Hey folks, First off, anyone in the Portland metro with a 59+/-1cm Riv with the handlebars about the height of the saddle which you would be willing and able to allow me to test ride in the next couple or few days please, *please* respond off-list.
Next, the real purpose of this email is I'm considering a used frame & fork. I was going to send the following to Grant for a little expert advice, but by the time I finished writing seemed I was looking for more than a "little." Maybe I'm wrong, but I can't help but feel like he's a pretty busy guy that gets inundated with these types of emails. So instead I figured I'd seek the wisdom of the crowd. Hey, it always worked well on "Who wants to be a Millionaire." And Grant if you're reading this, feel free to respond. ;-) Background: I have an ~1987 Miyata 215ST which I bought used but virtually NOS (photo at http://www.cyclofiend.com/cc/2006/cc169-alan1006.html). By English/Riv measure it has a 57cm ST & 56cm TT. It's always felt a little small, but I always wondered if it was something a new stem could fix. It has a fist-full plus maybe a finger of seat post showing. At this point I guess I should mention my PBH is 85 and my height is 176 (5' 9.5"). Three years of ~100 miles/wk commuting has either worn out or subjected to outright damage about every moving part and it's overdue for some love. I was about to start down that route when it occurred to me if this bike is a size too small anyway, I might be better served getting a new bike of proper size. So I've been thinking about that more and more and today along came a 57 side-pull Rom for sale. So, my questions are: 1) I've always thought the Miyata was a good frame, but given the rate at which I blew through the parts... wore out 3 chains (obviously only the first one was stock, but it went the fastest), the bottom bracket, a few cogs, the middle chain ring, and the rims, I wonder if maybe it wasn't as quality a bike as I've imagined? Any knowledge on how good a frame it actually is? Do you think there is going to be a large difference in ride quality between that and a Rom? Or a Sam? 2) I'm a pretty light guy. I've weighed between 125 & 130 for the last 20 years. (I'm 38.) While I agree with you people make too much importance of frame weight, I'm also quite sympathetic to Jan Heine's ideas on frame flex (though I like to call it resonance instead of planing). Being such a small guy, I'm extra inclined to go with smaller tubes and lighter frames. I know you think most people even asking are misguided, but given my small size maybe in my case -- not so much. :-) So, do you recall the tubes the Rom's have? Wall thickness? How would they compare to a Sam? 3) Unlike most folks that complain about moving their saddle as far back as they can, I'm always feeling myself riding forward onto the nose. (Not just this one, ALL my bikes.) Most of the time I have to think about it to keep myself on the back of it. Any idea what this might be indicative of? I've always felt I have a relatively short torso. And thus I've wondered if it means I should be on shorter top tubes & stem than "typical". If true, that might mean I'm actually better served on a 56 with a long seat post and short, but high stem, than a 58 which would give me too long a top tube that can't be solved with a shorter stem. On the other hand, it occurred to me perhaps the too low handlebars are pulling me forward onto the nose of the saddle. I am your prototypical 5'9.5", 85cm PBH rider in the "Bike Fit" articles, and in them you say I should be on a 60. Wow, that sounds large!?! I reckon everybody says that at first? :-) Thanks all for the help. -Allan -- 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.
