S40 for Loaded Touring on Smooth Surfaces

[Bush Pilot]

Would you choose the S40 or Q45 for loaded touring on the Eurovelo Danube Route? I have a HP Velotechnik Streetmachine and that bike weighs 41 pounds with racks in my home scale. That’s heavy.

 

[3bs]

s40.
i love the suspension for crappy surfaces, but an s40 is a little more comfortable on longer rides and faster. make sure you run decent sized tires, maybe in the 40 range, and gear it right.

 

[Black Hawk Down]

Depends on your body weight. If you are a heavy rider like me (~220 lbs), you will suffer with daily recumbutt on the S40. I tried lots of seat combinations. Nothing worked. No recumbutt on the V20. The Q45 has an adjustable seat back but I'm not sure how far you can adjust it.