Re: [RBW] Digest for rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com - 24 updates in 9 topics

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Tom Horton

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Jan 18, 2025, 8:17:08 AM1/18/25
to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com
Julian  it will be good to meet you in philly  my friend patty and i came last year for two days and quite enjoyed night ride to a bike party and morning bike through the parks
Thinking i ll bring my quickbeam 68 this year
Tom horton
Sent from my iPhone

On Jan 18, 2025, at 6:49 AM, rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com wrote:


JAS <swanso...@gmail.com>: Jan 17 09:21PM -0800

60cm Platypus NOS frame/fork,
Eugene OR
$1675
https://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/bik/d/eugene-rivendell-platypus-60cm-frameset/7819255478.html
 
On Thursday, January 16, 2025 at 9:34:46 AM UTC-8 Marty Gierke,
Stewartstown PA wrote:
 
JAS <swanso...@gmail.com>: Jan 17 09:23PM -0800

60cm Romulus
$1000
McMinnville, OR
https://portland.craigslist.org/yam/bik/d/newberg-63cm-rivendell-romulus/7816429943.html
On Friday, January 17, 2025 at 9:21:50 PM UTC-8 JAS wrote:
 
JAS <swanso...@gmail.com>: Jan 17 09:25PM -0800

56cm Sam Hillborne
$2500
Tualatin, OR
https://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/bik/d/tualatin-rivendell-sam-hillborne-56cm/7807018536.html
Bob Warner <warne...@gmail.com>: Jan 17 01:30PM -0800

I currently have Shimano BR650 calipers on my Riv Roadeo, and have to
deflate the 35mm tires to remove the wheel. I'm looking for
recommendations for calipers that would open wide enough for the RH Bon Jon
Pass tires I'm using (35mm wide).
I believe the Velo Orange Grand Cru calipers would accommodate these
tires.... any thoughts on these?
Also, not sure about Paul Racer M's?? I appreciate the wisdom and insight
of the forum!!
 
thanks!
Bob
iamkeith <keith...@gmail.com>: Jan 17 02:00PM -0800

I hope I have these model numbers correct and not transposed, but the
Tektro R539 was originally designed by and for Rivendell, as the first
"Silver" branded brake. It was designed specifically for this purpose - as
an upgrade for Rambouillets and Romuli and Redwoods, etc, which were
designed to fit 33-37 tires, at at time when medium-reach brakes were few
and far between. Tektro eventually started selling them to anybody. I'm
not sure why Rivendell doesn't still carry them, but does still carry the
even-longer-reach R559. At any rate, they're still available but it might
take some looking to find some in a proper silver finish. I don't think
I'd ever rave about any caliper brake, but have them on my Ram and they are
fine and do what you are looking for.
 
Ryan <ryte...@mts.net>: Jan 17 02:45PM -0800

I have 32mm Stampede Pass tires on my Rivendell Road. I realize they're not
35mm. I also have Grand Cru brakes and TRP road levers with the additional
QR button, for additional slack on the inside of the brake hoods. Maybe
that combo could work? Don't have a wheelset with 35 mm tires ready to hand
to tell you for sure, however, unfortunately, but maybe someone else on the
list has this brake/lever combo AND >= 35 mm tires and could tell you for
sure. One reviewer on Orange Velo site mentions that the Grand Cru brakes
on their own don't release enough to mount a wheel with a 35mm tire...but
in combo with the TRP levers, they just might clear your 35mm tire.
Functionally and aesthetically they are a nice combo.
 
On Friday, January 17, 2025 at 4:00:39 PM UTC-6 iamkeith wrote:
 
Benz Ouyang, Sunnyvale, CA <benzo...@gmail.com>: Jan 17 07:49PM -0800

Ryan's recommendation of doubling up on QR with QR on the calipers and QR
on the levers is probably your best chance of getting adequate clearance. I
have a similar setup with Grand Cru brakes and Campagnolo Ergopowers (with
the built-in QR).
 
One thing you didn't mention is what rims you're using. The narrower the
rim, the less the QR is able to clear wider tires when opened. As an
extreme example, if you're running 30mm rims with 35mm tires, the QR only
needs to nominally clear the 5mm difference. However, if you're running
super narrow 19mm rims with the same 35mm tires, you're looking to clear
16mm of "tire bulge", which is more of a challenge.
 
On Friday, January 17, 2025 at 2:45:43 PM UTC-8 Ryan wrote:
 
Josh C <getjosh...@gmail.com>: Jan 17 05:42PM -0800

[image: IMG_1838 Large.jpeg][image: IMG_1839 Large.jpeg]
 
On Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 9:41:11 PM UTC-5 Jason Fuller wrote:
 
Julian Westerhout <weste...@gmail.com>: Jan 17 04:31PM -0800

The 2025 Philadelphia Bike Expo is on March 8 and 9, and Rivendell is going
to be there. I went last year for a few hours (on my way back home from a
family visit in MD) and enjoyed it a lot. Fun to meet some of the Rivendell
staff in person, and lots of other interesting things to look at and enjoy.
 
I'm thinking about going again this year - -but for a bit longer in order
to be able to really enjoy it.
 
Anyone else considering going?
 
Julian Westerhout
Bloomington, IL
abraham nussbaum <amnus...@gmail.com>: Jan 17 01:59PM -0800

Thanks, all, for the great advice. Eager for the build-- it's a dream frame.
 
I emailed Gramm and will let you know if I hear back.
 
Put that VO rack on the maybe list.
 
Also: anyone holding a Rene Herse M-13 with the light mount they want to
sell?
 
 
On Thursday, January 16, 2025 at 4:36:27 PM UTC-7 brizbarn wrote:
 
Bill Lindsay <tape...@gmail.com>: Jan 17 04:14PM -0800

Skip outed one on Craigslist for only $100 over on the internet-bob group.
 
Bill Lindsay
El Cerrito, CA
 
On Friday, January 17, 2025 at 1:59:47 PM UTC-8 abraham nussbaum wrote:
 
dylan green <dylantho...@gmail.com>: Jan 17 12:20PM -0800

Rack has been spoken for.
 
Paul's pending payment.
 
I realized the lights in the photo gallery weren't priced. Those are $140
for the set.
 
On Thu, Jan 16, 2025 at 3:51 PM dylan green <dylantho...@gmail.com>
wrote:
 
Glen <gla...@gmail.com>: Jan 17 10:19AM -0800

Brilliant idea on the clamp, I've had one of these cheap '3rd hand' tools
in my box for years. Makes this job so much easier.
 
Slip a washer or dime into the leading edge and I usually get the toe-in
dialed too.
 
Regarding housing cutting, even with a pair of cable cutters I usually just
use my Dremel and then a pick to open it up.
 

On Friday, January 17, 2025 at 3:28:10 AM UTC-7 Jay wrote:
 
meti...@gmail.com <meti...@gmail.com>: Jan 17 04:25AM -0800

Good Friday morning, friends.
 
I took a beautiful ride on my new Platy yesterday…yes, there is still salt
and some ice on the roads and snow is everywhere, but temps were in the 20s
and I decided to get the bike out anyway. I don’t want to be so persnickety
about a bicycle that I can’t ride it. I’ll pamper it later on.
 
We initially put a new chain on it, but the gears still slipped.
 
Next, we replaced the cassette and also added the dab of blue Locktite
everyone suggested to the D ring of the shifter, and the 30-minute ride
following those changes proved to solve the shifting issue but turned up a
new audible and palpable thumping when in one single gear. My hero
mechanics filed down a nub on the new chain and the thumping disappeared.
 
I’m convinced my initial slipping/ghost-shifting problem has been
solved…either by replacing the cassette or by the Locktite or the
combination of those two.
 
Here’s a decision I might question myself on later—my mechanics and I have
lost some confidence in these Silver shifters on my bike, y’all. I can’t
help it. And I’m not speaking badly about the shifters or other bicycles or
cyclists who find they work well…I’m speaking only of my bike and these
shifter and me.
 
Each time the bike is on the stand, when the mechanics shift through the
gears, even they have to WORK and fiddle to get the higher gears to settle
into gear. Is that making sense? The shifters seem too stiff in those
highest gears, and it takes too much finagling and kid-glove handling to
get things to work right. I’m not into that kind of riding—I want to shift
as I always shift…I’m a competent enough rider and I’ve been at this a long
time and I know how to shift and I don’t want to effing think about being
careful in the higher gears—so we’re replacing the shifters. I’ll be out of
town for a week or two, and when I return, I should have new shifters. They
might not work well either…I don’t know. But we’re gonna try it.
 
Liz, and that’s that, in Cincinnati
 
 
 
 
On Tuesday, January 14, 2025 at 6:36:52 PM UTC-5 John Williams wrote:
 
Eric Daume <eric...@gmail.com>: Jan 17 07:39AM -0500

Are you keeping with friction shifting, or going indexed?
 
Eric
 
Liz Tilton <meti...@gmail.com>: Jan 17 07:58AM -0500

Good question, Eric! We're gonna try Microshifts that can be switched to go with either way. I use similar friction/index shifters on my Atlantis and always keep them switched to friction, the mode I prefer.
 
Sent with delight from my iPhone
 
On Jan 17, 2025, at 7:39 AM, Eric Daume <eric...@gmail.com> wrote:
 
Are you keeping with friction shifting, or going indexed?
 
Eric
 
On Friday, January 17, 2025, meti...@gmail.com <meti...@gmail.com> wrote:
 
Good Friday morning, friends.
 
I took a beautiful ride on my new Platy yesterday…yes, there is still salt and some ice on the roads and snow is everywhere, but temps were in the 20s and I decided to get the bike out anyway. I don't want to be so persnickety about a bicycle that I can't ride it. I'll pamper it later on.
 
We initially put a new chain on it, but the gears still slipped.
 
Next, we replaced the cassette and also added the dab of blue Locktite everyone suggested to the D ring of the shifter, and the 30-minute ride following those changes proved to solve the shifting issue but turned up a new audible and palpable thumping when in one single gear. My hero mechanics filed down a nub on the new chain and the thumping disappeared.
 
I'm convinced my initial slipping/ghost-shifting problem has been solved…either by replacing the cassette or by the Locktite or the combination of those two.
 
Here's a decision I might question myself on later—my mechanics and I have lost some confidence in these Silver shifters on my bike, y'all. I can't help it. And I'm not speaking badly about the shifters or other bicycles or cyclists who find they work well…I'm speaking only of my bike and these shifter and me.
 
Each time the bike is on the stand, when the mechanics shift through the gears, even they have to WORK and fiddle to get the higher gears to settle into gear. Is that making sense? The shifters seem too stiff in those highest gears, and it takes too much finagling and kid-glove handling to get things to work right. I'm not into that kind of riding—I want to shift as I always shift…I'm a competent enough rider and I've been at this a long time and I know how to shift and I don't want to effing think about being careful in the higher gears—so we're replacing the shifters. I'll be out of town for a week or two, and when I return, I should have new shifters. They might not work well either…I don't know. But we're gonna try it.
 
Liz, and that's that, in Cincinnati
 
On Tuesday, January 14, 2025 at 6:36:52 PM UTC-5 John Williams wrote:
 
Happy New Year Liz!
 
How frustrating for you!
 
There a a few issues/questions:
 
Are you riding a 1x or 2x chainring set up?
 
Has the rear derailleur alignment been checked? (The dropout?)
 
Are the two jockey wheels aligned?
 
If you stand behind the parked bike, in the lowest gear, close one eye and imagine a line strait up and down where the chain comes up off the two wheels. If it's cocked in any way, that can lead to the ghost shifts. It can also be the jockey wheels aren't lubed or aren't the proper ones for your shift system.
 
Are you certain that the rear cable is free of any possible crimps, (like under the bottom bracket?) Do you have a kick stand mounted? If so, look carefully at the cables adjacent to the kickstand and that the cables do NOT touch the kickstand or its bracket. It's often overlooked.
 
Another test- grab the rear bare shift cable and see if that shifts and overrides the shifters. (You may need to put your bike on a stationary trainer).
 
Last check- make certain you don't have a modern 11-12 speed chain on the bike. It takes the older, wider chain on these wider spaced freewheels/cassettes.
 
Good luck!
 
(I wish I had a Platypus, 60, Ana Purple)
 
JRW
 
On Mon, Jan 6, 2025 at 10:45 AM meti...@gmail.com <meti...@gmail.com> wrote:
 
Your thoughts on a skipping/slipping/floating chain and gear, please.
 
In late November 2024. I received my newly built up Platypus from C&L Cycles in Montreal. I love it beyond description. However, there's one very frustrating issue that I can't figure out and wonder what insight you friends might have about it.
 
From the get-go, the gears have slipped. Yes, I'm using friction Silver Shifters, and I've spent a lot of time eliminating myself as the problem here. But I've ALWAYS used friction shifters on every bike (other than my Clem) and I'm not a klutz, and I've tried really really hard to be land these gear changes, but this problem just keeps happening. I've put probably 200 miles on the Platypus and I've not taken a single ride on it that this has not been a problem.
 
The issue occurs on the rear 9-gear cassette and almost always in the highest 3 gears…especially when going uphill or cresting a hill, but not always.
 
Sometimes the chain seems to simply float EVEN WHEN I'M NOT PEDALING, and then it lands wherever it wants without my touching the shifter.
 
This is driving me nuts because I adore this bicycle and this problem is making me lose trust. It's not safe to ride in the kind of traffic I ride.
 
I've taken the bike to my local bike shop, and we've changed the chain, but the issue continues.
 
(I'm pretty sure no one at the bike shop is actually riding the Playtpus very far, which is disappointing…because I'm convinced that if they ride it far enough they would experience the problem. But I can't force them to take it for a long ride in cold and sloppy weather, so now I'm considering next moves.)
 
Does anyone know of any issues like this with the Silver Shifters? I'm considering replacing them with Shimano. Or maybe a new cassette? Maybe an 8-gears cassette—which is what I have on my trusty Atlantis and with which I've never had an issue with shifting.
 
I sent an email to Rivendell yesterday, which they should read some time today, but I thought I might get somewhere with this group, too.
 
Liz (who probably isn't a klutz, but the thought still lingers that it might be me but it's not), snowbound in Cincinnati
 
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Doug H. <dhansf...@gmail.com>: Jan 17 05:38AM -0800

Liz,
I have been down the same path with Silver 2 shifters. I really wanted them
to work for me but in the end I changed to Microshift. No more slipping.
Doug
 
Michael Connors <michael.ge...@gmail.com>: Jan 17 07:10AM -0800

I read in the bike shop's description that they used brake housing for the
shifters. The reason they can do that is because you can fiddle with the
shifters as the cables compress or expand. If you change to indexed
shifting be sure to change the housings.
J J <junes...@gmail.com>: Jan 17 07:45AM -0800

Liz, it sounds like you and your shop went through a comprehensive (and
possibly costly) process of elimination. I'm sorry you've been so
frustrated. As I mentioned in a previous message, I, like Doug, have been
through this process before. There was no sustainable middle space between
the shifters being too loose that they kept slipping and being clamped down
so tight that they were hard to shift comfortably.
 
I agree that this does not impugn the shifters themselves. They are great
for lots and lots of people. I enjoy fiddling and mechanical tweaking, but
I have a saturation point. I'd much rather be riding the bike than fiddling
with it. There are other great options that "just work" for me and there's
no shame in moving on.
 
Jim
 
On Friday, January 17, 2025 at 8:38:19 AM UTC-5 Doug H. wrote:
 
Eric Marth <eric...@gmail.com>: Jan 17 09:14AM -0800

Hi Liz — I'm happy to hear your shifting issues are resolving! I would have
been a little frustrated by the thumping new chain, glad that's fixed.
 
When my chain was jumping I didn't have any problems with the Silver 1
shifters slipping. I used the same shifters before and after my accident.
 
Looking back at my notes it seems I couldn't tell by feel that the cassette
lock ring was loose. And I didn't carefully inspect it before I removed and
replaced it. So it's possible it was loose enough to cause problems but
perhaps not evident under the wrench when it was removed.
 
Bit of a tangent: I find Silver 1s and 2s work well for me. I haven't found
them overly fussy or irritating to use. The fiddling you describe sounds
like no fun and I think you're right to swap them out. Shifting should be
somewhere between a brainless non-issue and fun. Maybe you got a bad batch?
 
I have had other issues with the Silvers, though. The d-ring wingnut comes
loose but beeswax solves that for me. The plastic washers can crack. I have
encountered corrosion before inside the shifter body, gumming up the
internal ratchet and spring mechanisms with chalky powder. I was able to
disassemble and clean them but unfortunately the head of the shifter cable
welded to the shifter body via corrosion so the lever was trash. I hope
that corrosion problems are rare and unique to me. I worry my shed is
accelerating corrosion with weird moisture problems.
 
Glad you're back on the road. Let us know when you get the Microshift units
installed!
 
Eric
 
On Friday, January 17, 2025 at 10:45:46 AM UTC-5 J J wrote:
 
Garth <gart...@gmail.com>: Jan 17 10:10AM -0800

Before you totally give up on the shifters, you could try shaving some
rosin between the inside of the outer cap and the outer side of the inner
plastic washer. Rosin adds grip, it's used by string instrumentalists and
baseball pitchers. It comes commonly in a solid clear amber form, and it's
a hard chunk that you can shave off into a powder. It's made from pine tree
sap, which if you've ever touched it is very sticky !
 
I read about it here, as vintage Campy shifters are also prone to slip.
https://cycling-obsession.com/vintage-campagnolo-super-record-friction-shift-levers-review/
 
The Sprint shift levers which the Silver models copy, have always been best
as DT shifters, from my experience. Suntour thumbies hold gears notably
better because the entire innards are a larger diameter.
 
Try some rosin before ditching them !
 
Jay <jason....@gmail.com>: Jan 17 03:54AM -0800

I'm looking for ideas to expand and optimize my riding with one of my two
bikes.
 
This isn't for my Roadini - I have that equation solved. I have two
wheelsets, one with 43 GKSS for all-road rides, including accessing the two
rail trails a little further out of town, and some gravel cuts/trails to
avoid busier roads, while adding the joy that comes from riding these cuts.
And one with 30mm tires on Dura-Ace rims for fast (as I can go) road rides
with a friend.
 
My other bike is a Salsa Fargo. Going into my third year with it, and it
has been great for my local, non-technical trails. I ride that around 2x a
week on these trails, where I'm 80% unpaved and 20% paved (paths,
sidewalks, roads). I have the stock wheels and tires (2.2" Terevail
Sparwoods, and a wheelset I had build but a local wheel guy, running Hope
hubs, Stans Arch rims, tubeless with Sim Works Super Yummy 2.2" tires.
That wheelset was on the bike exclusively, up until winter started here
outside Toronto, and it was awesome for three seasons.
 
*Looking for ideas on*: up until we had snow that stuck (last three weeks),
I didn't have a problem with my setup. I took the good wheels off the
Fargo, and put on the stock ones with faster-rolling Sparwoods and used it
on the often-wet winter roads, where there may be a little bit of
snow/slush (no ice). With fenders, this has made for a good winter bike,
when the roads are relatively clear of snow/ice. *What I'm missing though
is perhaps a studded trail tire so I can ride those same local trails I do
in the summer, in the winter*. I don't want to ride exclusively on
snowy/slushy roads, just on the trails that are .5km away. I can add a
dedicated wheel with something like Schwalbe Ice Spikers, but that's
expensive, for maybe 10-15 rides where I can't ride on the roads. For now
I'm on the trainer on those days.
 
Welcome your ideas! Thanks
Richard Rose <rmro...@gmail.com>: Jan 17 07:41AM -0500

Honestly & from my own experience, find a used fatbike. I no longer have one for the reason you site - 15 rides. But, it's still the best answer. In those conditions the fatbike is so much fun & does no damage to the trail. Just a thought.
 
Sent from my iPhone
 
On Jan 17, 2025, at 6:54 AM, Jay <jason....@gmail.com> wrote:
 
I'm looking for ideas to expand and optimize my riding with one of my two bikes.
 
This isn't for my Roadini - I have that equation solved. I have two wheelsets, one with 43 GKSS for all-road rides, including accessing the two rail trails a little further out of town, and some gravel cuts/trails to avoid busier roads, while adding the joy that comes from riding these cuts. And one with 30mm tires on Dura-Ace rims for fast (as I can go) road rides with a friend.
 
My other bike is a Salsa Fargo. Going into my third year with it, and it has been great for my local, non-technical trails. I ride that around 2x a week on these trails, where I'm 80% unpaved and 20% paved (paths, sidewalks, roads). I have the stock wheels and tires (2.2" Terevail Sparwoods, and a wheelset I had build but a local wheel guy, running Hope hubs, Stans Arch rims, tubeless with Sim Works Super Yummy 2.2" tires. That wheelset was on the bike exclusively, up until winter started here outside Toronto, and it was awesome for three seasons.
 
Looking for ideas on: up until we had snow that stuck (last three weeks), I didn't have a problem with my setup. I took the good wheels off the Fargo, and put on the stock ones with faster-rolling Sparwoods and used it on the often-wet winter roads, where there may be a little bit of snow/slush (no ice). With fenders, this has made for a good winter bike, when the roads are relatively clear of snow/ice. What I'm missing though is perhaps a studded trail tire so I can ride those same local trails I do in the summer, in the winter. I don't want to ride exclusively on snowy/slushy roads, just on the trails that are .5km away. I can add a dedicated wheel with something like Schwalbe Ice Spikers, but that's expensive, for maybe 10-15 rides where I can't ride on the roads. For now I'm on the trainer on those days.
 
Welcome your ideas! Thanks
 
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Michael Morrissey <michaelg...@gmail.com>: Jan 17 09:35AM -0800

I think you'd really like some studded snow tires. I've had the Nokian
Hakkapalitas and Schwalbe Winter Marathons and both were great. Do you
think you could ride where you want to go on the Fargo with studded snow
tires?
 
Otherwise, have you considered a beater bike? I rode my beater 26" vintage
mountain bike in the winter with studded Nokian tires and it was like an
insurance policy that guaranteed I would be able to go everywhere I wanted
to go.
 
On Friday, January 17, 2025 at 7:42:12 AM UTC-5 Richard Rose wrote:
 
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