So, a customer (David D.) with a Cruzbike Quest 26 found himself with a problem none of us had encountered before.  Basically, it was this.  There are a few thick hard rubber pads between the seat and the mounting plates.  The pads were slowly migrating out of position.  The customer (David D.), was understandably concerned that he might lose the pads someday and, thereby, their functionality.

We didn't have a factory authorized solution, but had a shop solution (Gorilla Glue the pads to the seat).

David was looking for a solution that was more elegant, perhaps, and less fixed.  He wrote me the other day to tell me about it and I think it's a brilliant and creative "Home Depot" solution, truly worthy of a Cruzbike rider.  I love the resourcefulness he shows here.  If anyone else has a similar issue, perhaps you'll find this helpful!


David Deaton
Aug 9 (3 days ago)

to Robert,

Thank you for your help. I thought you would like to know that  I believe I have found a solution to my issue of shifting rubber pads under the quest seat. To replace the pads, I found at the hardware store a large rubber hose. This is the hose used to drain a clothes washer. The wall thickness was roughly the same as the pads. By heating it in boiling water I was able to flatten it and cut it as a single piece slightly larger than the bracket that the seat mounts on. By having a single pad that both screws pass through this pad will not be able to shift while riding. To address the issue of the screws loosening I added a star locking washer. This seems to result in stable seat attachment and still allows for an easy seat release that I need for placing my bike on my car rack.

David



Have fun, stay healthy, keep cruzin',
Robert
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Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson

Customer blog: Brian Nice. Really cool stuff

I've just remotely met this fellow, Brian Nice, for whom a handful of us are trying to find a trike.  It seems he's a good candidate for some of the cool adaptations that Hase Bikes is so good at.

Brian is an athlete with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and is keeping an incredibly interesting and inspiring blog about his experiences and, well, the world.  All that aside, to my eyes, he's a talented artist and photographer.  Really cool stuff.  Go Brian.  Go.

http://briannice.com/

And this project:
http://briannice.com/mypointofviewproject/

Have fun, stay healthy, go out and make a difference,
Robert
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Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2014 Robert Matson

Cruzbike Quest on a car mounted bike rack

People often have questions about how to mount recumbents and Cruzbikes on a car-mounted rack.  (Some might call this a bike carrier.)

A customer recently bought the second to last new Cruzbike Quest 451 in existence.  He sent me these photos to show how he mounted his Quest in order to head out for his first rail trail ride.

Have fun and stay healthy,
Robert
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Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson

Tires for the Cruzbike Quest 20 (aka Q 451)

The Quest 20", also known as the Q451, is taking a redesign holiday.  We hope to see it again in seven or eight months.  Meanwhile, there are a good number of Q451 owners already out there, who, like me, absolutely love the small wheel format for being so transportable.

One of the few downsides to the bike is the tire size.  In brief the metric size "406" tire is the common 20" tire found on BMX bikes and most recumbent trikes and bikes and the 406s are easy to find.  The metric 451 is harder to find at your corner bike shop (does a corner bike shop really exist in New York City anymore?), however it has its fans among discerning BMX riders, who seem to like that slightly larger wheel.

The 451 also seems to have a fan in John Tolhurst, the genius behind the Cruzbike design.  So, I keep a casual eye out for appearances of new 451 sized tires.

I've never been too concerned about the comparative rarity of 451s because I'm a Schwalbe dealer, and Schwalbe makes some of the best tires in the world hands down, and Schwalbe makes some extremely good 451s.

Here are the 451s produced by Schwalbe:

Durano 28-451 (20x1 1/8) - a great all-around road tire
Mow Joe, 37-451 (20x1 3/8) - a great knobby tire. Do you need it?
HS 302, 25-451 (20x1) - I know nothing about it, but it's listed on their site.
Shredda, 28-451 (20 x 1 1/8) and 37-451 (20 x 1 3/8) - a BMX tire for ramps, etc., which means it's also a great street tire and the widest 451 from Schwalbe.
Ultremo ZX, 23-451 (20 x 0.90) - one of the best -- fastest, lightest, most puncture resistant -- road race tires.
Kenda Kwest also makes a few 451s, but I'm less excited about them.


Have fun and stay healthy and get some better tires.
Robert
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Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson