I am not an expert, but I AM a Clem fan. To be fair, I’ve never ridden a Gus/Susie, but (and don’t hate me, Gus and Susie fans) I’ve never understood the allure of that bike. Looks and names and decals aside though, I wonder if there’s a difference in the frames re: weight. Like you, I’m a thin woman and I don’t want the bike any heavier than it has to be. A friend of mine (also a woman) said she examined the Susie and it was SO heavy. Even compared to her stout Appaloosa and my Clem (which she rode one time). Maybe someone can tell us if there is a significant weight difference between the frames. I think that matters, and I don’t care how many folks jump on here to tell me it doesn’t. And on that note, the Clems are heavy enough that I think they benefit from lightening up. I put a lightweight wheelset and tubeless tires on mine, plus aluminum bars. If I could do it over, I’d gear it as a 1x, and save the extra weight from the shifter/derailleur and chain ring.
Meanwhile, the Clem’s personality. It is a gentle giant. It is elegant. It is LONG. But honestly, I like how I feel on that bike even a bit better than my Platypus (which is still my #1 bike because it is RASPBERRY SPARKLE and I am fickle). The length is a problem if you need to get it on public transportation or if you are storing it in your tiny living room. You will need a long wheelbase bar for your vehicle bike rack. But that length also (I think) makes it such a great riding bike. You feel like you sit down and in it. I don’t like my Clem with a front rack; I think it rides better with a rear rack. You will never regret a step-through. The Clem, in my never humble opinion, is unimprovable. YIKES! I’m late to pick up my kid from school! Ok, good luck!!!! On Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at 1:08:51 PM UTC-8 Kiley Demond wrote: > This has probably been hashed over numerous times so at the risk of making > some of you go "arghhhh!"... > > What are the differences of note between Clem L. and Susie W.? > > - Handling (stability, nimbleness) > - Wieldy-ness (overall size, weight, etc.) > - Suitability for electrifying at a future date > - Any other thoughts, whether experiential or theoretical > > The person asking is 5'10" 140lbs with a pbh of 91. I had a 60cm Cheviot > which I loved but sold several years ago when financial issues overrode > having such a fancy ride. I would prefer to buy a frame only and do the > build myself. I was gutted when I saw that an orange Susie W. frame was > listed (and sold); I wasn't paying sufficient attention. I "won" the > right-to-purchase lottery for a Clem but couldn't do it because they were > sold as complete and I hadn't done my due diligence on Susie Ws. > > Thank you for your collective insights and wisdom! > -- 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 view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/a911045b-cb76-40b8-a933-c8025dc74524n%40googlegroups.com.
