Let's Get Claudia Lopez an El Clem

[Mark Roland]

From the BBC In the Colombian city of Bogotá, mayor Claudia López closed 117km (72.7 miles) of streets to cars in order to make cycling and walking easier during the coronavirus lockdown.--

That's wonderful. But this:

Mayor Lopez on (presumably) her bicycle. Oof. Calling Clem Smith Jr. Come in, please. Your services are urgently needed.

[Joe Bernard]

Matching frame and helmet, proper cycling gloves and Rad Red clipless shoes tells me she's a real rider on the bike she likes. I suspect a 'let's get Claudia a Clem' project would end like I suspect some of the 'buying a Riv for my wife' projects around here end: "Thanks dear, I'm happy with the bike I have." *

*I know it's just a comment, Mark isn't really trying to get Claudia Lopez a Clem 😬

[masmojo]

Who knows? My initial impression (not sure why, maybe the title of the thread) lead me to believe the bike she had wasn't very good, but on closer inspection it would appear to actually be easily as nice as a Clem.
Also, based on her location and the muddiness of her tires, I would say her bike is well suited to her needs. Although honestly, my impression is it doesn't fit her very well. Could just be the angle/pose.

[Joe Bernard]

All I know is I need those shoes to match the Rad Red paint on my custom. And red gloves! 👍♥️

[Ian A]

Cool photo. Sra Lopez Hernandez is a Green Party politician and the bicycle, which is painted green, is (re) decaled "Bogota" and also shows her website address.

Probably not her favourite bicycle, but well suited for official duties.

She'd probably quite at home on a Rodeo as much as a Clem...such is the national passion in Colombia for cycling.

I rode my bicycle around Colombia in 2010 and a number of times was stopped by motorcyclists and car drivers who just wanted to chat and offer me Coca Cola and food. It's a great country to be a cyclist.

IanA in not quite so friendly Alberta Canada.

[Mark Roland]

I assume "easily as nice as a Clem" might be taken to mean "just as expensive." Not sure what muddy tires has to do with anything, as the article is referencing shutting down roads in a major city, and the photo shows her riding through an urban square as her location. My thought is that a Clem L is way more suited to just about anybody's needs in this type of setting than the bike pictured, no matter how expensive or nice.

Ride whatcha got is cool and fine, but if that's what she's got, I suspect maybe she's a recreational rider (the gloves are another clue-full lycra would have been a bit much) or, like many cyclists, fell for the bike industry hype on suspension, disc brakes, etc. Whatever the case, I also think she would look more comfortable and at the same time more mayorial on a Clem than on the bike she is riding in the photograph.

[Mark Roland]

And of course the Clem could also handle the mud with a plum!

[Patrick Moore]

Interesting context for the photo. Wasn't one of the premier Tour climbers a few years ago a Colombian? I recall features about cycling in Colombia's mountains in cycling mags or blogs.

Nonetheless, I agree with Joe (just this once), that those shoes are what I need. I used to joke with my brother about adding cleats to Florsheim Imperials or Bass Weejuns, but those Dorothy-In-the-Land-of-Oz-red shoes take the matter to a higher plane.

The ultima Thule of cycling shoes: Those below with Anquetil aluminum, nail-on slotted cleats (I actually once owned a NOS pair in original cellophane packaging). (And I fondly recall buying a pair of these shoes for my daughter, age then about 7.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/d9723299-b94d-4860-8d59-a9b0352f69c9%40googlegroups.com.

--

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

[Jason Fuller]

This thread reminds me how far off the "beaten path" this group really is, haha. That bike looks like a pretty decent mountain bike, and while I love to romanticize about the joys of a simple, capable bicycle as much as any Riv owner, telling someone they should give up their much-more-capable mountain bike for the timeless utility of the Clem seems outlandish. Certainly not everyone has the same tastes in fashion, and I'd say this applies just as much to bicycles. I have "save the rim brake" stickers on a couple of my bikes, but I also know that those disc brakes are MUCH more powerful on proper trails (I've ridden a lot of both, having been a mountain biker for 30 years).  My comments are only as serious as the OP's though.  

That all said, she should at least be aware of the Clem's existence so she can decide if it's of interest ;) 

[Mark Roland]

How is that mountain bike "much more capable" for negotiating the urban streets in the capital city of Columbia? That's the context here, in case you haven't checked in. The article is about urban cycling getting a boost from the various lockdowns around the world, not downhill mt. biking. The bike she is on looks like it would be difficult to mount a rack to, never mind basket or fenders. Shocks are annoying at best in city riding; discs are overkill.

Yes, you could say this bike is being chosen exactly because of fashion. How you even get that water bottle out for a sip is beyond me. And as an aside, the Clem off road for anything short of extreme mountain biking is just fine, thanks.So yeah, no romanticizing here--my take is, the Clem Smith Jr. is hands down a "much more capable" bicycle all around. Also easier to maintain and accessorize. But do enjoy your Save the Rim Brake stickers!

[Jason Fuller]

In the context of riding only the streets indicated in the article, totally agree that the pictured mountain bike doesn't make sense.  I was assuming, if it's her bike, that she does ride trails on it. My point was the intended purpose of that bicycle is quite different than the Clem, and when used for that purpose, it would perform much better.  I know that technical trail riding at faster speeds is not a popular pastime of this group, but again if that was her bike, which was my assumption, I have to assume she does. Otherwise yes, it is indeed totally the wrong bike for the job.

It is an interesting topic regarding fashion, since there are a lot of people who will feel the Clem is dramatically better looking and there are also a lot of other people who will consider the mountain bike dramatically better looking.  I doubt there is much overlap, haha! 

[Mark Roland]

I would not make such assumptions. It's a Bogota branded bicycle. Obviously some manufacturer convinced the city that shocks and discs and flat bars make sense on a city bike. Because that's what they want to sell. Fashion. Whether or not the mayor is a gonzo mountain biker is completely unknown.

Regarding looks, my latest El Clem elicits unsolicited appreciation from most who see it. The Bogota bike looks indistinguishable from 100 other bikes available at Walmart, Target, Amazon or your local bike shop. Other than the city branding, I doubt most would see much noteworthy about it. Would be fun to do a test. Two people cruise around various locales. One on a Clem L one on a Magna MTB with shocks and discs. See which bike gets the most commentary.

Under a good rider, the only real issue with the Clem on the same trails as the Bogota in terms of keeping up would be the lower bottom bracket height. I actually found my Clem better both climbing and descending steep, difficult fire road than my Jones SWB. I would choose a Clem 100 times out of 100 over that fancy boinger. Because it's a better bike for 99% of the stuff humans will do on a bike. Most likely, and here I make an assumption, because, 99% is in my favor, including Claudia Lopez. I rest my case.

[masmojo]

Well, the point of my assertion that there was mud on the tires was simply evidence that she rode other more extreme environments than the city streets. In fact if you enbiggen the picture there are numerous tip offs that this is not a dept. Store bike.
The wheels are REALLY nice, carbon fiber spokes maybe? On closer inspection I'd say carbon fiber frame as well. I doubt Bogata is the brand, she's advertising her city and Dollars to Donuts that's a custom paint job. My guess is that for what that bike cost, she could get a CUSTOM Rivendell.

[Jason Fuller]

Yeah, it's hard to pin down exact details but that's a pretty solid modern XC mountain bike. The members here are extremely knowledgeable about certain types of bicycles, but this thread has been kind of funny to read as a life-long mountain biker. Obviously, the consensus here would be she should be riding a Rivendell because that's literally the name of the game here, but outside this very niche bubble, there is a world where a modern mountain bike like that has a lot of redeeming qualities that will make it more attractive to a lot of riders - such as light weight and high performance, at the expense of longevity and simplicity. After all, cycling is many things - one of which is sport.  In my opinion, that's as valid as any of the others. And I love them all. 

[Mark Roland]

I wonder if people actually read and digest that reading? My point, made several times, has nothing to do with whether her bicycle cost $219 or $2,119.00. Dollars for donuts, it has already been pointed out that the bike is "branded" in terms of the city she is mayor of, not an actual brand.

Did I say it was a department store bicycle? No, I said it looked the same, in response to an assertion about the average person's aesthetic views of bicycles. Did I say bicycles for "sport" are bad, or question their validity? Nope. I did say Clems are awesome for sport. As I also said, I have ridden and owned modern mtb. They are fine for the niche they serve. Clems are not a niche bike in actual use, they are generalists and do many things very well.

The fact that there is mud on the tires has nothing to do with anything, other than perhaps reinforcing my point that the bike is not in its natural environment as depicted, and as an illustration for the accompanying text in the article is not ideal. Did you read it?

Do carbon fiber spokes make a better city bike? Does a front suspension make sense riding down a paved street to the grocery store or work? Not to mention such a high zoot bike in a "desired" category is prime theft material in an urban environment.

My point was, a Clem makes more sense as an illustration for the article, and also for the mayor of Bogota to ride as the type of bicycle good for getting around Bogota. I really don't mind that you don't share my opinion, but it would be nice if you would take the time to comprehend the idea being expressed, and respond to that, rather than making assertions about something that is not under discussion. And of course, if you prefer to ride around town on a suspension bike with carbon wheels and nowhere to carry anything, please, don't let me stop ya!

[Joe Bernard]

I don't, Mark, your original post isn't a comment at all, it's just a thread title and a photo of someone on a bike. Then I commented somewhat humorously (for I am hilarious, ask anybody) and Masmojo responded to that. From here I see you objecting to his response to my response, it doesn't start with any point you were making because you didn't make one.

[masmojo]

I was nearly responding to the notion that (as I percieved it) she only rides in the environment pictured and that a Clem would be an upgrade. The relevance of mud on the tires is that clearly she doesn't ride solely on the esplanades of Columbia and that her bike likely sees serious offroad use to which it's more perfectly suited.
Now, could she also use a Clem? Probably so; but as an supplement rather than a replacement.