by a couple of inches as the racks that Cruzbike supply were a bit too low for our panniers. I also rigged up some racks that hung below the seat which allowed us to mount some smaller panniers under the seat. It meant that our centre of gravity was nice and low - ideal for touring. Again, something for another post.

@Dudley, do you have another post with details about your Rohloff conversion? I've used one on a previous bike (with a chain) and agree it is fantastic.

 

[castlerobber]

another wish: rethinking the "pan" seat design. A design with ribs might prevent the cracks in the lower part of dorsum pan.

I was also wondering if ribs could be added to the seat pan. The front of the pan is just out there in space, especially with the brackets attached to the second and fourth sets of holes, and the material doesn't seem to be strong enough to handle it.

 

[Decher Kritzmire]

Like many of the "all-road" uprights I'd like to see wheel spacing to accommodate up to 700 x 45's.
And an option to buy a Frameset ( I keep thinking if I say it enough it might actually happen).

 

[Mantissa]

I feel like of all 'bents to convert to a Rohloff, a Cruzbike would be by far the easiest. Or at least would have the most advantages. You couldn't use a Gates carbon belt with a RWD.

I remember reading a while back that Cruzbike was in contact with Rohloff, but that you need to do a bunch of confirmations and builds to make sure that the Rohloff hubs fit specifically with thru axles, and that was prohibitive to building a model with Rohloff built-in.

Yet another reason to make Q45 frames available.

 

[Robert Holler]

Yet another reason to make Q45 frames available.

Noted. I am sure that I will include this in discussions about what is to come. Its always a balance - sometimes (not for the Q series - yet) we have done mixes of frames/completes only to be left with tons of frames at the end that have a hard time selling... some years its the opposite and the frames sell out faster... ‍ so a bit of balancing act is needed.

The Q series was previously (in the Sofrider/Quest days) intended as more the "bike in a box" thing, that wasn't a style that would be an attractant to home builders or people who wanted to do more custom builds. That could change though with enough interest...

 

[Decher Kritzmire]

Noted. I am sure that I will include this in discussions about what is to come. Its always a balance - sometimes (not for the Q series - yet) we have done mixes of frames/completes only to be left with tons of frames at the end that have a hard time selling... some years its the opposite and the frames sell out faster... ‍ so a bit of balancing act is needed.

The Q series was previously (in the Sofrider/Quest days) intended as more the "bike in a box" thing, that wasn't a style that would be an attractant to home builders or people who wanted to do more custom builds. That could change though with enough interest...

I think, or am optimistic, that the Q actually fills a bigger spot not addressed by the other models rather than just the bike in a box crowd. Personally I don't need the suspended rear end but that wouldn't be a deal breaker for me. I ended up selling my S for one reason only, the inability to mount different seat options (and yes I tried the Thor and the carbon adjustable) to accommodate my neck issues that require a more upright position that no highly curved carbon seat was going to address. Despite my numerous attempts a seat like a Bacchetta or Rans just wasn't going to fit reasonably in the S frame. But, I loved that I had a high racer profile bike with a low bottom bracket. Unless I'm missing something I would think that with a bit of customization the Q could be made to be a decent S substitute, at least for an old guy, and hopefully I'm not mistaken about that.

 

[Mantissa]

I think, or am optimistic, that the Q actually fills a bigger spot not addressed by the other models rather than just the bike in a box crowd.

Agreed. Even if it started off as a bike-in-a-box sort of deal, I think it's turned into more than that.

The Q45 is literally the only bike that fills this niche:
- Recumbent
- Larger than 20" wheels
- Folds (sort of)

This sort of makes it the only recumbent that will fly in a non-oversize luggage while still be a proper offroad-capable gravel/adventure bike with the larger wheels.

And its other traits only compliment this:
- Suspension means that it soaks off-road even better
- MBB means that it doesn't have any whiplash or weird chain line like Azub. And also climbing advantages etc. And it is generally easier to mount bags and panniers. AND it is not only easier to electrify but also more beneficial to electrify.

Idk how much you're investing into R&D, but if the Q was tilted further in this direction I suspect you'd get a lot of traction with it. I think most people that buy it, myself included, do so for the purpose of using it as an adventure/gravel bike. And really, that's how it's advertised.

I think someone has said it before, but we'd love:
- Proper folding, not just "can be disassembled into a small folded size"
- Better, fatter tires out of the box (Schwalbe Marathon or Rene Herse for example) - Or a Frameset option
- Furthermore- Room for larger tires, up to like 2.6". With fenders if possible.
- Air shock
- Bachetta CA3-style dropouts which support both QRs and Thru. QRs are much easier to electrify than Thru.
- Rohloff hub+carbon belt option, or at least 2x instead of 1x
- Lighter, Lightning-style frame

 

[Black Hawk Down]

I bought my Q45 frame barely used and built it up with my desired components. I also have an S40 that I built up from a frame. I couldn't, with herculean effort, make the S40 not cause recumbutt. The frame now sits in my garage without purpose. I bought the Q45 frame for one reason only, to recline the seat to about 30 or so degrees to be able to tour without recumbutt. That worked. If the S40 could recline that much, I think it would be my preferred touring bike (it's lighter than the Q45 and I don't need the shock). I also built a V20 from the frameset. I'm only interested in purchasing frames, not whole bikes as I'm very picky about my components, seats and handlebars. I don't know how many people fall into that category. I have an interest for a Rohloff with Gates carbon belt, but I don't know how difficult it would be in integrate on the Q45.

 

[Flying Dutchman]

Noted. I am sure that I will include this in discussions about what is to come. Its always a balance - sometimes (not for the Q series - yet) we have done mixes of frames/completes only to be left with tons of frames at the end that have a hard time selling... some years its the opposite and the frames sell out faster... ‍ so a bit of balancing act is needed.

The Q series was previously (in the Sofrider/Quest days) intended as more the "bike in a box" thing, that wasn't a style that would be an attractant to home builders or people who wanted to do more custom builds. That could change though with enough interest...

Having about a year/600 miles experience with the Q45 I agree with numerous of the suggestions:
* frame only option - I have upgraded my Q45 with SRAM GX Eagle and 700c tubeless wheels so now have the original Microshift RD and 650 wheels spare. If I were to buy another Cruzbike (am seriously saving up for a Vendetta ) I would definitely choose the frame only option and find my own components as the Microshift cannot compete with the slickness of the SRAM and the wheels are also at a lower price point than I would choose.
* more tire clearance in the front fork. I currently run the 700c wheels with 35mm tires. With these tires I cannot fit the mudguards. There are now numerous gravel bikes that run 700c wheels with even bigger tires that still have space for mudguards.
* Better (firmer) shock. I have the Garmin radar hanging off the rear rack and found that it had been scraped by the rear tire. When I checked I found that it indeed doesn't take much to fully compress the standard rear shock. I adjusted its firmness as far as I could (that's about halfway up the thread.

Note that these are just suggestions - I love my Q45 as it is now (might replace the shock with one of the suggested air shocks) but I do think that the Q45 is worth considering as not 'just' 'bike in the box' option. It's too good for that!

 

[Mantissa]

* Better (firmer) shock. I have the Garmin radar hanging off the rear rack and found that it had been scraped by the rear tire. When I checked I found that it indeed doesn't take much to fully compress the standard rear shock. I adjusted its firmness as far as I could (that's about halfway up the thread.

Coming from the MTB world, tightening up the coil on an external coil shock doesn't really do a good job of adapting to rider weight. All you're doing is pushing the spring further out of equilibrium, which results in a stiffer feel but that comes at the cost of good suspension characteristics and the risk of bottoming the spring out.

Most "proper" MTB external coil shocks come with 3-5 coils, each with a different Young's modulus to accommodate for different rider weights. But that's expensive, hence why most MTBs that aren't downhill monstrosities use air cans nowadays. They're lighter, very adjustable to rider weight, and you can get some very high quality air shocks nowadays for the price.

I see no reason Q45s shouldn't fit an air shock stock given that you can get lower end (but still very capable) shocks for probably <$100 OEM nowadays.

 

[Black Hawk Down]

I see no reason Q45s shouldn't fit an air shock stock given that you can get lower end (but still very capable) shocks for probably <$100 OEM nowadays.

I tried two different air shocks on my Q45. Neither worked, even though I pumped them up to their maximum pressure rating.

1. Kind Shock KS A5-RR1 Dual Air Rear Shock
2. DNM Damping 3 System Mountain Bike Air Rear Shock.

Both compressed to the over half the range just by sitting on them when set to maximum pressure. Because of the way I have my Q45 configured, I can only go 1/2 the range before hitting my tire. Adjusting preload of the stock shock did work for me. It doesn't hit my tire and it provides a smooth ride over some pretty rough road on my daily ride. If you know of a better air shock that can take my 225 lbs and not compress to half the range just by sitting on it, please share.

 

[Black Hawk Down]

Noted. I am sure that I will include this in discussions about what is to come. Its always a balance - sometimes (not for the Q series - yet) we have done mixes of frames/completes only to be left with tons of frames at the end that have a hard time selling... some years its the opposite and the frames sell out faster... ‍ so a bit of balancing act is needed.

Do you have to sell all the bikes and frames in a year? Seems like they are fine for multiple years until you wan't to do a refresh on the design. If you have too many frames one year, just buy components and build them out to complete bikes. I recognize that CruzBike is a small operation without a lot of extra laborers. Maybe you can take orders from people and when you have enough, make a bulk purchase. I would have waited a year or two to get a Q45 frame. I'd still be waiting if I didn't find a used frame that was almost new.

I would rather have a lighter Q frame than one that folds. I have no problem shipping my S40 in a large Mountain bike box. And these boxes are easy to find at bike stores everywhere. I'm happy with my Q, but it's a lot heavier than the S. I did a long tour on the S. Next year I'm doing a long (world) tour on the Q. I'll report back how it does.

 

[CruzRider]

Having just bought a used Q45 this week and spending about 5 hours on it, I am loving this bike! I also own all of the other Cruzbike models, so I have some comparison points. The Q seems great at everything except racing (for which I would obviously use the V).

I have read several comments on the forum about the Q being a “gravel”
Bike, but my back was taking a beating with the T and the S. So, to me the suspension is a basic requirement unless you ride pristine roads. I am sure many others feel the same. The weight penalty of the Q is negligible as a proportion of total system weight.

The Q to me is the all-rounder, the bike that most people should buy. I wanted to relay some comments from the person that sold me the Q. He is a very accomplished DF rider, now probably in his mid 70s. Sounds like he bought the Q thinking it would be that all rounder for him. However, the gearing was too high for him and perhaps even for me. I think the Q needs lower gearing for the general customer. Secondly, he had an anxiety regarding what would happen in the case of a flat. Cruzbikes are not easy to fix a flat on. think tubeless tires with inserts would be a great selling point.

I am sure over time, I will have some insights of my own. For now, just wanted to pass on those comments from someone who represents a core customer demographic. He did put 400 miles or so on the bike. His comments made a lot of sense to me.

My two cents would be, please do not add the Carbon boom to the Q. One crash and there go thousands of dollars.

 

[Hoss]

Take Border Collie on 4,000km GDT (Great Divide Bike Trail). Steep gravel-road climbs and paved 20km descents. That means Rohloff w/belt-drive front-end and rear hub motor for the climbs with regenerative braking on-top-of hydraulic-brakes for the descents. Not racing, but not lollygagging either. Huge rear-rack for dog and 200kg load-out. most of it for 1.96m (6'5") rider. Long days in a more capable seat. Reliability throughout. Standard wheel size (heavy-duty) and generous tire width. Much stiffer (hydraulic?) shock.

 

[CruzRider]

Take Border Collie on 4,000km GDT (Great Divide Bike Trail). Steep gravel-road climbs and paved 20km descents.

Have you need following the adventures of Mira La Perra and John?

Mira La Perra (@mira_la_perra) • Instagram photos and videos

28K Followers, 93 Following, 566 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Mira La Perra (@mira_la_perra)

www.instagram.com

 

[Hoss]

Have you need following the adventures of Mira La Perra and John?

Mira La Perra (@mira_la_perra) • Instagram photos and videos

28K Followers, 93 Following, 566 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Mira La Perra (@mira_la_perra)

www.instagram.com

Yes, very inspiring. Was hiding PCT, but foot injuries forcing new modality. Bikes looks like it and fwd recumbent looks most promising. Will see if my Border Collie adapts as well as Mira?

 

[cranky cyclist]

The Classified hub with a SRAM 12 speed would add a huge range for gearing and the Classified hub would weigh much less then the Rohloff.

 

[Black Hawk Down]

The Classified hub with a SRAM 12 speed would add a huge range for gearing and the Classified hub would weigh much less then the Rohloff.

If money is no object. The Rohloff speedhub is about $1400. the combo SRAM 12 speed group set plus Classified hub is well over $3000, which is nearly the cost of the Q45.