kizarmynot
Well-Known Member
Nearly a year to the day after taking my first ride on a Q45 I now own an S40 and took it out for a first ride. My first impression? Wow!
Taking a step (or two) back, I purchased my Q to address the common discomforts of riding a DF bike. These discomforts have been increasing due to age and (unfortunately) arthritis in a few places. Add on to that some problems that occurred after back surgery many years ago, and I'm left with some physical constraints I've learned to deal with. The Q has been everything I was looking for when I initially purchased a Cruzbike. But, it is not a road bike (even with 700c tires and the shock replaced with a metal rod).
My biggest concern with the S40 was the seat angle. In general, my back does not like angles (just look at my car seat or favorite comfy chair at home). When I had it on a trainer to work on the fit I was worried because it was not comfortable. My concerns went away as soon as I started pedaling outside – my back was happy! It took about 2 minutes to see there are differences to the Q45 but in general I was confident I could ride on a street. 10 miles and a few short hills later, I am REALLY looking forward to longer road rides.
A few questions.
I find that the material on the neck rest isn't very comfortable. Is this something that will get more comfortable over time (break-in period), or should I add something to it? If the latter, what have folks found that works well?
I will probably tweak the handlebar angle a bit, but the thing I'm most curious about is the location of the brifters. I expect that the majority of the time is spent on the “drops” (it was for me during the first ride). If that's the case, my not put the brifters there? Am I missing something?
Finally, SRAM double-tap. This was my the first time using it. I can see the benefit from using a single shifter, but if I'm grasping for an easier gear does it make sense to move the shifter two clicks instead of one?
A final finally – A word of thanks to the Cruzbike team. I was pleasantly surprised to find the level of pre-assembly that went into the 6th gen S40 before taking it apart for boxing. The derailleur and brakes were spot on – no adjustments necessary! I also appreciate having a spare derailleur hanger in the parts bag. THANK YOU!
Taking a step (or two) back, I purchased my Q to address the common discomforts of riding a DF bike. These discomforts have been increasing due to age and (unfortunately) arthritis in a few places. Add on to that some problems that occurred after back surgery many years ago, and I'm left with some physical constraints I've learned to deal with. The Q has been everything I was looking for when I initially purchased a Cruzbike. But, it is not a road bike (even with 700c tires and the shock replaced with a metal rod).
My biggest concern with the S40 was the seat angle. In general, my back does not like angles (just look at my car seat or favorite comfy chair at home). When I had it on a trainer to work on the fit I was worried because it was not comfortable. My concerns went away as soon as I started pedaling outside – my back was happy! It took about 2 minutes to see there are differences to the Q45 but in general I was confident I could ride on a street. 10 miles and a few short hills later, I am REALLY looking forward to longer road rides.
A few questions.
I find that the material on the neck rest isn't very comfortable. Is this something that will get more comfortable over time (break-in period), or should I add something to it? If the latter, what have folks found that works well?
I will probably tweak the handlebar angle a bit, but the thing I'm most curious about is the location of the brifters. I expect that the majority of the time is spent on the “drops” (it was for me during the first ride). If that's the case, my not put the brifters there? Am I missing something?
Finally, SRAM double-tap. This was my the first time using it. I can see the benefit from using a single shifter, but if I'm grasping for an easier gear does it make sense to move the shifter two clicks instead of one?
A final finally – A word of thanks to the Cruzbike team. I was pleasantly surprised to find the level of pre-assembly that went into the 6th gen S40 before taking it apart for boxing. The derailleur and brakes were spot on – no adjustments necessary! I also appreciate having a spare derailleur hanger in the parts bag. THANK YOU!
