Roadini Feedback

[Chris Fly]

Howdy all,

So I realize I'm posting this on the RBW list, so there is bound to be some bias and that's ok.. ;) I'm a Riv owner myself with a current AHH I got from my Dad when he passed and have previously owned a Bleriot and a Ram for a short time. 

So, my question is simple- does the Roadini feel fast(ish) when riding? I'm sure builds vary and so weight will vary, but I know some bikes can weigh a bit more and still feel "quick".. to be fair, I'm no racer, but I like a bike to feel good when I stand up to pedal or am zipping around at my, fast for me, 18-19 mph.. 

I would be looking to build up with drop bars BTW with a modern-ish group.. 

Finally, anyone have a 50cm frameset (or complete maybe) they are looking to move? 

Thanks,

Chris is Sonoma County, CA :) 

[Tony Lockhart]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for sharing your story. I’m sorry to hear about your dad’s passing however I’m happy to hear that his bike is being put to good use. 

To answer your question, I’ll verify that the Leo is fast(ish), as you put it. I just bought one and have about 150 miles on it. 

Having run a hundred different setups on my Sam during the past 14 years, I’ll just add that you can set up your Homer to be fast(ish). But if you’re itching for a new bike, the Roadini is great. Definitely less flex in the rear triangle with out of the saddle climbs. If you’ve got a type A personality, you’ll think the welds in the Leo look sloppy. Nothing beats a gorgeous, lugged frame….but if you care about something reliable and fun, definitely not sluggish, and beautifully quirky, the Roadini is the way to go. 

Happy trails, Tony

[Chris Fly]

Thanks Tony!

I do have the Homer set up with drop bars, but since it was my Dad's, it's not exactly my perfect size and it's a 650b model (not sure if they all were) and I don't want to change much of the bike as it was my Dad's (he had Alt bars on it). 

Good to know you are enjoying your Roadini.. I don't mind welds and they don't look too bad from the pics.. :) 

Thanks.

Chris 

[Piaw Na]

I have about 1300 miles on my Roadini: https://blog.piaw.net/2023/05/rivendell-roadini-1000-mile-review.html. With 700x28mm tires it feels as fast as any bike I've ridden that's not built to be ultralight. I built mine up to be around 20 pounds with pedals, bottle cage and pump but no toolkit or water bottle. I could have probably shaved another pound off with Jon Neugent's 1430g wheels. Having said that, it doesn't beat my custom Ti touring bike built based on the 1993 Bridgestone RB-1 geometry on climbs up hills or stability on descents (the higher BB on the Roadini is to blame). What I do find is that with 38mm tires it is an excellent gravel bike and I have no issues taking it down single track  trails that others would consider MTB trails. The Tektro 559s outperform any disc brakes I've ever found and never make noise (unlike any disc brakes I've ever ridden).

I did buy another 50cm Roadini to build up for my son when he's tall enough to ride it (which won't take a year), so that tells you that I think it's the best general purpose bike in the Rivendell stable. The bike is so versatile I wouldn't hesitate to take it anywhere except a dedicated downhill MTB park.

On Thursday, January 4, 2024 at 9:54:56 AM UTC-8 four...@gmail.com wrote:

[Chris Fly]

I guess that's my concern is I'm not looking for a gravel bike.. I'm looking for a zippy (fast-ish) road bike that will take larger tires.. Also,  one of my main concerns is the bike will be overbuilt, meaning the tubes will be heavy enough that it won't flex enough to be comfy.. 

Thoughts? 

[Piaw Na]

It's way more flexy/comfy than my Custom Ti bike, which friends already claim is flexy and comfy when they ride it (and which flexes like crazy when I attach a trailer to it). It's overbuilt for me @ 145 pounds. If I was 160 pounds I wouldn't consider it over built, and if I was 200 pounds I still wouldn't expect to break it. My big complaint is that I don't consider 75mm BB drop to be sufficient for 30mm tires on the road. I want 80mm or 85mm drop for a bike built for modern style giant tires where you wouldn't expect to ride anything smaller than 700x30.

[Stephen Durfee]

Chris - I got my Roadini just over a year ago, a complete bike purchased from a CL listing in South Carolina that I had shipped to Napa. I wanted a RIv so bad, and a "road bike" in particular, but was (perhaps like you), hoping to save a few bucks on a pre-owned model. I had previously visited HQ and talked with Will, who acknowledged that I was on the cusp between 54 and 57, and that either could be a good fit...I later concluded that I should have gone with the larger size - the one I got was a 54 in "Old Blue", an earlier model which would not accept the larger tire size that the newer models do.  I liked the bike well enough that I considered investing in a brand new frame (that Gold is hot!) but also realized that I didn't love the components that came with that bike in the first place.  And so, since I would have been essentially starting from scratch,  it didn't take much convincing to grab that Homer frame that came up locally, and then build it up with the parts that I wanted. Now I have a bike that I love, love, love, in a size that fits!  I kept it lean, with some Noodles and 33mm Jack Browns, no racks and only a spare tire tool kit. The Roadini felt good, but the Homer feels great! And while I'm the first to acknowledge that I know nothing about BB drop, or could comment on flexiness, or even know how much it weighs...I feel fast when I'm on it. 

If in your heart, you want an orange 50, I'd say just wait. But you're close enough to Walnut Creek to go have a spin on a new bike and see what you think. The newsletter that came out today says they discovered one Gold 50 in stock...

[Piaw Na(藍俊彪)]

The A Homer Hilsen comes with an 80mm drop, which could be one reason you like it over the Roadini. But the Hilsen probably won't fit in my travel bike box.

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[eddietheflay]

Crust Malocchio. Real lugs, real lightweight tubing, decent clearance. Some things in its favor. Definitely not the looker that most Rivs are and without sloping top tube = good or not so? We could put some blocks on my pedals and you could try it.

[Piaw Na(藍俊彪)]

The big minus behind the crust is that they messed up the manufacturing so it takes different brakes front and rear which is bizarre. Even more bizarre is that it requires smaller tires on the back than on the front. Unless you pay to have someone move the brake bridge (and then do the repaint) that kind of stuff would always be nagging at the back of my mind and cause me not to enjoy the bike.

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[eddietheflay]

I have the same brakes front and rear and there is no issue with 35mm tires. The OP wants a quick road bike so he'd  be fine too.

[David Hays]

If one is considering the Malocchio, I would check out the Romanceur Canti.

Very light weight with the Reynolds 853 tubing, no strange brake matching and greater tire compatibility.

I love mine.

David Hays

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[Eric Daume]

I briefly had a Roadini a few summers back. I really like the proportions of it--the tall head tube, long (but not too long) chainstays, but I wouldn't consider it a sporty road bike. The vintage Treks I've had have felt considerably sprightlier. To me, the Roadini felt more like an old school touring bike: long, stiff, stable.

https://bikingtoplay.blogspot.com/2020/08/new-bike-rivendell-roadini.html

Eric

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[Andrew Turner]

Ronny has a blog post about his Malocchio build and seems to really enjoy it.
https://ronsbikesblog.com/2023/11/01/2052/ 

Compared to the Roadini, it's a fair bit lighter and the geometry is certainly geared more towards spirited riding. I owned 2 Roadinis, one larger size (gen 1) and a smaller size (gen 2)...I preferred the larger size with a more upright riding position (w/ drop bars). It was an exceptionally smooth ride, not necessarily quick, but very very smooth. Later I tried the smaller size thinking I could build it up with bars lower than the saddle and with some fatty 44mm tires. However,  I really didn't enjoy the feeling of the longer chainstays, especially when climbing out of the saddle, it just didn't feel like a road bike. I'd vote for the Malocchio. 

BUT, Ronny's also planning a collab with Beach Club to make a road bike with a sloped top tube, mid reach brakes and light steel fork...which is pretty much exactly what my new-to-me Waterford is. Makes for a perfect road bike IMO.  

https://ronsbikesblog.com/2023/12/18/beach-club-buzz/

But for something available now and more affordable, I don't think you could go wrong with a Malocchio. 

[Chris Fly]

the issue with the Crust for me is the three smallest sizes seem to be 650b and I don't really want a 650b bike.. plus the brake thing might bug me if I did want to run larger tires in the future.. thanks Eddie! 

[Chris Fly]

A Riv may not be the bike for me this time.. I'm also considering a Litespeed Arenberg (the new one, seems like some good numbers) or maybe even splash out on a custom Fitz or Sycip here in Sonoma County.. 

[eddietheflay]

As I wrote earlier and it looks like Ron is going in this direction:

" I'd like to see a Columbus Spirit tubed frameset just like the Malocchio with tigs, slanted top tube, threaded fork, and a nice powder coat at a reasonable price. Kinda like a BMW 2002 from the olden days." I'd want threaded fork cuz I need the rise offered by long quill stems.

[Andrew Turner]

Oh shoot, I didn't realize the Crust was 650b in smaller sizes. Velo Orange Rando frameset is the only other production road frame that comes to mind, but I haven't read/heard much about it's ride quality. The modular dropouts are a really neat idea though. 

[Maggie Zhou]

I have contemplated selling my 50cm roadini that has a modern brifter build (all Shimano 105). It's the first production batch circa 2017, so only has spacing for ~35s, and I've personally never succeeding at running larger than 28s with fenders + 105 mid reach brakes. It kinda sounds like this wouldn't fit your desires anyway, since you want to run wider tires. Email me directly if you want to talk? I haven't really thought about pricing...it has felt a little extravagant to sell to just turn around and buy a new Roadini for the wider tires.

 I don't keep good track of my rides, but I have at least 10k miles on it. It's a great bike, and I can't imagine wanting anything different if I wanted a fast steel road bike. 

[Chris Fly]

Hi Maggie,

I sent you an email with some questions. 

Thanks!

Chris