Q45 on gravel

[LotsaCruzn]

Hi folks,

Would anyone mind sharing their gravel experience riding the Q45?

I own a V20C, and am contemplating my N+1. I've got a DF gravel bike that I'd love to replace with a recumbent. When I'm on gravel, it's usually country roads that have a combination of fairly tightly packed stuff but with some looser gravel sprinkled in. There are gently rolling hills, with a 10% grade every so often. I'm hoping with the right tires, the Q45 would handle this reasonably well.

I accidentally rode my V20C on gravel once (had committed to a certain route, not realizing the last couple miles were gravel). It was not comfortable, and I kept nearly losing the front end, but I managed to not drop it. Still, I'm hopeful with the Q45's suspension and the right tires, it would be a comfortable gravel bike.

 

[Al E Kaatz]

I’ve ridden on packed gravel and the bike handled it pretty well. But riding on loose sand mixed with stone caused me to wipe out.

 

[LotsaCruzn]

I’ve ridden on packed gravel and the bike handled it pretty well. But riding on loose sand mixed with stone caused me to wipe out.

May I ask what tires you were using?

 

[Bo6]

I have ridden gravel and packed trails on the Q45 with the stock tire with poor results so I went to a Panaracer small knob with 48mm width. I have been reasonably happy with them, though their cousins the Panaracer slicks I tried were incredible flat prone. I would be tempted to look at something like Rene Herse below with the endurance casing if there is a bit of sharp gravel. Have not tried them but they get good reviews. Wider would be better on loose gravel but a bit slower on the pavement.

Unfortunately, I am still recovering from a badly broken ankle and will not in any riding this summer

Let us know if you do try any good gravel tires.

650B x 48 Juniper Ridge TC Tire

www.renehersecycles.com

 

[LotsaCruzn]

I have ridden gravel and packed trails on the Q45 with the stock tire with poor results so I went to a Panaracer small knob with 48mm width. I have been reasonably happy with them, though their cousins the Panaracer slicks I tried were incredible flat prone. I would be tempted to look at something like Rene Herse below with the endurance casing if there is a bit of sharp gravel. Have not tried them but they get good reviews. Wider would be better on loose gravel but a bit slower on the pavement.

Unfortunately, I am still recovering from a badly broken ankle and will not in any riding this summer

Let us know if you do try any good gravel tires.

650B x 48 Juniper Ridge TC Tire

www.renehersecycles.com

Hey Bob, thanks for the insight. I'm also recovering from a badly broken ankle. All this time on the couch, thinking of N+1, will not be good for my wallet!

 

[danhunt56]

I have a motorized Quest 2.0. I recently rode a gravel road that turned into a graveled single track. The gravel on the single track was squareish so they locked together nicely. The bike handled it really well. The problem I had was I had to sit up and have no contact with the seat back, the rough surface bounced my head around so much it was like my eyeballs were bouncing around. For more suspension on the seat part of my seat I upholstered it with a silicon honeycomb cushion material and have the ventisit on top of that. Rough surfaces like this like cobblestone roads are so rough that they are really uncomfortable. I believe the Q45 with it’s longer shock might have partially solved this. My tires are schwalbe marathon tour 26x2.00. They have a low multisurface traction tread. The air pressure was around 4 bar. 2 bar might have helped with bouncing eyeballs.

 

[LotsaCruzn]

After much deliberation, I purchased a used Q45 this past January. I plan on using for randonneuring rides that incorporate any unpaved segments.


I've ridden a few hundred miles of gravel. Takeaways so far:
- The stock tires *can* handle gravel roads, like the picture below (front 44 psi, rear 48 psi). However, they feel squirrely at higher speed, and break traction sooner than I'd like. Fine for gravel rail trails, but not sufficient for rural gravel roads with frequent hills.

- I upgraded to 48mm Panaracer Gravel King SK's (front 42 psi, rear 46 psi). These feel much better on gravel roads. I'm able to climb 12% or higher gradient hills so long as the gravel isn't too loose. I recently did an 83 mile ride with 70% gravel and ~4k feet of climbing with this setup. Comfort was great as well with the tires and suspension doing their part. The bike might be able to accommodate 50mm tires, with the space between the chainstays being the limiting factor.
- The gravel below is too loose, save for the narrow section on the right. I encountered this on a recent 83 mile ride, and had to walk the bike for a bit. It might be hard to tell from the image, but the surface was very hard packed with loose gravel recently laid on top. I spoke to a DF rider who had trouble on this segment as well.

- I've encountered a handful of hills where I needed to dismount and walk up the steepest part. This has always been down to loose gravel. I'm not sure if I would have needed to dismount on a DF bike or not, as I'm tackling longer and more difficult gravel rides on the Q45 than I did on my DF bike.
- The bike is heavy (48 lbs with gear and water). However, the gearing is sufficient, and I find it easier to climb on this bike than my v20C.
- Gravel rail trails are a dream. I feel like I can ride all day. The comfort aspect really shines.
- My seat angle is about 45 degrees. Much more reclined and I'd want a headrest. I tend to get recumbutt with a less reclined position.

After several months and a few hundred miles of gravel, I'm really happy with this bike. It might be slightly limited on climbs with loose gravel, but in practice that's a tiny fraction of any given ride in my area. The stock tires are fine for gravel rail trails, but I consider bigger tires with a more grippy tread essential for rural gravel roads.

 

[IyhelM]

Have you tried lowering the pressure below 40 psi? This being a good or bad idea will depend on your weight but it sounds like 45 psi on 48 mm tires is quite high, basically that’s how I inflate my Terra Speeds in 35 mm on the Silvio when I’m feeling adventurous - bike+rider fully equipped reach about 105 kg I guess.

 

[Robert Holler]

Nice pictures! I can say from experience that the FWD - and proper tires - are great for this type of riding. A RWD recumbent will usually wash out and have you laying on your side much sooner and definitely once you break traction. I know because I have tried it too many times to count. The Q and now especially the A4x are the kings of recumbents for anything gravel IMHO.