Rosco Plat as first Rivendell

[Paul Donald]

I've been riding a new-to-me Rosco Platypus for about 4 months now. I can really see the draw of Rivendells offerings now that I've gone from just looking to riding. I also understand the compulsion to buy more of them, although admittedly I already had a bad CL/eBay habit. My build is not particularly imaginative, certainly not fancy. But it sure is nice to ride. So not much to report on the build other than I might go from a 100mm stem to a 110 or even 120 though. I'm putting that off because removing those nice plush silicone grips is a job I really dislike. I really like those Boscos and all the hand-estate they provide. 

My initial desire was for a Clem, and as it happens there's a frame for sale near me that I am pretending doesn't exist. The Rosco only lacks that lovely curve that really makes the aesthetics sing on so many of Rivs frames. 

I did get the comment "boy, that's a girls bike" hurled at me within the first week of riding it, so I decided that means I'm doing it right. 

It has been my go-to bike for errands (when not on my cargo bike) and my main commuter bike. Commuting 18 miles, 4 days a week, just lovely. That long wheel base and those plush tires soften the nasty mess of LA roads.

Many thanks to Eric for the nice price and a stellar pack and send job. Many thanks to those folks offering suggestions on sizing. As you might see in the pics a 59cm seat tube is about as tall as I ought to ride. 

[Chris Halasz]

Paul 

Nice build, really looks just right, and great color on the frame! I wonder if RBW will ever do a color like that on a Clem? 

Your 59cm frame fit is about equivalent to my 64cm Clem sizing. It works!

If you can withstand the hassle of removing one of the silicone grips, the faceplates stems are really convenient thereinafter. 

- Chris 

[Steve]

Paul, if you have access to an air compressor you can pretty much blow those grips off by slipping a tapered narrow tipped adapter  under the forward edge of the grip and giving it a blast. Use your free hand to help coax it off .     Alternately, I've had. good luck with injecting jelled alcohol hand sanitizer under the grip, and then twisting it off. I use a 10ml syringe with a blunt needle inserted between the bar and the grip to inject with. The hand sanitizer also works great for  installing silicone grips. 

About that "girl's bike" comment. As another Man-on-a-Mixte let me suggest that the fools who say such things are revealing their ignorance. Don't knock it till you've tried it!

Steve

[Matthew Williams]

Nice!

Is that Grizzly Peak?

[Paul Donald]

@chris, I should use faceplaters, and might as I settle into a stem length I like. But I also just love the way a nitto technomic looks with the bolt tucked underneath. I got talked out of a 64 Clem, the issue being the seattube being possibly too long for me. I did notice that the reach is the same, the current 64 is 1mm less compared to the 59! @steve, I've been using rubbing alcohol in a tiny bottle with a needle applicator tip along with a spoke slipped under the grip to help it spread. But you know how it is, new bike equals multiple "tweaks" of everything. I had those grips on and off about 4 times already. Current thoughts are a modification I've used before where I take apart some worn out lock-on grips, wrapping the rubber parts with newbaums and reassembling. @matthew, it's Elysian Park, next to Dodgers stadium, looking out past Frogtown at Cypress Park/Mount Washington. 90% of my riding is toward getting or doing something, I rarely have time for fun rides, but Elysian Park is a "fun" short ride. A bit of a grind to get up but you're rewarded with the loveliest swooping, carving, cornering on the downhill - something the long Rosco makes even nicer.