First Rivendell — sizing question

[Karl]

I would ride a 59 San with a 84 PBH... so I would look there. My preference is to go bigger. Every time I have went smaller, it’s made me regret my purchase. What kind of riding would be more what would steer the decision than lifting to the train. Also, it would be worth a call to Will over at Rivendell. I see this as a life purchase, so spending an extra $400 for a true Rivendell matched by an employee who knows is totally worth it in my opinion. Hope this helps!

Karl
Nashville, TN

[Jeffrey B]

Are the Somas still available?
Everywhere I looked is sold out.

[Fullylugged]

The comparative weight of the frames matters much less than the weight of the components (especially the tires, which can get quite heavy) that you assemble on to it. A reasonable steel bike build will be 22 lbs or more. A racist build will be down to 18 lbs or so. Of the models you mention and the use you describe, the Hillborne might be your best choice with plush fabric bead tires. Gravel Kings even. But as a song goes, "You're a winner either way." ("I Feel Lucky" M. C. Carpenter)

[Will]

You may want to look at the $2000 Appaloosa here:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rbw-owners-bunch/munGLjuSj9I

It fits your PBH and the price is great. 

You will love riding a Rivendell. They are wonderful. And beautiful. 

On Wednesday, June 5, 2019 at 2:01:07 PM UTC-5, Pathfinder wrote:

Hi all,

I am in the process of trying to figure out which Rivendell will best suit my PBH and needs. I intend to use it primarily for commuting (~10 miles per day), getting around town, plus longer weekend rides.

The three bikes I’ve been considering are the Soma San Marcos (I know not technically Rivendell), AHH, and Sam Hillborne.

My height is 5’9” and PBH is 85.5. This puts me between sizes on the AHH, in the middle with Sam Hillborne, and unclear on the San Marcos.

At this point I would prefer a San Marcos if it fits well as it seems to be a bit lighter which would be helpful for getting it on and off the train, as well as price. The Sam seems to be the heaviest, but I’m square in the middle of the PBH range for the 55 which sounds like it would fit well.

Would the San Marcos 57cm be too large? If one is between sizes on an AHH, would bigger or small be better?

Thank you!

[Steve Palincsar]

"Racy?"  Surely not "racist." 

On 6/5/19 4:56 PM, Fullylugged wrote:

 A racist build will be down to 18 lbs or so. 

-- 
Steve Palincsar
Alexandria, Virginia 
USA

[jeffrey kane]

You'd have to work pretty damn hard to get either of those three models anywhere near 18lbs and fitted for practical commuting. I'd wager it's impossible, actually .. and anyway, that's not the Riv ethos. The Sam or Homer with fenders, at least one rack and a basket and a full compliment of mid to upper tier parts: drive train, cockpit, rim, hubs, tires, etc. is at best going to run 25 lbs (+) minimum. Nothing wrong with that ... but by minimum I mean closer to 28 to 30 in real world weight.

[Eric Karnes]

Regarding weight, I agree with Jeffrey. I'm not familiar with the San Marcos, but I've had a 61cm MUSA Homer. Built up with reasonably light components (dura-ace / open pro wheels, old ultegra drivetrain, compass tires) it was around 24ish pounds without bags and water bottles. I personally found it nice and light for my tastes and honestly I don't think you'd notice a sizable difference vs the San Marcos (or the Hilsen) carting it on and off the train. I carried mine up and down two flights of stairs everyday with no problem. So get the frame you like best.

Regarding sizing, I will say that I too was in between sizes (a 62cm is my sweet spot) on the AHH and I regret going with the smaller 61cm. I've since sold it, and if I wasn't moving overseas, I would snatch up that 63cm that Bill has for sale. Although if it stays up for sale, I might buy it anyway and ship it over. Someone remove that temptation please!

Eric

[Ed Carolipio]

Just wanted to note that using a bike through multimodal transport isn't driven by the weight of the frame so I advise against using that factor to make a final decision.

Also, if you're considering the (now retired Soma) San Marcos, I suggest also considering the (mostly retired) Roadini as well. No 57cms on rivbike.com, but check these boards as they do come up for sale or call Riv since sometimes they have stock which they haven't posted.

Finally, I agree with other folks who've said to go bigger when in between two sizes.

--Ed C.

[Drw]

i agree that the weight between these frames is negligible in comparison to other components, racks, wheels, tires saddles etc. for me, this decision would come down to brake type. i like v's or canti's and slightly wider tire clearance, so i'd go with a sam. 

You and i have the same pbh. I rode a 56 sam (not sure they make them in that size anymore) and was very happy with drop bars. When i tried albatross bars, they made the bike feel too small. so if you were going with swept back bars, id size up to a 58cm.  i dont know how san marcos' are sized, but not  all rivs are sized similarly, so its worth a call to them to get on the proper size. 

[Bruce Herbitter]

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[bruce.h...@gmail.com]

I recall that RBW advertised an 18 lb build by Mark on either the Roadini or Roadeo a few years ago. My '95 Road is currently 18 lbs. My Ram is 22.  I don't think a Hillborne could get that light. I used to have a Saluki and it ws in the 25 - 27 range. My point was that no steel bike was going to be super light as the OP mentioned weight for carrying on and off public transport.

[Joe Bernard]

Mark probably got a Roadeo in his size down to 18 pounds, he's a little guy and that frame in all sizes seems built to be a Mark's Bike, i.e, thin light tubes. You won't get there with any other production Rivs, so pick the one you like looking at the most.

[Dave Small]

I won't weigh in on bike weight or specific models, but I've learned to stay away from the edges of a recommended PBH range.  My first Riv was a 60cm first-generation Sam Hillborne for which my PBH of 88 cm was at the lower boundary of the range (and also at the upper boundary of the recommended range for the 56cm size).  I test rode both sizes, and while both felt good I had Riv's mantra of "go bigger" going through my mind so bought the 60 cm.  I could never love it, but later bought a 58cm for which I was in the middle of the PBH range and I love that one.  The differences are subtle in a way I can't articulate, but one is good and the other is great.  There may have been other differences between the generations, but I think most of it comes down to sizing.  

In retrospect, neither size of that Gen1 Hillborne was the right bike for me because I was the edge of the PBH range for both.  When Riv introduces new models or sizes now, I look first at the recommended range and if I'm not in the middle then I don't consider it.  That knocks some models out of contention right away, but I still manage to find enough bikes to fit my needs (and by "needs" I mean "wants").  

Dave

[Jame E]

One more note about train carry - get a frame handle, and it makes it much easier to deal with your bike on the train! Here are a few options - but you could make your own too! I don't carry my bike on the train often, but I have stairs to navigate and it makes a huge difference on my top tubeless bike.

• Walnut
  
• Cardiff
  
• DIY paracord