On Monday, August 27, 2012 10:44:02 AM UTC-7, Andy Smitty Schmidt wrote: > > Or maybe they'll just think you're crazy, jinxed. :-) > > I've been dropping Riv-ish tid bits on my bike-commuting bro-in-law for a > couple years. He's even ridden my AHH and a friend's loaner Riv-ish Schwinn > High Sierra. He seems responsive in conversation and had nothing but high > praise for Homer and the Schwinn, but in the end his first criteria remains > that a bike has to be sub-18lbs. He talks about getting a more comfortable > bike with all the Riv-ish tid bits and fit but he can't bring himself to > buy a "heavy" bike. > I don't get it, do you have to ride a "heavy" lugged steel bike that is built with fenders, racks and panniers to make a bike "Riv-ish?" My bikes are carbon and ti and I make them "Riv-ish" by doing alot of what Grant prescribes: 1. higher bars - my bars are at or a bit above the saddle height 2. saddle height - both of my bikes have a little bit more than a "fist full of seatpost" showing 3. tires - I run "fatter" tires than most of my friends. Instead of 700x20/22/23 pumped up to 115-120psi; I ride a 700x25 tire pumped up to 80 psi. I get plenty of comfort with, at least for me, no perceptible loss of "performance." 4. wider saddle - I love Avocet O2 saddles because they are wider than the average "ass-hatchet," opps, I mean bike saddle that mean for a guy weighing in at 140lb. This means more comfort for my fat butt! 5. lower gearing - I have compact cranks iwth low gearing (48/33 and 48/34) for years because its not only good on my knees, but allow me to climb up the steep stuff. Grant's been advocating this for years. Now, almost all my buddies have gone to "compact" cranks and some have even gone to, gasp, triples.... 6. fenders - when I can fit it, depends on the carbon fork, I use Crud MK2 fenders. They're pretty minimal, especially when compared to others, and a bit flimsy, but guess what, they work! The key is figuring out whether you have clearance under the fork - especially a carbon fork. Anyways, my carbon bike weighs in at about 17lb; the ti bike weighs a bit more at about 18lb. Yes, there are plenty of things on my bikes that G would looked down upon - ergo levers, carbon frame/fork. Still, I've taken what I think works for me and apply them to my bikes to make them work. You may want to aim your bro-in-law into that direction, who know he may end up with a Riv custom one of these days....Good Luck!
> > --Andy > > > > On Monday, August 27, 2012 7:34:49 AM UTC-7, jinxed wrote: >> >> On Monday, August 27, 2012 7:56:35 AM UTC-6, Fullylugged wrote: >>> >>> Buying the book is also a nice way to support a guy who has done and >>> continues to do some things that we benefit from. >>> >>> >> Yep...thats why I mentioned purchasing two copies. I want it/Grant/RBW to >> do well and keep the good stuff coming. Maybe if I give a copy to someone >> not-in-the-know...they might enjoy the refreshing point of view to cycling. >> > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rbw-owners-bunch/-/y-S2YD7jA7cJ. 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.
