Too big or too small for Cruzbike? Check the Chart. Take the Poll.

[Jim Parker]

I recently wrote a blog about which potential Cruzbike owners should definitely find a test ride, and who may go straight to owning a Cruzbike without much worry that the bike won't be a good fit.

I created these charts based on my experience with customers and the bikes. I'd like to know how folks on the forum fit on the chart. Are there many people in the yellow or red zone?
To complete the poll, indicate which color zone you fall into, and then whether or not you currently ride a Cruzbike. If you have thoughts about fitting on a Cruzbike, please share below in the this thread. Thanks for your feedback.

Jim

CB Fit Guide Imperial

• Jim Parker
• Mar 5, 2020

Height and weight limits (imperial)

CB Fit Guide Metric

• Jim Parker
• Mar 5, 2020

Height and weight limitations (metric)

 

[castlerobber]

I'm 5'5" with a 40.5" x-seam, well within the green area. My son is almost 5'10", with an x-seam close enough to mine that he fits comfortably on both my Cruzbikes with little or no adjustment.

My 4'10" niece was able to ride my Quest easily when it still had the 451 wheels, once I shortened the front triangle as far as it would go. Her 5'4" father could ride it without a lot of trouble also, in spite of his weight being well into the red zone. I don't think either of them would fit well on the Q45 or T50, however, much less the S40 or V20. I'm not sure I could handle the Q45 without going to 24" wheels, because of the seat height.

ETA: I bought the Q without a test ride, or even seeing one in person. Cruzbike was having a 15% off sale on the Q in May 2014, and there was a 30-day return option (less a restocking fee, I believe).

 

[jond]

seems to me the cruzbike green zone is larger than many others through great design.

tough to improve that kind of accessibility in an affordable manner.

perhaps a greater range of available chainstay sizes.

I’ve not seen greater care and advice for fitment and riding from any other company.

 

[Brad R]

I am in the read zone at 5’10” and 250.

I bought my T50 through the Kickstarter. The only two problems that I had were that I had to get an additional boom clamp because it slid apart while pedaling and I could not get comfortable for a ride over 20 or 30 minutes on the stock seat. I think the width of my seat might have been too wide for the seat ( or maybe it was the seat pad ). I solved it via the Thor seat route. And I have the seat reclined much lower than the stock seat would allow.

I am now comfortable enough that I was able to complete the century at Sebring with only my tired legs complaining.

Note: I built my T50 up from the frame set and used 32 spoke Atlas rims from Velocity to make sure that the wheels could handle the load.

I don’t know how I would fit on any of the other models.

 

[Scott]

I am also in the red zone at 5'11" and 232 lbs

Just bought a QX100. So far no problems although i still have less than 200 miles on it.

Looking forward to bike touring/camping on rails trail areas in PA.

 

[Mathew Fy]

I’m also one who bought a Cruzbike without trying. I just knew.

 

[woodguy]

I bought my Q45 the first day they were offered without a test ride. The original fit was okay, but it really got better when I put on the longer chain stay. I’m 6’ tall, 205 lb (almost out of the green zone)

 

[super slim]

I’m also one who bought a Cruzbike without trying. I just knew.

Me too, after buying a Scorpion FX trike with 3 20" wheels! TOO slow!!!
I read a LOT of Recumbent forums, where bikes improved a lot when the wheel diameter increased, so in 2008, I bought the Silvio V1.0 due to its 700C wheels and short std chain.
I had stretched 3 chain lengths on the 60 kg fully loaded Trike in a 1,600 km trip around Tasmania in Feb 2009!

At that stage I was 118 kg (260 lbs), 6'1" and 46.3" X seam, so all legs and Aero belly, and in the RED Zone!
I bought $1000 TWE strong hand built wheels 30 mm deep ALUMINIUM!!!!, which have stayed true since then!!!
After fitting a 100 mm chainstay extension in 2011, my thighs did not press into the seat base end, so happy after that!!!

 

[ChaleJake]

Me three. I am 5’7” with a 42 xseam. I bought a Sofrider without ever trying one. My fav is my Silvio 2.2. I did mod the Silvio with a narrower handlebar, shorter cranks, and curved slider. I own 4 Cruzbikes. I am in the green zone. My sister is much shorter (5’2” ish) and is borderline green/yellow. She can reach the ground but she has trouble with “flintstone” maneuver. The seat is a tad wide for her to be able to sit and propel the bike with her legs. I have made changes to my Q to make it easier for her to ride. She is visiting next week. She currently rides a P38. She bought a Bachetta but she was uncomfortable with the seat height to ground.

 

[3bs]

green zone. 6'1" 204.

fit is an interesting term, because the CB has quite a few variables. for example i ride my t50 much like my sting ray when growing up. cranks low seatback high. defiantly not aero.
the v20, cranks higher seatback stock till a wedge at the top. curved top tube. aero but not maxed.

point being that the CB by nature has 3 base varibles and 7 custom variables. stock: 1. seat position; 2. crank position, top tube extension length. custom: 1. stay length, 2. top tube shape, 3. steer tube height (not all models); 4. seat type, 5. handle bar type and 6. crank length. 7. wheel size (not all models)

a normal df has a lot fewer variables in terms of adjustability.

 

[velocio]

5'6.75", 168 lbs and in the green zone on Ken's chart. Is the green zone intended to imply that a buyer can expect the Cruzbike to fit "out of the box", without additional cost mods? Or does the green zone indicate that with sufficient effort and, perhaps, additional expense one can expect to get a workable fit?

I could ride my S40 with the stock setup, but I certainly wouldn't consider it optimal -- or even reasonable. Swapping in a short chainstay, and to a lesser extent changing the 700C wheels for 650B, improved the fit enormously. I find it very odd that the existence of different length chainstays is not mentioned anywhere on the Cruzbike retail website (that I could find) and I'm enormously grateful to have seen them mentioned here on the forum. I do wish the seat had some adjustment, since us untall folks have considerably less weight on the front/driven wheel and end up with a higher BB height, despite our shorter legs. I'm considering getting the extra, super, mondo thick Ventisit seat pad to move myself further forward in the seat, giving weight on the front wheel more like what I suspect the design intended and allowing the BB to be rotated downward a bit.

... My sister is much shorter (5’2” ish) and is borderline green/yellow. ... She currently rides a P38. She bought a Bachetta but she was uncomfortable with the seat height to ground.

I came to the S40 from a Bacchetta Giro A20, which has a 20" front wheel to get the seat lower. Bacchetta's stick bikes can be a tough fit for shorter folks, since adjusting the seat forward to adjust the distance to the pedals for shorter legs also raises the seat -- which is exactly the opposite interaction one would hope for.

... point being that the CB by nature has 3 base varibles and 7 custom variables. stock: 1. seat position; 2. crank position, top tube extension length. custom: 1. stay length, 2. top tube shape, 3. steer tube height (not all models); 4. seat type, 5. handle bar type and 6. crank length. 7. wheel size (not all models)

a normal df has a lot fewer variables in terms of adjustability.

3BS, can you explain further what is meant by a "base variable" vs a "custom variable"? Is the differentiator that the listed component is supplied stock with the bike vs not? Aren't all the "adjustments" listed also available on a DF, with even more options for the DF? This would include the fact that the typical DF is available in 3-8 frame sizes so frame size is also "adjustable" at time of purchase.

I think of fit as being defined by geometric variables; e.g. seat height, BB height above seat pan, seatback incline angle, BB distance from seat back/pan junction, etc ... Some adjustability can then be designed into the various components to achieve the ranges of fit desired for those geometric variables. For myself, some fore/aft adjustment of the seatpan and minor seatback incline variability would be enormously helpful.

-Jack
Raleigh, NC

 

[3bs]

@velocio

yes. base meaning stock components.
i dont think it is comparable to a DF. in a DF you do have frame size differences in mostly top tub and seat tube, but the geometric relationship between seat post handlebar stem and bottom bracket are fixed. sure a seat can be moved forward or backward a couple inches, and the seat stem can go up and down, and you can move the handlebar step up and down a couple inches, but the basic angles are fixed.

this is similarly fixed on a tadpole trike, where many only adjust the cranktube length.

on a typical CB a rider can decide to a large measure crank height compared to seat pan, and distance between crank and handlebar. and to some extend distance from seat pan not comparatve height. some CB allow for seat angle and seat distance. on frame. some don't.

for you i can certainly see additional adjustments necessary. i think jim said the green is his range of expected easy fit with stock. your input is important then to show that not to be the general case.

i have experimented a lot with foam to see what and how a seat shapes to suit the rider both on cb and trikes. i have also played a lot with aluminum to form brackets to move seats around. i would suspect a bracket would be a more suitable change for you as sometime really thick pads sap you energy and make your seating unstable.

 

[benphyr]

@velocio
sometime really thick pads sap you energy and make your seating unstable.

@velocio
Agreed, those of us slimmer and shorter could use a seat pan that is either further forward or shorter or both. On my Q the front of the seat digs in to the back of my thighs. Not badly-I can ride for over an hour.

However, as @3bs indicated, stiffer foam preferably secured well would make good spacer without sapping too much energy. I used a piece of a foam garage or nursery 24” x 24” squares.

 

[paco1961]

6’1” 195 lbs. Had a chance for a pre purchase test ride but just went for a sit. Didn’t dare chance trashing someone else’s brand new V. But despite it feeling so odd on that initial sit, it was so comfy I knew it was just a matter of getting used to the different position. Fit on the new S40 I bought was simple.

 

[benphyr]

5’8” 138 lbs Green zone. Conversion Kit and QX100. Purchased used conversion kit with everything except a frame sight unseen. Got a small mountain bike frame from the local New Hope Community Bikes and used their assistance and tools to put everything together. Setup was relatively easy.

When I got the QX100 I realized some of the benefits of a purpose built WHOLE bike. Everything was easier to adjust though this might be partly due to the quick release and thumb screw nature of the Q designed for travel.

The things I appreciate more about the conversion kit all have to do with the previous owner: component choice older amazing xt and xtr wheels, hubs, shifters, brakes etc. Stem, and handlebars. He built an awesome bike and tweaked it over thousands of km and I benefitted greatly from that. Thank you @hamishbarker

 

[benphyr]

@Jim Parker
I really like the idea of getting the word out that a test ride may not always be necessary and the cases where it is recommended to have a test ride or fitting session with a dealer or experienced Cruzbiker.

I’m not sure that the blog article always quite gets the focus from a new customer’s perspective but maybe it is aimed at us for feedback more than a new customer and I misread that.

Thank you for putting all that fitment information in one article. It sure got the forum buzzing with thoughtful, interactive input from the Cruzbike Tribe (riders) and the company (you). Those are things that make Cruzbike stand out: the Tribe - a neighbourhood / family of supportive, encouraging, positive friends-before-you-ever-knew-them friends; the interaction and input between the company Cruzbike and the riders or Tribe which often results in improvements being made to the product; and a fantastically well designed, always improving, beautiful, efficient, comfortable, whole range of bike models.

 

[bladderhead]

Green. I got a conversion kit because it was the cheapest way to experiment. I thought that if I could ride that I could ride any type of CB. I managed to ride that thing but it was a fight. I thought that was because of a bad choice of donor frame, so I took a punt on the Silvio. How did I know? Had all sorts of problems with it. Why did I persist? That shows what a clever little person I am, because now it fits like a glove and rides like a dream.

Sorry I told the bike, loudly in the street, that I was looking at the price of scrap aluminium. And John Tolhurst and the Parkers are not a bunch of shysters after all.

 

[Andrew Wilson]

6'0" tall, 165-170 lbs right in the green zone and have no fit issues. Great job on the chart.

 

[PrinceLiam]

Between 6' and 6'1", 220 lbs. Just outside the green zone. Bought Q45 last year without a test ride. No problems with fit.

 

[TalleyHo]

I have a 46+ inch x-seam and have been loving a Silvio 2.0 with 100 mm cc extension (avatar shows bike with previous 150mm ext.) and have just recently been dealing with this whole CB fitting issue as in the past 3 weeks have accomplished 3 complete frame-builds. I stripped the S2.0 of all components and put them to my new CB 2020 V20!!! Wow it's been intense as I'm not really a bike mech but am persistent. I knew when ordering the V20 frame kit that to duplicate the fit of the S2.0 I'd need the long chain stay. And I also wanted to keep the bullhorn bars which, beside allowing the always at your finger-tips, bar-end shifters but also provide the ultimate in arm resting and arm steering, even, great ergonomics. But bullhorns don't have the drop of drop-bars and require a long chain stay to get the bar clamp of the slider low enough. As Velocio pointed out, there's nothing on the web site and even sketchy information when I questioned customer service about the subject. Anyway, I took their advice, and did not order the long Chainstay assembly but did order a curved slider. Because with such a low BB the bar clamp on the slider gets up there. So I did the build and in the end got something I never planned for buy divine providence has intervened and I think I have a bike that is really well dialed in for this odd body. The big thing was giving up bullhorn for drops and I now realize the superiority of this for me. There are more hand positions and the lowered hand position is powerful. Plus I'm OK with brifters but it does come with the bar-end shift sacrifice. I have also done a seat mod, using the M5 seat I've had now for 5 years and has been now on it's 3rd bike. I said at the begging that bikes may come and go but that seat is a keeper. I've risen the seat up to right at 23 1/2 degrees which is pushing it for me as I loose control of balance as I go back. The S2.0 has been modified to about 31 degrees the past few years. But, and this is interesting, the lower BB I'm currently at mitigates my balance issue and I believe I'm going to be good at this level of recline and still also be able to produce good power.

So the S2.0 has now got drop bars too with it's 21 inch chain stay length (standard plus 100 mm ext.) and is proving to be no slouch. One of these stallions has to go and I intend to offer the S2.0 for sale. So look for that and contact me if interested. No photos of that yet.