New Bike Syndrome

[Rusty Click]

I am suffering from this condition, and wondered if it is normal.  You see, I've recently ordered a new Atlantis (62), and I find myself looking at owners pictures of their builds, and obsessing over whether to have Riv do a complete build, or move what I can from my '11 S. Hillborne (which will have to be sold to slightly offset the new bikes expense) and only worry over what will not transfer.  

Why can't I stop looking at wheels, at handlebars, and brakes?  I know I have many months ahead of wading through the minutiae of all the choices to be made, including the selling of my loyal Sam.  Is this "Buyers Remorse", or some other malady experienced by those of us waiting anxiously for a new bike?  I know I have at least 6 months of this torture/excitement to endure, and don't know if I will make it through.  

I consider all of you on this amazing site, a sort of support group for the bike obsessed.  I am one.  

Dementedly Yours,

Dale Click "Rusty"

Pgh, PA

[drew]

I just finished the 6th month wait for my new Atlantis. In that purgatory time,

-I pulled everything off of a donor bike and assessed what i was going to keep and what I wanted to get new or different versions of. 

-cleaned it all.

-sold the stuff that i wasn't going to use on the new frame.

-researched and bought new components

-researched and bought new components

-researched and bought new components

-researched and bought new components

-researched and bought new components

-researched and bought new really unnecessary components

 

and then the frame showed up!

[Bob Lovejoy]

Well, I do know exactly of what you speak... I have a new Sam build coming up and though I am mostly/somewhat/hopefully committed to using parts already here - parts stash + parts from another build - I still find myself looking, lusting and considering other things I see.  

The good news is I have a pretty good collection of pieces and parts and if I can just make myself use the crankset I have, versus the one that is calling to me(!), and also forget about a new or different wheelset, and the tires, and, well.... you see (and know!) how this goes.

I would have to say "good luck!" on keeping that up for six months!  Obviously the best approach is come up with a plan and just let it be... The good news about bikes is you can change them later.  In fact, especially with a new bike, it is at times best to wait just to see how the bike evolves into your riding and life, to live with the bike for awhile and let it provide inspiration (or resistance) as to build directions.

But, I know... easier said than done.

Anyway, good luck and congrats on the future new bike!

Bob Lovejoy

Galesburg, IL

[Surlyprof]

I’m not sure I’ll be the support you need or want. Given that the Hillborne is a great bike that you’d miss it more than the few hundred dollars you’d get for it, I’d make it your lighter, go-fastish bike and make the Atlantis the handle anything life throws at you bike. That would involve:
- assessing what Sam parts would be good on a stripped down road bike...
- assessing which parts are heavier duty and should shift to the Atlantis...
- order and replace the lighter parts on to the Sam while you wait for the Atlantis...
- order and install the new and old parts on the Atlantis when it arrives...
- Sit back and marvel at yor ingenuity because you just diversified your bike stable while only buying parts for one bike AND you were never without a Riv to ride!

Of course the final step involves the panic-stricken period while you figure out how to rationalize this insanity to your significant other followed by lots of household chores, flowers, begging forgiveness and, maybe, some retaliatory spending on their part.

Good luck and enjoy the ride (literally and metaphorically).

John

[lum gim fong]

Another idea is swap everything over and then upgrade as the wallet permits.

That's what I did. Swapped my Sam build over to my Rambouillet. Cleaned the parts before installing. Fun!!

But no wait. I can see the fun in the planning.
You could sell everything you aren't going to use and then use the $$$ to buy the new parts.

[Rusty Click]

Thanks guys, the biggest problem is that the Sam is my only ride.  It's a "Transformer" that dresses appropriately for the task at hand, and John, you are right that I will miss it. 

[Ian A]

I would personally say, that if you like the Sam, keep it and leave it exactly as it is. Too many people regret selling a bike, only to find they miss it and can't easily replace it. And two bikes is a good number, especially if you commute or otherwise rely on a bicycle.

You're likely to lose money selling the Sam frame too. If it is in the budget, you might be pleased with a decision to build the Atlantis all new.

IanA

[Joe Bernard]

Seconded on Ian's suggestion. Even by frugal working stiff standards, only one bike if you depend on it for commuting just isn't enough. You wake up one morning for work and a tire is flat, whaddyagonnado, fix the tire? Uh uh, ride the other one and save that madness for a relaxing after-work wrenching session. Keep the Sam!

[Lester Lammers]

It's OCD but normal. *I* would do an organ transplant from your Sam and fine tune from there.

On Friday, January 12, 2018 at 10:31:44 AM UTC-5, Rusty Click wrote:

[Pondero]

Rusty, just wanted to express my congrats on the Atlantis! The classic of all classics! I can relate to the mania. I suspect it could probably be worse when you are scheming an Atlantis build. There are SO many wonderfully creative examples to peruse.

How about you tell us more about your current thinking for your setup. Consider it therapy. We are here to help.

Chris Johnson
Sanger, Texas

[ted]

There is no final step, and the true panic sets in when you thought you would be all done but instead realize you also really NEED just one more bike to .....

[Coal Bee Rye Anne]

Hi Dale,
Take the Sam for a ride! And ditto on the congrats for your new coming Atlantis. I’ve often suffered similar symptoms but find they often flair up more when not getting enough riding in. Although I certainly still think of build changes while riding or because of revelations discovered after several rides the immediacy of such changes quickly subsides once I get back in the saddle and allows me to think about them more critically or economically rather than succumb to the impulse buying that turns into a pile of parts (which I still need to dig myself out of, of course.)

Brian Cole
Lawrenceville NJ

[Dale Click]

Hi Chris,

If I have Riv build it as a complete, then I am thinking Rich built Atlas wheels, Albatross bars, Riv’s pick for the F&R derailleurs, the Sugino triple, and downtube shifters. Eventually, when I can find the parts, I would move the rear shifter up onto the bar with a Paul thumbie. I would have to decide between V-brakes and canti’s and the brake levers. I would move the Nitto big back rack and Marks rack over from the Sam soon after I get the bike (You saw a moderately loaded version of my Sam when we met for coffee at Big Dog Coffee). I would try to sell the Hub Area rack and replace it later. This would leave me with a stripped down version of the Sam, that I would either try to sell on the list, or keep around for scooting around downtown etc.

My wife, in her wisdom, believes that I should get a complete bike and try to sell the Sam in the ridable version. It would help off set the crazy extravagance of buying the Atlantis.


Rusty Click
Pgh, PA

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[Deacon Patrick]

Is cycling an important part of your life? Important for exercise, transportation, errands, relaxing, contemplating, theraputic, etc? Then you need two bikes. One goes down now and then. Derailure or hub blows up, spoke snaps, rim gets dinged. It happens. No worries, you have your other bike. Or, to randomly give another example, say you get the knuckle-headed idea that you’re only going to ride fixed, so you send your frame in for dropout swap for several months. No worries. You have your other bike. Grin.

If cycling is unimportant to you, a take it or leave it activity (and how could it be — you’ve bought two Rivs!), then sell the Sam.

As for your wife, ask her how you do on weeks when you haven’t been able to ride. You grouchier? I’d wager all of us are. A common phrase round these parts is “Papa needed a longer ride.” Sardonic grin.

With abandon,
Patrick

[Pondero]

Like others have already well said, I'm also a huge proponent of a backup bike. If you could find creative financing (other things to sell besides a Sam?), you have a great opportunity for that here.

Your single bike approach, if it comes down to that, sounds fine. The only other idea I have is a few strategic WTB/WTT posts. You've got time and this group of fickle folks on your side. Maybe a micro-swap meet would help you economize. I've learned that used good stuff is usually still good stuff.

Either way, I'll enjoy following this project!

Chris Johnson
Sanger, Texas

[RichS]

Rusty,

If you can figure out a way, I implore you to keep your Sam. I have one; and an Atlantis. They’re very different bikes.

Even though there is overlap between
them and you can accomplish many of the same things on both, they do have their own handling characteristics and feel.

At one point I thought I wanted the Atlantis more roadish. Nope. Didn’t like it. But the Sam is a wonderful ride for me in a bit more of a svelte setup.

Now, the Atlantis has fatter tires, wider rims, Albatross bars and fenders. It’s golden! Took awhile but I found my sweet spot.

In sum I would be hard pressed to get rid of either bike. Hope I never have to make that decision. Congratulations, dream on and enjoy what your new Atlantis might be like. And keep the Sam!

All the best,
Richard

[Jay Connolly]

I’d keep the Sam, too. If cycling is important to you, then sometimes it’s great to have a similar-but-different bike. Use a different bar, a wider/thinner tire, and setthe bike (or both bikes) to be a little more purpose driven. I have an Appaloosa set up as an anyroad bike with 700 x 50 Cazaderos for mud and forest trails. I run a basket some of the time, but mostly use a Sackville medium seat bag. My Sam, A VERY similar frame, is my road bike. I run a moustache bar, slicks, and generally keep it unencumbered. They feel entirely different.

Jay

[Joe Bernard]

Getting back to your question: Yes, I drove myself crazy planning the build on my new Cheviot. Fortunately it was only a 2 month wait so craziness is over. It's a fun kinda crazy, though 🙃

[Jeffrey Arita]

Dale,

Our collective 'affliction' is 100% normal.  I too spent most of the first quarter of 2017 slowly assembling not one but two complete builds for the Divide (Salsa Fargo's).  We embarked on that journey July 2017.  We made it to mid-, late September before the snows in Butte, MT caused us to postpone our completion in Banff.  We plan to re-embark from Butte this July.  We made it 2,080 miles and it was about a 55 day journey.  That being said, not once did I check out bikes, components, wheels, etc. during that time.  I did not have withdrawals or anything(!).  Seriously the journey itself and the simple act of riding our bikes, eating, sleeping and repeating made for a contented life.

Upon returning home, however, I fell right back into the trap!!  I am looking up new bicycles, checking out deals on Riv's, Surly's, Salsa's, etc.  Thinking 'if I had that wheelset I could do this....'  If I had that new bag I could carry this or that........

I guess I gotta get back out on the road and ride!

Best,

Jeff

[Irreguleur]

My experience echoes yours, Rusty. I’m a 1 bike person and this is my first Riv, so I made lists (spreadsheets), window shopped, and compiled everything until the Clem was was shipped. Then I tore down my Kodiak and cleaned the migratory components. Everything* was ready for the new frame when it arrived.

I Pre-Pre-Ordered the frameset before the details of the new version were available (June?) I made photo mockups, compared owners builds, etc. Anxiety set in a few times (phone calls to Riv settled me) and I took some chances on a few personally untested parts, but I’d do it all again every year if I could.

Enjoy it while it lasts!

[lum gim fong]

And plan as you may, a Rivbike is so versatile that a given build is never “complete”.

After a few months it sometimes goes like this:

Hmmmm...I might want that other front bag,... but then I need another rack that holds it lower over the tire so I can attach the rack directly to the fender this time, and I need to switch to cantis to get the straddle cable clearance I need so I can attach the rack mount to the fork crown, then I’ll need a different decaleur, and then of course I’ll swap do a fender nut for the front fender instead of my daruma while I have the front end apart for easier removal next time, and with the new rack I could finally bolt an edeluxe headlight directly to the front side eyelet...and I can finally have a wired dyno tail light with that headlight! But I’d need Honjo fenders this time cus only their’s has the crimp hole big enough to run a tail light wire through...oh, man it’s already 6am?!?!?!

[Rusty Click]

Thank you, all of you, for your comments.  You've loosened the clamp of anxiety a bit, and let me chuckle at my own discomfort.   Thank You.

On Friday, January 12, 2018 at 10:31:44 AM UTC-5, Rusty Click wrote:

[G.E.]

In many ways, I envy those who are capable of being a one-bike person; however, as many have already stated, you may well regret giving up your Sam for the Atlantis, unless the riding you do always necessitates the carrying capacity of the Atlantis. I've had my Sam for about 8 years and cannot imagine giving it up, but for me it is the do-almost-anything bike. That said, I also had another Rivendell (and other bikes too) that I sold to help fund bike purchases and have often regretted it. The problem is that you will likely lose a great amount in a sale and when the regret sets in and time passes (causing even more increase in the cost to buy again) it becomes that much more difficult to replace the bike.

Now, for full disclosure, I am the female in our household and we both ride so it's not difficult for either of us to convince the other that we *need* a second (or third, fourth, etc) bike. So, I understand if your sig other is not on board necessarily with having two bikes, but perhaps as others have stated you could explain to her that each bike does serve a purpose and find another way to help fund the new Atlantis. Even if it means waiting a little longer to fully build it up, I think it might be worth it. Of course, I have no idea your personal or financial situation, but if there's any way to keep both (since it sounds like you do enjoy the Sam), I would try that avenue first.

Waiting for a new bike can feel like torture. Whether it's a couple of weeks or several months (or even years, as some have waited), the waiting is the hardest part. At least it provides time to pick out the parts you think will work best! :)

[lum gim fong]

I had a Sam frame traded for Ram frame moved the Sam build over to Ram, no regrets. Ram does what i like better. Sam is an awesome bike though. I never loved the looks of 6degree tt though.
I ride under 10lbs load recreational road riding and commuting though so your intended use will have alot to do with it.

So you may not regret selling the Sam. I guess aesthetics, intended use, and ride quality are things to think over. The other issue is what would you like besides a Sam as a second bike to the Atlantis. Does the Sam fit the bill?

[Dale Click]

This project is gaining some form out of the mist of possibilities.  Like a shadow in the fog that you know will take shape in time, and then the moment when you think…"so that’s what it is!"

I have been a one bike fits all guy for a long time and haven’t, until owning a Rivendell, regretted the thought of moving on to a different ride.  Early on in this process when I considered having a +1, I was thinking a LHT or Specialized AWOL for the loaded, or winter riding, but the two bike thinking was out of my experience and I reverted to past form.  I was thinking that shifting the functional overlap toward the ‘hauling’ end’ of the spectrum, would better suit current and future usage.   Instead of occasionally overloading the Sam, I would  sacrifice on the zippy side.  I like the idea of an lightly loaded Atlantis, still having that “Riv Ride” feeling that we all know and talk about,  and then loading it up for a tour, guiding folks on the GAP, or Adventure Cycling work that I hope to do.  Do any Atlantis riders out there not like how their bike rides with a small load?

I have ridden a friends LHT and it. is. a. tank!  Loaded or unloaded, it rides like a concrete block, but it certainly fits his use at 300lbs + 70lbs touring load (he over packs.)  

You all have me thinking how to make a N+1 option work, and in a sense, that is now on the table.  I love to ride, and biking is important to me but not in the sense that I have to ride to work or meetings.  It is my escape.  I enjoy the journey, the views, and the people…and of course, the coffee!  

Slainté,

Rusty Click

Pgh,PA

[dougP]

Rusty:

"Do any Atlantis riders out there not like how their bike rides with a small load?"

I bought my Atlantis in '03 specifically for loaded touring.  It fills the bill perfectly for that service.  Much to my pleasant surprise, it turned out to be a wonderful ride even without a load.  My "around town" set up was just a Hobo bag as a saddle bag with no racks.  Great ride, great handling, etc.  My previous basic steel '80s racy bike collected dust & cobwwebs. 

Now my standard set-up is an Acorn Rando bag on a small Nitto front rack plus a basic Nitto rear rack (simple platform one, not pannier rack).  90% of the time anything I need to grab'n'go fits into the front bag, and anything bulky is easily strapped onto the rear rack.  For tours, I have a Tubus Cosmo for the rrear and a Duo for the front.  But the bulk of my mileage is in the "casual recreational mode". 

I have ridden a Sam briefly at RBWHQ & it does feel a bit lighter & perhaps more zippy but that can also be the "new bike" effect of all new components, tires, etc.  You should notice a difference between the two bikes but whether it's subtle or huge may depend on personal sensitivity.  Don't neglect the influence of tire selection on ride quality & responsiveness.  I'm a huge fan of Schwalbe stuff but the difference between Marathon Supremes & many of the truly heavy duty Marathons (Plus, Touring, etc) is astounding.

dougP

[Joe Bernard]

Lighten the Sam as much as possible, load the Atlantis with as many racks and bags and baskets as you can attach to it. My current two-bikes situation is similar: I have a Riv Cheviot 2-speed with smallish front/rear bags (no racks) and a Bike Friday Haul-a-Day cargo bike. You CAN make one Rivendell do all things, but that's just crazy talk, man. Get two!

[Deacon Patrick]

My Hunqa, essentially a beefier Atlantis, rides wonderfully no matter the load, including lack of one. As spritely as my Quickbeam? No. Slower? Not by any amount a nonracer cares about. It would be my one bike, and was for several years, my one bike, if I ever needed to pare down.

I will have my two bikes set up effectively identically (same basic geometry fitting points, handlebars, stem, seat height/position, pedals, etc) save for racks on the Hunqapillar for bikepacking and errands and other loads and lower gearing because of it. My decision will be simple for which bike to take: load? Hunqapillar. Day ride? Quickbeam.

With abandon,
Patrick

[drew]

I’ll offer a counterpoint and say that a Sam and an Atlantis aren’t THAT different. I sold all my bikes and pared down to an Atlantis. It has just a front rack and beefy wheels. Otherwise it’s about as light as the Sam I previously had. I don’t clock speed but the feeling is similar. I had a Hunq and a Sam and even that felt like a lot of overlap. Even more so with an Atlantis and Sam. For now I intend to try to do everything on the Atlantis, and I think that’s very possible without feeling unsatisfied. If I did want something else, it’d be a real light bike, maybe single speed, maybe bmc, maybe titanium.

[Scott McLain]

Bikes are no different from fly rods, guitars, golf clubs, or potato chips. It’s hard to stop at just one!

Just go with the Atlantis. Enjoy it. Then when you get the itch buy something used off the list. Like a Ram or Saluki, just for fun.

Skimp on your car.

[Curtis McKenzie]

Dear Scott,

With utmost respect you left out banjos and chisels.  We all have our weaknesses. Grin.

Best,

Curtis 

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