I'd buy one of those Rivendells, if they didn't all need one of those 'signature' drivetrains. Drivetrains just act as a shelf to collect mud. I'm going to order one of those drivetrainless bikes, so I can remain mud free when I slog through the mud.
On Apr 7, 8:51 pm, CycloFiend <cyclofi...@earthlink.net> wrote: > on 4/7/11 3:08 PM, Aaron Thomas at aaron.a.tho...@gmail.com wrote: > > I wish the Riv/Soma frame didn't have Riv's new "signature" kickstand plate. > I recall seeing a photo of someone's Hilsen (maybe Cyclofiend's?) that had > been CX-raced in the mud. And the kickstand plate acted as a mud shelf, > piling it up high behind the seat tube. > > The kickstand plate seems to limit the versatility of the frame, without > really giving you any significant benefits. After all, you can always add a > kickstand to a frame without a plate. But you can't take a plate off a frame > without labors that would require a re-paint. Other than convenience for > those who use kickstands, what's to be gained by having the built-in plate? > I just don't get it. > > I've often been tempted by the Hillborne, but I balk because of that darned > kickstand plate, which is entirely useless to me, and would likely only be a > liability given the sometimes-mucky off-roading I'd want to do on it. > > Yep. That was mine. And just to be clear, that was SERIOUS mud. > > Slip-sliding-strictly-sticky-significantly-saucy-spirit-sucking SERIOUS > mud.... > > http://vimeo.com/3387689 > > Yeah, it stacked up on the kickstand plate, > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/gzahnd/3285145851/in/set-72157613897340235 > > but it stuck to the drivetrain pretty seriously as well. > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/gzahnd/3285966758 > > There were full-bore chainstay-bridgeless CX frames that bogged down that > day. IIRC, someone took images of all the goobered-over brakes that day - > it's somewhere on flickr. > > In short, I've not had that type of results before or since - and I've > covered a pretty good assortment of conditions, both fendered and non. If > I were getting a CX-specific frame, I wouldn't ask for it, but as far as a > mixed-terrain monster, its significance could be overstated... > > - Jim > > -- > Jim Edgar > cyclofi...@earthlink.net > > Cyclofiend Bicycle Photo Galleries -http://www.cyclofiend.com > Current Classics - Cross Bikes > Singlespeed - Working Bikes > > Gallery updates now appear here -http://cyclofiend.blogspot.com > > "There were messengers who named their bikes, but Chevette never would have > done that, and somehow because she did think about it like it was something > alive." > > William Gibson - "Virtual Light" -- 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-bunch@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.
