On Fri, Feb 27, 2009 at 7:42 PM, CycloFiend <cyclofi...@earthlink.net> wrote: > > I have to say I've ridden a couple of Surlys over the years, and although I > think they are a good value, it's hard to make a case that they have the > same ride. >
One thing I have observed is that some people care little about how a bike handles. This used to rub me the wrong way, but I've come to accept it. On the surface, Rivendells appear to be all about lugged steel, tire clearances, dropout eyelets, and leather saddles. For me, all of that is pointless if the bike handles poorly. The vastly overlooked feature of Rivendell bikes (to me) is their remarkable handling. I admit, though, that it's a matter of personal preference. I think Rivendells handle the way they do by design. This is shown by the fact that the smaller frame sizes use smaller wheels, and still often have toe overlap. Those are signs that the frame designer is thinking about something other than marketing. I've owned over two dozen bikes over the years, most of them lugged steel, many of them built in the 80s and 90s. The Rivendells (I have a Romulus and a Quickbeam) stand out with their "just right" handling. I'm not saying that no other bikes out there handle like a Rivendell (some do, they're rare). And clearly, how a bike handles is not as important to everyone as it is for me. But if one DOES care about how a bike handles, then one should consider that few other bikes ride like a Rivendell. I regret that I don't have better words to describe this. Horace. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
