Whose Charlie is in the Club Rides?

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

It’s been a rainy, windy day and Charlie and I had to cancel our ride with my friend and her carbon road bike. And I was thinking about how much I adore Charlie and hate to miss any rides with him, and that made me wonder who else is like us out there.

I got a 53 golden Charlie on a WHIM. Like, two hours before the pre-sale I started thinking this might be just the bike for me and I’d just SEE if I could even get one in my cart and once I had, I hit “purchase” and he was mine. And he has been the best impulse buy I’ve ever made and I mean it.

I’d been doing club rides on my Platypus and that was going great. It’s just that I read the copy on the product page for Charlie and it was like it was written for me. And it has been true that this Rivendellian road bike is all the good things promised, and that it feels like a light, fast machine. I can still tear it up on a Platypus, but it’s more like a dance when I’m doing it with Charlie.

The Gallop being new and not a #1 seller means I have read limited feedback from others about it. I’m soliciting that here. Mostly, I’m curious about the owners taking their Charlies to club rides. I don’t think I’ve heard from anyone who is using their Charlies in that way, and club rides was what Riv marketed the bike for. 

So, is there anyone out there? How are you received by the Lycra crowd? What do you think of Charlie’s performance? Is it noticeably better/faster than other Rivs you’ve ridden in fast rides? Do you have upright bars? 

[George Schick]

I don't have a dog in the fight either way on this Gallop business, but I am curious about which lake is was where that pic was taken.

[Leah Peterson]

At the gem of our area, George. Gull Lake!

On Jun 14, 2026, at 7:28 PM, George Schick <bhi...@gmail.com> wrote:

I don't have a dog in the fight either way on this Gallop business, but I am curious about which lake is was where that pic was taken.

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[George Schick]

Fascinating.  Based on what I I've been told by people living in the greater Chicago area there are numerous owners or at least renters of cottages on small inland lakes in Southwestern Michigan and this Gull Lake seems to be one of the larger ones. I've often wondered about the economy of the area that supports that kind of existence. If one travels along the Eastern shore of Lake Michigan one will find a plethora of upscale communities and harbors with various venues who cater to those affluent out-of-state itinerants from the West, but when one gets just a small distance East of those areas things seem to decline pretty quickly life style wise, that is.  That leaves me wondering where the people who own or rent those cottages and/or boats along those small lakes get their maintenance for the upkeep of their dwellings - unless that's up to the people they lease/rent them from as required.

At any rate, it doesn't sound like you'll have too much longer to worry about riding around such scenic areas once you've moved to Central Ohio :-(

[Leah Peterson]

Oh, you must never be concerned for me, George. If I’m not riding around these scenic areas, I’ll be riding around new scenic areas. I bloom where planted! :)

On Jun 14, 2026, at 8:32 PM, George Schick <bhi...@gmail.com> wrote:

Fascinating.  Based on what I I've been told by people living in the greater Chicago area there are numerous owners or at least renters of cottages on small inland lakes in Southwestern Michigan and this Gull Lake seems to be one of the larger ones. I've often wondered about the economy of the area that supports that kind of existence. If one travels along the Eastern shore of Lake Michigan one will find a plethora of upscale communities and harbors with various venues who cater to those affluent out-of-state itinerants from the West, but when one gets just a small distance East of those areas things seem to decline pretty quickly life style wise, that is.  That leaves me wondering where the people who own or rent those cottages and/or boats along those small lakes get their maintenance for the upkeep of their dwellings - unless that's up to the people they lease/rent them from as required.

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[Ted Durant]

On Sunday, June 14, 2026 at 6:34:19 PM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:

At the gem of our area, George. Gull Lake!

Home of one of the last remaining fleets of International 210's, the boat I grew up racing on.

https://www.210class.com

Ted Durant

Milwaukee, WI USA 

[Tom Powell Davies]

Hi Leah and all,

I don't have a Charlie, but am very Charlie-curious, so I'm pleased for this thread and will look forward to hearing how other people are finding theirs :)

I'm also quite curious about whether people are finding the Charlie more light and lively than the Homer, for people who have ridden both! (I'm tossing up between these two.)

As a tall person at the top of the nominal weight range for the Charlie, I'm also curious to hear if any heavier folks have been riding it, and how they have been finding it. I'm guessing that one wouldn't be in danger of breaking the bike, but I'd be interested to hear if the bike feels 'noodly' at that end of the weight scale.

Apologies for adding more questions than answers, and looking forward to hearing about people's experiences,

Tom

(Cambridge, UK)

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[Steven Seelig]

I got a Charlie on a whim too.  Well mostly because our former LBS owner had a good line on Riv direct frames and he convinced me to buy one, mostly because I could install wider tires AND fenders; something that was limited on my Ram.  So out went the Ram and in came the Charlie and over came the Ram parts and out went the slightly lower quality components along with the Ram.  So my setup is pretty much the same as the Ram.  Ram was a 56 and the Charlie is a 57.  Charlie is setup with the same Albatross bars as before, but now has dispensed with the original Sugino triple and now has just a double chain-ring in front.  

Ride-wise, the Ram was characteristically a bit lighter on the rear end and could be thrown about as I would crank onto the pedal, much like my older steel racing bikes.  The short chain stays just made it more nimble/responsive, but those aren't really the right words when comparing it to the Charlie.  Charlie definitely transfers my efforts directly to the wheels without much frame flex and seems equally responsive to my input.  Not anything like my Platy, which is like a plush land cruiser of comfort and joy.  The Charlie is for faster in-town riding and for going up the larger hills we have here in DC.  At first I though I'd simply use panniers in the rear for carrying stuff - the Ram had a front basket on a Mark's rack - but decided that when I ride around town I NEED a front basket.  I won't use it for longer group rides 

So the Charlie is super well-grounded, perhaps as fast as the Ram, certainly stiffer than the Ram, transfers my input very efficiently and it is fun.  I believe that it will become my winter bike once the season's turn and I install fenders.  As for the comparison to the Homer or a Sam and whether it is stiffer, I can't say because my older Sam with medium length (not long) chain stays is set up very differently as a drop bar gravel bike.

Steve Seelig

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

Tom - great questions and I hope you get some answers. I am 5’6” and not going to be of help to you, but Charlie is a lovely bike, that I can assure you. I don’t know how he compares to the Homer, but every woman I know who owns a Homer loves hers and wonders the same about Charlie. We just don’t have enough Charlies out there to make these comparisons, I think.

Steven, Charlie as a winter bike! Interesting! And I agree about the comparison to the Platy.

On Monday, June 15, 2026 at 3:32:44 AM UTC-4 tom.powe...@gmail.com wrote:

[Bill Shaw]

Hello all,

Hoping I can help out some with Tom's questions, also being a taller rider. I purchased a 60cm CG back in Jan of this year and am 6'3" and weigh ~ 210 lbs, so I'm supposedly at the tipping point of the weight limit of this model. However, I had talked to Will before purchasing the bike and expressed some concerns about whether or not my weight and the CG frame would be a problem and he said absolutely no. He said often-time bike manufacturers will post a weight limit as a mile marker, so to speak, to provide some sort of boundary. In my case, as long as I'm not hauling heavy loads and don't put on 50 lbs, I should be ok. 

Fast forward to today with ~ 4 months of saddle time, I can report the CG is a blast to ride. It originally had the Albatross bar, which was fine, but swapped to the Bar68 handlebar and Schwalbe Marathon Almotion Tires (700 x 38), so it's very comfortable, light and climbs the moderate hills around my neighborhood with no problem. I've spoiled myself in the past 8 months as I also purchased a Platypus back in Oct last year, so the hardest decision now is deciding which bike to ride when I wander into the garage. Both bikes are neck and neck as far as enjoyment, which in turn caused me to sell my Roadini. At my ripe old age of 64, the drop bar riding scene may be in my rear view mirror.  I can't say enough good things about my new best bud Charlie, and would highly advise anyone interested to get one. 

Thanks,

Bill 

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[Tin Do]

Hi Everyone,

Leah, I'm in the same boat! Writing also on a rainy day -  I bought a Charlie specifically to ride on group/club rides, and from the Rivendell copy felt it was designed exactly for someone in my position. I've been happily getting around on a Soma Buena Vista for these group rides but wouldn't mind a speed boost for some of the longer road ones. I've been keenly following your Charlie posts and have been encouraged by your experiences. 

Getting onto this thread a little early though, as I actually haven't taken the Charlie for a group ride yet. It's still at the bike shop getting racked and fendered. A spin in the alley suggests it is a lighter ride than I'm used to, and because I sized up to a 57 it still feels stable and smooth - it's a familiar feeling probably due to the bikes I currently ride. I'm hoping the light weight and increased gear range will make the crucial difference to my riding, while still being a bike I can ride and use daily. 

I'm expecting to be tolerated, but perhaps underestimated based on group reactions to the BV, but I welcome it. One of the bike mechanics didn't think it would make of a difference to performance, but in my own experience borrowing a friend's gravel bike on some of the longer rides even a little improvement is all I'd need. And if not, I subscribe to the notion that Rivs are about 80% similar to each other; variations on a theme that I would enjoy riding regardless. Here it is below with road bike inspired black and silver parts. Will report back after the first group ride soon!

Tin

[Leah Peterson]

These replies are wonderful! Thank you both for reporting on your Charlies. 

Tin - please, PLEASE write about your club ride experience with your Charlie. Before I had mine, I was riding a Platypus with the group, so not unlike your Buena Vista. I absolutely notice a difference between my two bikes - that Charlie is easier to ride faster. How soon before you can get your bike and do a group ride?

Leah

On Jun 18, 2026, at 4:03 PM, Tin Do <tin...@gmail.com> wrote:

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<IMG_1514.jpeg>

<Charlie.jpeg>

[Tin Do]

Definitely! I'll be getting it this week. I'm thinking I'll take it slow on a few solo rides before rolling up to a mid-week or weekend group ride.