Hi David, I am 6'1 with a 91cm PBH and ride a 60cm Sam from the most recent batch from 2022.
Overall I'm pretty happy with the size, but can't help but think about how I'd feel in the 57cm. I've never felt "uncomfortable" on the bike, it's definitely the comfiest bike I've ever owned, but it does feel a little bit too big at times. The two handlebar configurations I've had: *Albatross with a 100mm stem:* This felt really good with my hands on the grips, but I always felt way too stretched out when using the hooks on the front of the bar. I probably could have swapped to a shorter stem if I was still using this configuration. *Nitto M137 (Drop Bar) with a 60mm stem*: This is my current setup, and while it isn't bad, it isn't the most ideal either. I switched to drops as I started doing more off-road descents in the area and wanted more hand positions with access to the brake levers. I find it uncomfortable when having my hands in the drops or hoods for any extended period of time. I'm typically resting my hands right before the hoods (the "ramps" or "corners" is maybe what this means in drop-bar speak) or on the tops next to the stem. I've also done a little bit of finagling to shift the hoods closer to my hands at the expense of having the brake levers a bit further away from my hands when in the drops. I don't think either setup was bad, just not ideal. The drop bar setup I currently have has been used on several loaded bikepacking trips, and countless 20-60 mile gravel rides in Colorado with huge elevation changes, and I've never once felt like I was in significant pain from the bike (other than my Brooks B17, which I feel hopeless in breaking it in), which makes me think that I can fix some of these issues with minor adjustments or a different drop bar. I can't offer any perspectives on the 57cm Sam, since I've never ridden one. Also, the two bars I've ran are not as swept back as other Riv offerings. I think there are plenty of bar/stem combos I've yet to try which would be perfect for my frame size. Overall I love the bike, and love the versatility. I originally built the bike to be my commuter and all-rounder, and have since transitioned it into a more-than-capable gravel bike (that I tend to underbike into some chunkier singletrack by accident at times) with a simple bar swap and adding wider knobbier tires. When you rode the 61.5 Homer with the Billie bars, did you try other hand positions than the grips? Hope this helps! Ryan Boulder, CO On Monday, May 6, 2024 at 12:06:45 AM UTC-6 David B wrote: > Hey all, first time posting here. I'm planning on grabbing a Sam Hillborne > frameset when they go on sale this month. It'll be my first Rivendell. I > decided on the Hillborne as a replacement for my 56cm Cross Check, which > has never been comfortable for me. The short headtube puts the bars too far > below my saddle. > > I have a pair of Billie bars I'd like to put on the Hillborne for daily > commuting, grocery getting, and some light off road riding. I'd also like > to have the option to use drop bars at some point down the line. > > I went to the Rivendell shop a few weeks ago to test ride a few bikes and > get sized. I'm 6' with a 92 PBH (long legs, short torso), and based on the > Sam geo chart, my PBH puts me firmly in the size 60 Sam range. They didn't > have a 60 Hillborne around, so I instead rode a 57 Sam and a couple of 61.5 > Homers with different cockpit setups. > > - The 57 Sam was set up with wide, swept back bars (Ron's Ortho bars) > and was comfortable. We did have to raise the seatpost up pretty high to > get the saddle in a good position. > - The first 61.5 Homer was set up with Billie bars and was also > comfortable. The saddle was pretty close to the top tube, however - there > was maybe a little less than a fistful of seatpost showing. > - The second 61.5 Homer with drops made me feel a little stretched > out. The saddle was raised up higher than ideal for my height, but the > bike > belonged to a staff member who wasn't around that day, and so we didn't > adjust the saddle position. Part of me thinks it might have worked with a > lower saddle, shorter stem, and higher bars, but I'm not totally sure. > > I left feeling like a 60 Sam would work for me, but I'm now second > guessing whether it makes more sense to go down to the 57 for a shorter top > tube length. However, the size 57 Sam has a suggested PBH range of 86-89, > which is 3cm lower than my PBH of 92. > > Could anyone share if you've had a similar experience being in-between > sizes for a Sam Hillborne, and how the size you chose worked out? Or better > yet, is there anyone near Berkeley who has a 57cm or 60cm Hillborne you'd > let me test ride to nail down my size? I'd be happy to buy you a beer or > some other beverage as a thank you! > > David > Berkeley, CA > -- 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/96450388-d59b-4946-902a-56d4d730755cn%40googlegroups.com.
