Help from Quest owners

[Vargas]

I need help with some questions to make up my mind and buy a Quest 451 to carry around with me.

1 - Appearance:
Does it look good?
No need to answer this one. It has a beautiful design!!!

2 - Chainstays:
Does using the longer chainstay with the 451 improve aerodynamics by raising your feet?
Does the gain in aerodynamics justify using the longer chainstay with the 451 wheels?
Any issues using the longer chainstay instead of the short one?

3 - Cassete:
Is it possible to replace the 11-28 cassette for a Shimano MTB 11-34?

4 - Chainring:
Is it possible to replace the 42 T chainring? I suppose yes, for a round or even another elliptical. But which is the smallest chainring I can fit to the supplied crank?

Most of the time I'll run the 451 wheels, but I want to be able to run 559 and also climb the Corcovado (where the Christ statue in Rio de Janeiro is) when running them. This is the reason for questions 3 and 4.

 

[Charles.Plager]

Hi I0,
1) Yes, I like it too.

Hi I0,

1) Yes, I like it too.

2) Yes, it probably would improve aerodynamics. It would also make it harder to pack in a suitcase. I'd personally go with the smaller chainstay. NOTE: I'd love to hear from somebody who has the 451 with the longer chainstay and see what they think here.

3) I don't see why the answer wouldn't be yes.

4) Yes, people replace the chainring. With the 451 and dual drive, I think the gearing is actually pretty good. I think the DD/559 gearing is too high.

There are two disadvantages of the 451 wheels:

1) Tire selection - you can't get anything that's really wide and meaty in 451. It does have decent performance choices (I think).

2) For rough/off road, the larger the tire, the better off you are.

It doesn't sound like either of these really apply to you. If I'm right, then I personally think you'd be better just sticking with the 451 wheels instead of swapping back and forth.

Cheers,
Charles

 

[Vargas]

Hi Charles,
I guess in the

Hi Charles,
I guess in the end I'll stick to the 451. But It is good to know there are other options.
The question about the chainring is because the site only says 42T, but no BCD. Is it 110, 130...?
Vargas

 

[Charles.Plager]

Hi Vargus,
I believe people

Hi Vargus,

I believe people have put on 36T rings on Quests. That doesn't answer your BCD question.

I will point out that you can put a front derailleur and a double (or even a triple) on the Quest. It's probably over-kill, but it could be done. (There are 81 speed trikes out there that do exactly this ).

You could even put on a double crank without the front derailleur and just shift it by hand. I don't think this is necessary for most people, but again, you never know...

Cheers,
Charles

 

[richa]

11-34

I put an 11-34 cassette on my 559 Quest, and it works fine, even with the stock derailleur and chain.

 

[Vargas]

This is something I would

This is something I would definitely do; replace the 11-28 for a 11-34, even for the 451.
And installing a double chainring and shifting manually when shifting wheels is also a great idea. With a double I can keep the 42T for the 451 and install a smaller one, for example 33T, for the 559.
But actually I might stick to the 451 after trying it. After all I would have to buy another SRAM DD for the 559 wheel and it seems not to be such a good idea $$$.

My open question now is whether the longer chainstay is a good idea for the 451.

 

[low wong]

longer chainstay is a good for me!

 

[Charles.Plager]

Hi Vovolc,
I agree the longer

Hi Vovolc,

I agree the longer chainstay looks good with you on it. (And that aerodynamics are likely to be better with the bigger chainstay).

The $1,000,000 question: Can you still pack your bike in the Samsonite (or equivalent) suitcase)?

Cheers,
Charles

 

[Doug Burton]

Crankset...

...uses 110mm BCD.

Generally the smallest chainring that'll fit on a 110mm BCD is 39 teeth.

You'll want to keep the chainring guard in place to prevent chain suck on quick shifts or over large bumps/potholes.

Cheers,

Doug

 

[low wong]

Hi Charles,
I don’t have

Hi Charles,

I don't have Samsonite , but I have a suitcase for Brompton. Once I pack my Quest into the Brompton suitcase, I would like to post a photo on this page.

Cheers,
Vovolc

 

[Charles.Plager]

Hi Vovolc,
That would be

Hi Vovolc,

That would be lovely. (Do you know the dimensions of the case?)

cheers, Charles

 

[Kungfuguy]

Vovolc, what kind of helmet

Vovolc, what kind of helmet is that? Why the mask? I've seen Koreans wear them. It seems excessive to wear that just to block the sun.

 

[Vargas]

Just a quick note to thank

Just a quick note to thank you and let you know I am now the happy owner of a 451 Quest, which will be run with the long chainstay.

 

[low wong]

For Charles:
The

For Charles:
The inside dimensions of the case : 27cm, 58cm, 63cm. The Brompton suitcase is a big box.

For Kungfugy :
The helmet came from Japan, see RIN PROJECT. And "Why the mask?", for 2 reasons, 1, I still feel little uneasy with my Quest stop before the RED traffic light. 2. I prefer mask better than milky sunscreen.

Cheers,
Vovolc