Tully, I bought a Clem late in the spring to gradually replace my prior commuter/around town bike -- a greatly modified 1980s Trek 620. As of this fall, the Trek has essentially been replaced, as I find myself very happy with the Clem. Larger tires and a relaxed geometry makes it more comfortable on the bumpy roads I usually travel, and makes short off road excursions not only possible, but fun. The gearing is ideal for hilly areas, as it goes from super low to middling -- in my mostly flat environs I almost never go into the small ring,but have plenty of gear to toddle along a vigorous clip when inspired to do so.
I have a front rack and a Wald basket, and have been happy with that. I've used a Burley QR adaptor to attach my cargo trailer to the hooded dropouts, and it tows very well for big load trips. I really am very happy with the bike, and (although this may or may not be a positive) it has drawn more questions and verbal admiration than any other bike I own. I say go for it! Julian Westerhout Bloomington , IL On Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 10:27:14 AM UTC-5, Tully Lanter wrote: > > Hi, all. I've had my eye on a Clem for a while now, and would appreciate > your take on whether it's a reasonable choice. > > - 5'10", ~85cm PBH, presumably in need of a 52cm frame > - Fairly short but steep daily commutes (in the Pacific NW., i.e., > hilly and wet) > - Occasional Costco runs and the like. Long chainstays are appealing > for the heavy loads and bumpy roads! > - Random, long-ish distance rides on unpredictable routes. Pavement, > gravel, etc. in varying proportions. Bits of singletrack if I'm so > inclined. > > I'm drawn to the Clem's relaxed but not extreme geometry, total lack of > back-box components, and (relatively) accessible price point. All in all, > does it sounds like I'm barking up the right tree? > > I'm inclined just to take the plunge on a secondhand Clem (if they're out > there...), but since even "cheap" Rivendells aren't cheap, I'd love to hear > your collective thoughts first! > -- 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 https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
