For Leah re my Gallop

[Valerie Yates]

Following up on Leah's questions in a new thread (and in a new order).

On Sunday, May 5, 2024 at 5:33:07 PM UTC-6 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:

Valerie, I would love to hear every single thing you say about this bike. Do you have sweepy bars? Drop bars? Have you ridden it on a club ride? Do you find it to be quick and lively? What was the reason you bought your Charlie? 

What was the reason you bought your Charlie?  

In general, I like to buy used/demo bikes to try them out and see how they perform in the applicable subset of the variety of rides I like to do - whether paved or dirt/gravel, steep hills or rolling flats, and whether short rides, all day, or multi-day, loaded or supported, alone or with people. Although many have overlapping capabilities, I tend to set them up for specific types of rides, rather than being all-rounders. With a new bike, I like to figure out if it fills an empty niche or if it excels relative to an existing bike in a category, which would then likely be sold or repurposed. It is a fun game. 

When the Gallop demo was for sale, I had just discovered what an unbelievable blast the Gus is on bumpy dirt rides (so fun! so liberating!) and was curious about the effect of the swoopy top tube and longer wheel-base on a road-oriented bike. Also, it is purple. 

Do you have sweepy bars? Drop bars? 

The bike came with albastache bars which I always try to like, but I never do. Hard to explain, but the bars felt too skinny to my hands for such a rounded, plush bike. I think drop bars would work well with the right stem height and reach. I have 4 drop-bar bikes so I didn't want to move it in that direction. I had on-hand a bosco-moose bar so I swapped over to that one. I love it. I have such a great view while riding and supreme comfort climbing and descending.   

Do you find it to be quick and lively?

It is lively! I don't know about quick. I haven't ridden it with garmin/strava going so I can't compare my speeds to other bikes. It is very fun to ride. It is the kind of bike that inspires me to pedal a bit faster because I feel the energy go right into your motion. It puts a big smile on my face. I have it set up with a triple so I have a huge range of gears, which helps in my very hilly neighborhood. It likes to climb. I don't know if I am going fast (likely not) but it is not hard. It is far more responsive and nimble than my Clem H, which I sold. That was a tank. This is like a rowing scull, easy to bring up to speed and to plane in rhythm with the bike. It sails down hills. It feels like it disappears under me. It is weird because it is not the lightest bike I have. 

I think having wide tires helps because they mitigate all the road texture. I switched from the Soma Shikoro tires that came with it to Schwalbe G-One Speed TLE in size 50.  The Soma's were fine but the Schwalbe's feel more plush.  Like I'm riding a Rolls Royce. Well, what I imagine a Rolls would be like. 

Have you ridden it on a club ride? 

I no longer do club rides. I don't know if this is the bike I would choose for riding with my go-fast friends and family. I am more of an all-day pace rider so when I am riding with faster people and trying not to hold them up, I tend to choose my Roadeo. It fits in better with the roadie riders in my area. The Roadeo is also the bike I choose when challenging myself on steep, paved climbing, like Vail pass, because it is lighter. I think it would be really fun to take the Gallop up Vail pass if I were going by myself but I don't know that I'd be keeping up with anyone. I have to ride the Gallop more to assess my speed on it.  I get the impression that the Roadini is more comparable to the Roadeo than my Gallop would be. It also sounds like the production Gallop may have slightly different ride characteristics from the version I have. And while I love my Roadeo for what it enables me to do, I think I smile more on the Gallop. 

Hope that helps! Happy to answer any other questions. 

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

Valerie, well you’re an undiscovered treasure. I haven’t had the privilege to know you but just reading this reveals that you are a RivSister with a wealth of bike information and we NEED you here. Wow! It was oddly like reading a Bill Lindsey post with all the talk of incorporating a new bike into your collection and using it for certain subsets of rides. If you two don’t know each other I think you should get acquainted! 

Thanks for taking the time and offering your opinion about this bike. I really think it could be a good first road bike for me, and a good one to experiment with drops. I’m so late getting into serious riding (I found Riv at 31 and was raising little kids but now am 3 years from empty-nesting) and I feel so behind. Everyone else seems like they had their drop bar phase and club riding phase in their 20s and maybe 30s. I never rode a group ride until I was 41. It’s a lot, so I’m very appreciative when other people (especially women) will share what they know. It really, truly helps.

One question: Why do you think the Roadini is more like your Roadeo than your Gallop? What makes the Roadini and the Gallop different, do you think?

Thanks again for this thread!

Leah

[Valerie Yates]

Thanks for the kind words! I've been enjoying yours and Bill's and many others' posts for years but I only rarely chime-in. 

I have loved riding bikes since childhood, got my first drop-bars when I was 8 (the Schwinn Bicentennial 10 speed), and yet my club riding phase was also late (40-45) and very brief. I had just moved to Boulder, CO and the club rides were a great way to get to know popular, local routes. But I am introverted and group activities just aren't my scene. I have a few folks with whom I like to ride and, whenever I can, I sign up for a trip with HeartCycle.org. On the HC rides, everyone goes at their own pace. I enjoy the random camaraderie that occurs during the ride without any expectation of continuing to ride together. The club is based in Denver, started by doctors, has long-standing members from across the US, and offers trips across the US and Europe. Experienced riders, great routes, fully supported, non-profit, and not fancy. They welcome new members if that ever interests you or anyone else reading this. 

My understanding of the Roadini is based on the website: 

Roadini -  Functionally like a Roadeo, priced like a Clem.

To me, the Roadeo feels absolutely plush, smooth, and elegant compared to the too small, too stiff, carbon-framed, low-barred, skinny-tired road bike I was persuaded to get when I moved to Boulder to fit in on rides with various clubs. That bike is long gone. The shorter wheel-base, stiffer tubing, and skinner tires of the Roadeo makes it much more taut and spare feeling than the Gallop. For me, the Roadeo is the ultimate, classic road bike for challenging myself on paved rides -- whether going fast or climbing on my own or riding with faster friends.   

The long-length, fat-swoop tubing, and fatter-tire capability of the Gallop seems more like a lightweight, road-oriented Susie, to me. Less concern about potholes and road texture than on the Roadeo and more playful, all-day comfort. Since I haven't actually tried it on the rides I do with the Roadeo, I can't say for sure how it compares. Its performance could surprise me. In any event, I think the Gallop will be really fun and a great intro to drop bars coming from the the upright models you've been riding. I am eager to read your ride reports. 

[Sarah Carlson]

Thank you for this Valerie, your post made my morning!

Sarah

[Valerie Yates]

Sarah - thanks! Are you thinking of getting one?

[Sarah Carlson]

I just built a lovely Homer that fills that riding gap, but I do plan to watch other people build theirs.... LEAH!

[Jason Fuller]

I totally get not wanting to purchase a non-Rivendell, but it might be well worthwhile to borrow or rent a drop bar bike to try out - of course, it'll be disorienting, but should hopefully give you a sense of "I think I'd get used to this" versus "this is definitely not for me". The reason I say this is because it could be all the difference between choosing October's lugged Roadini versus November's Charlie H Gallop. I know that both bikes can run either, in theory, but in practice they are much more suited to one vs the other. 

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

I know it, Jason. I should just ask a woman in my bike group but it feels like wearing someone else’s underwear. And actually, it’s not that far off. (Side story: Last year I picked up a woman whose flat we could not fix. I hoisted her bike onto my rack and immediately wanted to vomit. I had grabbed her saddle, some kind of foam thing, and it was SOAKED THROUGH, like a sponge.) Also, I don’t have clipless shoes, and every woman on my rides has those pedals.

But ok, I thought about what you said and I REMEMBERED something. There’s a place in town I may be able to rent a drop bar bike in my size. I’ll report back tomorrow!

I hadn’t thought about it being an Oct Roadini vs Nov Gallop. Are you surmising that if I go with drops I should go Roadini and Gallop for swept-back bars?

Leah

[Valerie Yates]

If I wanted a drop bar bike to fit in with my club/fast friends, I would pick Roadini. The Gallop is a fun alternative in the line-up but I don't see it as a primary go-fast road bike. I think a Roadini will be more different in a fun way from the bikes you've had. And your friends' bikes likely have skinny tires and too-low bars that would make them a bad comparison. A gravel bike with drop bars might be a good option to try just for more comfortable geometry and tires. Long shot, but if you could find a used Soma San Marcos (designed by Riv and made by Soma), that bike feels super similar to my Roadeo. 

[Leah Peterson]

Valerie, 

Interesting! What would make the Roadini more suited to go-fast road rides than the Gallop? What makes the Roadini more different in a fun way than the Gallop? I may be misunderstanding what the Gallop is; I had thought it was the new clubby bike Riv was advocating. 

I am so appreciative of your and everyone’s input. I have lots to learn and it is FUN.

L

On May 9, 2024, at 8:24 PM, Valerie Yates <vya...@gmail.com> wrote:

If I wanted a drop bar bike to fit in with my club/fast friends, I would pick Roadini. The Gallop is a fun alternative in the line-up but I don't see it as a primary go-fast road bike. I think a Roadini will be more different in a fun way from the bikes you've had. And your friends' bikes likely have skinny tires and too-low bars that would make them a bad comparison. A gravel bike with drop bars might be a good option to try just for more comfortable geometry and tires. Long shot, but if you could find a used Soma San Marcos (designed by Riv and made by Soma), that bike feels super similar to my Roadeo. 

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[P W]

Having ridden a Gallop around the Riv lot on Grant’s beckoning, my five-minute ride report is thus:

If you like riding a Clem or a Susie, for that comfy, stretched-out, body-planted-in-the-middle-of-the-bike type of vibe, but you always wanted a really light, road-only, skinny tire, center-mounted brake version, this would be that.

It’s not go-fast. Or at least it didn’t feel that way at all to me. It felt like a Cadillac. Long, low, smooth. I bet it cruises really nicely on the open road once it’s up to speed.

But it’s not a club ride road bike type of bike.

Or I didn’t feel like it was.

Or the one I rode wasn’t set up to achieve that sort of feeling.

You know, the feeling of standing up and mashing the cranks and tucking in, and taking the good lines, and going really fast.

P. W.

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On May 9, 2024, at 5:37 PM, Leah Peterson <jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Valerie Yates]

I agree with Philip.

The tube size, frame geometry, length, wheel size - they are very different bikes. I think Riv is offering the Gallop as a fun new direction for road bikes in the way hilly bikes  (Susie and Gus) are a better alternative to over-mechanized mountain bikes. It is a road bike in the sense that it is not to be loaded up for touring. It is not for bumpy fire roads or trails. It is for riding on pavement (mostly). I don't think he's necessarily designing for fast club rides with friends on carbon and/or titanium bikes. 

The Roadeo (and presumably the  Roadini since they are presented as equivalent) has more classic road bike feel in the best possible way. The Roadeo is a much more taut and racy bike than any of the others, excepting only the Legolas, which is going further than you'd need or likely enjoy. It will be much easier to ride with drop bars because that is its sole design intention. 

You should bring your saddle and try my bikes. 😁 

. 

[Valerie Yates]

I will take some pictures tomorrow. Maybe seeing them next to each other will show how different they are. 

[Valerie Yates]

 
Also Philip - I have 700x50 tires on my Gallop, so it is not just for skinny tires. But all the rest fits with my impression. 

[P W]

You know, as soon as I hit send, I thought: “It’s a Riv, I bet the tire clearance is actually massive!”

😂

For how a go-fast Riv roadie could and should look, what better source of inspiration than Will’s:

See also:

P. W.

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On May 9, 2024, at 6:06 PM, Valerie Yates <vya...@gmail.com> wrote:

 

Also Philip - I have 700x50 tires on my Gallop, so it is not just for skinny tires. But all the rest fits with my impression. 

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[Leah Peterson]

Woah, that’s a pretty steep drop from Will’s saddle to bars for me! But it’s pretty.

I look forward to your photos, Valerie, and how I wish I lived in your neighborhood so I could bring my saddle and try your bikes. 

When it all boils down, it’s this:

I’m looking to see what it’s like to ride a stripped-down roadish Rivendell and see how that affects my performance on group rides. Rivendell offers 2 (not counting the hard-to-obtain Roadeo) road bikes in their lineup and I’m trying to differentiate between them and see which one is better for me. I hope they can make that clear in their product description when the time comes for them to launch the CHG. Meanwhile, we get to chat and speculate and evaluate here and it is loads of fun! 

Also, thank you again to everyone for sharing your wisdom with me. Keep it coming!

L

On May 9, 2024, at 9:46 PM, P W <philip....@gmail.com> wrote:

You know, as soon as I hit send, I thought: “It’s a Riv, I bet the tire clearance is actually massive!”

😂

For how a go-fast Riv roadie could and should look, what better source of inspiration than Will’s:

<image0.jpeg>

See also:

P. W.

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On May 9, 2024, at 6:06 PM, Valerie Yates <vya...@gmail.com> wrote:

 
Also Philip - I have 700x50 tires on my Gallop, so it is not just for skinny tires. But all the rest fits with my impression. 

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[Johnny Alien]

I think the big thing is that the gallop was designed for sweptback bars and the roadini was not. In the world of Rivendell I am not sure what that equates to because most of their bikes can go either way and Grant has said that is true here too if you use a short stem. That statement tells me that the effective top tube on the gallop will be longer and most likely the wheelbase will be as well. If I can figure out how to measure those things well I can give it a shot on my prototype and assuming the end geometry is pretty similar to the production model we would get some info. Points for the gallop would be 1. Just different enough to get you a go fast bike that still turns some heads 2. Geometry providing a better fit for an alternative cockpit if you don't like the drops.

Downside to the gallop is that the lower top tube allows a larger size to fit better. I think its a good guess that Rivendell would steer people that way and you likely would be very comfy on a size similar to the larger Platy but I think doing that might make drops a bit harder to be comfortable on. It would likely need a very very short stem. I guess thats not a downside it just makes the sizing discussion a little more open on the gallop than the Roadini. But wiht the new 50cm platy you will be packed with all sorts of sizing and comfort information to rely on.

Otherwise weight and tubing specs are probably pretty similar between the two

[Sarah Carlson]

Valerie, I am also looking forward to your photos. I love show and tell!  Thank you for your posts which I have started looking forward to.

Sarah

[Diana H]

Chiming in to say that this particular conversation comes at a great time for me! I was planning to buy the Roadini, but this whole thread is causing me to second guess. Leah, I'm planning to go to Riv in June sometime and ask them all the questions about Roadini vs CHG. I'll make sure to post what I learn. Until then, fun to speculate and read others thoughts.

[Jason Fuller]

Valerie made a good point that drop bars are going to feel quite different set up the way the typical club rider has versus how you could set up a Riv roadie - chances are, you'll want to the bars up higher, though you may find yourself lowering them if you get more serious about speed. I love quill stems for making this such an easy thing to do! 

And to your clarification question earlier, yes, from the geometry and Grant's comments I've seen to date I'd say the Roadini is primarily a drop bar bike while the CHG is primarily a swept bar bike, and while each can handle the other bar type, I think you'd ultimately find it's not optimal. I know that drops are the popular vote in this thread but I do think a CHG set up with the Choco bar and a long stem, with bar tape ahead of the levers for a more aero hand position, and bars set fairly low (just a smidge above saddle height, give or take) would be a great club ride bike, plenty different than your other bikes, yet more familiar feeling than going to drop bars.  

[Patrick Moore]

You can get a very comfortable and efficient riding position on a drop-bar bike with very little difference between saddle and bar height. 

This is not exactly a road bike; well, it's a "road bike for dirt;" the bar is just about level with saddle, perhaps a few mm lower. The stem has such a severe downward angle -- it's a +/- 30* -- because Chauncey wasn't used to building road bikes so he built the frame with huge stack.

Point is, that this is very comfortable yet I can get into the drops when I turn into a headwind, and the hoods position is just right for flatland cruising and still high enough that I have good control on the hoods when riding on sketchy ditchbank paths and in sand. A 42 cm (at hoods) Maes Parallel instead of a 38 also adds control without feeling too awkwardly wide, but there again the higher bar mitigates the wide bar.

My road bikes have a bar about 3-4 cm below saddle, the lowest that still allows me to ride the hooks/drops for several miles at a stretch -- this because of our strong headwinds, but really, I could probably swap 8 cm stems 1.5" below saddle for 10 cm stems level with saddle and get the same position. (But shorter stems are lighter and make me faster.)

[Valerie Yates]

I've made an album with pics of my Roadeo, CHG, and Susie. Link to album.  The album includes a poor quality picture of the Gallop with the albastache bars that were on it when it arrived.

Leah - the drop from Will's saddle to bars was an intentional choice. He chose a smaller frame with a raised up saddle to achieve a racier position. My bars on the Roadeo are set fairly level with my saddle. With drop-bar bikes, I tend to choose the frame with the minimum necessary stand-over clearance to ensure I can have level bars without having to raise them up high in a way that looks funky to me. I am not a weight-weenie but perhaps worth mentioning that the Roadeo as shown with bags but minus pump is 25 lbs and 11 ounces. The Gallop, minus lock and pump, is 34 pounds. Some of the difference is my dynamo hub, lights, and and racks. I'd guess 5-6 pounds is the difference without those accessories. 

Here is a collage for anyone who doesn't want to follow the link. I measured from front to rear drop-out and both the Roadeo and Gallop are 175. Looking at where the vertical segment of the garage door intersects the frame is pretty interesting.  I don't really understand how all the extra space in the Gallop frame is achieved. Riv magic. 

[Jason Fuller]

Valerie - gorgeous trio of bikes, thank you for sharing. The three shown in that order makes it look like the Roadeo morphs into a Hillibike and the CHG is the intermediate stage, which is both funny and also indicative of its purpose and ride quality, which I'm sure lands squarely in between also! 

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[Valerie Yates]

Jason -- I  have choco-moose on my CHG and I agree it is a great choice. I plan to add back the bar tape ahead of the levers and across the front (which it used to have). 

Leah is the one looking for a club ride bike.  I think the CHG is a great choice for someone who has had the drop-bar experience and wants something different or someone who just wants a fun pavement-oriented bike. For someone curious about riding a racy drop-bar bike in go -fast rides with their club friends, I am not sure that the Charlie will scratch that itch. To my mind, Roadini is the obvious choice for that kind of ride.  I will be very curious to see how this all turns out.  

[P W]

Interesting how differently that Gallop looks, and presumably feels, compared to the larger, presumably production verison of the same bike, without the swoopy TT, currently at Riv:

P. W.

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On May 10, 2024, at 12:23 PM, Jason Fuller <jtf.f...@gmail.com> wrote:



Valerie - gorgeous trio of bikes, thank you for sharing. The three shown in that order makes it look like the Roadeo morphs into a Hillibike and the CHG is the intermediate stage, which is both funny and also indicative of its purpose and ride quality, which I'm sure lands squarely in between also! 

On Fri, May 10, 2024 at 12:15 PM Valerie Yates <vya...@gmail.com> wrote:

I've made an album with pics of my Roadeo, CHG, and Susie. Link to album.  The album includes a poor quality picture of the Gallop with the albastache bars that were on it when it arrived.

Leah - the drop from Will's saddle to bars was an intentional choice. He chose a smaller frame with a raised up saddle to achieve a racier position. My bars on the Roadeo are set fairly level with my saddle. With drop-bar bikes, I tend to choose the frame with the minimum necessary stand-over clearance to ensure I can have level bars without having to raise them up high in a way that looks funky to me. I am not a weight-weenie but perhaps worth mentioning that the Roadeo as shown with bags but minus pump is 25 lbs and 11 ounces. The Gallop, minus lock and pump, is 34 pounds. Some of the difference is my dynamo hub, lights, and and racks. I'd guess 5-6 pounds is the difference without those accessories. 

Here is a collage for anyone who doesn't want to follow the link. I measured from front to rear drop-out and both the Roadeo and Gallop are 175. Looking at where the vertical segment of the garage door intersects the frame is pretty interesting.  I don't really understand how all the extra space in the Gallop frame is achieved. Riv magic. 

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CAGBpHnetbhTiBHOpexJ1nrKLx19KiiWZ9FEgL7HewZuXwBTAfQ%40mail.gmail.com.

[Valerie Yates]

Jason - Thanks! ! I love them all. It does feel to me like Grant applied some of his hillibike design ideas to a frame that is less stout and more flexy for added liveliness and fun on paved rides. I have yet to test them but I am fairly confident I can ride and climb faster on the Roadeo. 

[Valerie Yates]

Philip - Agreed! My observations on this version may be entirely irrelevant to the production version. Although, I will add that nothing in that picture says go-fast club rides to me. 

[P W]

Me either!

I’m team Roadini for Leah, for sure!

All this talk has me jonesing for that very big red Road custom currently on offer at a very reasonable price…

P. W.

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On May 10, 2024, at 12:37 PM, Valerie Yates <vya...@gmail.com> wrote:

Philip - Agreed! My observations on this version may be entirely irrelevant to the production version. Although, I will add that nothing in that picture says go-fast club rides to me. 

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/cc141177-4b57-46fa-8aca-29b6c1df1932n%40googlegroups.com.

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

This is SO fun. 

Diana, yes please post here as you make your observations/get your answers. Valerie, your bikes are so cool. Heck, YOU are so cool. Here you were, all this time, and you have so much to offer us here; I truly hope we get to hear from you regularly after this. Philip, I agree about the Roadini. I think Valerie’s photos were helpful (and yours of the updated model, too) and show the CHG to be less club-ridey than I was hoping for. That Roadeo looks like just the ticket, though. A Roadini should be a great choice. Now, do I wait for the lugged versions or hope for a 50 on the used market? So far there have been none to be found…

L

[Brent Knepper]

I'm another person whose been showing up to road bike group rides on a road-style Riv the last year or so and it's been a fun journey! I was lucky to buy Valerie's old Riv Bleriot on here and I maintain it as the befendered iteration of my two "fast" bikes- aka bikes with smooth tires and drop bars. it's nice having a dedicated fender bike for when a surprise midwest rain storm passes through 2 hours before a ride

anyway I always show up in a t-shirt or hoodie and chaco sandals and my bars level with the leather saddle. While the RoadieBoys™ seem confused about socializing with someone whose appearance/bike doesn't meet their expectations, the women and other folks always say how beautiful the Bleriot is, how the fenders are so smart in keeping my sandal'd feet clean while being helpful to whoever might be behind me, and how neat it is that I'm still fast "enough" to keep pace despite not having the roadie-culture promoted bike, shoes, or clothing :)

Leah, I wish you the best on your road bike journey! I admire your commitment to Rivendells (an easy brand to commit to honestly), and hope a Roadeo comes along either at a good deal or with beautiful lugs to add to your hella colorful collection

-Brent in chicago

[Valerie Yates]

Brent! So glad you are happy with the Bleriot. That bike is silky smooth. Entirely comparable to both my Roadeo and Soma San Marcos. Which is why I was able to let it go. I am so glad it is living its best life. 

Leah -  All of the above. If a used one turns up, buy it. If you love it and want a lugged one, sell the used one. If a used one doesn't turn up, order a lugged one. If a used one turns up while your lugged one is pending, then it depends on price and timing. 😁 

[Doug H.]

This is a fun thread to follow. Valerie your stable of bikes is so nice! And, I enjoy reading your posts as it's obvious you have so much knowledge to offer. Keep it coming. I just recently bought a Roadini after selling my beloved Clem Smith Jr. I wanted a bicycle more suited for road riding and the Roadini has proven to be just that. I did set it up with Albatross bars for a more upright position. I don't ride in groups so can't say with experience that the Roadini is suited for that endeavor. But, I would say that it is without much reservation.

Doug

[Valerie Yates]

Doug - nice looking bike! Sharp and sleek. I love albatross bars. Can we see a close up of your grips? Have you posted about them previously? They look great.

[Sarah Carlson]

Oh wow Valerie! These photos were a treat to wake up to on mother's day, thanks for sharing!

Slowly we are all getting more information on what this mysterious CHG bike is.... and I'm glad this thread is here for it.

Sarah

[Doug H.]

Valerie,

Those grips were my first attempt to emulate what I saw in a Rivendell video, I think from Grant. I cut a piece of felt for each bar end and wrapped it with Newbaums Eggplant color tape. Then put a strip of Burnt Orange tape on top. The twine isn't as neat as in the video but looks good at a distance. I'm not a creative person in general so this was a bit of a stretch for my left brain. Here's a close-up photo:

Doug

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

Valerie, I’m going to take your formula and apply it. I’m looking for the used 50 Roadini and if anyone sees one first ,will ya send it my way? And then maybe this fall I end up with the lugged and sell the TIG’d. I don’t know! It’s an adventure! I plan to be impulsive! Not money-savvy! A real handful! 🤩 

Join me,

Leah

On Friday, May 10, 2024 at 6:50:30 PM UTC-4 Valerie Yates wrote:

[Jason Fuller]

Planned impulsivity, I like it. That's a very sound plan in my opinion because you can likely score a TIG Roadini for a good price, and all the parts would swap over to either a lugged Roadini if you love it, or a CHG if you think you want something longer.  I know you're not trying to be, but I think you're being very practical here!  

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/866a17e1-c162-4042-8ce9-6e36edff90c6n%40googlegroups.com.

[Valerie Yates]

Leah- love it! When you buy used, you can pretty much break-even on the subsequent resale. It is just a matter of timing liquidity. And you could possibly transfer parts over to the new frame, if you like the set-up, and sell just the frame. Or decide that lugs aren't crucial. Many possible outcomes. Eager to see how it all plays out. 

Doug - love the grips. I saw that demo too but never tried it. Yours look terrific. Very striking and fun. 

Sarah - glad you enjoyed the pics.😁

[Dorothy C]

Leah

Just a heads up if you find a used 700c Roadini hoping to swap parts to a new frame later, only the 2020 and later take long reach brakes. Before that the 47cm / 650b was long reach and the 700c sizes were medium reach. You might already know this.

[Leah Peterson]

Dorothy, of COURSE I don’t know this, and thank you for stepping in and saving your RivSister. Thank you, thank you!

L

On May 13, 2024, at 2:54 PM, Dorothy C <doroth...@gmail.com> wrote:

Leah

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/14947bf3-8a37-4720-883d-a4ebe95fe9f7n%40googlegroups.com.

[Eric White]

San Marcos, you say? Let's see a photo of that one, if you don't mind. You don't see too many in the wild!

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/e9772950-e4b5-491c-9058-80971a61334dn%40googlegroups.com.

[LBleriot]

[Eric White]

Looking good, Gary!

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/1cd3de68-ad5c-4617-a66c-b0f9363659fen%40googlegroups.com.

[Valerie Yates]

Gary -- I only saw the one, semi-sideways picture, which looks like it is in the other blue color, which I thought came with the straighter fork. But the picture that Eric re-posted looks like the same color as mine yet with a straighter fork. Do you have one in each color? Do both have the straighter fork curve? Mine does not have a 3rd set of bottle bosses. Did you rig yours as an add-on?

Eric -- Here is mine. Such a great bike.  Light, nimble, and fluid yet handles gravel, etc. without issue. I have no idea why this was not a massive success. My sister-in-law has one too and so she keeps a saddle in my garage so she can borrow mine when she visits. Would love to see how it compares in geometry to the Roadini. 

[Eric White]

Agreed. It's a great bike. Just a joy to ride. I find mine to be very steady and stable but there's nothing plodding about it. Here's mine in what I believe is the same color as yours, but without the more elegant fork.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/f9f81410-f60a-4617-b7fa-276f72f1f304n%40googlegroups.com.

[Valerie Yates]

Interesting! I thought the color determined which fork it had. I also thought you were re-posting another pic of Gary's bike. Now, I understand you were replying to his pic with one of your own. Did you use band clamps to attach the third bottle holder?

[Eric White]

I bought mine from a friend of a friend and I've done a bit of poking around on the history of the San Marcos but I still don't fully understand the evolution of the fork and color. 

I used the Velo Orange band clamps for the third water bottle cage. It's been rock solid and handy having the option for one more bottle. 

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/0f88f027-00e5-4551-8824-276dbcf2ab07n%40googlegroups.com.

[Valerie Yates]

Following up from a different thread re offshoot discussion of the San Marcos, the color changed between the 2013 Pearl Blue and 2015 Tiburon Blue versions, when they also expanded the range using 650b wheels to include the 54 and new 57 size.. Maybe the straight fork was retained on the  larger 650b sizes? The 59 and 63 had a double top tube and take 700c wheels. Mine is a 51 Tiburon Blue with 650b wheels. 

 

2013: https://www.somafab.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/san-marcos-flyer2.pdf

2015: https://www.somafab.com/archives/product/san-marcos-frame-set

[Valerie Yates]

Oops- replied in the same thread. i thought changing the subject line would make it into a new one. Guess it doesn't actually matter. 

[Eric White]

Thanks for the link to that documentation. I believe mine is a 54cm 2014 model. It looks like I got the newer blue color with the older fork. It's a bridge model, I guess!

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/f91f94a1-27a9-4382-bf87-811bc60df92dn%40googlegroups.com.

[Guy LeVan]

I absolutely adore my 2015 size 57 in Tiburon Blue.  If you want to see the Grant design influence, check out bikeinsights dot com comparison of this model to a Bleriot in size 59.  This 57cm was a new addition to the San Marcos lineup, and is as close to a perfect geometry for my morph than most bikes I’ve ridden. This is a bike that remains in my quiver.