Atlantis versus Bombadil for loaded touring Compare and contrast?! As a college professor, I feel like I've been given an essay question. :)
OK . . . here's the brief and simple low down on MY experience with these two bikes for loaded touring - YMMV, especially if you are a smaller person using a smaller frame size. First, a disclaimer: The bikes (Atantis and Bomb) were set up quite differently - more on that below. Therefore, I don't think I can provide a *truly* objective comparison between the two frames. How one sets up a bike has as much to do with how a bike deals with loaded touring as any other factor. Relevant Bombadil set up: 60cm frame; Tubus Cargo rear rack; Tubus Tara front rack; Ortlieb handlebar bag/panniers; Schwalbe Marathon Supreme 700x50's on Velocity Dyads/Phil hubs - 36 spokes front/40 rear; 48cm noodle bars/bar end shifters Relevant Atlantis set up: 64cm frame; Riv Nitto big front and rear racks; 36 spoke Salsa Delgado rims/XT hubs with 700x37 Pasela Tourguards; no handlebar bag; using Ortlieb panniers;46cm noodle bars/ bar end shifters. After adjusting with different stems, I fit the same on both bikes - nearly exactly the same reach and bar height. Simple review: I like the Bombadil better for loaded touring. I have a 94cm PBH and I weigh over 200 pounds. I'm pretty fit and I like to stand when I climb. I've found that standing often while riding helps me to avoid a sore butt. I think that smaller, lighter folks who tour on smaller bikes cannot truly appreciate how much tall frames flex under load from a large, strong rider, standing on climbs with a full pannier set. Even on the Atlantis, with its relatively heavy tubeset, I found it to be less stable than I really wanted. Although it toured fine, it didn't really handle as well as I wanted on uneven ground with a load. When the Bombadil came out, I saw the extra top tube and wondered if that would be a solution for making a large frame feel better. I test rode the bike at RBW and I was surprised at how light and responsive it was. I chose my rack set up on the Bombadil to maximize a sturdy, stable feel. Everything feels tight and as if the racks are part of the frame. Off road and on, and whether I was standing or sitting, the Bombadil felt solid and predictable. Surprisingly, the bike has the most amazing low speed handling with packs on I have ever experienced. At speed, I find that most touring bikes handle just fine, but at slow speeds, they are unwieldy - not the Bomb. The only drawback to the Bombadil I found was it's size - specifically, the length of the wheelbase. My Atlantis fit perfectly in a standard Amtrak bike box. I removed the seat and took off the bars, but was able to leave both wheels in place. With the Bombadil, I had to remove the front wheel to get it to fit. When touring, Pamela and I like to use public transportation occassionally. I was surprised one day to find that the Bomb didn't fit very well on a bus front rack. Thanks to a patient and accommodating bus driver, we were still able to make the trip. On a commuter train with a hanging bike rack, where every other bike hung perfectly, my Bombadil had to hang at an angle due to it's length. This summer, if I'm able to get in a short tour, I'll be fitting the Bombadil with 700x40 Marathon Supremes. These will have enough volume for a road tour and gravel roads and I hope they will allow easier transport and packing. There you go! Dave On Apr 9, 4:25 pm, happyriding <happyrid...@yahoo.com> wrote: > On Apr 8, 2:25 am, Dave Craig <dcr...@prescott.edu> wrote: > > > > > I have a 64cm Atlantis. I love it. Currently, it has 32 spoke wheels > > front and rear and I use it for long road rides without luggage. I'm > > really happy with my Bombadil as a touring bike. It has 36 spokes in > > the front and 40 in the back. > > Can you compare and contrast touring on your Atlantis v. touring on > your Bombadil? -- 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-bu...@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.
