Best Rivendell for pavement riding

[Chuck Blessing]

I really like the Rivendell approach to bikes and bike technology with the idea of a more upright posture and a long wheelbase for long rides at a comfortable pace, but it seems like the models all lean heavily to what they call "country bikes."  I like to ride from my house, and that means riding almost exclusively on smooth (mostly) pavement. Can anyone suggest which models are better suited for road riding? Reading and comparing the descriptions, it seems that the Homer might be a good choice, or possibly the Appaloosa or Atlantis? Or the new Charlie Gallop, though I haven't heard much about how it is supposed to ride? I tried a Roadini (which I recently listed here and sold), but I think it was too big for me. I never felt comfortable on it. Maybe I just needed it in the right size. 

I would like the bike to work well with drop bars because of the multiple hand positions and they're just what I'm used to. I tried a bike with swept bars recently, but found I wasn't comfortable on longer rides. And when riding on streets with minimal shoulder width, I felt like I was going to catch the end of them on mailboxes or other obstacles. Maybe there's a handlebar in Rivendell's catalog that works well for road riding?

I'd appreciate any comments, especially if someone does this type of riding and has tried several of these models. Thanks.

Chuck

[Patrick Moore]

Roadeo, Roadini, Sam, Homer, and the Nitto Noodle?

FWIW, after having used any number of drop bars, my favorite is the Maes Parallel, available from Rene Herse but not from Rivendell. (Rivendell ought to offer it!)

Patrick Moore, present and former owner of 5 Rivendell drop bar road/roady-ish bikes

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[Luke Hendrickson]

I ride a fair amount and most of it is paved for my commute. I have one Riv, an Atlantis, and it’s great for what I do with it. Currently, I have it fendered and racked since it’s rainy here in San Francisco and I try to ride most days. It’s not light, but it’s comfortable enough that I don’t mind. I’m running some 2.25” tires which definitely help make it even more plush and so very easy to ride miles and miles.

I figure that you can’t go wrong with any Riv you choose, but I’d vote for the Atlantis before any other. 

[Nick A.]

I also have only one Rivendell, and it is also the rainbow tube Atlantis. I agree very much with my fellow one-Riv rider.

My grandfather moved in with us in my senior year of high school, and brought with him a mid-90s Cadillac DeVille. Two bench seats, automatic shifting on the column. Not the fastest car on the road by any means, but it was like driving a living room sofa. Such a unique and wonderful experience. That, to me, has been my experience with the Atlantis. Rides like a Cadillac.

Nick in Falls Church, about 3k miles into the experience with my 2022 Atlantis.

Best of luck on your decision.

[Patrick Moore]

By all reports the Atlantis in its various iterations is a wonderful bike -- it's one I'd consider owning if it took fatter tires -- but the OP said he rides on smooth pavement. 

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[Joe Bernard]

My impression is you've never ridden a Riv (not a criticism, just noting) and will be happy to learn they're all great on pavement. Drop bars limit how long a toptube you can run so you're probably right that a Homer is a good bet (see, also: Roadini, Hillborne). But it's also possible to size down a bit and run a short stem (Analog Cycled style) to get the bars close enough on most of their frames. 

The nifty thing about all Rivs is they glide great on smooth pavement while having a good margin for the gnarlier sections. If you gravitate towards the burlier ones like Atlantis and Appaloosa - even Clem L if you can get the reach you need - you can load 'em up with all your stuff! 

Joe "all my bikes become shopping bikes" Bernard 

[J S]

I ride exclusively on pavement and of the current models the Sam Hillborne does it wonderfully. 

[Garth]

Chuck, You experience with the Roadini speaks only to having the correct size. 

For pure smooth road riding in my opinion having larger tires than say 32-35mm and chainstays longer than what one can use a stock 114-116 link chain on(about 47cm), is overkill in that there isn't anything to gain from a heavier frame and wider tires. 

One's "comfort" largely comes from one's "comfortability" in their positioning. 

[Corwin Zechar]

Patrick -

You forgot the Ram!

Regards,

Corwni

[aeroperf]

A Sam with 42mm tires at 55 psi.  Pure bliss on pavement.

[ascpgh]

+1.

I've sat quietly on my vote since it's no longer available. 

Andy Cheatham

Pittsburgh

[Patrick Moore]

The Ram is indeed a worthy contender, but I was thinking of current models (I think those I listed are current ...?)

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[Mike Godwin]

I think my FS Roadeo is a good contender! All prodding aside, it is a great pavement bike, works well on dirt roads too as it will fit 700x35 tires.

Mike SLO CA

[Chuck Blessing]

Thanks for the input on the Roadini, Garth. I'm still considering it in the next frame size down.

[cfichuck]

Seems like a lot of people love their Sams. Which handlebars are you using?

On Mar 3, 2024 at 18:57, aeroperf <dore...@comcast.net> wrote:

A Sam with 42mm tires at 55 psi.  Pure bliss on pavement.

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[Chuck Blessing]

Good information Joe. Actually I have ridden a Roadini, but just for a short time. I couldn't get a good fit with it. I think the next size down is what I needed. So, that's still possibility, and I have looked a lot at the Homer, and I read so much good stuff about the Sam that I keep looking at it as well. I didn't realize the Atlantis and Appaloosa were "burlier", so I'd be less inclined to those, as I don't carry anything on my bikes except a small tool bag and water bottles. 

On Saturday, March 2, 2024 at 10:25:37 PM UTC-5 Joe Bernard wrote:

[Chuck Blessing]

Mike, I looked at this one, but from its description, it may be too much of a road bike (i.e. fast racy type bike) for me. I own a Tommasini, so want something more sedate. Chuck.

[Chuck Blessing]

Yes, I am interested only in currently available bikes.

[Chuck Blessing]

Thanks for the suggestions, Patrick. I had a 54cm Roadini, which didn't feel good, possibly because it was too big for me. That model does seem to be the obvious choice, but I'm a bit wary of trying one in 50cm, because the size may not have been the problem. The Homer is the other one that seems to be more of a road bike than a trail bike. But then you also mention the Sam, which seems to be described as a  country bike but also good on the road. So much to consider.

[Chuck Blessing]

Thanks Nick and Luke for your suggestions of the Atlantis. In the description of the Atlantis on the RBW web site, Grant describes the Appaloosa as very similar. And since the Atlantis is out of stock in my size and is not scheduled to be available this year, but the Appaloosa is, maybe it would be a good choice too? The one hesitation I have with these two, though, is that they have very long effective top tubes. So I'm not sure how well a drop bar would work on them, as it might require too much of a stretch to reach the bars. Or is there a good swept bar in the RBW catalog that would work well in a "road bike" configuration? Something not too wide with multiple hand positions? Thanks again.

[John Dewey]

I clearly recall the first time I hopped on my RAM 2004. 

Epiphany! 

A few years ago I sent it off for the Joe Bell Treatment…now it’s as beautiful and tasty as any bespoke two-wheeler. 

https://flic.kr/p/2kafNb7

Jock

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[John Bokman]

Fantastic Jock!  What brakes are you using?

-John

[Bernard Duhon]

Acorn Medium saddlebag

My favorite by far.  

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[Kainalu V. -Brooklyn NY]

Yeah, Rambouillet is the best!

-Kai

On Sunday, March 3, 2024 at 5:49:08 PM UTC-5 cz...@sonic.net wrote:

[Ryan Mulcahy]

Hi! This is my first time posting. My wife has a Joe and I brought home a Hilsen in the fall. They are both beautiful bikes and wonderful rides. The Hilsen has a little more zip, it seems to me - I'd say if you're absolutely sure about pavement-only, try for that. But the Joe is not a slow bike (it's not a race bike either!) -- it just takes a little longer to get up to speed -- and is prob a touch more versatile. It's not quite as drop bar friendly, however, so that's something to consider.

[Chuck Blessing]

Lots of love for the Rambouillet here! What would be the comparable model in the current lineup? 

[Joe Bernard]

Roadeo would be its direct descendant in a lighter frame handbuilt by Mark Nobilette. The other sidepull-brake frames qualify but they're not classic flat-toptube road bikes. 

[Corwin Zechar]

In my opinion, the best value in Rivendell bikes for road (and occasional off-road) is the Ram. It has longish chainstays. Not as long as current models - but plenty long to support wide tires and a comfy ride. The Ram has a rather deep bottom bracket drop (77mm in my 60cm size). The only bike I have with more bottom bracket drop (and a better, more stable ride) is my custom at 80mm. The Ram has a 2.0 degree upsloping top tube and the characteristic tall head tube lug. This is great if you want (like Grant) to get the bars up. Not as great if (like me) you want to slam the bars. Whereas the Sam (and other current models) have a 6.0 degree upsloping top tube. This makes it much easier to get the bars up.

The Roadeo geometry is similar to the Ram. The Roadeo has a 2.0 degree upsloping top tube and the characteristic Rivendell tall head lug. The Roadeo has a 75mm bottom bracket drop (in my size). I am not cognizant of the specs - but I think the Roadeo has lighter tubes.

My take is that if you want to get your bars up - buy a Sam. If you prefer a much less upright posture, buy a Ram. I admit that buying a Ram is easier said than done. However if you are on this list, you already have a head start on an important character trait required to acquire a Ram - patience. Rams appear on this list, Craigslist, Ebay, etc. periodically. You need to keep your eyes peeled for what you want and beat the bushes!

I got my Ram this way. A first generation cream-sicle Ram in excellent condition from the previous owner that passed into the great beyond. I joined the precursor to this list (before the Google Group) in '97. I have watched lots of bikes come and go. Many, many Rivendells.

Ride lots of bikes - Rivendells if possible. Think carefully about what you want. Don't be afraid to try different things. Meditate on the differences. And most of all, practice patience if you are looking for a Ram.

Regards,

Corwin

[Patrick Moore]

The other way to discover what you really want to ride is to buy a lot of bikes that sort of look like what you want (you are not sure what you want), upgrade them all, repeat several times as you try to perfect previously unrealized imperfections, then sell them at a loss. Do this for a couple of decades, then buy customs. This method costs a bit more than the other one.

But yes, ride lots of Rivendells. All those I've owned (I bought 5 including a 2nd-gen Ram and kept one that will turn 25 in April) all had a certain common handling and "feel" in common. And I do think that a Ram, if you don't want to spring for a Roadeo, might well be what you are looking for.

On Mon, Mar 4, 2024 at 7:39 PM Corwin Zechar <cz...@sonic.net> wrote:

... Ride lots of bikes - Rivendells if possible. Think carefully about what you want. Don't be afraid to try different things. Meditate on the differences. And most of all, practice patience if you are looking for a Ram.

[Luke Hendrickson]

Worth noting: the Atlantis will be available later this year. 

[John Dewey]

John, brakes are Ultegra. Light action, yet lots of power. 

Jock

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[larson....@gmail.com]

Luke,

I must have missed the fact that the Atlantis will be available. It was not listed on frame schedule. To the OP, I think a Hillborne would be a fine road bike if speed is not a priority.

Randy in WI

[Mathias Steiner]

Hi Chuck,

I've never owned a Rivendell, so I believe it's important I chime in... because of this:

>> I tried a Roadini (which I recently listed here and sold), but I think it was too big for me.

It probably wasn't too "big", it was probably too long in the top tube.

In the current Riv idea space, the Albatross is the handlebar of choice. The one Grant says he'll ride when he's old. I'd argue you can't build a bike that accomodates swept back AND drop handlebars for the same rider in the same size. The difference is  only a few cm, but they matter.

I tend to pick one bike every year and build it from the frame up, to ride it and see how I like it, and what I can learn from it. And since I always use a Brooks B17 and a Nitto Noodle, that provides a handy size reference. The distance from the saddle tip to the handlebar cross tube is always the same when I'm done fitting it.. and it matches the ancient rule that if you put your elbow against the tip of the saddle, the finger tips should just reach the handlebar. Stem lengths go from 70 to 100 mm, on frames ranging from from a 52 cm Bruce Gordon BLT to a a 25 inch (63.5 cm) Cannondale ST600 to and a few in between. Top tube length (effective) ranges from 56 to 59 cm.

So figure out what YOUR saddle/bar distance or top tube length should be, and find your size accordingly. Were I to buy a Roadini, and the thought has crossed my mind, I'd have to go for a fairly small frame. For my 6 ft height and 89 cm PBH, I'm between the 57 and 61 cm size for the Roadini, and the 57 cm has a 59 cm top tube, so that would be my size, and the stem would have to be short, which doesn't look good to my eyes.

For what it's worth, our pavement here in freeze/thaw country (mid-Michigan) is famously nasty, and for road riding, I like 32 mm GP5000s... add some dirt roads, and I'm currently riding 35 mm Paselas, which seem to roll pretty fast and do OK on loose surfaces. I see no reason to go wide on asphalt.

To buy any bicycle:
- decide on the tire you want to ride, which means pick the target roads and routes.
- decide if you'll mount fenders.
- now look at the frames that will accomodate the first criteria, and see if you can find your size.

It may be that a detour through an older (~1980) Trek or Raleigh is the way to find your setup... most of the parts will move right over, plus it's fun.

cheers -mathias

[Max S]

Really great points made by Mathias, and also by Patrick in his post about iterating...  

IMO, the easiest way to find a good bike is to set your budget and then make a post whose subject starts with "WTB:.. " – all sorts of cool and awesome bikes will emerge that fit your criteria! 

- Max "it's a journey" in A2

[Damien]

I had a Sam up until recently but sold it and have very recently replaced with a Ram which I've yet to get out on (am going to swap out the Albatross currently on them for drop bars). Not sure what size you're looking at, but the thing for me was I wanted a 700c bike, and the Sam that fit me (51) was 650b. I had a Roadini in size 50 which was great, but ended up selling that and keeping the Sam as it better met my needs at the time (dragging kids around, carrying random stuff, more mixed terrain stuff). Sam is great, but didn't feel as quick (subjective) and was definitely more sluggish in its handling on road - felt a bit like overkill tbh. I attribute most of that to set up and the chunky tire size I was using on the Sam (650b x 48 on Sam vs. 700 x 32 on Roadini). I would say if you go with the Sam for your use, 42 would be the ideal tire size (as someone mentioned earlier!). 

I can't wait to get out on the Ram to see how I like it, but if it's anything like the Roadini, I feel I'll be on a setup that makes sense for the type of riding that I do - which seems similar to the type of riding you'll be doing! Hope that is in some way helpful!

[Chuck Blessing]

Mathias, Max, Damien, thanks. A lot of good information in your posts. Riding and experimenting with different models may be the only way to find that "perfect" bike, if there is such a thing. I have to admit that I've been riding an All City Space Horse for a while now, which I picked up to see me through while I wait on the "right" Rivendell to become available. It's actually very comfortable and stable, but a bit heavy for the hills. The 52cm model I have has similar chainstay, wheelbase, head tube angle, stack, and reach to a 50cm Roadini, so maybe I should be satisfied with what I have? I don't know. I am rethinking the requirement I have had in my mind for drop handlebars, though. Some of the Nitto bars (Losco, Choco, Albastache) look like they could be fine for long distance road riding with multiple positions that could mimic some of those of a drop bar. And they might work better with the longish top tubes. 

Chuck

[Piaw Na]

I own a 54cm Roadini (for myself) and a 50cm (for my son who will soon outgrow his Salsa Journeyman). I'd set up my Roadini as a gravel bike with wide tires but recently a friend borrowed my son's Roadini for her first ride over a dirt path in less than dry conditions I swapped the wheels on both bikes. Having done that work I decided to start riding the Roadini for my commute again, and it's such a nice bike for pavement riding. I would be very happy if the Roadini was the only bike I was allowed to ride. A wheel/tire swap is all it takes to switch its personality.

Picture of the 50mm gold Roadini with 40mm Conti Terraspeed tires: https://www.amazon.com/photos/shared/9xe97P72TVC9kT6ezib43w.ApcagsQcybWcV2qpmaE8je

[Heike Larson]

Hi Chuck--as you asked about the Appaloosa and a drop-bar alternative, I'll chime in: I have a 51" 650B Appaloosa with Nitto Choco bars, which Riv describes thus: "It's also good for road bikes instead of a drop bar, when you want a close grip and a totally perfect next-to-stem grip. It's the best bar we have for that." I really like these bars, as I can grab the flats when going fast, downhill, or against wind, and the swept-back part is super comfortable otherwise. It's not a super wide bar; never feels out of place even on narrower paths or in traffic. 

I bought the Appa as a mixed-terrain bike, as a true allrounder, and I right now have a rack on it (and fenders, soon--just got my Velo Orange wavys delivered). I mostly ride it on smooth roads, and it's a fun bike for that, even up hills. Roadbike? No, not nimble and light to go on group fast rides, but totally smooth and comfortable for long rides.  If I had two Riv bikes, I might get a Ram or a Roadini in addition to the App - but for just one bike that can do all kinds of things really well, the Appa is wonderful! 

[Chuck Blessing]

Thanks Heike. I was considering the Appaloosa, but it might be more stout than what I need. Appreciate the first-hand report on the Choco bar, as it sounds like it might work for me. Will definitely keep it in mind.

[J J]

Chuck, I believe the best Rivendell for pavement riding is whichever Rivendell that fits you well and is comfortable for your body, that pleases you mechanically and aesthetically, that is within your budget, and that accomplishes whatever goals for the type of riding you hope to do. 

You said you will be riding mostly on pavement. Pavement riding is a broad category, and there are many different modes and types of it. Will it be "practical" pavement riding (like commuting or hauling stuff from the supermarket), relaxed cruising on a weekend morning, or racing in a group? Will you occasionally venture off road? All of the above?

One of the things that makes Rivs so wonderful is their versatility. This is what I value about Rivs above all else, which is why I gravitate to the various All Rounders. An Atlantis, for example, can be set up many different ways and it will be brilliant in the various guises. Swap a handlebar or tires (either wider or narrower, or to or from slicks and knobbies) and you have a bike with different character suited for a different type of riding, all while retaining the Rivendell feel. 

If you want a "road" bike strictly speaking, there are a lot of great suggestions in this thread. In the end it comes back to your own subjectivity, and your sense of the kind of riding you will be doing.

Good luck with your search!

On Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at 2:01:43 PM UTC-5 heike...@gmail.com wrote:

[Max S]

Here's my favorite Riv for pavement (and dirt) riding (tires and wheels are #1 and #2 concerns, saddle-to-bar drop is #3, and close behind that is picking a reasonably fast color): 

- Max "orange you glad I didn't say banana?" in A2

[Patrick Moore]

Now that's got to be the most different, unique, idiosyncratic Rivendell build I've seen; kudos for doing things your way!

Reminds me of a mountain bike I saw parked at my WDC apartment back about 1987 with (IIRC) Scott AT-4 bar, disc wheels, and 1.5" Fatboy slicks.

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[Mathias Steiner]

@Max

My first thought when I saw your RIvendell was:

Off With 'is 'ead!!!

Pure blasphemy. I love it.

I reckon we can't complain -- they don't make SILVER carbon wheels yet. You're forgiven.

[Extra blather: Personally, I can't get into single speed. I went as far as not shifting for a week on my commute in order to see if I wanted to go SS for that purpose. 

Can't do it. Even my snow bike has an IGH and I use the low and middle gears every ride.]

[Max S]

"My first thought when I saw your RIvendell was:

Off With 'is 'ead!!!

Pure blasphemy. I love it." 

Well, yes, thank you – shock and awe was part of the intent for this Halloween special "Iron Pumpkin" build  :-) 

BTW, those wheels are tubulars... I might be one of two people worldwide that run sew-up tires on a Riv?.. 

- Max "totally tubular" in A2

[Davey Two Shoes]

I like my Sam, its my "gravel" bike, so its also my road bike. However I think I'd have gone with a Roadini if I wasn't interested in touring.

[John Dewey]

Max, that's just a badass bicycle. Well done, sir.

Jock

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[Keith Paugh]

Mad Max,

Shock & Awe indeed.

That’s a mean machine.

k.

On Mar 6, 2024, at 7:32 AM, John Dewey <john...@gmail.com> wrote:



Max, that's just a badass bicycle. Well done, sir.

Jock

On Tue, Mar 5, 2024 at 3:23 PM Max S <msh...@gmail.com> wrote:

Here's my favorite Riv for pavement (and dirt) riding (tires and wheels are #1 and #2 concerns, saddle-to-bar drop is #3, and close behind that is picking a reasonably fast color): 

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[Bill Lindsay]

I keep getting text messages from HED for the sale they are running on their rim-brake deep-V carbon rim wheel sets, and I keep thinking about Max's build.  Bad influence!!

BL in EC

[Corwin Zechar]

Hey Max -

If you are one of two people worldwide that run sew-ups on a Riv, I am the other one. I had Rich build a set of wheels for sew-ups so I could run them on any of four Rivs (my wife would not tolerate 33mm tires on the Hubbuhubbuh after riding 71mm tires).

Regards,

Corwin

[Bill Lindsay]

I have a tubular wheel set for my Roadeo also.  We're a GANG

BL in EC

[Max S]

Dooooo eeeeeet! 

- Max "Knock-knock... Hi! Have you heard the good news about carbon tubulars?.." in A2

[Bill Schairer]

My Atlantis rolls on tubulars.

Bill S 

San Diego

[Steven Sweedler]

Bill, how wide are your tires. Thanks, 

Steven Sweedler
Plymouth, New Hampshire

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[Jonathan Poor]

'98 Riv Road with wood rims and 30mm tubulars...

On Wednesday, March 6, 2024 at 9:15:09 AM UTC-5 Max S wrote:

[Patrick Moore]

+And lovely beausage! +1!

[lconley]

Or you can buy a bunch of Rivendells and keep most of them....

Note that comfort depends a lot upon your body proportions. When I finally got a Rivendell custom for my drop bar road bike, the top tube was 10 cm longer than the seat tube.

Laing

On Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at 12:57:14 AM UTC-5 Patrick Moore wrote:

The other way to discover what you really want to ride is to buy a lot of bikes that sort of look like what you want (you are not sure what you want), upgrade them all, repeat several times as you try to perfect previously unrealized imperfections, then sell them at a loss. Do this for a couple of decades, then buy customs. This method costs a bit more than the other one.

But yes, ride lots of Rivendells. All those I've owned (I bought 5 including a 2nd-gen Ram and kept one that will turn 25 in April) all had a certain common handling and "feel" in common. And I do think that a Ram, if you don't want to spring for a Roadeo, might well be what you are looking for.

On Mon, Mar 4, 2024 at 7:39 PM Corwin Zechar <cz...@sonic.net> wrote:

... Ride lots of bikes - Rivendells if possible. Think carefully about what you want. Don't be afraid to try different things. Meditate on the differences. And most of all, practice patience if you are looking for a Ram.

[Mathias Steiner]

@laing

Well.

That's some garage you've got there. I spy north of $2k invested in leather saddles alone. I approve.I have sent the pictures to my family and informed them that I will no longer take complaints about how I have "too many bicycles" and related nonsense.

Thanks for this!

cheers -mathias

[RichS]

And for another take on the Sam Hillborne as a superb bike on pavement, give a nod to mounting a pair of 32mm Grand Bois Cypress. Also pure bliss:-)

Best,

Rich in ATL

[john Bokman]

Custom paint, Rich?

How are you finding the brakes? Very nice looking. I’m running cantilevers on my workhorse Sam (Shimano CX 70), but if I can manage to hustle a second sam in “fast” mode, I may well choose these (given your approval, of course).

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[R Shannon]

Hello John,

Amateur lighting in the photograph. Paint is the Sage Green Riv offered on a run of 2014 Sams. Part of that run had cream paint on the head tubes but I opted out of that one. 

In another life it has been a workhorse like your Sam. Versatile bikes aren't they? 

Regarding the DiaCompe centerpulls. I like them. They look good and function as well as I could expect. In fact, this bike has also run Tektro long reach calipers which worked well enough too. I realize brakes like saddles or handlebars are in the YMMV category. You indicated CX-70 cantis are on your Sam. I have used those with much success too on a previously owned Atlantis. Currently installing CX-50s on another bike. I hope that helps. 

Best,

Rich in ATL

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[John Dewey]

Rich, et. al.

One of my RBWs—Sakuki—came to me as 2nd owner, but it was NOS. I'm not sure it had seen the pave. 

When it arrived, it was equipped with PAUL centerpulls. I know they work well, but to my eye they were way out of proportion. So I sold them and installed Dia Compe as seen on yours. They look at home on the silver 'dawg'..and with salmon pads, stop just fine. 

JD

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[Bill Lindsay]

Max S said "Dooooo eeeeeet! "

I did not "Dooooo eeeeeet! " 

I did not even do "eeeeeet!"

but I did do "it"

I finally made an offer and got an all metal tubular wheel set on eBay that can go on my Rivendell Legolas.  It's another set of HED Ardennes wheels, which make them interchangeable with a few other bikes.  The wheel set comes with a set of cross knobbies, which need to be glued, or maybe I'll use some 30mm road tires that I've already got handy.  Max made me doo eeet.

BL in EC

On Wednesday, March 6, 2024 at 5:54:54 PM UTC-8 Max S wrote:

[Jason Fuller]

I know this has been pretty well covered by now, but I'm finally going to add my two cents as well. I have ridden a few, but I think that anecdotes are only going to take you so far because of the wide range of preferences on the speed-comfort continuum. Based on your replies, I feel quite confident that both the Homer and the Hillborne would be perfectly suited: comfortable as heck, don't feel overbuilt, not super fast but not sluggish either. If you're fine with caliper brakes I can't find a good reason to push one over the other. My Hillborne has been with me for close to 4.5 years now, I've ridden it 10,400km and counting, and it has been my favourite bike every day that I've owned it. I flip-flop between Albatross and Noodles and it's great with either. 

If you aren't buying right away, the upcoming Charlie H Gallop would be a worthy contestant too, I'm betting. I had the prototype and it was a compelling combination of the long wheelbase Rivs with the lighter tubing Rivs.  

On Saturday 2 March 2024 at 10:56:38 UTC-8 cfic...@gmail.com wrote:

I really like the Rivendell approach to bikes and bike technology with the idea of a more upright posture and a long wheelbase for long rides at a comfortable pace, but it seems like the models all lean heavily to what they call "country bikes."  I like to ride from my house, and that means riding almost exclusively on smooth (mostly) pavement. Can anyone suggest which models are better suited for road riding? Reading and comparing the descriptions, it seems that the Homer might be a good choice, or possibly the Appaloosa or Atlantis? Or the new Charlie Gallop, though I haven't heard much about how it is supposed to ride? I tried a Roadini (which I recently listed here and sold), but I think it was too big for me. I never felt comfortable on it. Maybe I just needed it in the right size. 

I would like the bike to work well with drop bars because of the multiple hand positions and they're just what I'm used to. I tried a bike with swept bars recently, but found I wasn't comfortable on longer rides. And when riding on streets with minimal shoulder width, I felt like I was going to catch the end of them on mailboxes or other obstacles. Maybe there's a handlebar in Rivendell's catalog that works well for road riding?

I'd appreciate any comments, especially if someone does this type of riding and has tried several of these models. Thanks.

Chuck

[Max S]

Yessss!! We should start a separate thread of Rivendells rolling on tubulars... 

BTW, check out these babies... 36 and 40 mm wide tubeless tubulars. Yes, you read that right. I happen to have a set of the 36es, and lemme tell ya – the ride is amazing! 

- Max "totally tubular, man!" in A2

[Bill Schairer]

Steven,

Lately, I've been running mostly Schwalbe Racing Ralph 50mm tires but i've run 28's and 32/33/34 tires as well.  Unfortunately, i think Schwalbe has abandoned tubulars altogether.  I have accumulated several of the Racing Ralphs but after that, I'm not sure that anything comparable is available.  I know, at one time, one could special order from Dugast or maybe FMB but I don't know about now.

[Chuck Blessing]

Thanks for the confirmation, Jason. I was focusing down to these two bikes based on the comments here and the descriptions on the Riv web site. Leaning more towards the Homer, as I won't be doing any real trail riding and I'm a lighter rider. I have seen very little information about the Charlie Gallop, so I don't know what to make of that one.

Chuck

[Jonathan Poor]

Curious, what is a "tubeless tubular"?  My tubulars (aka "sewups") have tubes. 

Jonathan

[Kim H.]

@Laing,

You have spoken about your great collection many times. Now the reveal. All I have to say is, WOW !

Thank-you for sharing.

Kim Hetzel

[Kim H.]

@Bill,

I have been running Schwalbe Racing Ralph 57mm(2.25) tires on my Clem for the first time in the last four months with Honjo Flat 65 fenders. I really like them.

Kim Hetzel.

[Robert Calton]

@Luke: Where did you see the Atlantis was going to be available this year? I've not seen it on the roadmap that was posted around. Anyone have more info on this? 

On Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at 1:28:35 AM UTC-5 Luke Hendrickson wrote:

Worth noting: the Atlantis will be available later this year. 

[Bill Lindsay]

All I've seen is this quote from the Email Update:

"After we get Susies, we'll have Sams in May/June and then Roadunos. More info on that next week, probably. "

 this tells me it always changes, and so we've got to plan based on the latest info.  If you are patiently waiting for something super specific, it's a good idea to email Will about it.  

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[Robert Calton]

Will confirmed both the Atlantis and the Homer are slated for 2025.