Questions about the Quest

[thebean]

Good Morning!

I am looking to buy a Quest but am quite unfamiliar with some aspects of it. I currently own a 20" wheeled ICE B1 that I want to replace with the Quest.

1. Gearing: I typically run a triple with 53-39-30 gearing. A lot of hills here in Arizona and I like to pedal when I am going downhill. Can someone fill me in on internal 3X9 gearing and the ecliptical chainring?

2. Handlebars: I really love the handlebars on my Silvio. What other handlebars are folks running?

3. Sizing: Does the Quest fit small x seams around 38"?

4. Seat angle: Is it the same as the Silvio?

Thanks for your help!

Lisa

 

[Charles.Plager]

Hi Lisa,
I don't own one

Hi Lisa,

I don't own one but...

1. The dual drive has is basically 0.7, 1, or 1.3 * whatever else is going on (42T front and 11-28 back). The 559 (26") wheels are geared fairly high. I think the 451 (22" or 20" depending) is geared much more reasonably for hills. I've never used an eliptical (I'd like to); I've heard that that people feel that you can run a slightly higher gear in the elliptical compared to round rings.

2. I haven't seen too many pictures of people running different handlebars on Quests, but I don't see any reason why not to (although the you may have to pay a little attention to the dual drive shifters).

3. Probably (???).

4. The Quest has the biggest range of seat angles possible. So, yes, it has that of the Silvio. And can go quite a bit lower, too.

How long before a Vendetta?

Cheers,
Charles

 

[Eric Winn]

Quest Info

Lisa,

I have 768+ miles on the Quest v2 at the moment

1. From this post: http://cruzbike.com/climbing#comment-16951 I have not had any particular trouble climbing hills ranging from 8% to 12% plus (relatively short ones though). The low combo feels good on hills to me. I typically don't use the low gear in the hub for hills unless I'm tired...

"The gear-inch range is 22.2 to 105.7 for the 20" and 26.3 to 124.7 for the 26".

2. I agree with Charles' comment above.

3. Definitely. And quite a bit shorter.

4. As Charles said. Silvio is fixed at 45 degrees or so. Quest is very adjustable but the further back you go the more the handlebars and stem riser stick up into your field of view and teh more you will likely need a head rest. My seatback is currently set at about 40 degress maybe a tad more reclined.

-Eric

 

[Eric Winn]

Quest 40 degree seat recline views

 

[Charles.Plager]

Hey Eric,
Nice picture! 

Hey Eric,

Nice picture! You're inclined so low, your goatee fell off!

Can you post a side picture? I'm willing to bet you're lower than 40 degrees...

 

[Eric Winn]

Quest 40 degree seat recline side and rear views

 

[Eric Winn]

I'll measure the seat angle

I'll measure the seat angle when I'm back near the bike and confirm the current recline angle.

The mustache and goatee were sacrificed to be more aero (and just because I felt like a change)

Jim Parker was also more aero in this fashion when I met him at Sebring back in February...

-Eric

 

[thebean]

Eric,
Thanks for posting

Eric,

Thanks for posting pictures. How do you like the internal 3X9? I find two things interesting. First, this bike would look great with 700c wheels! Secondly, I know there is always wisdom in John's decisions, but why the internal hub instead of regular gearing?

I love the look of the 26" wheels! Really a great looking bike!

Eric, can you figure out the gear range of my Silvio so I have something to compare to?

Thanks!

Lisa

 

[Charles.Plager]

Lisa!  Now you're just

Lisa! Now you're just getting lazy. I'm assuming it's something like this (which is 25" or 28" to 127").

As far as the second question, I think he wanted to use the E-ring and it's easier with a single (although people do have doubles and triples with an E-ring). You also have the advantage of being able to shift the internal gear when stopped.

Note that you can't put 700c wheels on a Quest.

 

[thebean]

Sorry, not lazy, just

Sorry, not lazy, just horrible with numbers!

 

[Charles.Plager]

Sorry, not lazy, just

Sorry, not lazy, just horrible with numbers!

Well, practice. Anyway, that link I setup for you should tell you everything you need to know. If you want to update it, scroll down to the bottom of the page after making changes and click Bookmark Gear Set and then bookmark the page (or save it or whatever).

 

[thebean]

Great chart Charles...once I

Great chart Charles...once I figure out how to use it...I know for most it's simple, but for me very challenging. No need to explain, I don't want to frustrate you further! thank you again!

 

[Eric Winn]

Your Silvio is probably a 10

Your Silvio is probably a 10 speed so you need the teeth count for all 10 rings in your cassette. Looks like Charles only put in 9.

Then confirm the tooth count for your triple chain ring (or change this to a double if you have that).

Next set your wheel value. I'm guessing you are not a 28mm tubular but something like a 700 x 28, e.g. 700C wheels and whatever width tires you are running, 28mm in my example. Unless you really are running tubulars.

Next set the length of your pedal crank arm. I know you were running 155mm crank arms on your other bikes. Does your Silvio have 170mm or shorter or perhaps 175mm cranks? Whatever it is, select the correct size in the Crank drop down.

That is it for entering your bike dimension information. The other things just let you experiment with what happens at different cadences and speeds.

Then follow Charles' bookmark/save instructions.

-Eric

 

[Eric Winn]

Ask John and Doug about the

Ask John and Doug about the reasons to go SRAM Dual Drive. Maybe related to the folding/compacting aspect, maybe cost, something else or a combination of several things.

I enjoy the way it works but rather than a combo of cassette and IGH, I think I would prefer something like the Nuvinci 360 CVT and possibly a front double with FD, or a ShimanoAlfine 11 speed IGH or Rohloff 14 spd. Pricing gets pretty steep with some of these choices so the SRAM dual drive choice may have been influenced by cost.

You also run into wheel sizes and spoke configurations, etc

-Eric

 

[thebean]

Eric, 
thank you so much.  I

Eric,

thank you so much. I think part of the problem I was having entering the values is the fact that I am on an iPad. Mi will get on my PC shortly. It was not grabbing my entries.

I put some more thought into the internal drive on the Quest, and it does make a lot of sense. I was at one point going to install an IGH on my ICE B1 to simplify the shifting. For the target audience, this makes sense for the Quest. I think for smaller wheelsit makes even more sense.

 

[Eric Winn]

Yeah with an iPad on Mike

Yeah with an iPad on Mike Sherman's Gear Calculator it can be a bit easier to use the plus (+) and minus (-) buttons to increment values or the (X) button to clear a field and start over.

I have a Logitech Ultrathin keyboard cover for my iPad which works quite well. There are still some quirks with some websites but otherwise a lot easier to do data entry.

See http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/ultrathin-keyboard-cover

 

[billyk]

spend some time reading here ...

Hi Bean - My advice is to spend some time going through the Quest posts in this forum. You'll find out a lot. It's been discussed up and down. Then keep asking questions as you learn more. Billy K

 

[Eric Winn]

My Quest recline is approx 37 degrees

OK, resting a triangle with marked degrees on top of a spirit level and eye-balling the seat angle, my Quest seat back is currently reclined to 37 degrees +/- maybe a degree or so.

This recline is on the verge of needing a headrest for me. This position is also the same one I used for the Sebring Century - I use position marks to make sure I kept things positioned the same when I collapsed it for traveling and then restored it for riding.

I was perfectly comfortable head and neck wise for all 100+ miles although I did notice the tension - I have an extra large head....

I did not have any neck, back, head, arms, wrist, thigh, or calf related soreness or discomfort during or after the century, YMMV.

I experienced some intermittent leg cramping and had some slight soreness in my hips and my right knee and right ankle. The cramping and hips I attribute to lack of adequate distance training - I jumped from about a 48 mile single ride max to a 100+ mile single ride max. My right knee and right ankle soreness are most likely specific to a repaired gymnastics knee injury from back in 1979 and the 34 some odd years since of wear and tear on it as well as needing some minor cleat positioning adjustments.

-Eric

 

[thebean]

Eric,
Your knees look very

Eric,

Your knees look very close to the handlebars. Do you have adequate clearance and what have you done to improve the clearance?

i can see myself running a 52 or greater elliptical ring. It's such a cool bike!

 

[Eric Winn]

Yes, I clear but barely. The

Yes, I clear but barely. The right side is a bit tighter due to the SRAM dual drive IGH shifter housing. An adjustable stem would probably provide a bit more clearance but I'm comfortable with it the way it is.

-Eric