Cruzbike 26 / 20 quick review

 

Drivetrain

Folded. It takes about 20 seconds to go from full size to this, which fits easily in the back of my Kia Rio hatchback. Best to carry it with the wheels closest to the body as that's the side with the weight.

A few views of the......

bike and me on the....

Great Ocean Road near Aireys Inlet.

Hi

After my last post on the Cruzbike, I bought a 406 disc brake front wheel, with the intention of trying it on the back of the bike. A few nights ago, I solved a small valve problem on the wheel, fitted it, and hey presto, a 26 / 20" Cruzbike. The main idea with the small back wheel was to make room for a tailbox, but it has the effect of raising the bottom bracket making it marginally faster. Also, the front wheel trail is increased and the centre of gravity lowered slightly - all steps in the right direction.

The bike is comfortable and fun to ride, and I managed to get up a reasonably steep hill on it. But I'm wobbly up hills (the bike is moving bottom bracket so pedalling affects steering) and wouldn't want to try riding hills on busy roads or narrow bike paths - it could be a bit dangerous.

It was easy to fold the bike to put it in the back of my car. Remove the bolt at the top of the shocker and the rear swingarm folds down. Then the front wheel swings round and you have a package that's fairly tall and narrow that fits fine in the back of my car. When folded, the drivetrain is in the centre of the bike which is great, the oily bits are kept safely tucked away.

Overall the bike is nice to ride but lack of luggage storage is an issue for now. I have been promised a Radical pannier (thanks Pete!) and may still fit a new seat and tailbox. Looking forward to a few more rides.