My New-to-Me Rambouillet

[Jeffrey Arita]

Hey Bunch,

  

I always wanted a Riv Rambouillet and when the opportunity knocked I jumped on it.  I went for a proper ride this afternoon and it is the usual Rivendell ride: smooth, predictable, enjoyable!  

Special thanks to the previous owner and fellow Bunch Member (Jay LePree).  He carefully had the bike professionally packed for safe passage across the country.  The bike's frame and fork were all thoughtfully protected with pipe insulation and the front wheel was nicely tucked between the left crankarm, zip-tied to the frame.  Plenty of dunnage was used to occupy the void spaces, to prevent anything from moving within the box.  Cardboard boxes were also used to provide internal 'box' strength to prevent the long and thin box from crushing.  I could tell a lot of thought, time and care went into this packing project.  It arrived in perfect shape.

The only things I needed to do was install the front wheel, seatpost/saddle and handlebar/quill.  Connect the two brake cables and it was done.  I didn't have the patience to reinstall the front mudguard, though!

I wasn't too sure about the Guidonnet brake levers but by the end of my ride today I'm thinking I could get really used to these.  Yeah.  

Enjoy,

Jeff

Claremont, CA

  

[ANDREW ERMAN]

 Beautiful!!   Thanks for sharing.   Andy

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[Jay LePree]

Thanks Jeff.  I am so glad it got there safely.  The Trek bike store near me is top notch.  Bike flights made it very easy to ship.  Enjoy it very much!!!  I have a lot of good memories with that bicycle.  It should have a light as well.  (that is what the tape on the handlebar was for.)  PM if it did not ship with the light. 

Jay LePree,

Demarest, NJ

[ascpgh]

Nice!

You will feel growing enjoyment and recognize orange as the fastest color. What may seem like meh ride attributes of "smooth, predictable, enjoyable" will rise in your favor as they are delivered with the consistency of stone columns through all circumstances. 

"Smooth, predictable, enjoyable" will become very decisive words when other bikes' rides are compared or considered. The giants topple against these.

Andy Cheatham

Pittsburgh

On Sunday, March 28, 2021 at 7:22:55 PM UTC-4 Jeffrey Arita wrote:

[Jeffrey Arita]

Hey Jay - sorry, yes, the Supernova light made the journey as well.  After unpacking it all I disconnected the light and wiring and placed it in a safe spot.  In my excitement to ride the Ram I simply jumped on and rode away.  I will definitely reconnect it today.  Yes, those good folks at Trek knew what they were packing - they really wanted to make sure it made the journey safely.  

Yes Andy, I realize my descriptors were perhaps a bit on the bland side, maybe closer to an ultra-light shade of beige ......shhhh, we don't want too many people to know what we know, though, right?  To quote Ned Ryerson from Groundhog Day, "Am I right or am I right or am I right?  Right.....right..... right."

[Patrick Moore]

That's very nice, and I like the bar and brakes, tho' generally I personally much prefer drops on all my bikes. I assume you'll install the front fender?

And what bar is that?

Where does one find such guidonnet levers? Those might be just the thing for my new MAP bar on the Monocog (installed flipped like your bar), where all the vast real estate (I didn't after all trim the bar) makes lever placement a bit puzzling. Levers like those could be installed ahead of, instead of behind, the taped section on the curves, and still allow braking from the straight sections.

Oh, and would those work with cable-operated disc brakes? Perhaps not ...

Patrick Moore, who fondly remembers his blue Ram.

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Patrick Moore

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

[Jeffrey Arita]

Patrick, thank you!

The handlebars are Velo Orange Porteurs.  They measure out to about 48cm at the widest point (where the bar cons go).   The brake levers are Dia-Compe DC139s, I'm guessing nicknamed "Guidonnets."  I did a quick search and Blue Lug sells them, available in black only (Universal Cycles was out of stock).  Apparently they are available in either 22.2mm or 23.8mm clamp sizes.  They are an interesting design, I'm thinking designed to follow the curves of a porteur-style bar, enabling braking from many hand positions.

I'm not certain if they would work (well) with mechanical disc brakes.  I would assume the two would need to be carefully paired together to ensure the cable pull of the DC139 is appropriate for whatever mechanical disc brake caliper is chosen.

Regarding the mudguards, yes, I hope to reinstall it.  But, I will likely install larger tires so that will likely put an end to that.  In reading the background story on the Rambouillet (thanks to Cyclofiend), Grant puts tremendous thought into all of his designs.  I'm thinking this would make a fantastic rando bike.

[Patrick Moore]

Thanks, Jeffrey. Good to know the guidonnets are still on the market. 

Others: Any idea if the Dia Comp 139s would work with mechanical discs? Probably don't pull enough cable .... as I guess they're designed for cantis or calipers. They would be nice on the MAP bar with cable discs, though.

On Mon, Mar 29, 2021 at 2:23 PM Jeffrey Arita <jeffre...@gmail.com> wrote:

Patrick, thank you!

The handlebars are Velo Orange Porteurs.  They measure out to about 48cm at the widest point (where the bar cons go).   The brake levers are Dia-Compe DC139s, I'm guessing nicknamed "Guidonnets."  I did a quick search and Blue Lug sells them, available in black only (Universal Cycles was out of stock).  Apparently they are available in either 22.2mm or 23.8mm clamp sizes.  They are an interesting design, I'm thinking designed to follow the curves of a porteur-style bar, enabling braking from many hand positions.

I'm not certain if they would work (well) with mechanical disc brakes.  I would assume the two would need to be carefully paired together to ensure the cable pull of the DC139 is appropriate for whatever mechanical disc brake caliper is chosen.