In April 2017, I rode a 2016 stock-built Rivendell Joe
Appaloosa at Gravel and Grind and fell in love.
James (formerly of G&G, now of Analog Cycles) recommended a Brooks B-17
saddle, fenders, a rear rack, and I happily pedaled away for the next three
years. My only change was to a Brooks
Flyer saddle.
I love the ride of the Appaloosa and rode it at home on the weekends. When I wanted another bike at my office for after work rides, I bought an A. Homer Hilsen from a fellow RBW member. My only issue with the Joe Appaloosa was it was heavy for me to maneuver on mass transportation, steps, and general lifting. Now I had a lighter AHH, and that is the bike I chose to travel with.
But…I still loved the ride of the Appaloosa…it was just
so…heavy. A call to James and Candice
one day to talk about tubeless tires options, and I was signing up to change
nearly everything on it to lighten it and get an even better ride. I changed the saddle back to the B-17,
removed the heavy and too large for my use Carradice bags. Rack, fenders and
kickstand are too practical, so I kept them.
On Memorial Day weekend, I drove both bikes to Analog Cycles. AHH got 1.75” Gravel King tubeless tires and a shorter stem. Instead of regular grips, they wrapped the grip area with Fizik tape over gel. Deity valve caps in red for the finishing touch. I didn’t need to change out anything else on the bike—it already had dyno lighting and the correct rims. My new bag is a Sackville Banana Sax, just the perfect size!
The Appaloosa got the most work. They changed the handlebar from steel Choco-moose to aluminum Albatross and changed my 3x8 (or 3x9, I forget) drive train to a 1x11 with indexed shifting. However, the biggest difference came with the new wheels, tubeless tires and dyno lighting! Candice recommended purple spoke nipples and they look great with the butterscotch frame. Near the valve stem, she changed the colorway to gold, topped off with chartreuse valve caps, and I think it looks smashing! I also got nice cork grips that probably a “blend” because they have more give than the Rivendell ones. I also like the ergonomic “bulge” in the middle, like the older cork grips Riv used to sell.
The ride with the tubeless tires on both bikes, wheels built by Analog’s master wheel builder Mark, is sublime. The more I ride them, the more I LOVE them. They soak up the bad city pavement and cracks in the MUP sidewalks. Even going over railroad tracks isn’t jarring. The tires just “smush” to take up as much road vibrations as it can. Yet, they are not slow or plodding. I explained it to Bicycle Belle Ding Ding, who was anxiously awaiting delivery of her new wheels, this way: “By the time I get home from my rides, I feel so much less beat up and feel like I can keep on going.The ride was so much more pleasant.” It took a few days to get to this state. Every day I rode them I liked them so much more than the previous day. I think part of that is getting the psi down to my optimal level. On the day that the pressure felt too low and I just pumped it up to 35 psi. Over time, I’ll find my sweet-spot, pressure wise.
Then, there is Dyno lighting! I can now just jump on the Appaloosa without worrying if I charged my lights. The Edulux light Analog speced is so bright. I have Busch + Muller IQ-XS on the AHH. It’s very nice, but not nearly as bright as the Edulux.
Now the Appaloosa is light enough for me to pick up, move it around, even carry it up steps if needed, or onto a train if there is no boarding platform. I just love it! Candice, James, and Mark did a fantastic job and I’m SO pleased. They are easy to work with and are meticulous with their work. They picked the parts and basically, I said “OK.”
Going tubeless took a lot of consideration. I heard so much pros and cons, but after speaking with James and Candice, I decided to take the chance. What would happen if I didn’t like it???—I’d take the goo out of the tires and put in tubes. And, I’d be out some money. But, I’m so glad (in the two weeks I’ve had the “new” bikes) I took the chance. The ride quality is AMAZING. Beyond anything I could even imagine.
Here are my new Appaloosa parts:
Shutter Precision PV-8 Hub
Bitex Center lock Disc 145mm Rear Hub
Schmidt Edelux II dynamo light
Busch & Muller Toplight Line Plus rear light
Pancenti Brevet Rims
Sapim Lazer spokes
Sapim Allow Spoke Nipples in purple
White Industries ENO Square Taper 1x
White Industries Titanium Bottom Bracket
Sram NX 11 Speed Trigger Shifter
Sram GX Rear Mech rear derailler
Connex Nickel Plated 11 speed chain XL
Shimano XT 11-46 11 speed Cassette
Tallux stem—80mm
Albatross aluminum handlebars
Cork grips
Teravail Rampart 650bx47 light and supple brown wall tires (originally, these were to be GravelKings, but there was a mix up in the order, so James and Candice recommended these, as they were in the shop and they were on their personal bikes.)
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This bike looks like so much fun!
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... So, I would be very interested to have others chime in on the subject.
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So much nicer and rewarding to let others find their own level of joy and enjoyment in the world of cycling. Whether that is tubed or tubeless, helmeted or helmetless, masked or face free.
Long live the Rivsisters!
Just ride and let ride!
Ryan Hankinson
West Michigan
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The kickstand is a Defary removable kickstand (so technically not a "kickstand"), about $18 on Amazon. I'm not sure this will work because the only way to get to it was through my history: https://www.amazon.com/Defary-Removable-Kickstand-Stainless-Material/dp/B074T8V8PH/ref=pd_rhf_ee_p_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=C69TEJKKFPBD8H5GS203 .
It's very sturdy and strong and doesn't sag under the bicycles weight like some of the other removable ones do.
After a week of not being able to ride my bikes, I took my AHH out last night and I'm still giddy with happiness on the new ride quality. Joe Appaloosa tonight!
Roberta
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