Q-45 for Great Divide route?

[PWG]

I've been riding recumbents for 12 years and enjoy long-distance touring. Cycled cross country San Diego to Florida, a 1000 mile loop in France, many other approx. 500mile tours. Just now retired I'm planning to ride the Great Divide Mountain Bike route beginning August of 2020.This is a 2700 mile trip mostly on gravel roads with lots of climbing - some 170,000 feet of climb overall. Adventure Cycling says, "Road quality is quite good, although you'll find that surfaces range from smooth pavement to rutted dirt, where you'll be thankful that you're riding a mountain bike and not a road bike. As a rule, if you're not riding uphill, then you're headed downhill."

I was nervous about riding one of my un-suspended relatively thin-tired long wheel base recumbents. Why? 1:Comfort - there are many sections of rutted bumpy roads, and 2: Hill Climbing - I've ridden some long passes but neither my Rans or my Linear are great on hills. I was so concerned about this that, even though I was considering the Q-45, I bought a new upright with some nice low-pressure big tires for cushioning.

But after a month or so of riding it, I still don't like it! I'm a recumbent rider through and through. The position is just not that comfortable, the view of surroundings is limited, and I can imagine days of butt agony (plus arm and neck issues) getting used to the upright position.

Do any of you have experience with the Q-45 on rough roads, on big climbs, and with day-after-day touring of about 60 miles/day (or best of all have any of you ridden the Great Divide route on a Q-45)?

I'm now thinking I'll sell the new Surly and buy this bike...any feedback?

 

[benphyr]

I love my QX100 (precursor to Q45) but I would want to spend some time on similar roads - composition, grade, distance - with the Q45 before making that kind of decision.

You would likely find that the Q drivetrain is a little more efficient and may even find, as many have, that it is great fun to ride but the front wheel drive does have the disadvantage when it comes to uphill traction.

 

[Mathew Fy]

a 1000 mile loop in France

I'm super jealous.

 

[woodguy]

I rode my Q-45 cross country from San Diego to St Augustine last year -average 65 miles per day with no real comfort problems. I did upgrade to the Thor seat which is even more comfortable than the stock seat. The roads were all paved, but if you have experienced Texas chip seal, you know that doesn’t mean they are smooth.

There were also plenty of hills, but not gravel so I can’t speak to possible traction problems @benphyr talked about. I can’t say I never walked a hill, but that was maybe caused by a too heavy under powered engine. It definitely climbs better than other recumbents I’ve owned. I did love the visibility and suspension of the Q-45. If you’re interested, you can find my blog about the trip at “Jim’s cruise across America.blogspot.com”.

I look forward to hearing what you decide.

 

[Tuloose]

That sounds like a great adventure and would be a first for the Q-45.
The Q-45 would suffer on loose gravel uphill but it would have to be fairly steep before slippage occurs and you might be ready to bail and walk at that point anyway.
One rider completed the GDT on an Azub Six last year:
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1mr&doc_id=21550
You can also search for "great divide trail" on bentrideronline.com to find more info on bents off road.

My wife & I did a portion of the GDT in 1996, 2 years before it was officially open, on our Santana MTB tandem.
We had the Adventure Cycling maps and we pulled a single wheel trailer called the Pac Dog.
We met not one other biker on the trail portion we did from Jackson, WY up to Big Spring, ID and then back down to Pinedale, WY where we spent a couple recovery days in a motel before heading back to Jackson on pavement.
Nowadays the trail is thick with bicyclists.

 

[PWG]

Thanks for all your comments so far! The blog suggested by "Tuloose" about a Great Divide rider on a recumbent was very helpful. He had a cycling companion done in by a car on the second to last day of the trip... awful.
I'll keep you posted about my decision. Thanks again!

 

[jond]

I guess if the track was unsuitable to the q45 then an Azub max would likely work being the most mtn bike recumbent I know of.

But hey if an Azub six made it then the efficient fwd mbb platformed Q45 would love the trip more.

reading the cgob blog despite Azub six suspension front and rear he pushed bike more than his df friend who tragically died on second last day. Pg 68 and 69 of blog.

 

[3bs]

i ride my t50 on complete crap, uphill downhill and flat. but rides are always less than 30 miles. i properly set up q45 would do all of what i do.
i would do it.

 

[benphyr]

I found this youtube documentary type thing called "I just want to ride" about one of the ultra riders and their racing the Great Divide. Nice watch:

 

[PWG]

Thanks. Yes, a good film about a really admirable rider. She's really something - always so cheerful!

 

[Cruzn4bruzn]

Just FYI: I’m new to recumbents but I hope to do all or part of the GDMBR this year using a Q45 nobo. Appreciate the suggestions on the forum so far. I’ll try to post how it goes as well.

 

[PWG]

Hi Cruzn4bruzn. When do you plan to leave if you are going northbound? I will be picking up a cruzbike 45 in a few weeks and taking advantage of their wonderful 100 day trial. If all goes well I'll be riding southbound in August.

 

[benphyr]

... a Q45 nobo....

Google says "nobo" is texting for "Northbounder". Is that what you meant @Cruzn4bruzn ?

 

[Cruzn4bruzn]

A lot of whether one can go northbound or southbound depends on the amount of snow the mountains get. (The Divide)
we’re thinking we might could leave earlier in the year and go northbound. (Most who ride this route, including the race, go southbound)
If u ride southbound, then u have/should start later.
We hope to leave about 30 May or so. So we’ll start at Antelope Wells, NM.
Hope this doesn’t sound like I know what I’m talking about.

 

[PWG]

Sounds good. There is a lot of info available online and through Adventure Cycling Association

 

[PWG]

So - I did ride the Great Divide Mountain Bike route this past August and September. 50 days Eureka Montana to El Paso Texas. A spectacular, mind-bogglingly beautiful trip.

BUT.... I rode it on an upright. I'm pretty certain that the Q-45 would not have been an ideal ride - or let me put it this way: if you take a q-45 plan on taking the easier alternate routes provided by the Adventure Cycling Association and plan on walking a lot more than you would with an upright. Unless as a q-45 rider you are able to pick your way up a loose cobble road at 12 percent grade going 2.5-3 mph?

On the other hand, mileage-wise, most of the route could be ridden on ANY kind of bike

You'd also definitely need to get the gearing down to at least 20 gear inches, not the 26 gear inches at the low end which comes stock.

I still think the q-45 is a great bike, I'm buying another one, but in my experience it's probably not the best choice for a Great Divide ride - unless you 1). ride the alternate routes 2). skip some sections here and there in Montana and New Mexico where there are fewer alternates 3). can be happy walking the bike more than the upright riders you might meet 4). are therefore prepared to have some shorter mileage days.

 

[3bs]

agree you cannot ride them everywhere.
this summer i had wheelslip on pavement when it became too steep. i had the gears, i didn't have the grip.
off road there are all kinds of extra issues that make fwdmbb bent not the best choice.
but, shot of bmx and extreme mountain biking, cb will tackle 95% of it. and for the advantages i get from the design for that 95%, i will take it.

 

[mattwall]

I rode a Q45 on the Tour of Aotearoa, which is a 3000 km ride the length of New Zealand. My bike weighed 30 kg loaded. Traction is a problem on loose steep hills.
I found that I could ride on steep loose hills down to walking pace, then I pushed the bike. I actually prefer to push the bike rather than ride at very low speeds with a load.
I replaced the standard crankset with a 36/26.
The comfort of riding the Q45 was well worth the occasional push.