On Monday, December 6, 2021 at 10:03:29 AM UTC-7 me2g...@gmail.com wrote:
* They are both beautiful bikes. For whatever reason, I was drawn to
the Susie. I like the simplicity of the lugged seat clamp combined with
filet brazing everywhere else. The high head tube. It looks like none
other. *
*^ I'm with you on this. I think the Susie is understated perfection,
aesthetically speaking. (other than the fork crown, perhaps.) Platypus is
drop-dead gorgeous too, though I did love the lugged chainstay connection
on the older mixtes.*
On Monday, December 6, 2021 at 6:16:14 AM UTC-7 Doug H. wrote:
* I can put the Clem L in the category you are searching just to muddy
the waters. *
*^ I was resisting chiming-in and muddying the waters, but this is actually
the bike that satisfies the description of what you're wanting. The
perfect compromise for roads and trails. Designed around perfect size
tires (at least for me and my weight and riding conditions, and in terms of
balancing cushion and rolling resistance and self-steer.) If you don't
like the aesthetics though, I'd understand completely*
On Monday, December 6, 2021 at 6:47:25 AM UTC-7 lconley wrote:
* The biggest difference will be the bottom bracket height and
step-through ability. The Suzie is more attuned to off-road with a higher
bottom bracket and will have a higher center of gravity to go along with
the better ground clearance. The Platypus will have a lower center of
gravity and a more typical Rivendell ride.*
*^This is exactly right, and is probably more significant than you think -
especially if part of your desire is motivated by having ridden a Rivendell
before. The bottom bracket and center of gravity are quite high. The
Susie is really a full-on mountain bike by any rational standard. I've
said this in other threads, but I really didn't fully grasp this when I got
rid of my Clem to get a Susie. Of my three other "modern" mountain bikes
that I ride regularly, all have more bottom bracket drop than my Susie! I
love the bike, but It doesn't feel like a Rivendell to me - which is
slightly perplexing because all of my bike purchases in the last 15 years
or more, including mountain bikes, have been informed by my appreciation
for Rivendell's design philosophy. It's always been interesting how much
of the industry reluctantly follows Rivendell's lead, but it's really
surprising when they then surpass and out-riv riv. (Similar thing has kind
of happened with tire widths on road bikes - where riv was once the only
place you could get a road bike that fit reasonably fat tires, there are
now many others that take even fatter ones.) So whereas I used to prefer
my Clem to any other bike I own for relaxed, meandering, paved pathway
rides and the like, I don't enjoy the Susie the same way and end up taking
other bikes instead. *
On Monday, December 6, 2021 at 7:17:44 AM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!
wrote:
Would you be interested in purchasing an orange Susie and riding it
until the Platys come to Riv? Rivendells hold their value and have great
resale. I really think you could sell the Susie if an orange Platy comes
your way.
*^ This is actually sound advice. However, I'd add one caution: The
Susie being so different from other Riv models means that not all your
parts would easily swap over: You'll need a wider bottom bracket on the
Susie than on the Platypus; you'll probably want wider rims on the Susie
than on the Platypus in order to take advantage of the tire clearance; The
Susie is a challenge to fit racks on, and some of the standard Nitto racks
won't fit the boss placement ( I went through this going from a clem to my
susie, and ended up needed all-new racks); Fenders won't be cross-
compatible - in fact, I'm having trouble getting ANY fenders to work on my
Susie.*
*I sound like I'm being critical but know that, as I write this, I'm
planning to try to get my wife a Susie from the upcoming batch. *
*Last thing: If you do get a Susie, what size would you fit? I have a
large orange and, as fate would have it, tow of only three standard riv
colors that I'd prefer are the dark gold and lime olive. So it might even
be possible to convince me to swap frames with someone once the new batch
arrives.....*
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