Trying to decide on a quest or sofrider..... maybe the new model?

[Wannabe]

I was not sure where to post this.

As you may know, I am loving my Silvio. Best bike I have ever ridden. I now want to buy another bike. The riding I would like to put it to task for are as follows:

1. Get my wife on a bike.
2. When she is not riding, i want to ride it around my neighbor hood. Gravel roads and miles of open fields.
3. Bring it with me when I take the silvio out for the weekend club rides so other can try a CB.

What are the pros and cons Quest vs SofRider? Thanks in advance!

Cheers,
Dave

 

[castlerobber]

Like my Q451

I've been riding a Quest 451 since last May. I'm only 5'5", so I wanted to make sure I had a lower bottom bracket and seat height, where I could get both feet on the ground easily if I started to wobble. I really like the Q now that I'm more proficient handling it. I can ride it on packed limestone or across my bumpy yard without too much trouble, though loose gravel is still iffy. It seems to be a good choice for learning the whole FWD/MBB thing.

I tried out a Sofrider (700c) a few weeks ago. I could handle it OK, but I preferred the Q.

Either one may feel heavy in the front end to you, since you're used to a Silvio.

 

[Vargas]

I have a Quest now and had a Sofrider (actually a V2-K) before

Both are great bikes and the handling is not so different. I like the Quest frame design more than the Sofrider - just a matter of taste, no explicit reason - and I do also prefer disk brakes.
You will be good with any of the two.
Show both models to your wife, just the picture no technical details, and let her choose one.
And don't forget the Quest is orange and the Sofrider blue. Matching the bike to your wife's bicycle riding wardrobe might be the most important criteria

 

[ratz]

Given the goals of 1-3 I

Given the goals of 1-3 I would suggest a Q. Whether you need a 20" or 26" depends on your height and the tires you would swap in for those Gravel roads. The absolute best way to approach this would be to email or call robert and discuss you goals with him; He'd be able to tweak a Q for the goals.

 

[super slim]

I think the Quest 559 is a

I think the Quest 559 is a better option? with? its disc brakes, 27 gears, lower seat, than the Softrider with 16 gears, rim brakes.

Quest V 1.0 could only take a 26" * 1.3" tyre, but V2.0 can take 26" * 1.6" and V3.0 26"* 1.75" ??

The Softrider is no longer on the bikes details, so it is not an option!

 

[Wannabe]

I see that the Sofrider is

I see that the Sofrider is not on the model line up list. So yes you might be right. It might not be an option. I wonder if this is the model that will become "THE HOLY GRAIL" ?

 

[Wannabe]

Does the quest loose much

Does the quest loose much power from pogo ( when going up hills) or was that the sofrider?

 

[castlerobber]

No Sofrider?

I hadn't even noticed the Sofrider was gone. I suspect, given the versatility of the Q559, that there was a good bit of overlap between it and the Sofrider. The DualDrive and disc brakes on the Quest were a selling point for me as well. It's great to be able to pop that DualDrive down a notch when I have to stop unexpectedly and don't get the cassette shifted down.

ETA: Oh yeah, and the elliptical chainring is nice, too. I have Rotor Q-rings on my road bike and my tadpole trike, so it was nice not to have to fit one to the Q.

 

[Suz]

Hmmmm

Hmmmm,
Maybe I got the last one.

 

[Itripper]

Wife on bike


Will your wife be able to ride a MBB bike? I know mine is barely able to ride a normal DF bike, my guess is you have to be a bike enthusiast to put up with learning a new style of bike like a MBB, If your goal is just to get here to go riding starting with something more conventional may be wiser and cheaper. Once you get her to enjoy riding, that would be time for the up sale to a Quest.

I am currently struggling to get my wife to bike, slow small victories for me, but she is far from accepting anything out of the norm yet.

 

[Kim Tolhurst]

Can be like this.

I have seen a number of women take easily to the Quest. From enthusiastic bike rider to the hardly ever. In fact the woman that came to be the inspiration for the First Ride pointers, just 'wanted to do it'. After setting out those first ride hints I came to realize people learn differently though the directions stay the same. (for men and woman.) Some might say woman follow directions better than men !

Different, yes. Normal yes. Riding this bike becomes normal.

Sure its exciting, maybe this makes it harder to relax at the start.

best,

Kim.

 

[Vargas]

On pogoing

Funny, yesterday the Sofrider was listed; I saw it! No longer today...

About your question on pogoing. No it doesn't. You can adjust the shock absorber and eliminate pogoing.
About shock absorber, there was a thread "Quest on air" http://cruzbike.com/quest-air, about using air shock instead of the spring one.
It does make a HUGE difference. I had the air Kind Shock A5-RE lying around but didn't mind changing it. I thought there couldn't be such a big difference when the spring was correctly adjusted (compressed).
Well, I had to pack it for a trip and when I returned home and was reassembling it I replaced the spring one with the air one.
It is another bike in all senses! Do that for your wife's Quest! I wish I had done that sooner.

Back to your question on ?loosing power when going up hills, there was another thread on the Quest loosing power in general due to stem flexing. I am probably not so strong to notice it, and also think it is irrelevant to me.

 

[ratz]

Regarding our better halves.

Regarding our better halves. Mrs Ratz loves to exercise and be active. She tolerate the DF because that's what she did as a kid. She never embraced it; maybe 3 - 4 rides a year. These days with Silvios and Quests in the house I have to negotiate with her as to who gets to ride when. Disclaimer: for the first 14 days of learning the Silvio she was not please with me at all.

 

[Robert Holler]

All,
Yes - the Sofrider is no

All,

Yes - the Sofrider is no longer in stock, and it will not likely return to the lineup. There are a few available but they are not technically "new" bikes anymore and thus cannot be sent in the original packaging.

I will be at the Seattle Bike Expo at the end of February and plan on taking the last remaining demo Sofriders there to hopefully sell.

Robert