Thanks, Thomas! OK, so I'm diving in on a leap of faith... (which is how the faithful always dive, right?)
Before I have even received my first pair of handlebars (they're on order), I've already purchased (from DaVinci) the full monty... the complete handlebar swap packages for shifters and rear brake... I'll be shortly setting up my Bombadil with a Noodle 48cm bar/Dirt Drop Stem/7-spd bar end shifter combo (as Setup A). Setup B will entail swapping in a set of the Riv Bullmoose bars (in dull-brite finish) with vintage Suntour XC9000 brake levers and Shimano Deore brushed alum friction thumbies (for that tried and true old school feel). I've already got several sets of bullmoose bars (old style), but am really looking forward to riding the beautifully-sweptback Riv version. Rear derailleur will be an XTR m951 on a 7-speed freewheel; the front will be vintage m700 Deore Deerhead I've been talkin smack to a friend about being able to swap bars in 5 minutes... Heck, if I can even do this within 10 minutes, that will be phenomenal... I also may throw in a tire change as the Bomba changes personalities (ie black Big Apples with the drops, Creme Fat Franks with the bullmoose)... but that's getting a little ahead of myself... I have to build up and RIDE the bike first! Thanks again, Thomas for sharing this... GREAT STUFF!! On Sep 10, 12:10 pm, Thomas Lynn Skean <thomaslynnsk...@comcast.net> wrote: > Heh heh.... if those high quality photos exist, they were taken by > someone who has a hillborne and four cockpits (like me!) and is a high > quality photographer (unlike me!). > > Seriously, I intend to get some better shots with a real camera (my > phone's camera is more marketing tool and photography tool). I'll > update this thread when I do. A better camera will help. > > I also intend to bump this thread over the next few weeks as I update > the page with configuration changes or additional comments written > after I've spent more time with each cockpit. > > Yup, I'm using a Dirt Drop 100 on all non-Bullmoose cockpits (max'd > out on the Moustache and Noodle, an inch or so below max'd out for the > Albatross). I did that for two reasons: > > One, I really couldn't imagine that I'd *prefer* a stem with *less* > height and/or *more* extension. You should know that my happy starting > point was the Albatross bars on a Dirt Drop 100 (max'd out at first, > then to my surprise I found I preferred it a little lower and > *perhaps* further out as well), anything other than a most-height/ > least-extension combination seemed *unthinkable* for bars with no or > negative rise and substantially less back-sweep. I didn't want to use > my stem extension as a starting point. Unless I'm wrong on my seat-o- > the-pants cogitating, I imagine a Nitto 225mm-quill Technomic Standard > with a really short (say, 80mm or less) extension *might* give more > height and/or less extension, but that not much difference of either. > And I thought that'd simply look too funny. > > Two, in the spirit of well-controlled research (ahem) I kind of wanted > to start out with the bars (1) making a difference in the cockpit > (variety and experimentation are goals) and (2) *being* the difference > in the cockpit (to sort of compare the bars per se and let them drive > the variety). > > Down the road, I could imagine replacing the Dirt Drop 100 on the > Albatross bars with a max'd out Technomic Deluxe, perhaps a 9cm or > 10cm extension. I could also imagine, down the road, using the stem > extender with the Bullmoose bars, especially if I want to use them for > a longer-distance (30+ mile) ride. But for now I still like the > variety provided by the as-is Bullmoose bars. And I think the > Moustache and the Noodles will stay on the max'd Dirt Drop 100. > Particularly with the Noodles; I'm not anxious to re-stitch the > leather on one side! :) > > Yours, > Thomas Lynn Skean > > On Sep 10, 9:21 am, Earl Grey <earlg...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > Great post, but where oh where are the high quality photos of your > > complete bike with each cockpit? :) > > > You appear to be using the same stem with 3 of the bars? Do you set > > them at the same height? That would be interesting, as I think I would > > want a shorter extension for a moustache versus a noodle, and or > > greater height (Switched from comfy noodles on my non-Sam to > > moustaches, and missed the top of the bar position/was too stretched > > out, so I switched to some VO porteurs, and now am too upright [all > > with the same stem]). > > > Gernot > > > On Sep 10, 12:38 am, "Robert F. Harrison" <rfharri...@gmail.com> > > wrote: > > > > Thanks for the write-up on all the different bars and how you use them. > > > Being a stout-but-active middle-aged man myself I found it all quite > > > interesting. I only have m-bars on my Quickbeam and am quite pleased with > > > them but next year I'm thinking about a bike with derailleurs and your > > > footwork will aid greatly in my choice of bars. > > > > Aloha! > > > > On Thu, Sep 9, 2010 at 7:27 AM, Thomas Lynn Skean < > > > > thomaslynnsk...@comcast.net> wrote: > > > > Hi, all! > > > > > (wordy... skip to the link for the main content) > > > > > For about a year before I got my Hillborne, I was a happy Albatross > > > > bar cyclist. I remain a happy Albatross bar cyclist. But in my youth I > > > > rode drop bars and liked them. Later I had also ridden mountain-bike-y > > > > bars and liked them. Having ridden almost daily for a couple of years > > > > now, I've gone from being a total couch-potato huffing-puffing fat guy > > > > to being an energetic less-fat able-bodied guy. Along the way I have > > > > discovered that almost all of my ideas about "discomfort" when cycling > > > > were really reflecting my utter lack of general fitness. Growing more > > > > fit made me realize I could sit this way and move that way and bend > > > > the other way, without causing pain or feeling at risk. That is, I > > > > started feeling even *more* comfortable on my bike, more loose and > > > > more "able". And started thinking "you know, it wouldn't be so bad to > > > > stretch out here, lean there, tuck in more". I began to wonder what > > > > riding in positions besides being bolt upright might be like. And now > > > > that I had a Hillborne frameset, surely one of the most versatile bike > > > > platforms around, I thought perhaps I could set it up with different > > > > handlebars to accommodate somewhat different riding styles and > > > > positions. > > > > > I had, as a stout-but-active middle-aged man, become bar-curious. > > > > > (sorry...) > > > > > In case you're still reading, below is a link to my web page > > > > describing how I satisfied my curiosity. There you'll find > > > > descriptions, parts lists, some pictures, and general comments. And, I > > > > promise, no puns. > > > > >http://tiny.cc/h1p8s > > > > > I really can't overstate how much I like my Hillborne. For me, its > > > > lengths and angles have felt exactly right from the very first time I > > > > sat on one. Putting parts on it was truly fun. And now it looks > > > > beautiful and rides great. In all its forms. > > > > > Yours, > > > > Thomas Lynn Skean > > > > > -- > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > > > > Groups > > > > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > > > > To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > > rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<rbw-owners-bunch%2Bunsubscrib > > > > e...@googlegroups.com> > > > > . > > > > For more options, visit this group at > > > >http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. > > > > -- > > > Robert Harrison > > > rfharri...@gmail.com > > > statrix.statrix.com- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
