QX100 advice on tires/wheels?

[joy]

So I like the new bike on the local gravel rail trail, but find it to be a bit slow up hill (gradual climb for a few miles). Is there a way to speed it up? (I know, improve the engine, but I'm faster on my Bacchetta on the same trail.) Would better wheels/tires help? I don't know what the original wheels weigh, but the bike is heavy. If the gain vs cost is ok, I could go for an upgrade. Would 1.5" 700's fit? Any comments/suggestions?

 

[DavidJL]

You will not be able to fit 1.5 700's on either front or rear.

 

[rfneep]

On my ver3 Quest 559, I routinely run with 650b (27.5 in) wheels and 42 mm wide tires. Using wide supple tire from Compass. The bike seems a lot smoother and faster than it's original configuration. I also changed the handlebars to drop bars. I assume the QX100 geometry is the same as the older Quest. Can't go any wider in the 650b tire size.