OK, I finally got my 36-er ISIS wheelset and have been playing with my 125mm cranks (I had 150’s on before). I had to use what was familiar until I could freemount with the shorter cranks (I currently have a 2010 KH Freeride saddle with a modified Pi Bar… I had Bryce cut a 1/2" off the side so I don’t get leg rub).
I decided I was OK enough with the freemount to go with the Qu-Ax saddle. I have a Kalloy Uno seatpost and the Qu-Ax Ari Saddle.
First, in addition to the other things that Qu-Ax seemed to overlook, like the ability to mount a brake lever to the saddle. A Handlebar set-up may be something you have to make yourself…if you don’t have a tall seatpost… the Pi Bar doesn’t fit with the steeper angle I like to have my handles at. I ordered a KH handle to see if that works… this will also fix the brake lever mount. If you see my other post, you will find pics of the brake lever mount solution I came up with…it’s OK, but it places the brake lever a bit far from the handle. Oh well… Bryce is going to overfill my HS33 brakes for more travel to make up for my Nimbus frame that’s not centered
Here’s the review…
The seat is stiff, I like that, even while hopping on my 36-er it felt stiffer than a stock KH freeride.
Despite how curved it looks, it’s actually quite comfy. It took a little bit for my “boys” to accommodate because with the KH seats, I pull the meat and two veg up and to the right; my boys kind of hang to the right a bit while riding. This is the best set-up for my… set-up on a KH seat. With the Qu-Ax Air saddle, they can be pulled straight up and the seat cradles them comfortable without smashing them. Because my man-purse is used to hanging to the right, it took a while for them to settle straight up so the first few rides, while coming up off the seat a little to go uphill and sitting back down on the seat, I crushed my left one a bit…enough to yell out loud and UPD.
I like how thin the center of the seat is; I have short thick legs and the freeride rubs a bit.
I can’t wait to get a handle on it as I am becoming accustomed to holding the handle for more leverage while going downhill and uphill and to sprint. I’ll post again when I get to try the KH handle out on it.
Oh…it’s also lighter than the KH freeride seat, that’s nice too.
good luck with the new handlebar : ) I liked the way the pi bar fit on mine, I just wish I wasn’t so short, I can’t use 150s now : ( which was fun offroading on the big wheel. I’m wondering how the 110s will feel on it, should be fun as long as it’s flat.
You say that the Pi bar doesn’t fit with a steeper angle, but what is in the way? does the Pi bar hit the rails? Does it have to do with how high you have the seat? I am interested in both the pi bar and the air seat. Of course I’ll be interested to see how the KH bar works with the seat as well.
After you get your KH bar I might be interested in relieving you of the Pi Bar. Let me know if you want to sell it, and we could work it out.
I need to have my Pi bar fairly far from mt seat to get the angle I need. The Air saddle takes up a bit more space because of the rails and therefore, I can’t slide the Pi bar down far enough…actually, it won’t fit at all with where I have my seat right now… I’ll let you know about the KH handlebar and also, if I want to sell my Pi bar
OK, got the KH bars in today and installed them. I had to use some of the hardware from the KH brake mount (see my other post).
1 problem… the KH stiffener plate doesn’t fit. I don’t want to modify it because I may end up using a KH street seat instead of the Qu-Ax air. I think it would be fairly easy to make a stiffener plate and if the KH street saddle that’s coming in next week doesn’t feel much better than the Qu-Ax… I’ll try and make one.
So… LOVE the KH bars, nice and solid, I’m pretty sure I got the newest version (bought from UDC last week). I really like the adjustability of the set-up and with the couplers extending the bolts… I can get the bars pretty vertical. Because of the flex in the seat, I can’t put a lot of weight on the bars but enough to be functional… also, enough to match the weight I was putting on the Pi bars. I think I’m going to sell my modified Pi bar… anyone?
The KH bars allow me to put a brake lever on it pretty easily so it solves all problems; here are some pics:
I tried my KH touring handle at a higher angle- seeking the upright position. After riding 150km with it I immediately went back to the lowest setting. The upright position is what I want to avoid on long rides- trying to pedal sitting back on the seat rather than squashing all your weight down in the middle. The upright position is nice for short rides and for juggling, but becomes torture eventually.
You really should try it with a non-flexy seat. Definitely install the stiffener plate. It is sold as part of the package for a good reason- the stiffness makes it even more functional.
You have installed the base part backwards, possibly on purpose because it does work either way. I put it on backwards by mistake at first and then I noticed on the KH website how the clamp part goes at the back. After putting it on properly I found it was a much more natural angle for me. I want the bar almost horizontal- vertical seems much less useful. Do what works for you though I guess…
Qu-ax air saddle does look comfy. Hopefully you can make a custom stiffener plate for it.
Yeah, I put the base part like that initially because I wasn’t going to use the couples for added space. if I put it the right way, I way afraid it would contact the extra long nuts… now that I’m using the couplers, I could turn it around.
As far as upright vs. horizontal; the reason I got into uni was to be in a more upright position; I am seeking a seat that allows me to do that on longer rides, as a chiropractor, a hunched over position shortens your hip flexors and puts a good deal of shear stress on your intervertebral discs. We’ll see, the furthest I have ridden with it is a couple of miles…
