Getting the Q45 closer to trail-ready

[rfneep]

Hi Ray, I've been exploring alternate seat options for my '21 Q45 both for comfort (would like a little more angle to hold me on the seat base) and because I'd really like to sort out a headrest for the bike, but the standard CB seat doesn't have much option with those. Can you share some more input about the seat you ultimately chose and the headrest that I see in the pictures? I don't have any special hardware (and it sounds like you may have had some old components) so I could use some insight (a/k/a tips and tricks) that would help me if I decide to duplicate what you have done with your bike. By the way, love the way your bike looks...would be delighted to get even close to that with mine. Thanks for your help. Keith

Hi Keith,

I'm not sure I have any deep wisdom to share, my variations on this bike is still a work in progress, but to your questions:

The seat in the picture is a Thorseat Easy (size medium). I've been trying that out because it worked well with my old CB Quest 559. As noted earlier I also tried a Volae Carbpn Comfort Seat. The Thorseat has a shape that works a little better at higher seat angles like 40-45 degrees. However, as I noted earlier, it is a little messier to mount on the Q45, mainly because its support ribs in the rear are too narrow to allow a direct mount using the stock Q45 seat hardware. For that reason, I used the old Q559 seat hardware I had in my shop. I was able to cobble up a homemade mount for the Thorseat using the stock seat post but still needed to use the old Q559 hardware on the back of the seat. It looked like this:


It's a kludge but does fit the existing seat post.

The neck rest is an old Adem head rest which unfortunately you can no longer buy. I note that the hardshell seat neck rest from ICE trikes works well with carbon seats. I have one on my Volae and it's very nice.

I've gotten about 25-30 miles on the bike in the form shown in my earlier post above with the Thorseat. Yesterday I got it out on a state trail that was in pretty bad shape from the winter - lots of ruts and potholes. To my surprise, I kept moving the seat angle up to more upright to better handle the poor trail conditions. With my old Q559 the sweet spot for seat angle on trails like that for me was about 35 degrees. That seems way off for the Q45 - I'm drifting to about 45 degrees. At that angle, I think I'll just go back to the original stock seat and see how that works. I am also looking more seriously at a Bacchetta seat, similar to what Flying Jim shows in another thread (https://forum.cruzbike.com/threads/q45-first-ride-experience.13940/#post-168026).

I think this will evolve for a while as I try out various seat options and positions, and as I tune the tire pressures for the trial conditions.

My first impression overall is that the Q45 is quite a different beast from the old Q559. It feels much larger and heavier, and maybe not as friendly to smaller riders for seat - BB positions. That's not necessarily bad, just what it is.

Ray