Jeremy, doesn’t it border on sacrilege that we would favor a Clem over something as iconic as the Quick Beam? But here we are.
I know the long chainstays have been a turnoff for some, and at times they make things difficult (like when putting on vehicle bike racks or choosing parts like stems) but I really, really love how I feel on these new models. My old Betty Foy was stiffer and far less plush feeling than my newer Rivs. I’ve always thought it due to the shorter chainstays, but I’m no expert… Leah > On Nov 19, 2021, at 1:03 PM, Jeremy Till <[email protected]> wrote: > > Great thread Leah! I too love my Clem (first gen "H" frame in green for me) > and everything it represents about the evolution of Rivendell's designs. I > became a Rivendell devotee during the "classic" era, lusting after > Quickbeams, Rambouillets, Atlanti, early Homers, etc. During the later aughts > and early teens they were already making smaller departures from their > lugged, level top tube road bike aesthetic (the mixtes, sloping top tubes on > the Sam, diagatubes on the Bombadil and Hunqapillar, etc.), each one decried > by the wool jerseyed diehards who had been following Grant since the > Bridgestone days. I bought my first Rivendell, the classic Quickbeam, the > same fall they brought out the "Mystery Bikes," the original long chainstay > bikes, and I have to say I was really intrigued by those designs. So much so, > in fact, that I spent the next four years trying various upright bars on the > Quickbeam, but it never seemed to ride as well as the Mystery Bikes (two of > which, belonging to others, I was lucky enough to ride). > > I agree with Leah that with its long chainstays, swoopy tubes, tig welding, > and really fat tires, the Clem probably represents the biggest single > departure from Rivendell's "classic" aesthetics, and its success paved the > way for everything that's come after it in terms of a general opening up of > what was possible with a Rivendell. For me, that came together in a build > using mostly black components, including a Thomson seatpost and Jones loop > h-bar. With this build, it encompasses and goes beyond everything I had loved > about the Mystery Bikes and had tried to replicate unsuccessfully with my > Quickbeam. It's no surprise that shortly after I built up the Clem, the > Quickbeam left my life. Aside from the occasional wistful glance over its > current owner's Instagram, I don't regret it. > > However, to those that see the recent designs as nothing but a fundamental > departure from what made Grant's designs attractive in the first place, I > would say that there is one unifying feature running through all of them, and > that is great handling for the intended fit of the bike. As anyone who has > ridden albatross bars on racing bike can tell you, good handling is not just > about steering geometry but also how the bike's geometry works with your > weight distribution and fit. Grant's Bridgestone designs had a good > reputation for handling, but were pretty much racing bikes that assumed low > handlebars and a stretched out fit. My feeling is that the early Rivendell > designs were attempting to replicate these handling characteristics but with > a fit that was more achievable for non-racers; so things like (slightly) > longer chainstays went along with drop bars roughly even with the saddle. As > Grant got older and continued to experiment with things like Albatross bars, > I'm sure he realized that "classic" Rivendell geometry didn't produce the > handling characteristics he wanted with a much more upright posture, and thus > began the experiments with longer chainstays that led to the Clem and more > recent designs. His success in replicating those handling characteristics was > evident to me the first time I chased friends on road and cross bikes down > steep paved descents on Mt. Tam. I had never felt so confident in my bike's > handling while sitting upright. > > Don't get me wrong, I still love the classic designs as well. A couple of > years after the Quickbeam left, a green Rambouillet came into my life, and > it's built up following the rules, with drop bars and lots of silver Nitto > and Sugino. With the drop bars and a more "athletic" fit than the Clem, it > also handles great and is the most comfortable "road bike" (in the > traditional sense) that I have ever owned. > > -Jeremy Till > Sacramento, CA > >> On Tuesday, November 16, 2021 at 9:14:04 AM UTC-8 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! >> wrote: >> Can we talk about the Rivendell Clems for a minute? I hesitate as I write >> this, because opinions on here tend to be strong, but I see this as a fun >> topic and worth exploring. We can be nice, even if we disagree. I have been >> seeing Clems in several colors, in a variety of configurations, all over >> Instagram. Blue Lug and Helmet Kids are two of my favorite bike Instagram >> accounts, and they frequently feature Clems on their group rides. Calling In >> Sick, a bike magazine you’ve likely heard of, did an entire issue on the >> magic of the Clem, which is also all over Instagram. I suppose it could be >> that Clem popularity is imagined by me; I personally love Clems and >> therefore notice them, so I’ll add that caveat here. But I really do think >> the Clems are having their moment. >> >> When I first discovered Rivendell in 2012 the only social media I knew about >> was the List. The bikes were all lugged, and built with silver parts. There >> was a definite prescribed look. The demographics of the group were not >> exactly varied. There were few women, and even fewer in my age bracket >> (early 30s). But then Grant made the bike he said he’d never make, and the >> TIG’d Clem was among us. With the coronation of the Clem, those unable to >> afford a Rivendell suddenly could. I began seeing younger people riding >> them. Baby seats began popping up on these bikes. (I felt like I was the >> only one in the Rivendell world pulling my kid on my Betty Foy in 2012.) And >> in several generations of Clems, the owners have now taken that bike in new >> directions. Clems are for everyone! >> >> The Clems are pure Rivendell in manners and ride, but they are divergent. >> Black parts abound. 1x gearing. Trigger shifting. Young dudes shredding all >> over the ‘Gram with them. Some lucky kids are riding them! My sons have been >> raised on Clems (the H version, but we have the L version for when they are >> grown). Worries over the step-through frame being considered “a girl bike” >> seem to have been unfounded. (And in my family we have 2 giant Clem Ls the >> men ride.) People seem to really love the versatility and ease of a >> step-thru frame. >> >> I see the Clem as a Rivendell, modernized. >> >> The colors have been brilliant; the Clem has never been subject to color >> constraint. Atlantis bikes will be Atlantis green, but Clems are like >> Skittles - we’ve had bright turquoise, black, orange (Clementines), creamy >> mustard, a creamy blue, a glittery blue, grilver, lime, bronzey green… We >> really do need a metallic red, but I digress… >> >> On my own Clem, I have been unafraid to put zany parts on it. Anything goes. >> “It’s a Clem,” I say. I’ve got a red front hub and an orange rear hub. >> Bright red pedals that look like shoes to me. I damaged the paint when a U >> lock rubbed it off as we traveled, but I never think about it. I have blue >> wire soldered into the black dyno wire and it will never irk me. I’ve been >> way more picky about the appearance of my Platypus, but my Clem is >> unhindered by rules. >> >> The newest Clems have just arrived at Riv HQ and I hope their owners will >> delight us with photos and write ups here and on Instagram. I’m so excited >> for another wave of customers to get to know these bikes. The Rivendell >> Clems, those gentle giants, are so good to us. >> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google > Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To unsubscribe from this topic, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/dqoOrlGkFdg/unsubscribe. > To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to > [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/5b9f52a5-a0da-4a90-a6b1-ecead33a862en%40googlegroups.com. -- 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/DB5034C0-56B7-40FB-AF56-CA89FFFD421E%40gmail.com.
