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