Sean, I just turned 45 and commute on a 56cm Sam pretty much every day.
Commute is 15 miles RT, mostly flat in semi-urban traffic. I am 5'11" and 165-170 lbs. With Noodles, 32 mm Supremes and a large saddlebag I average about 18-20 mph on the longer flat sections of my commute, sometimes more or less depending on wind and how long a day it has been. I typically run 60/80 psi front/rear, full fenders and a cheap/heavy rear rack. I never had a "go fast" bike to compare with, but I am faster on the Sam than I was on the Gary Fischer MTB it replaced, and most of the commuters I see. Guys speeding along on road bike leave me in the dust most of the time. Jay On Mar 27, 8:51 am, charlie <cl_v...@hotmail.com> wrote: > I'm in that same frame of mind and height etc. oddly.....I own a fully > decked out Surly Trucker and a Rivendell SimpleOne plus an old Raleigh > that I can rob parts from for a "Sam Hill" making it my go faster > geared bicycle. I enjoy the versatility of the Trucker but I thought > of selling it toward the Atlantis or the "Hunk" since I am 257 right > now but think the "Sam" unloaded might be okay ( I think...what say ye > Grant?) I like lugged steel frames and probably won't buy another > bicycle in my lifetime. So many choices...... > > On Mar 25, 4:13 pm, SeanMac <seanm...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > I'm considering pulling the trigger on one of the new blue Sam > > Hillborne's. They look like really wonderful bikes. Strong, versatile, > > attractive are words that come to mind when I think about this bike. These > > are qualities that I find attractive. However, I also like to go fastish. > > Can I do this with a Sam as well? > > > I'm pushing 45 years old. A few years ago I had a custom made go-fast bike > > built for me. That bike goes fast, but is limited in what it can do. I > > also have a Trek 520 Touring bike. This bike, obviously, is built for > > touring. Its not very fast, nor very lively. In short, my Trek isn't much > > fun to ride. I'm looking for a bike to fit in between these two bikes -- > > one that will be able to carry a few bags and ride on stone dust bike paths > > (such as the Erie Canal path), but one that will not feel sluggish to ride > > (like my Trek). > > > Most of the time, when I see photos of Sams, the bikes seem to be set up to > > be workhorses -- carrying a collection of bags and racks. I want to be > > able to do this with a bike (thus the attraction to the bike in the first > > place). However, I would like to use noodle bars and go on fast-ish club > > and recreational rides as well. In fact, the vast majority of rides will > > be 20 - 30 mile "out for fun and exercise" rides. Is the Sam well suited > > to this as well, or will it likely feel more like my Trek 520? Most likely > > I would set up a Sam with Noodle bars and tires such as Roly-Poly or Jack > > Browns. > > > I'm also considering having a custom built randonneur bike -- one that will > > be able to carry some load but also feel quick and lively to ride. > > However, if the Sam will meet my needs, it certainly would be a less > > expensive alternative. I don't think that my body has any proportions that > > would make me difficult to fit (5ft, 11 inches tall, PBH 87.5, arm length > > 35 inches) so I don't think that I *need* to go custom (though it sure is > > fun to do so!). > > > Any thoughts on whether a Sam would be a good choice would be appreciated. > > > Sean -- 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.
