Welcome, and what a solid bunch of advice you're already getting. Two thoughts and my own recommendation:
For what it's worth, I'm pretty sure the Sam Hilbourne was originally conceived as a less-expensive A Homer Hillsen. Fewer sizes offered, simpler paint and details, and different country of manufacture. It's always been interesting to me that, after morphing and changing so much, they've both stayed around. Other similar instances (Romulus as a less-expensive Rambouillet, Bleriot as a less-expensive Saluki) didn't last once the original rationale ceased to exist. This is over-simplifying, but the main point - which is evidenced by your interest in both - is that there is still a lot of overlap and similarity. So, between those two, I'd personally make the decision based on brake preference and tire/fender clearance, and the Hillbourne wins for me personally. You can always use a smaller tire if you want. If you think you will lean more toward wanting an actual "road bike" experience, for paved-surface riding, then the Homer is maybe a little more elegant and lighter? All that aside, I'd really say get whatever fits the best. There's nothing like a bike that fits without compromises, and you would choose it over any other bike in real-life practice if you had more than one, regardless of any other limitations it might have. Finally: unless you subscribe to the mainstream belief that bikes are for going fast first of all, and should be as light as possible (which it doesn't sound like you are), then the Playpus really seems like the perfect answer to the "if I could have only one" question. Speaking for myself again, who owns seven Rivendells. If I HAD to choose, I'd give them all up and get the Platypus (which I don't have and haven'tactually ridden, but can extrapolate pretty well). It combines the best parts of all my favorite bikes / other Rivendells, does everything I'd need other than full-on mountain biking, and I'd know that I could ride it for the rest of my life. On Sunday, February 25, 2024 at 9:27:48 AM UTC-7 Bikie#4646 wrote: > Dear A.H., > Welcome! I can't speak to the Platypus except it has wide acceptance > here. However, I do have both a Sam Hillborne and a A.H. Homer Hilsen. Both > are capable on pavement and dirt roads/rail trails, etc. The lighter tubing > on the Homer makes it a bit more lively but the Sam is more capable for > touring. > My bikes both date to 2015 and before. So, the Sam has Paul center pulls > and the Homer was converted to Paul Touring cantilevers. Both have fenders > and use 38mm tires. Both use moustache bars (for different reasons). > So, I'd say, "pick your poison" depending on the type of riding you expect > to do and what you intend to carry.. (And maybe your personal body weight. > I am 170 lbs.+ -). > > https://www.flickr.com/photos/bikecrazy-paul/53407463860/in/album-72177720313691125/ > > https://www.flickr.com/photos/bikecrazy-paul/53181801054/in/album-72177720313691125/ > Paul Germain > Midlothian, Va. > > > > > -- 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/2e61ec50-43cd-4c0e-aea8-6040ab4364bbn%40googlegroups.com.
