Folding a Q45 to put in a vehicle

[Kavman]

Hi,

I'm interested in knowing whether anyone has folded up a Q45 to put it in the back of a vehicle. I don't mean packing it up to put in a suitcase, just for putting it in your trunk or cargo area when you need to once in a while. If you do, does it work well and how quickly can you manage it?

Thanks!

 

[benphyr]

@Kavman

First, welcome to the Cruzbike tribe. There is a wealth of info on the site but no one minds if you can't find something and ask a question that has been asked before. Usually, something new comes out from a different perspective that adds to the overall knowledge and we are all better off.

I have a QX100 with reversed handlebars so they take up as much space as Q45 probably. (Not the bike in the avatar.) I have a Honda Odyssey 1998 (or other names for Honda's first "minivan" on an Accord platform with regular doors before they added sliding doors. Anyway, with the rear seat folded and one of the middle seats folded I can put it in whole - nothing removed - by reversing the handlebars and wiggling it in. If you care about your vehicle's plastic, upholstery, etc. then put a blanket over the pedals and chain ring before even putting it in.

With the rear wheel removed (by far the easier one to remove and therefore first) it can be fit behind the middle seat (like a hatchback with the seat down). I just get the front in and set the rear of the fframe down on the "floor" carpet. Then I make sure nothing is going to move around. Often I use the seatbelt to hold the bike from tipping over in transit.

If I have to fit it smaller the next step is to undo the quick release for the suspenion and flip the "tail" under and forward until it holds the front wheel in place.

Next, if necessary would be to remove the seat: loosssen the seat pan thumbscrewz on the QX100 (better mech on Q45?) and losssssssssten the seat post quick release. Then wiggle the seat post in if necessary to release the seat pan, then slide the whole package back and out. Leave the hole thing together if you can (don't lose the thumbsscrews or any mechanism.!.

You can remove the front wheel relatively easily too
You can rotate the handle bar or remove the handlebar but I have not had to do that. (I don't have quick releases for my handlebars so that require tools..)

Sorry ab0out my keyboard sticking!! Hopefully this help with your Q45. Do the least amount of disasembly that you can and re-assembly will go quicker. The rear wheel removal and tail flip takes about 3 minutes the first time and about 30 seconds thereafter, removing the seat is about the same amount of time again. It will take you more time to wiggle the bike carefully into your space without damaging stuffffffffff if you are caring about the bike and the car at the same time and are under weight (leverage) and under powered like me. That time is almost all care.
Front wheel is about the same,

Reassembly can be more of a challenge. Many people have bike stands that hold the front wheel in pictures on this site. They would make things much easier. If not, find yourself a soft surface (ie. grass) and place frame gently on its side to reconstruct. Then tighten everything with it vertical and aligned.

Do like the previous owner of mine did: put a piece of electrical tape around the boom where it "hits" the seat. You won't be able to see it from more than 10 feet away and you will thank yourself later when it swings around some day when you are parking it and don't notice in time.

 

[Kavman]

Thanks so much, Benphyr. I appreciate your detailed response. I have three rwd recumbents, which all fit without too much fuss in our van, but I'm wondering whether a Q45 will fit in the trunk of a mid-sized sedan. It does seem reasonable from your description, and a few minutes breaking it down a bit is reasonable. I'm hoping someone out there might even have pictures of such a thing. I'd love to have a recumbent folder as compact as an HP Velotechnik Grasshopper fx or the now out-of-production Ice B1/B2, but these don't have the MBB I'm really after.

 

[super slim]

Photos of a Quest V1.0, with the front turned 170 degrees, with the chain away from the frame, in the back of a Hyundai i30

 

[ElyDave]

I used to have an ICE B2 - folding that was not an easy matter, adn it was damned heavy. A very nice "learner recumbent" though

 

[Kavman]

View attachment 6956 View attachment 6957
Photos of a Quest V1.0, with the front turned 170 degrees, with the chain away from the frame, in the back of a Hyundai i30

Thanks, Super Slim!

 

[Kavman]

I used to have an ICE B2 - folding that was not an easy matter, adn it was damned heavy. A very nice "learner recumbent" though

I wonder whether the B1, with 20 inch wheels, was a little easier to fold and a little lighter.

 

[woodguy]

I have been wondering about your very question Kavman, and you inspired me to find out if I could fit my Q45 in the trunk of my wife's Toyota Camry.

Here is the story. Benphyr's post gave me good ideas on how to go about it. I have a touring rack and bag on my bike, but with the new bracket that connects to the seat post, the rack and the seat came off all in one piece. Just removed the seat skewers, loosened the seat tube and pulled it out. Didn't have to take that assembly apart at all. Removed the rear wheel, disconnected the shock, folded the frame and decided to try fitting it in. Nope. Removed the front wheel (greasy project so be careful). Tried again. Now it fit in, but the trunk wouldn't close because the handle bar stuck up too much. Loosened the screws on the boom so it would twist a little, but didn't have to remove the handle bars. Now it fit. Put the frame in 1st. The seat and rack on top toward the front, and the two tires on top. The Camry has some pretty big hinge arms so I had to keep the tires toward the middle, and lots of cardboard lining on the trunk lid which meant I had to push a little to get the lid closed, but I'm sure it didn't bend any parts. This whole part of the project took 20 minutes. I'd probably do it in 10 minutes next time. Reassembly took another 20 minutes. The only tool I had to use was the allen wrench to loosen the boom clamp. Here are some pictures:

So, yes it can be done, and if it was my only option I might do it again, but I have a hatchback SUV, and it slides right in there with no disassembly required so it isn't likely I will be doing this often. But now I know it can be done.

 

[benphyr]

Awesome work @woodguy I love your description with pictures They demonstrate the improvements made on the Q45 over the QX100 that I have (two quick releases for the seat instead of 4 thumb screws is notable).

If you switch to waxed chain (many, many posts on the site but all it takes is a new chain if you don't want to do copious amounts of cleaning on an old one, solvent to clean off factory grease, a tiny rice cooker or crock pot, a reusable quicklink which makes your life easier regardless, and pure parafin candles - or molten speed wax) and it really is easy and eliminates the mess.

And thanks for the pictures including your stand. Are those 2x4s with a couple of pieces between at each end and a piece of drywall corner? - how did you get the right spacing for your wheel?

Thank you for an excellent post.

 

[Kavman]

Thanks a bundle, woodguy! That's exactly what I was hoping for, pictures and description of someone fitting a Q45 into something the size of our Subaru. Not as easily done as one might hope, but doable. I wonder whether a T50 with a split hinge (like you see on an HP Velotechnik Grasshopper fx) or an S&S coupling might fold up smaller and more easily...

 

[ElyDave]

Thanks a bundle, woodguy! That's exactly what I was hoping for, pictures and description of someone fitting a Q45 into something the size of our Subaru. Not as easily done as one might hope, but doable. I wonder whether a T50 with a split hinge (like you see on an HP Velotechnik Grasshopper fx) or an S&S coupling might fold up smaller and more easily...

That woudl be my idea for the "next" Cruzbike - think Brompton, a T50 with a hinge and QR seat, retrofitted 20" wheels and it becomes a London commuter

 

[Kavman]

That woudl be my idea for the "next" Cruzbike - think Brompton, a T50 with a hinge and QR seat, retrofitted 20" wheels and it becomes a London commuter

Yes, exactly, but with the Q45 front end on the hinged T50 frame. This would also more easily allow for switching seats if necessary. Brilliant! We make it seem so easy.

 

[woodguy]

Awesome work @woodguy I love your description with pictures They demonstrate the improvements made on the Q45 over the QX100 that I have (two quick releases for the seat instead of 4 thumb screws is notable).

If you switch to waxed chain (many, many posts on the site but all it takes is a new chain if you don't want to do copious amounts of cleaning on an old one, solvent to clean off factory grease, a tiny rice cooker or crock pot, a reusable quicklink which makes your life easier regardless, and pure parafin candles - or molten speed wax) and it really is easy and eliminates the mess.

And thanks for the pictures including your stand. Are those 2x4s with a couple of pieces between at each end and a piece of drywall corner? - how did you get the right spacing for your wheel?

Thank you for an excellent post.

I have seen posts about chain waxing, but I never came across much of a need until I was putting the Q45 in the trunk. I will investigate it some more. Once waxed is there rewaxing needed every so often, or is it a 1 time thing?

The stand I made was impromptu when I was tired of the bike falling over when working on it. You’re right, just a couple of 2 x 4’s nailed together with strips on the bottom. The spacing was determined by how wide the tires are to form a friction fit. The angle iron was left over from installing my garage door. All kind of crude, but effective. Maybe a coat of paint will make it look better.

 

[RAR]

https://moltenspeedwax.com Here is the address.

 

[Brad R]

I have seen posts about chain waxing, but I never came across much of a need until I was putting the Q45 in the trunk. I will investigate it some more. Once waxed is there rewaxing needed every so often, or is it a 1 time thing?

Chain waxing is not a 1 time thing. I have been getting at least 500 miles per waxing. I don’t ride in the rain much. I did a 50 mile organized ride in wet conditions. On my next ride, I noticed a squeaking sound. Went away after I re- waxed the chain. I am not sure how much it had to do with total miles and how much wet riding caused loss of lubrication.