Patrick, I'm well used to tire liner chuffing people ;) Fact of the matter
is, at 48mm, they really ride only barely discernibly different, and I have
never had tube sealant deflect a wood nail but I have had that with tire
liners. My poor Compass' are in miserable shape, I noticed earlier today
going to the grocery there's yet another lamda-shaped hole in my tire from
shard of glass that got pushed back out at some point. I'll remain a fan of
tire liners for commuting and won't be ashamed of it, but I am also
planning to try the updated Schwalbe Marathon Supremes next time instead.
We'll see how they do, but, whatever you think about the sacrilege here, I
think if I remember your tire preferences right we can both agree it's
worth it either way for the cornering traction Compass offers in wet
weather. We'll see how the next tires do once these wear out, but the way I
see it, a Compass tire at 90% is still 20% better than my 38mm New Xpress'
on that Fuji were, and 60% better than stock commuting tires.
Also, I know I don't post here as much these days, but I still try to keep
up on things. You seem like you're more into the go-fasty side of life
(nothing wrong with that, just an observation and different than what I
want out of life). I think while the Clem is great for me, you might prefer
the Joe to the Clem still. While it's true the Clem is capable of being my
fastest ride, I'm hardly good at going fast in the first place, so, that
might oversell it a bit for some contexts. Numbers-wise, my best average
for a 7.2 mile commute with frequent stops is 16mph on it. My average is
12-13, with a good strong headwind 10-11 on the Clem. In the faux-pas of
Rivdom, as pictured in the first image with my usual two bags and all my
commuting gear, it weighs in right around 49 pounds. So, I stand by it
rides much lighter than it is, and I love it for that, but I have a very
hard time keeping a cruising speed on a flat of more than about 18mph, and
with a tailwind or a moderate downgrade about 23mph usually. I don't know
how those compare for you, just some numbers for a group that's more into
them. On my fifty mile rides the average speed always pegs in closer to the
10mph end when I check the computer. But, it's rare for me to ride a bike
tipping the scales lighter than 30 pounds. I probably over-build too much,
but I like having every tool I need to restore the bike to rideable on me
because some parts of my commute put me out of easy rescue and not in great
neighborhoods. The last time I rode a bike under 30pounds (the Fuji when I
put it back to stock to sell to a friend) it was fun, but I felt really
unprepared for things, and I had a real problem at stops where I was used
to accelerating a heavier bike and I kept jumping the front wheel off the
ground. So, take my comments on the Clem's speed well within the context of
me being a guy good at acceleration, bad at top end, and preferring
something that carries the kitchen sink, yeah? ')
And, I want to like drops bars. I know there are a zillion, and somewhere
out there has to be The One For Me. But I also find most upright bars much
more forgiving of being slightly off, and they tend to be much wider which
is great for control at slow traffic speeds. Plus, I find stretching out
more naturally than bending down for an aero-stance. So, for now, I'm an
upright bar guy, but someday when I have a bike with an appropriate top
tube length and the desire to spend the money swapping around bars to
really get the feel for what I like in drops... well, I'm not exactlt
forswearing them. I just find uprights more forgiving in tolerances and
better for for going slow, which I do more of than going fast.
On Saturday, June 18, 2016 at 9:26:52 PM UTC-4, Patrick Moore wrote:
>
> Zed -- thanks for that review. From my point of view, at any rate, it's
> one of the most informative and helpful reviews of a Riv model that I've
> read.
>
> I am very chuffed that you and so many others find the newish "cruiser"
> style of Rivendell bikes, far from limiting energetic riding, actually
> promoting it.
>
> I started riding "seriously" about the same time Eddy Merckx went
> professional -- 1969 -- and I've long had a bias toward old-fashioned road
> race bikes, like the 1973 Motobecane Grande Record that I once owned:
> clearance for at least 35s and probably 37s; 45 cm chainstays to end of
> long dropouts; light 531 throughout. (I used this as an errand fixie, and
> carried up to 45 lb on it without real problems.) I've also owned 5
> Rivendells -- 3 custom roads, a Sam Hill, and a Ram. I presently have my
> two later ('99 and '03) custom Roads, and my vague idea or "theme" for
> these was these old, high clearance racing bikes.
>
> I've also found long since that my left palm hurts after a few miles with
> any but a drop bar.
>
> But your review, and that of many others on this list, is beginning to
> convince me that Grant has hit a sweet spot of design with sweep back bars,
> long tts, and long chainstays. I'd really like to test ride a Clem or
> Appaloosa.
>
> So, once again, thanks for your excellent review.
>
> 2 addenda, or rather addita:
>
> 1. Compass tires are so wonderful that it really is a shame to depreciate
> their ride quality with liners. Please consider using Orange Seal in your
> tubes.
>
> 2. I urge everyone to keep the wonderfullness of drop bars in mind. I
> personally find them more comfortable than any other sort of bar -- I've
> *not* use the Albastache, Bosco, and all the other post 2010 or so
> sweepbacks that Rivendell has produced, so I am keeping an open mind about
> these.
>
> But drop bars have been around for well over 100 years for very good
> reasons, and some of the more recent resuscitations produced by Compass and
> Velo Orange -- I have particularly in mind the Maes Parallel and the Rando
> type bars (VO's nomenclature is somewhat different than Compasses) are
> exceptionally and superlatively comfortable. I use the Maes Parallel or VO
> copy on all 3 of my customs (the 3d is a Matthews "road bike for dirt).
> Please keep in mind (all you who read this) that drop bars can be
> superlatively comfortable if well designed and well positioned.
>
> On Sat, Jun 18, 2016 at 7:07 PM, Patrick Moore <bert...@gmail.com
> <javascript:>> wrote:
>
>> I'm in the middle of your review, and I think it is very well done, but I
>> interrupt myself here to say:
>>
>> DON'T USE TIRE LINERS!!! My God, man! No tire liners on *Compass
>> tires!!!!* Use Orange Seal in your tubes instead.
>>
>> I very briefly used Mr Tuffys with non-Tourguard Paselas, and after about
>> 1 commute, took them out -- I could feel the drag.
>>
>> More in the offing.
>>
>> On Fri, Jun 17, 2016 at 8:36 PM, Zed Martinez <iamzedm...@gmail.com
>> <javascript:>> wrote:
>>
>>> After switching from my original albastache build to boscos a while back
>>> and getting some more mileage and longer rides under me, I keep meaning to
>>> do a proper medium-term write-up on the Clem and just kept being too busy
>>> to do it. I finally had a quiet evening to sit down and apparently I had a
>>> lot more to say about my past 7 months with the Clem than I expected, so,
>>> I'll spare everyone the wall of text, but if you're 4,000 words curious
>>> about Riv's economy bruiser, boy do I have a blog post for you.
>>>
>>> The short version is: I probably could have just titled this 'How I Got
>>> Over My Own Hubris and Learned to Love the Bosco'
>>>
>>> http://zedmartinez.com/2016/06/rivendell-clem-smith-jr/
>>>
>>> --
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>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, and letters that get interviews.
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>> 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 contours of which all conditions, distinctions, and
>> individualities revolve. *Chuang Tzu
>>
>> *Stat crux dum volvitur orbis.* *(The cross stands motionless while the
>> world revolves.) *Carthusian motto
>>
>> *It is *we *who change; *He* remains the same.* Eckhart
>>
>> *Kinei hos eromenon.* (*It moves [all things] as the beloved.) *Aristotle
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> 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 contours of which all conditions, distinctions, and
> individualities revolve. *Chuang Tzu
>
> *Stat crux dum volvitur orbis.* *(The cross stands motionless while the
> world revolves.) *Carthusian motto
>
> *It is *we *who change; *He* remains the same.* Eckhart
>
> *Kinei hos eromenon.* (*It moves [all things] as the beloved.) *Aristotle
>
>
>
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