Mad Max,Shock & Awe indeed. That’s a mean machine. k. On Mar 6, 2024, at 7:32 AM, John Dewey <johnrd...@gmail.com> wrote:
Max, that's just a badass bicycle. Well done, sir.
Jock Here's my favorite Riv for pavement (and dirt) riding (tires and wheels are #1 and #2 concerns, saddle-to-bar drop is #3, and close behind that is picking a reasonably fast color): <QuickBeam - Enve 67 carbon wheels - drive side.jpeg>
- Max "orange you glad I didn't say banana?" in A2
On Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at 4:18:43 PM UTC-5 J J wrote:
Chuck, I believe the best Rivendell for pavement riding is whichever Rivendell that fits you well and is comfortable for your body, that pleases you mechanically and aesthetically, that is within your budget, and that accomplishes whatever goals for the type of riding you hope to do.
You said you will be riding mostly on pavement. Pavement riding is a broad category, and there are many different modes and types of it. Will it be "practical" pavement riding (like commuting or hauling stuff from the supermarket), relaxed cruising on a weekend morning, or racing in a group? Will you occasionally venture off road? All of the above?
One of the things that makes Rivs so wonderful is their versatility. This is what I value about Rivs above all else, which is why I gravitate to the various All Rounders. An Atlantis, for example, can be set up many different ways and it will be brilliant in the various guises. Swap a handlebar or tires (either wider or narrower, or to or from slicks and knobbies) and you have a bike with different character suited for a different type of riding, all while retaining the Rivendell feel.
If you want a "road" bike strictly speaking, there are a lot of great suggestions in this thread. In the end it comes back to your own subjectivity, and your sense of the kind of riding you will be doing.
Good luck with your search!
Hi Chuck--as you asked about the Appaloosa and a drop-bar alternative, I'll chime in: I have a 51" 650B Appaloosa with Nitto Choco bars, which Riv describes thus: "It's also good for road bikes instead of a drop bar, when you want a close grip and a totally perfect next-to-stem grip. It's the best bar we have for that." I really like these bars, as I can grab the flats when going fast, downhill, or against wind, and the swept-back part is super comfortable otherwise. It's not a super wide bar; never feels out of place even on narrower paths or in traffic.
I bought the Appa as a mixed-terrain bike, as a true allrounder, and I right now have a rack on it (and fenders, soon--just got my Velo Orange wavys delivered). I mostly ride it on smooth roads, and it's a fun bike for that, even up hills. Roadbike? No, not nimble and light to go on group fast rides, but totally smooth and comfortable for long rides. If I had two Riv bikes, I might get a Ram or a Roadini in addition to the App - but for just one bike that can do all kinds of things really well, the Appa is wonderful!
I own a 54cm Roadini (for myself) and a 50cm (for my son who will soon outgrow his Salsa Journeyman). I'd set up my Roadini as a gravel bike with wide tires but recently a friend borrowed my son's Roadini for her first ride over a dirt path in less than dry conditions I swapped the wheels on both bikes. Having done that work I decided to start riding the Roadini for my commute again, and it's such a nice bike for pavement riding. I would be very happy if the Roadini was the only bike I was allowed to ride. A wheel/tire swap is all it takes to switch its personality.
Mathias, Max, Damien, thanks. A lot of good information in your posts. Riding and experimenting with different models may be the only way to find that "perfect" bike, if there is such a thing. I have to admit that I've been riding an All City Space Horse for a while now, which I picked up to see me through while I wait on the "right" Rivendell to become available. It's actually very comfortable and stable, but a bit heavy for the hills. The 52cm model I have has similar chainstay, wheelbase, head tube angle, stack, and reach to a 50cm Roadini, so maybe I should be satisfied with what I have? I don't know. I am rethinking the requirement I have had in my mind for drop handlebars, though. Some of the Nitto bars (Losco, Choco, Albastache) look like they could be fine for long distance road riding with multiple positions that could mimic some of those of a drop bar. And they might work better with the longish top tubes.
On Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at 12:27:31 PM UTC-5 Damien wrote:
I had a Sam up until recently but sold it and have very recently replaced with a Ram which I've yet to get out on (am going to swap out the Albatross currently on them for drop bars). Not sure what size you're looking at, but the thing for me was I wanted a 700c bike, and the Sam that fit me (51) was 650b. I had a Roadini in size 50 which was great, but ended up selling that and keeping the Sam as it better met my needs at the time (dragging kids around, carrying random stuff, more mixed terrain stuff). Sam is great, but didn't feel as quick (subjective) and was definitely more sluggish in its handling on road - felt a bit like overkill tbh. I attribute most of that to set up and the chunky tire size I was using on the Sam (650b x 48 on Sam vs. 700 x 32 on Roadini). I would say if you go with the Sam for your use, 42 would be the ideal tire size (as someone mentioned earlier!).
I can't wait to get out on the Ram to see how I like it, but if it's anything like the Roadini, I feel I'll be on a setup that makes sense for the type of riding that I do - which seems similar to the type of riding you'll be doing! Hope that is in some way helpful!
On Tuesday 5 March 2024 at 08:44:06 UTC-5 Max S wrote:
Really great points made by Mathias, and also by Patrick in his post about iterating... IMO, the easiest way to find a good bike is to set your budget and then make a post whose subject starts with "WTB:.. " – all sorts of cool and awesome bikes will emerge that fit your criteria!
- Max "it's a journey" in A2
Hi Chuck,
I've never owned a Rivendell, so I believe it's important I chime in... because of this:
>> I tried a Roadini (which I recently listed here and sold), but I think it was too big for me.
It probably wasn't too "big", it was probably too long in the top tube.
In the current Riv idea space, the Albatross is the handlebar of choice. The one Grant says he'll ride when he's old. I'd argue you can't build a bike that accomodates swept back AND drop handlebars for the same rider in the same size. The difference is only a few cm, but they matter.
I tend to pick one bike every year and build it from the frame up, to ride it and see how I like it, and what I can learn from it. And since I always use a Brooks B17 and a Nitto Noodle, that provides a handy size reference. The distance from the saddle tip to the handlebar cross tube is always the same when I'm done fitting it.. and it matches the ancient rule that if you put your elbow against the tip of the saddle, the finger tips should just reach the handlebar. Stem lengths go from 70 to 100 mm, on frames ranging from from a 52 cm Bruce Gordon BLT to a a 25 inch (63.5 cm) Cannondale ST600 to and a few in between. Top tube length (effective) ranges from 56 to 59 cm.
So figure out what YOUR saddle/bar distance or top tube length should be, and find your size accordingly. Were I to buy a Roadini, and the thought has crossed my mind, I'd have to go for a fairly small frame. For my 6 ft height and 89 cm PBH, I'm between the 57 and 61 cm size for the Roadini, and the 57 cm has a 59 cm top tube, so that would be my size, and the stem would have to be short, which doesn't look good to my eyes.
For what it's worth, our pavement here in freeze/thaw country (mid-Michigan) is famously nasty, and for road riding, I like 32 mm GP5000s... add some dirt roads, and I'm currently riding 35 mm Paselas, which seem to roll pretty fast and do OK on loose surfaces. I see no reason to go wide on asphalt.
To buy any bicycle:
- decide on the tire you want to ride, which means pick the target roads and routes.
- decide if you'll mount fenders.
- now look at the frames that will accomodate the first criteria, and see if you can find your size.
It may be that a detour through an older (~1980) Trek or Raleigh is the way to find your setup... most of the parts will move right over, plus it's fun.
cheers -mathias
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