First 1000 Km!

[GV_Ottawa]

Yesterday I crossed the 1000 km mark on my Q45 and thought I'd share my experiences ...

I took possession of my new Q45 in Nov 2019. Since that time I've done 33 rides, averaging 31.8 km distance per ride for a total of 1049.2 km. A couple of weeks ago I completed my first metric century on the Q45.

This is my third recumbent - first Cruzbike. While not as fast overall as my previous HP Velotechnik StreetMachine GTE, it is just as stable and with a more upright riding position I certainly feel much safer on my Q45. I have no regrets about switching from the StreetMachine to the Q45.

I've had a couple of minor spills, all caused by self-inflicted silly user-errors, typically trying to take corners too quickly - but I'm older and wiser now so ...

I've had no problems at all making it up any hills in my region (Ottawa Canada). I do however get some front wheel spin if climbing on a gravel surface, as has been commonly reported by other Q45 owners. I tend to avoid gravel roads as a result - if anyone has any suggestions on how to deal with gravel to avoid wheel spin please let me know!!

I'm riding the stock Q45 with a Ventisit seat pad. The only upgrades I've done have been to add an air-shock, and the touring rack that @benphyr set me up with early on. I'd be interested in the under seat rack, but don't want to lose the kickstand - has anyone found a kickstand solution that allows you to use the under seat rack?

Finally with regards to gearing, I've stuck with the stock 11 speed setup. I'd love to have a few higher speed gears, and have investigated a few options (Rohloff, Alfine 11, adding a front derailleur, etc) but with the general shortage of bike parts these days I've not come across anything that is attractive from a pricing point of view. Again, if anyone has done a recent gearing modification to add some faster gears, please let me know!

Overall I find the Q45 is very comfortable to ride long distances, is easily capable of taking on any hills I've traversed (other than gravel surfaced), and feels safe with the more upright riding position. All in all, I am loving my Q45 and highly recommend it!

Cheers,
Gary

 

[benphyr]

Re: wheel slip.

In order of effectiveness:
-carrying in as much speed as possible
-shifting early. But not too easy a gear - when the wheel does slip you need to have enough momentum in the wheel spin to get your next pedal stroke. That is, if you are in 24x42 you are going to spin from 2km/h to zero before you get to the next pedal stroke and even if you put 1000watts into that next one it is all going to go towards torque that breaks your friction connection to the ground instead of pushing against it. Like starting in 2nd gear in slippery winter conditions - the torque is less which decreases the likelihood of wheel slippage.
-increased endurance. Improved balance. Seriously, if you can continue to pedal up a hill even though you are losing % to wheel slippage every pedal stroke then it is not such a big deal. Front wheel drive means that as long as you can balance and point where you want to go then you will go there. This works for short inclines.
-smooth delivery of power. This means learning to apply the torque as gently as possible without decreasing the overall power application. I find this incredibly difficult. The easiest way for me is to concentrate on round pedal stroke with pulling involved. That pulling seems to lessen the tendency to mash.
-Larger tires, larger diameter wheels, more tread, lower pressure that goes along with those larger air volumes. This gives easier rolling over obstacles including the small ones that make up a gravel road and keep more tire in contact with more stable ground. This one is the only one that throwing money at can have much impact. The rest require practice.
-leaning forward. Shifts more weight to the front wheel. For me this only helps with manoeuvring- my pedalling technique is not good enough when sitting up to have any noticeable improvement though theoretically there are gains to be had here.