I've wavered like a reed in the wind about the Ram since I got it 2 years ago. On the one hand it fills an otherwise unfilled niche, multigear road bike; on the other hand, while it's very nice, I simply like riding my customs better and think either of (1) converting the gofast to a derailleur version of the errand fixie; or more likely, (2) simply getting multispeed hub gear wheels built for each of them. (Another conundrum: 2 speed kickback with coaster brake? S3X fixed? S3X freewheeled? 3 speed with coaster brake? -- The coaster brake so that I don't have to add a rear caliper to either, which obviously I'd have to do if I opted for #3.)
I rode the Ram 11 miles today, Mom's to home; then swapped for the '03 and rode that back, 11 miles. Annoying winds both ways -- in NM we have headwinds that come from multiple directions. The Ram has better tires -- Parigi Roubaix vs/ Kojaks; but the '03 just feels nicer: less ponderous in acceleration and quicker handling. OTOH, the Ram handles heavy rear grocery loads better. The nice thing about both bikes is that they are nice unladen but carry modestly heavy loads well; it's just that the Ram will handle 40 lb but the '03 gets squirrely at over 30. Not a practical big deal. One reason for hesitating about a sale is the worry that 559 road tires will disappear; but then, I'd probably want a Roadeo or something like that ... And a Ravn. And and and and.... Spring windy season has started. Not horribly bad, but with a 70" gear (no manly man will shift the chain to the 63" gear) I had some 3 miles of standing on the Mom-ward bound leg, climbing several hundred feet from the river valley at 5K against a NNW wind. Good thing I'm such a stud. -- Resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, and letters that get interviews. By-the-hour resume and LinkedIn coaching. Other professional writing services. http://www.resumespecialties.com/ www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmooreresumespec/ Patrick Moore Alburquerque, Nouvelle Mexique, Vereinigte Staaten ************************************* *The point which is the pivot of the norm is the motionless center of a circumference on the rim of which all conditions, distinctions, and individualities revolve. *Chuang Tzu *Kinei hos eromenon. It moves as the being-loved. *Aristotle *The Love that moves the Sun and all the other stars. *Dante -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
