Flared drops in the dirt work great, even with a front shock. I know Grant disprefers them, but I think there's a market for Nitto-produced Cunningham bars. And matching tall stems. I've got the vintage WTBs on the Quickbeam, and they're different (better) than the Midge bars on the Bontrager hardtail and the Woodchippers on the Gary Fisher Utopia.
I like the hoods for climbing, and the ends for leverage, and I would rather be tucked into the drops on a gravel descent than hanging onto flat bars. Flat bars are fine, and I rode them for years, but I love love love the drops in the dirt. A Bombadil with a painted half-lugged stem and drops would be a real treat. And a two-tone Type II fork (http://stevepottsbicycles.blogspot.com/ 2011/08/type-iis-for-29ers.html). Now we're dreamin'... Newbaum's tape all around, but yet to be installed on the QB. Quickbeam/WTB: http://www.flickr.com/photos/philipwilliamson/5591101079/ Bontrager/Midge: http://www.flickr.com/photos/philipwilliamson/5936237230/ Utopia/Woodchipper (ex-hybrid): http://www.flickr.com/photos/philipwilliamson/5911203722/ Philip Philip Williamson www.biketinker.com On Aug 1, 10:06 pm, Brian Hanson <stone...@gmail.com> wrote: > It's a parts bike that I'm using to try things out on when I get a wild > hair. I've actually been planning on selling/donating it for a while, as > it's a bit stiff. I've always wanted to replace it with a steel frame - > perhaps a Hunqa or Bomba. > > I really liked the drops and had no real handicap in using them off road - > the brake hoods were like the old bar-ends I used to have on my flat bar. I > did a lot of bouncing around on rocks, and never lost grip, and the brakes > were fine from the hoods as far as power went. > > The bar-end shifting was not ideal, but really only because shifting > bar-ends on mtb trails is a bit slow for the rapid changes you can need. I > wound up realizing that for the most part, I only needed a low gear, as when > I was going downhill, it was technical enough I could gain great speed by > coasting until I got to another steep "up". Could probably do most of the > trail on a single speed - maybe a 32x21. When I was too low, I put too much > torque into the back wheel, and could spin it on the wood ramps. > > I guess the thing is that the setup actually worked quite well, and I really > went into it expecting a major fail due to wrong equipment. > > Brian > > On Mon, Aug 1, 2011 at 1:18 PM, René Sterental <orthie...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Brian, > > > That's the first time I see a hardtail with front suspension and drop bars! > > The BAs look good too. Glad to know that you like them on the dirt. May I > > ask why you have your bike configured like that? > > > René > > > On Sun, Jul 31, 2011 at 9:29 PM, Brian Hanson <stone...@gmail.com> wrote: > > >> I'm actually surprised how good the Big Apples are in the dirt. I'm in > >> Whistler, BC this weekend, and took my old MTB up some blue trail single > >> track with mud, rocks, roots, and even a few twisting bridge ramps, and > >> only > >> had one slight front wheel slip in in a gravelly switchback. They were > >> solid and I stayed quite a ways out front of my knobby shod friend on the > >> ascents and descents. > > >>http://www.flickr.com/photos/stonehog/5996770108/in/photostream > > >> Brian > >> Seattle > > >> On Sun, Jul 31, 2011 at 12:12 PM, erik jensen <bicyclen...@gmail.com>wrote: > > >>> patrick, > > >>> the hunqapillar can be light and nimble. the second top tube feels > >>> natural to me anymore, and folks often comment on how light my bike is > >>> (and > >>> it's a 62). i notice the stiffness when i'm out of the saddle pulling on > >>> my > >>> bullmoose hbars, relative to my atlantis in similar conditions. for a > >>> beefy > >>> steel frame, it ain't bad. > > >>> what i like most is having a bike that handles like my other rivs, but is > >>> set up for offroad riding. i'm using 29x2.1" knobbies and having a blast. > >>> look at some of my photos, and you'll see that with 29" tires you end up > >>> with not too long of a wheelbase--an inch or so of clearance between the > >>> seatstay and the tire. if i get into a flow and let off my brakes on > >>> descents, i can carve into corners just as easily as with my old karate > >>> monkey--but the front end handles more like a road machine which is > >>> something i appreciate--feels more responsive if a bit dulled with a > >>> slightly longer wheelbase (hope that makes sense). i had to go to > >>> knobbies, > >>> as big apples slid too much in the loose stuff at speed--i know you like > >>> BAs, maybe that'll help you decide. > > >>> descending straighter lines, well, that's pretty damn magical--the riv > >>> stability surprising translates well onto pretty gnarly downhill lines. > > >>> i'm using light weight components, but nothing crazy (still got steel > >>> hbars, for instance). i love my bike, and feel like i'm riding the 29" > >>> equivalent of an early mtb. it's a lot of fun. > > >>> photos:http://www.flickr.com/groups/hunqapillar/(i'm user > >>> cosmiccountry) > >>> more generally:http://bikenoir.blogspot.com/ > > >>> erik > > >>> "klunking is dusty in the summer, and muddy in the winter" > > >>> On Sun, Jul 31, 2011 at 6:20 AM, PATRICK MOORE <bertin...@gmail.com>wrote: > > >>>> Please keep us informed of your off road ride experiences. I am still > >>>> tempted by a Hunqapillar to build up as a ss off road bike, to > >>>> complement the Fargo, but I want something that feels lighter and > >>>> nimbler (the Fargo is lovely but it is heavy at 33 lb with the fat > >>>> wheelset). > > >>>> I am rather put off by the extra diagonal, but that may be overweighed > >>>> by the trademark Rivendell ride quality, so I am particularly > >>>> interested in how the H feels in cornering and acceleration. > > >>>> Or I may just get a ti or -- gawd 'elp us -- crabon fibre frame. > > >>>> Why the so-high bars? Not criticizing, just curious. I find that I > >>>> need a certain torso angle and forward reach, otherwise I feel as if I > >>>> can't get any power. I'm 56 so I'm no spring chicken, either. > > >>>> On Sat, Jul 30, 2011 at 10:32 PM, René Sterental <orthie...@gmail.com> > >>>> wrote: > >>>> > I spent today afternoon building up the Hunqapillar and fine tuning > >>>> its fit. > >>>> > Pictures of the initial build are > >>>> > here:http://www.flickr.com/photos/orthie251/sets/72157627319515196/ > >>>> > I put 40mm Marathon Extremes as I have a set of 2.25 Nobby Nics on > >>>> order. > >>>> > They ride extremely nice on the pavement; can't really tell them apart > >>>> from > >>>> > the 50mm Supremes. > >>>> > Setup is as follows: > >>>> > - 58cm Hunqapillar frame > >>>> > - Mavic A719, 36 spoked, XT hubs wheelset built by Rich > >>>> > - 12/36 9 speed cassette > >>>> > - DuraAce 9 speed down tube shifters to try them out and make it easy > >>>> to > >>>> > play with the cockpit to fine tune it. > >>>> > - 200mm Bullmoose bars with Shimano brake levers and Specialized XC > >>>> grips > >>>> > that I'm going to try to wrap with tape and shellac to see what > >>>> happens... > >>>> > - Polished Paul front Neo-Retro and rear Canti brakes > >>>> > - Black Berthoud Touring saddle > >>>> > - Front Nitto Mini Rack > >>>> > - XT Low-normal rear derailer > >>>> > - Microshift front derailer (only option at RBW) > >>>> > - Phil BB > >>>> > - Sugino XD2 crankset 24-34-46, 175mm > >>>> > - Shimano A530 pedals > >>>> > - Nitto S83 26.8 seatpost > >>>> > - Tange headset > >>>> > Initial comments: > >>>> > The bike feels just great riding near my house. I feel a bit stretched > >>>> out > >>>> > on the bars but as I've fine tuned the saddle angle everything seems > >>>> to be > >>>> > getting better; I'll have to try it on longer and rougher rides and > >>>> may even > >>>> > decide to try the shorter 150mm Bullmoose bars. I've been surprised by > >>>> how > >>>> > great the bars feel. I tried the bike at first with the Nitto Touring > >>>> bars > >>>> > but it felt just like my Atlantis (great but I wanted to try something > >>>> > different). I don't think the Touring (Butterfly) bars are very good > >>>> to go > >>>> > mountain biking with, and after playing with them for a while in the > >>>> normal > >>>> > and rotated forward 180 degrees just to see how that felt, I settled > >>>> for the > >>>> > Bullmoose which I believe are going to stay on it for a very long > >>>> time, at > >>>> > least while I keep it as a mountain bike. The frame feels > >>>> significantly less > >>>> > flexy than the Atlantis when wiggling the bars, which was to be > >>>> expected. I > >>>> > tried to ride it no hands to see if it would shimmy like the Atlantis, > >>>> but > >>>> > there was no sign. I know, different tires, no rear rack and no load, > >>>> but > >>>> > it's a great initial impression. > >>>> > I'll try it on longer rides and commute on it to see how it behaves > >>>> with the > >>>> > Nitto Big Rear Rack and the panniers. It might end up being my > >>>> S240/touring > >>>> > bike (when I'm finally able to start touring...). It might be too > >>>> redundant > >>>> > to have both the Atlantis and the Hunqapillar unless the Hunqa stays > >>>> > configured as a mountain/adventure bike and the Atlantis remains as my > >>>> > commuter and full fendered touring bike. We'll see, but I have to say > >>>> I'm > >>>> > very happy with my bike stable right now. > >>>> > I may also try the Extremes on the Atlantis to see if the shimmy > >>>> changes in > >>>> > any way, the 50mm Supremes or Big Apples on the Hunqa, etc. > >>>> > I hope everyone is having a great weekend so far, > >>>> > René > > >>>> > -- > >>>> > 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. > > >>>> -- > >>>> Patrick Moore > >>>> Albuquerque, NM > >>>> For professional resumes, contact > >>>> Patrick Moore, ACRW > >>>> patrickmo...@resumespecialties.com > > >>>> A billion stars go spinning through the night > >>>> Blazing high above your head; > >>>> But in you is the Presence that will be > >>>> When all the stars are dead. > >>>> (Rilke, Buddha in Glory) > > >>>> -- > >>>> 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. > > >>> -- > >>> oakland, ca > >>> bikenoir.blogspot.com > > >>> -- > >>> 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. > > >> -- > >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > >> "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > >> To post to this > > ... > > read more » -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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