I've ridden my drop bar Bombadil a few more times now, and can say for sure that the SRAM brakelevers that Riv sells are the nicest I've used for a bike with cantilever brakes. If they had a built in lever QR mechanism I'd want to use them on all my bikes. They are really really great. Treat yourself to a set if you have the means and the opportunity.
On a semi-related note, I've ridden the SOMA New Express 650x38 tires well over 1000 miles now, and have ridden the Grand Bois Hetres about 400 miles between two bikes. I still haven't found a single thing that a tire is supposed to do that the Hetre does better than the Soma. Well, OK, the Hetre looks better (mine are red). But seriously, the Soma is lighter, way less expensive, presumably more flat resistant (zero flats on either for me). In my opinion the Soma is just as cushy, feels a little sportier, has a better tread for non- paved sections, corners just as well, is much more easily available. Furthermore it leaves more fender clearance. Finally, have swapped tires around several times, the Somas run straight and even every time. The Hetres need a lot of coaxing to get them seated correctly, and they still run a little lumpy. Trust me, I get it, a lot of people have in their mind a 'next bike' that will fit around a set of Hetres. They don't know for sure what the frame will be or even the handlebars, but they know it will be a set of (insert your color here) Hetres. If that frame wont take Hetres and hammered Honjos, it's not worth buying. That was me last year. Now that I've used them a lot, I'm about 90% convinced that the Hetres are a touch over-rated, and that the Soma B-side and New Express are the deal of the century for civilized all-road riding. Don't get me wrong, they are fantastic, and I'll proudly use them until they wear out, and I do love how they look. That said, I probably wont go out of my way to buy another pair, and have already stocked up a bit on Somas. For pure utility, like I said above, I haven't found a thing yet that the Somas don't do as well or better. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
