Old RBW road bike like the Rambouillet?

[Doug Van Cleve]

Howdy folks.

Wasn't there an RBW road frame BITD that was basically a more basic Rambouillet?  I think they were blue, and I don't remember if they were offered concurrently or after.  I think there was also a tall version called the Redwood...

Thanks, Doug

[George Rosselle]

I think it was the Romulus

[ANDREW LETTON]

Romulus!

cheers,

Andrew

(Painstakingly pecked out on my iPhone; please pardon my brevity and tpyos.)

On 25 Mar 2023, at 12:37 am, Doug Van Cleve <dvan...@gmail.com> wrote:



Howdy folks.

Wasn't there an RBW road frame BITD that was basically a more basic Rambouillet?  I think they were blue, and I don't remember if they were offered concurrently or after.  I think there was also a tall version called the Redwood...

Thanks, Doug

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[John Dewey]

RamBOBs,

I think all of these are quite accurate recollections. Our little family peloton (admittedly, a kind of 'embarrassment of riches') includes a RAM acquired in '04, a SAM circa '11, and most recently an NOS 650b DOG (Saluki) that chased us down and just wouldn't let us get away. Each what might be called 'classic' road bike. No stretched out chainstays or swoopy tubes, just delightful, well-mannered, well-proportioned, comfortable, artful road machines.  

The most recent addition—Saluki—to these old eyes, cannot be distinguished from any of the finest bespoke art bikes we all spend hours admiring on our computers. Every detail is refined and well thought out. Quite amazing. We just replaced old no-named rubber with 38mm Pari Motos and must admit that the 650b fairy dust seems real even if it makes no mechanical sense. Whatever—it feels fast and comfortable and is truly a handsome creature.

I guess you could call GP and have him build one for you, but we most definitely pine for the days we could just wander into our favorite bike shop, grab one of these triangles off a hook and take it home. Instant gratification baby!

Jock Dewey

On Fri, Mar 24, 2023 at 7:25 AM iamkeith <keith...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm pretty sure the Rambouillet evolved from the LongLow.  How that differed from the Road, I can't recall, but someone will.  The Ram was an attempt to make a more affordable road bike, by virtue of having it be a standard, off the shelf model.  The Romulous (and Redwood) were later introduced as a way to offer a less expensive version of the Ram, by simplifying some details and using less complicated paint.  There's a thread from not too long ago where it was postulated and well-argued that the Roadeo is really just a close linear descendent of the Ram.

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[Mike Godwin]

What crankset is on the Saluki? looks like a TA, the one with 3 bcd drillings:  110/74/54.

Mike SLO CA

[Eric Marth]

Hi Doug — The Romulus was offered as a complete bike and "budget" version of the Rambouillet. 

Full brochure here: http://notfine.com/rivendell/Brochures/Rivendell%20Frames%20Romulus.pdf 

[Doug Van Cleve]

Thanks folks, it was bugging me that I couldn't remember.

I forgot that it was a complete bike vs. frameset like the Ram.  Something easy to forget today is that non-short reach brakes were not really available new in the mid to late '90s, that's why the LongLow used cantis.  Tektro bringing out the mid-reach dual pivots is what triggered the Ram/Rom/Bleriot etc...

Doug

[Mike Godwin]

Also, there was a mixup in frame requests, a batch of Romuluses (Romuli) arrived with canti posts.  Every so often you see one come up for sale.

Mike SLO CA 

[Joe Bernard]

The brake situation is a little murkier than that. Ram/Rom used mid-reach which GP was able to find from Shimano, it didn't have a model name just Shimano. Then he got Tektro to do a long-reach caliper for Saluki, Hilsen and Bleriot. That brake spread to other models and eventually Tektro did a mid-reacher, too. 

In current parlance the Roadeo still uses mid-reach (if you can get one ordered and built), as did the first gen Roadini. The latest Roadini switched to long-reach. 

Simple! 😂

On Friday, March 24, 2023 at 12:29:56 PM UTC-7 Doug Van Cleve wrote:

[J Schwartz]

Speaking of....

Just recently refreshed my 59 canti-rom for this season

So far it's been a real treat...although no long rides on it yet in this configuration.

New Albion 46/30 crankset with an old IRD 8-speed 12-34 cassette.

Riding 35mm straight Paselas (not tourguards)...Although I'm leaning towards either some 38mm R.Herse Steilacoom tires or perhaps the new 38mm GravelKings SS

[Matti]

Since we love to discuss the beauty of Rivendell frames... does anyone else find the Romulus head tube badge design strangely crude, maybe even intentionally humorous?  It seems such an odd contrast to the calligraphic script of the down tube graphics.

[Fullylugged]

Romulus was the model that caught my eye and made me want to get a Rivendell.  It was never made in small sizes, so that didn't happen.  In 2006, I ordered and got a Rambouillet 52 cm instead, which I still have. A little fanicer than Romulus but I hear they ride about the same.

[ascpgh]

The murky brake situation mixed with varying rear clearance within the Rambouillet year models too. I don't recall if there had been miscommunication with Toyo or some purposeful intent. A dropout spec change could have given or taken a millimeter or two but bridge spec probably was the cause.

My 2002 Ram had its rear dropouts replaced and I never measured to see if those or a new, different set of brake pads had eased the reach that previously required the pads to be set at the utter bottom of the slots. The dropouts used were a preference of the builder doing the warranty repair after the drive side one broke.

Andy Cheatham

Pittsburgh

On Friday, March 24, 2023 at 4:36:27 PM UTC-4 Joe Bernard wrote:

[John Dewey]

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