My Rambouillet has been up and down the GAP/C&O in parts and its entirety numerous times and in all sorts of conditions. If you zoom in on its picture on my post you'll see the scarfing on the right seat stay that came from a person knocking it from a stable pedal prop along a brick planter then trying to stop the fall grabbing one end of the handlebar, guiding the tube on a slow, weighted downward drag along the top edge of the brick. Just paint, no metal damaged. Very unlikely to cosmetically repair without a major repaint, I rattle can clear coated the bare metal and keep an eye on it. Riding leaves marks and I do ride it.
The non stock ivory blocking on the rear end of my Rambouillet is how I recovered from the baring of metal to re-braze the brake bridge when it broke loose a couple years back. A local builder put me back together but the stark area and margins to cover called for more than the previous plan used on the irregular scratches. I found a rattle can match for the ivory color, primed, painted and clear coated the area after a good surface prep. Black Sharpie to border the amrgin of the Ivory and Creamsicle. Each violation of the paint finish triggered a "repaint!" reflex in my mind, built over the time spent searching for receiving, riding, appreciating and ultimately valuing my ownership of a retired model. The other side of my brain adds these things up and said to me that after a driveside rear dropout replacement and prepaint, the events that have elicited that return to stock condition response would add up to a very nice custom frame and fork, which it did, by not executing on impulse. My Ram's still a head turner and not compromised from its original form other than how it's looking these days, which is care for and ridden. A lot. Andy Cheatham Pittsburgh On Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 9:20:00 AM UTC-5 brianmark...@gmail.com wrote: > Like Jason, I paid a somewhat embarrassing amount for a repaint on my > Hillborne, but I'm not overly-finicky about it. I'm careful at bike racks > and when I lean it against something, but I don't wipe it down with a > diaper either. Also, the painter lost my headbadge, so I put this Gonza one > on (i found it on ebay, and am an aviation nerd; it also sorta works as an > homage to the Bleriot). When I put that on, my hand slipped when the epoxy > was already on it, and I had to keep it a bit high on the headtube rather > than centered, but I figured a slight imperfection is fine. Also notice the > bike is pretty dirty- I just rode the GAP and C&O from Pittsburgh to DC. > I'll clean my chain and wipe my rims down, but that's about it. I use this > bike as my go-to, and I don't mind locking it up as the town I live in > isn't a hub of bike theft. If I still lived in Eugene, OR though, I'd be > more cautious leaving it locked up for really any period of time, and would > be more inclined to ride a "beater" for library trips etc. > > [image: badge.JPG] > > On Wednesday, November 9, 2022 at 11:07:02 AM UTC-5 Mark C wrote: > >> It is interesting to read how much our individual situations vary. I'm >> lucky to live where bike theft isn't a big deal. I know one friend who had >> a bike stolen in the past many years. He left it unlocked on the his back >> porch. Then another friend spotted someone riding it on the rail trail and >> got it returned. I'm not meaning to minimize others situations; it sounds >> awful having to worry about theft all the time and having to carry bulky >> locks. >> >> I pick up strays (bikes) way too often and have been trying to get rid of >> extras lately, but I've kept a few beater bikes around. It is fun to ride >> the old Raleigh 3 speed once in a while. Until I got my Rosco Platypus I >> also put a lot of time on my old mountain bikes on my daily neighborhood >> rides. Now the Rosco gets almost all the riding. When I finally get some >> wider rims (so that I can get wider tires), the Rosco can pretty much >> replace my mountain bikes. >> >> But someone else mentioned the big, big deal for me that doesn't seem to >> impact most people - road salt. It is hilly here and they really cover the >> roads with salt. I keep at least one sacrificial bike for those days, and >> even then try to stay out of the resulting salt river on the roads. If it >> weren't for that, I'd intended my Rosco to effectively be my beater bike, >> plus my do-everything bike. Still, it is just fun to have some variety, >> though the bar for fun bikes has been raised since the Rosco arrived. >> >> On Wednesday, November 9, 2022 at 9:25:22 AM UTC-5 Marc Irwin wrote: >> >>> I've often wondered how frustrating it is for Grant. So many of his >>> bikes end up as garage ornaments. I've tried to explain to interested >>> people that the fancy lugs and paint get our attention, but the geometry, >>> ride and handling are what keep us on the bikes. My '87 Trek has nice >>> lugs and looks cool, but it hands in the garage while the Rivs get the >>> play. I've used my Hunq for everything six is why I'm on my 4th set of >>> fenders and 3rd paint job. The Sam gets better treatment but several >>> recreational rides a week. I don't mind locking either at a store, >>> restaurant or bar with a really, really good lock, but do have a Soma >>> Buena Vista I use for daily commuting and a cheap aluminum mtb to use here >>> in Michigan during the winter. Despite the practical choices I've given >>> myself, the Rivs get the play time. >>> >>> On Tuesday, November 8, 2022 at 7:57:50 PM UTC-5 Mackenzy Albright wrote: >>> >>>> When I was living in Alberta, I had an art studio near a bottle depot. >>>> We had a lot of houseless folks in the area for that reason. We were >>>> pretty >>>> good pals with some of the regulars and we had some very interesting >>>> conversations about bike thief's. The main points i remember that i use as >>>> general rules: >>>> >>>> 1. bikes and parts that can be bartered - 26" wheels are hot. old >>>> mountain bikes. anything with QR. Any seat is in danger. >>>> 2. Convenience - anything that can be swiped or taken off easy. (QR) >>>> Leaving a bike "for a moment" etc. Leaving a bike in a dark corner street >>>> late at night. Leaving it alone draws attention. Riding your carbon roadie >>>> and leaving it outside the shop to grab an espresso - its gone. Parking >>>> your bike in the same spot every single day makes it easy for more >>>> organized thief's. >>>> 3. Making it inconvenient means locking well lit high foot traffic >>>> zones, near spaces where other cyclists lock up (we kinda watch out for >>>> suspect behavior) coffee shops. bike shops. bars can be OK as there are >>>> often smokers outside etc. other social sort of spaces. >>>> 4. if somebody really wants it, they'll find a way. >>>> >>>> >>>> On Tuesday, November 8, 2022 at 4:34:49 PM UTC-8 Jim Bronson wrote: >>>> >>>>> I ride my Rivendells for almost everything, but I'm not going to lock >>>>> them up outside a grocery store or a bar. Or an outdoor music >>>>> festival, like Austin City Limits with 75,000 people. I have my beater >>>>> for >>>>> those things. >>>>> >>>>> The Rivs get 99% of all the riding I do. They get rode hard and put >>>>> away wet. Grant needent fret. >>>>> >>>>> Jim >>>>> Austin suburbs, TX >>>>> >>>>> On Sat, Nov 5, 2022 at 5:15 PM Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! < >>>>> jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Did you read Grant’s Blahg? He covers a lot of ground, but most >>>>>> notable to me was the Please Don’t Be Precious About Your Rivendell >>>>>> section. In sum, Grant is saying it saddens him to think of people >>>>>> riding >>>>>> beater bikes instead of their Rivendells to do daily, monotonous tasks - >>>>>> because those tasks make up a lot of real life. If one “saves” their >>>>>> Rivendell, it will not realize its potential, sit mostly unused and then >>>>>> pass to one’s heirs who will sell it in “near mint” condition on EBay, >>>>>> and >>>>>> how sad. What was the bike for? >>>>>> >>>>>> I have found myself both guilty and innocent on the matter. My #1 >>>>>> favorite bike is my raspberry Platypus. I ride it all the time, because >>>>>> I >>>>>> bought it to ride it, but I also dread any harm coming to it, and I do >>>>>> guard it from that. I got a second Platypus that I dedicated to shopping >>>>>> and traveling with and promised not to be precious about it. But now and >>>>>> then I still am tempted to backslide. When traveling to the Philly Bike >>>>>> Expo I dithered about which bike to bring. I didn’t want my raspberry >>>>>> Platy >>>>>> damaged while locked up at racks and I feared it being stolen. Roberta >>>>>> said, “I don’t think you have a choice, Leah. That’s the bike people >>>>>> will >>>>>> expect you to bring.” And she was right, and I did. >>>>>> >>>>>> Then, there is Pam. Pam is at the other far end of the spectrum. Her >>>>>> bike is a model of beausage. Innumerable paint chips and little spots of >>>>>> rust cover her tiny Betty frame. Her Backabike bags are full of holes >>>>>> and >>>>>> the elastic closures are worn out. She locks it up and never worries >>>>>> about >>>>>> it. She did not obsessively stare out the restaurant window to see if it >>>>>> was still locked to the rack while we were at dinner (like yours truly). >>>>>> But she loves her bike, has real affection for it. She looked at me, >>>>>> eyes >>>>>> shining, and said exactly that. Ana, PurpleRiv, is another good example >>>>>> to >>>>>> us. She adores her bike, but has not spared it from hard work. Her bike >>>>>> has >>>>>> hauled obscene loads and taken her everywhere. I remember there was that >>>>>> one fateful camping trip for she 1. Posed it for a photo, only to have >>>>>> it >>>>>> topple and slide down the face of a boulder next to it. I believe she >>>>>> said >>>>>> she sat there and wept for 2 hours over her Joe Bell paint. And who >>>>>> among >>>>>> us would not do the same? 2. Same trip, another photo op, and the bike >>>>>> fell >>>>>> off a cliff. >>>>>> >>>>>> So, who truly loves their Rivendell? The one who lavishes it with >>>>>> care and protection? Or the one who pulls it out of the garage and into >>>>>> all >>>>>> of life - the mundane and the adventurous? >>>>>> >>>>>> On one end of the spectrum we have those who will only take a >>>>>> Rivendell out for special occasions so as not to spoil it, and on the >>>>>> other…well, we have Pam and Ana, who will give it a good thrashing. (Oh, >>>>>> don’t take it personally, friends, I’m being funny about both types of >>>>>> owners.) >>>>>> >>>>>> I find myself wanting to be precious but fighting it and succeeding >>>>>> *most* of the time. I’m lucky that the raspberry paint hides beausage >>>>>> and >>>>>> dirt, so it looks pretty new. But a dent in the top tube or a large chip >>>>>> in >>>>>> the paint would really hurt my feelings. Heaven help me. >>>>>> >>>>>> Where are you on the spectrum? What words of wisdom might you have? >>>>>> What strategies do you employ? Do you want to change? Or are you >>>>>> unapologetically staying put on the matter? It might be fun to hear >>>>>> perspectives. >>>>>> >>>>> Leah >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> >>>>> 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 rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com. >>>>>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>>>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/2f5fe184-d6ba-46f7-bd7f-256f8563c16cn%40googlegroups.com >>>>>> >>>>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/2f5fe184-d6ba-46f7-bd7f-256f8563c16cn%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>>>> . >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------ >>>>> signature goes here >>>>> >>>> -- 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 rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/06875080-9ce8-4bcc-9e61-78c70324db0fn%40googlegroups.com.
