Clem L vs Rosco Bebe

[Paul Clifton]

Has anyone ridden both a Clem L and a Rosco Bebe enough to comment on the differences?

My bebe has long since outgrown the Yepp Mini front seat, and I'm now using the Bebe to drag a copilot.

Part of me feels like I should pass the Bebe on to a new parent, but another part of me wants to just keep it. The ride is phenomenal, and really unlike anything else I've ever ridden and I doubt I'd ever get it back if I let it go.

The 68 degree seat tube angle is really comfortable, and the really long effective top tube puts so much bike out in front of the rider that it feels like it really takes the lead. It's absurdly stable on fast descents and carves corners without any skittishness.

If I was going to sell it, I'd probably replace it with a Clem as my kid hauling townie, since I'd like to keep my Gus set up for rowdy single track fun.

So I'm curious if anyone can actually compare the two.

Paul in AR

[Richard Rose]

I’ve not ridden a Rosco Bebe. However, your description of the ride & fit qualifies mirror my Clem low experience, exactly. And, though I might like to get a Gus or Susie for the same reasons as yours, I would be hard pressed to part with the Clem. Probably not much help but, that’s all I got.

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 30, 2022, at 6:11 PM, Paul Clifton <paulgc...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[lconley]

I own both, but I have never completed the Bebe build [everything done but the brakes and chain-line (S-A 3 speed)], so not much help yet. I bought the Bebe because of the long effective top tube. I have short legs and a long torso and it seemed like it might be the ideal step through for bars with a lot of backsweep. I also have a Betty Foy, Rosco Bubbe Medium Mountain Mixte and the one and only Keven's Bike true mixte. Some day I may not be able to swing my leg over and I wanted to cover all the options on Rivendell step-thrus. I never intended for the Bebe to be a baby bike, it's my long torso bike.

Laing

[Paul Clifton]

Thanks for the feedback Richard and Laing. I certain I'd enjoy a Clem, but I guess I'll never know how unique the Bebe bike is until I can ride them both back to back. There's still part of me that wants to get it to another new parent.

Laing, please share you thoughts when you get the Bebe on the road. I can tell you it's just as fun without a kid on the front as it is with one. The extra load just adds to the stability.

Paul

[Hoch in ut]

I believe the Rosco uses Clem forks, so I’m assuming the front end is similar, if not the same. Rivendell told me that they also use the same front end on the Gus, Susie, Atlantis so they should all ride very similar. 

Unless you just want a new bike to get a new bike (nothing wrong with that), I’d just keep the Rosco. It’s a very unique and rare bike. 

[Paul Clifton]

Hey Hoch,

The fork is a Clem fork but I'm pretty sure the head tube angle is different, part of the way they made the effective top tube so long and gave it such good balance with a 30 lb load behind the handle bars.

I don't really want to get rid of it or get a new bike, but I do want another parent and kid to have the wonderful experience my daughter and I had for the couple years she fit the Yepp seat, so if there's a more-or-less drop-in replacement out there, I want to know about it.

Paul

[Hoch in ut]

Ah, got it. Well, I’m sure you’ll find the Clem rides great. I had one for a bit and I liked it. 

That said, I had a bike years ago (Surly). Fit was amazing and I felt like I could pedal forever on it. I foolishly decided to sell it for another bike. I couldn’t get it to fit right so I bought another. But despite using the exact same components, I still couldn’t get it to fit like the original. Lesson learned, if you have a bike that rides and fits well, hold on to it.  

[Paul Clifton]

I'm with you on that Hoch. I'm the third owner of a semi-custom Boulder All Road 650b. Aside from being a particularly special bike, it happens to fit like no other bike I've ever ridden. I've considered selling it several times, because I don't ride it much, and I've basically stopped riding drop bars anyway, but I know that if I'm going to own a drop bar road bike, it's the only one that will ever do, so it's staying, and I get it out 6 or 10 times a year for a 30 mile gravel ride and remember why I have it and how much fun a sporty bike that really fits is.

It's actually a really similar situation to the Bebe bike. It's a really specialized bike for a specific purpose that I don't actually take part in (Brevets or Babies). So I'm not in a rush to replace it. Ideally I could send it out on loan locally to parents I know, but I don't have that kind of network these days.

Paul

[Joe Mullins]

Hey Paul,

I sent you an email but not sure if you got it. I’m a new a parent and while I’ve got other Rivs that I plan to use with a kid seat, I’ve definitely been curious to experience the Bebe with my baby! If you decide to pass it to a new parents, I’d love to chat with you about it.

Thanks,

Joe

.

[Scott Luly]

Not sure if the trail is the same, but Atlantis fork is not the same as Gus/Susie.

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

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[Paul Clifton]

Hey Joe, I got it and will follow up off list. Hate to say it, but I'm also not surprised: you're not the only one waiting on a reply :)

I think Riv should do another round of these :) I wonder if lead times and factory capacity are back to where they can do a special order if 10 or 20 people commit to buy them.

[Joe Mullins]

Thanks Paul! Maybe there is a demand for them…

The idea of these bikes getting passed around is pretty neat too. Multiple generations of kids riding on them seems pretty neat! But leave it to Riv make a “baby” bike that rides so great they go beyond their intended use and people want to keep them even after the kids out grow them!

I was going to build up my Susie to carry the kiddo but I’m thinking the high BB might make it a bit too top heavy. 

Joe

On Dec 2, 2022, at 9:40 AM, Paul Clifton <paulgc...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Slin]

That's pretty cool to hear that the Rosco Bebe rides great even without the front load. I was looking at them back in the day too and thought I read that they were expected to feel weird without that load.

From what I understand, the Clem has become more Rosco-Bebe-like over the years, with a longer effective top tube, etc. I certainly love using mine for kid hauling :)

[Joe Mullins]

Will confirmed that the Clem is in fact more Rosco Baby like and would make a great kid-carrier!

Joe

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[Slin]

Here's mine!

[Ray Varella]

Great picture Slin

Ray

[Slin]

Thanks, Ray.

Paul - so what did you decide? Did the Rosco Bebe find a new kid/family?

[Paul Clifton]

It will probably go to a new home. Various permutations of various stables are percolating.

Paul