Nice pannier/pack for Quest

[David Parman]

I found a handy pack at REI that works out really well on my Quest. The pack mounts on the factory rack nicely, although it is able to slide forward and backward a bit. There are 2 fold-out panniers built into the sides of the pack so when you need the extra space, you have it, but if you don't need it they are out of the way. The panniers are equipped with hooks that hook onto the lower rods of the rack to keep them from flapping around.

 

[David Parman]

Hmmm, the photos didn't show

Hmmm, the photos didn't show for some reason. Here's a link to them on Flickr.http://www.flickr.com/photos/50873749@N02/6489491511/

 

[John Tolhurst]

Good choice

I like that solution, good choice.

 

[Hugh Mitenko]

panniers/bike rack bags for Quest 2.0

I have put together my new Quest 2.0 about 10 days ago and now it is my daily commuter. It has been a bit of a learning curve but I am definitely getting used to it and loving it. It is wonderfully comfortable, starting to be slightly faster than my old DF commuter, and I am now thinking I will never ride a DF bike again if I can help it.

BUT! I have been unable to find any panniers or bike rack bags that fit in the 4 or 5 bike shops in town, and I need one badly! So far I have strapped my backpack on with various ties, clips etc and still, every once in a while it slips off to the side and rubs on the rear tyre. I didn't foresee this problem, and thought the included rack would be easy to find a bag for.

I need to carry a towel, change of clothes, lunch, various other odds and ends (occasionally another pair of shoes, maybe a laptop, etc) as well as a water bottle or 2 (although those 2 last could be on some water bottle holder, which I also need to find to fit). A standard backpack has served well until now, but now I can't use one! I would GUESS I need 15L or so.

I am 2 h south of Perth WA. Any tips or hints out there? Also John- if you sold some compatible bags here on your site, I would buy them. The non-turning but still suspended rear wheel makes me think there must be some way to really rig up that back end for the tourers out there as well...

 

[fatall]

Hugh, I've had my Quest just

Hugh, I've had my Quest just over 3 months and one of the first things I did was to replace the rack. I ended up getting a Topeak MTX BeamRack (A-Type) with the optional side frame:

I've used this rack to carry panniers to work. Gets two thumbs up from me.

 

[kling]

Topeak SuperTourist DX rack

Hi Hugh,

Welcome to the world of ergonomic cycling

In answer to your question about a rack suitable for touring, the Super Tourist DX Tubular Rack w/disc Mounts works very well on a Quest (and rated for 25kg), albeit needing a custom metal strap to secure it. I had mine fitted at Garland Cycles in South Perth about 2 years ago.

It fits Quickmount bags, the largest (MTX TrunkBag DXP) fits 22 litres (using 0the side panniers)

Here's a link to a photo of crazy_ebot's bike and rack.

below is a photo of my newly improved stronger aluminium strap (fitted last week by Garland Cycles)

cheers

Kendrick

 

[Hugh Mitenko]

My solution... perhaps only temporary

I bought a Tioga bag from the local store over the weekend. It holds what I need it to, and may end up being my long term solution... we shall see. I am a bit concerned, however, that I will need some other setup if I ever want/need to start carrying more gear around (no backpacks!).

Thanks for your photos and advice, and Kendrick, your personal emails! They will be very handy to me if that time comes...

 

[JohnMHammer]

Quest Heavy Duty Rack and Topeak MTX Bags

I'm considering the purchase of a Cruzbike Quest v2 26".

One of my concerns is the ability to carry some decent weight (about 50lbs or a little less) in my existing Topeak MTX bags. I can see that fatall has a Topeak seatpost-mount rack attached (with the very important optional side rails to keep panniers out of the spokes), but that's rated for only 25lbs and I would think it shifts/rotates a bit under load on bad surfaces. In the outer boroughs of New York City, every road is a bad surface! I need stability, a high weight capacity, and the ability to continue to use my existing Topeak MTX bags and basket frames.

Can Cruzbike ship a Quest to me with a "heavy duty" rack compatible with MTX that's fixed solidly like their two standard racks for the Quest? I'm not that handy and my tools are limited, so drilling holes and bending metal and otherwise getting "creative" will be beyond my capabilities. Only one of my local bike shops is familiar with recumbents in general let alone Cruzbikes specifically. The one shop that specializes in recumbents and sells Cruzbikes is about as far from me as possible while still being within the five boroughs, plus it charges $100 just for a test ride so I'm trying to avoid using that one at all.

 

[John Tolhurst]

I appreciate the question

I appreciate the question John,

Our heavy duty rack is a standard width and length, but it is not specialised to any bag system, and there isn't enough demand for us to do.

The one place that a high load can be carried is under the seat between the wheels. One time we passed the markets on the way back from an afternoon ride, I had my daughter on the back of my Quest V2. We ended up with grocery bag handles tied together and the pairs of bars hung over the seat for the 2 mile ride home. Must have had at least 50lbs on board.

If someone has the MTX system and our heavy duty rack they might comment on adaptability. (I don't have both here in my workshop.)

 

[Shakey]

Seatpost pannier rack

Hi John(s)
After my first seatpost rack broke (rated to 25 lbs), I got an "Axiom Odyssee" seatpost rack (rated 55 lbs)
http://www.axiomgear.com/archive/gear/racks/rear-racks/odyssee-seatpost-2010/
I has been a great rack, very strong, no troubles so far.

 

[Sylvain]

Shakey wrote: «After my first

Shakey wrote: «After my first seatpost rack broke (rated to 25 lbs), I got an "Axiom Odyssee" seatpost rack (rated 55 lbs)
http://www.axiomgear.com/archive/gear/racks/rear-racks/odyssee-seatpost-...
I has been a great rack, very strong, no troubles so far.»
But it is not offered anymore...

 

[8253761]

affect on suspension

I 'm not sure how this rack deals with the suspension as it seems to be connected to both sides of the suspension joint.

 

[JohnMHammer]

Welding one rack to another.

I've read blogs from people touring the world on Quests which have custom under-seat racks the owners designed and built themselves. It seems like a natural place for stashing weight in terms of balance and keeping the center of mass low. There certainly seems to be plenty of space and clearance there. Too bad Cruzbike isn't making something of that sort an available option.

I'm now investigating the possibility of hiring someone to weld a Topeak Super Tourist DX Tubular Rack (the one for non-disc bikes) right onto the top of the Quest Heavy Duty Rack. The downside would be about $100 US since welding aluminum isn't trivial for the average handyman. The upside is I'd get the full 50lb carrying capacity with the ability to use all my MTX/Quicktrack bags 'n baskets and the rack and cargo keep the benefit of the suspension since it won't be bolted to the part of the frame connected to the rear wheel as is kling's solution above.

Has anyone tried something like this?

 

[Jerrye]

Unless I am missing

Unless I am missing something, kling's support strap as depicted above, does not disable or in any way interfere with the rear suspension. Everything is connected to the swingarm, as it should be. Actually, it appears to be a great solution!

 

[JohnMHammer]

Rack on seat/seat support vs swingarm

Jerrye- I'm sure that attaching the rack directly to the swingarm works fine. And certainly it doesn't interfere with the function of the rear suspension.

However, the rack itself and the cargo don't get the benefit of the suspension if the rack is attached to the swingarm; and they do if the rack is attached to the seat back or the seat support post. That was the only thing I was trying to say in my previous post; it wasn't some criticism of kling's rack attachment.

 

[Jerrye]

John, I didn't think it was

John, I didn't think it was criticism. When I first looked at the pic it didn't make sense because it appeared as though the bracket attached to the frame, across the suspension. Just didn't want anyone else to make the same error in judgment. That's all. And I see what you are saying as well.

Thanks John!

 

[DaveOBrien]

panniers and underseat bags

Just spent a few weeks touring with my new Quest 2.0. I'm planning on writing a full review, but some quick comments on racks, panniers, and bags:

The default Quest rack is OK for rack-top bags (I assume), but I needed to mount panniers, so I replaced it with a seatpost rack.

Axiom makes a solid one that holds a lot of weight, but it probably wouldn't have fit into the suitcase for travelling.

I ended up buying the Topeak MTX rack with optional sideframe, like fatall showed earlier in this thread. It seems very well made, with good attention to detail. Holds 20 lbs, which is enough for my minimalist style of touring. And it disassembles to fit into the travel suitcase just fine. The only drawback is that the panniers sit well back on the bike, behind the rear axle. I didn't notice any handling problems, but I'd rather have the weight between the wheels if possible.

Ideally, I'd like to have large bags that mounted under/behind the seat, like the Radical Design bike bags. But they're very expensive, so I'm going to play around with various duffle bags and see if I can use velcro straps or something similar to sling them behind the seat somehow.

For small stuff or heavy stuff (e.g. tools, food, wallet, etc.), I bought 2 large waist packs from a camping store ($10 each), and strapped them under the seat, one on each side. This worked out really well - cheap and effective. I leave them on the bike permanently (i.e. even when I'm not touring) as my utility bags. Bonus is that, off the bike, I can wear them on my waist if the need arises.

Will upload some pics when I write my review. Cheers!

 

[Charles.Plager]

Hi Dave,
David Byrne and his

Hi Dave,

David Byrne and his wife Julie modified his Sofrider and her Quest to mount bags below the seat.

On a Sofrider, it's not too hard to mount a regular rack on the back that can hold 50lbs. It looks harder to do so on the Quest.

(Oh, and we want to see pictures of your setup, too )

Cheers,
Charles