Parkers continue touring: Europe on Q45s

Jim Parker

Jim Parker

Cruzbike, Inc. Director
Staff member
Many of you know that Maria and I recently finished an 11-day 1800 mile loop of the southeastern US, driving an RV with two T50s on the back to explore the local environs. For details, see Maria's recent blogs. It was one of the best vacations I've ever taken. But we got a few emails from members of the Cruzbike Tribe who live near the route (below) and would have loved to ride with us; but they didn't know our plans. We were sad to miss that opportunity, so I'm going to post here where we are going next, with an invitation for you to come out and say howdy and ride some miles with us.
upload_2019-4-20_10-50-4.png

We have two more trips planned for this spring/summer. I'm able to take so much time off my job as a radiologist because after working hard for 25 years in North Carolina, we are moving to the Boston area and I won't be starting a new job there until July.

The next trip is the complete Blue Ridge Parkway, 469 hilly miles ridden south-to-north from 18 to 25 May. The detailed itinerary can be found here. This is a fund-raiser for brain cancer research. We will be riding V20s and S40s. This is a map of the BRP:
upload_2019-4-20_11-11-5.png

After that, we are flying with two Q45s to Europe. I'm very excited about this trip. We arrive in Amsterdam on 10 June, then drive to Bavaria (southern Germany) exploring the area around Rothenburg ob der Tauber on our bikes until June 15th, the day we drive to Rotterdam and board a barge that will float us through the Lower Rhine with plenty of time to explore the area on bicycles. We disembark in Colonge on the 22nd, and then fly to Kiev, Ukraine, where we will visit our daughter, son-in-law, and two grand-children. We will also explore this beautiful old city on our Q45s. We fly home on the 28th.
upload_2019-4-20_11-47-37.png

After that, we'll be settling down in New England, planning the next trip, wherever that may be. We hope to see you along the way.

Jim
 
Opik

Opik

Well-Known Member
Would you try the Q45 with 20/20 inch wheels? Just to see how it goes and feels
 
Mathew Fy

Mathew Fy

GRU
Opik said:
Would you try the Q45 with 20/20 inch wheels? Just to see how it goes and feels
Click to expand...
Good question. Jim briefly discussed it earlier with their Vancouver trip. I’m also interested in just how much difference would there be.
1. Packing & travel ease, cost, and convenience.
2. Comfort and handling.
3. Efficiency (watts required to maintain 15 mph.)

I had been contemplating such issues when saving for an S&S coupled Lynskey as an alternative to my Bike Friday when Cruzbike came into my radar. Whew! That was close.
 
3bs

3bs

whereabouts unknown
as a guy who had kept then nose to the grindstone now for several decades, i think you choice to take this respite is a great thing. it will really accentuate the chapter two nature of moving to new england, and hopefully akloow you to add in permanent flexibility ot your work from now till the finish line. of course for me, with little kids that are my kids not grandkids, my chapter two schedule is a little off. so i will just enjoy your trip vicariously thru the blog

as far as 406's after just changing out the front tire on the t 50 to a 406, 406's on the q i think is probably great for handling and toss ability, and may also give some advantage in climbing, as your torque spec would be improved. the gear inches suffer, so i think i would run two rings in front, and have a speed ring and a standard ring.

for packing and travel, advantage would depend on the box, but certainly could reduce linear inches.
 
E

ElyDave

Guru
Hey @Jim Parker , how about a trip to Old England to match your move to new England?

We have plenty of warm dark beer here, mostly drunk by hairy men - look up Morris Dancing. If you swing past East Anglia it's about as flat as North Carolina
 
3bs

3bs

whereabouts unknown
Maybe cruzbike should start tours....
Who says trek travel should have all the fun.

Alas I don't drink beer, so we will need to find stops for hard cider and hard liquor.
 
3bs

3bs

whereabouts unknown
Aye to that. I studied in London in the mid 1980's. That's where I developed my taste for hard cider. Back then I was riding my own version of a mountain bike and the couriers were all wanting a turn on a crusier class bmx bike with knobbies and derailleurs. Wasn't long after that they really started to take off in Wales.
 
DavidCH

DavidCH

In thought; expanding the paradigm of traversity
There was a cider down near sandringham that was called "hand grenade"... apparently drinking a pint of that stuff ... you will be stooped over on the sidewalk.

So trying strong cider... go for half measures

:D
 
E

ElyDave

Guru
a pub near my sister, in Ringwood had a cider named Suicydal, and a Perry named Perrylitic

I tried the Perry, not to be messed with, another one by the half pints
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
visit our website visit our website
Top