WTB Large Rosco Baby in the next 12 months

[maxcr]

Hi Everyone,

We've got a little one on the way and I've started thinking about a bike for a Thule Yepp mini front seat without knee interference to ride next summer!

I have pretty long legs for my 5'11" height - pbh of 90.5 so I always look for bikes with short-ish top tubes or use very short stems which in mind provide the most comfortable fit for me. I don't think any of my current bikes is ideal, the proto Gallop has long chainstays and a swoopy top tube for swept back bars so considering geometry, I think it is the closest, but I don't think it'll handle the weight in the front very well. The Hunq and Bomba can take the weight, but they might leave me feeling scrunched with limited space between the saddle and the child seat. Maybe I could get a long stem and a set of Boscos and try it out?

Anyway, I've re-read many of the old posts about the Rosco Baby, and even though it's hard to find a ton of info on these I decided that ideally I'd get a large Rosco Baby. 

Did the Rosco baby come in three sizes S, M, L (58) or was there an XL (62-64)?  I've already sent out a few feelers hoping some kiddos are outgrowing theirs in the next few months but my ask is that if anyone is considering selling a large Rosco baby, please ping me - I'm open to buying the frame or complete anytime between now and next summer.

In case I don't get the Rosco, I also re-read many threads on Clem vs Susie vs Platypus, etc. I discarded the Platy, not sure why but my current alternative ideas are: 

1) Buy Ryan's Susie, but I'm not sure it'll handle as well as the baby and the swoopy top tube doesn't make of a true step-thru mound/dismount but it might work.

2) Get one of those upcoming Clem L's - maybe a 64 to have a longer ETT. I'll slam the seat down, like Grant's 64 Clem which was posted on the blug a while back.

What do you think? Would you try the Bomba? Is a Susie a good option? Or should it really be a Gus to take the extra (up to 33lbs max on the Yepp) weight? Or should I just get a Clem and call it a day?

Then again, if the Rosco Baby and the Clem are so similar, why was Grant looking for a Rosco baby not long ago, knowing the Clems would be in stock in April? The head tube angle and stoutness might not be the same? Am I over-optimizing again?

Thanks

Max

[lconley]

I have a Clementine and a Rosco Baby. BIG, BIG difference. The Rosco Baby Effective Top Tube is about 4-1/2 inches longer that the Clementine. 725mm for the Rosco Baby 52cm, 610mm for the Clementine 52cm. The current Clem may be slightly different than the original Clementine, but not 4-1/2 inches.

Laing

Delray Beach FL

[Slin]

Laing is right that the latest Clem L has a much longer top tube than the Clementine, but it's not 4.5 inches longer.

Max - Bosco bars are a great for getting more space for you and the baby. Sizing up on a Clem for me has worked great to get space for my knees with the baby up front too.

[Paul M]

I had a 64cm 2021 lime-olive Clem L and it had a 70cm effective top tube. 

[maxcr]

Thanks Laing, Slin and Paul!

In 2016 Riv listed the Clem L as follows:

size 59 has an ETT of 64

size 65 has an ETT of 67 

both with STA and HTA of 71.5

Paul, I wonder if yours was a newer version with an even longer 70cm ETT!

I found this diagram for a 52 Rosco Baby, which shows a whopping 72.5 ETT! The main difference are the 70.5 HTA and the STA at 68 - I believe the latter is a big part of the expanded top tube. i wonder what's the ETT on the 58 Baby?

The 56 Susie shows an ETT of 68.5 on the website, a bit longer than the diagram I found below but still well below than the Rosco baby. Anyone has experience with a front load on a Susie? Yeah, I'm looking for excuses to buy Ryan's bike ;) My wife has a small Susie and it's a great bike.

Max

[Joe Mullins]

FWIW, I spoke to Will about the Rosco Baby and he told me the new Clem's are the closest thing to them. Big difference being that tubes in the Rosco Baby are burlier. 

Joe in Los Angeles

[Bones]

Congratulations! How many humans do you ultimately see yourself toting around? If only one, the Rosco Baby is great (if you can find one). I asked myself the same question, and when I decided I was going to add >1 humans, I bought an Appaloosa. I'm quite glad I did. Keep in mind that the reach is not the only factor. In my experience, simply raising the child seat on the stem is more effective at avoiding knee strike. Consider a low or negative rise handlebar and the extra exposed stem length is plenty to keep your knees free of the seat. This frame begs to be loaded, front and/or rear. So from this point of view, unless you'd really like step-thru functionality, it doesn't really matter which bike you choose as long as it is somewhat stout and it fits you. Once my kids outgrew the weight limits on the seats and our third roommate arrived I said "screw it I'm getting a cargo bike."

Bones

[Michael Baquerizo]

i will say any bike with a top tube as opposed to a swooping tube is not something i’d recommend for a child carrier (if back seat is the eventual considerat) the ability to mount goes down severely when there’s a live being back there. unless you’re doing yoga and stretching regularly i’m just about sick of using my yepp in the back. i know you’re asking about the front but just piggy backing off the above statement 

[maxcr]

Thanks Bones, that's an awesome photo, love it! I have no idea how you manage to mount the bike, I'm very flexible but I don't know how I'd do it.

 

We hope to have another one down the line (first one has to get here first!) but at that point maybe we could transition the older one to a trailer? I agree with Michael, step-thru capability would make for a much easier/safer mounting routine for me. 

Max

[Max Faingezicht]

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to bump this thread in case anyone has a large Rosco Bebbe that they’d be willing to sell.

Otherwise I’ll probably buy a 64 Clem in the next few months

Max

On Apr 10, 2023, at 5:15 PM, Slin <sli...@gmail.com> wrote:

Laing is right that the latest Clem L has a much longer top tube than the Clementine, but it's not 4.5 inches longer.

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