Roadeo first ride impressions

[Paul G]

It's taken a long time for me to do a proper ride after building up this fine frameset due to poor air quality in my area. I was finally able to ride it about 35 miles on flat and rolling terrain with a couple stiff, 8-9% climbs of a mile or so.

You can refer to this other post I made in a previous thread regarding build details. It is setup in a minimal way for pure road riding with the only accessories being bottle cages, a Mark's Toolwrap, and lights as needed. I have a wireless computer for it, but have not installed it yet...and kinda don't want to in some ways for aesthetic reasons; the Dream bars and Nitto Deluxe stem look so classic without the computer. It weighs about 23 lbs. with saddle, cages and pedals.

I'm 43 years old, 5' 11" and weigh 158 lbs. PBH is 89cm, so a 61cm frame is what I chose according to standard Rivendell sizing conventions.

I'm just getting back into shape after a year and a half of poor health. My other road bike which the Roadeo effectively replaces is a 58cm 1985 Team Fuji with vintage components.

I think the Hallmark of this bike is the fantastic descending. It is so stable and intuitive that it's just pure joy to fly down fast instead of white-knuckled. Great stuff! The bike is quite stiff in the bottom bracket and has that surging feeling when pedaling hard that modern bikes have and that the old Fuji does not. The chain stays are fairly beefy too for a steel bike. The ride quality is quite firm, but not punishing at all (28mm Grand Bois Cerf, 80 psi rear, 70 psi front). It totally fits the sporty nature of the bike and has lots of lively, low-frequency vibrations that are organic in nature. Whether that's from the wheels, tires, or frame, I don't know, but it's really nice.

My new Riv-approved riding position is very comfortable with the bars right at saddle height at the moment. It seems to provide a good compromise between light and hard pedaling effort. I'll be using it to train for my first organized century since the summer of 2011 and I think it'll be a spectacular bicycle for me!

Paul

[Bill Lindsay]

I love it.  Congratulations.  That's a terrific looking, smart contemporary road bike.  

[Patrick Moore]

A very nice and not at all excessively minimalist build. Congratulations I rejoice in bikes that are not laden with accessories (though 2/4 of mine are just so laden). The only black mark is that it doesn't have dt shifters. 

Patrick "left 43 behind long ago" Moore, who doesn't mind that at all, at all!

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Albuquerque, NM, USA

 

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[Deacon Patrick]

Fantastic, Paul!

You mention not wanting to install the computer for aesthetic reasons. I've intentionally not installed a computer also, and doing so has brought amazing freedom. I do not feel a pressure to "push a bit harder and go 19 mph" or focus on the milage ticking by. Instead I enjoy the ride, focusing on going however fast I want and the wonder and beauty around me. I learned that a lot with running, and it transferred right over to the bike when I got it almost two years ago.

Ride with abandon!

With abandon,

Patrick

[Patrick Moore]

FWIW, if the inner measurement demon fights epic battles with the minimalist aesthetic demon, you can always use Cyclemeter on your "smart" (gag, yurk, spew) phone. One very nice thing is that, while it does record your average and fastest speed, you can nonetheless tuck it away in your jersey pocket so that it does not continually mock you with your slowness as you ride.

Patrick Moore, who records his rides for maintenance intervals only -- it's true! I swear!.

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[Paul G]

Patrick Moore,

My Fuji has friction downtube shifters (I'm quite comfortable with them) and I did custom-order downtube shifter bosses for the Roadeo to allow the option if I so deem that necessary in the future. I'm definitely not married to the Ergos by any means, but I got a great deal on them and they certainly are very comfortable...and look snazzy too. :-)

Paul

[Paul G]

Deacon,

I've thought about that too and experienced that very thing on my first ride. There is freedom indeed!

Paul

[Patrick Moore]

Hell, Paul, don't mind me: enjoy your brifters. I finally got back to indexed shifting after 18 years, when listmembers very kindly set me up with very cheap, used (whoops! didn't mean to intersect that other thread!) Dura Ace 7400 components, that I just had to use indexed.

It looks like a very nice bike and, if it makes anyone happier, I am jealous.

[Michael]

Congrats, Paul.
What a great bike!
If you get a chance, post some more pics. We don't see too many Roadeos around here.

[Ron Mc]

Beautiful bike Paul, and thanks for your report.  What do you think of the Selle Regal?  

[SeanMac]

Love your bike, Paul.  I've been lusting after a Roadeo and, to this point, have kept my lust at bay.  I "hope" that seeing your bike does not push me over the edge!

I'm glad to hear that your able to get back on the bike after some time off.  Having a beautiful new bike to ride hopefully will keep you motivated and keep a big smile on your face.

Sean

[Bill Lindsay]

patrick moore might be jealous of your sweet roadeo, but i'm jealous that you are taller than me and a lot less pudgy than me. oh, to be 158 again. those are the digits, but just in a less flattering

bill not-518-pounds lindsay

[Brian Campbell]

Congrats! Great build. I am a bit jealous......as it is my size!

[Paul G]

I cannot verify this, but I read (on the internet) that the Regal saddle was modeled after the Brooks Team Professional (which I have never tried).

Anyhow, the Regal is nicely made and thinly padded with a vintage shape that's not unlike a narrow Brooks. I'd say that padded cycling shorts are essential for me with this saddle and that's what I had planned for from the outset so no disadvantage there. It is a very firm saddle but very supportive for me. I did have some sit bone tenderness after my initial 35 mile ride, but that's not surprising to me since I haven't been riding much at all.

I picked the Regal because my Public R-16 has a Regal copy, but with more padding (which works well with normal clothes) and I liked the shape a lot. The real Regal matches its shape pretty closely.

Paul

[Ron Mc]

thanks Paul, again, very good detail.  I went with the Selle-US An-Atomica on a '98 Moser frame I built up last spring and have found it to be more than cozy - right from the start, more invisible than my broken-in Brooks, but I have to admit the Regal looks al dente.  

[Paul G]

Ron, that Moser is gorgeous! Very nice.

Paul

[Tony McG]

Beautiful bike, Paul.  A few years ago, I thought that a Soma San Marcos would give be enough of a Riv fix to get me by for a while.  Since I bought the Atlantis last Summer, I have been tempted to see what the other end of the Riv spectrum is like.  At 6', 170 lbs, and 89 PBH, it is nice to know that the 61 is the way to go (my Atlantis is also a 61).

How is the reach to the down-tube bosses and what is the length of the stem that you are using?   I have talked to cyclist that have ridden both the San Marcos and the Rambouillet, but I have never heard of a comparison between the San Marcos and the Rodeo.

[Paul Gong]

Thank you, Tony!

I have long arms (and legs for that matter) and the reach to the hypothetical downtube shifters is natural for me when riding on the hoods.

As far as the stem is concerned, it is a Nitto Deluxe with a 110cm extension.

Based on what I know about the San Marcos, the Roadeo has slightly more emphasis on light weight, shorter chain stays and a slightly steeper head tube which would make the handling a tad sharper. On the other hand, the San Marcos is more flexible with its rack eyelets and is a LOT less expensive! :-)

Regards,
Paul

Tony McG <wfr...@yahoo.com> wrote:

Beautiful bike, Paul.  A few years ago, I thought that a Soma San Marcos would give be enough of a Riv fix to get me by for a while.  Since I bought the Atlantis last Summer, I have been tempted to see what the other end of the Riv spectrum is like.  At 6', 170 lbs, and 89 PBH, it is nice to know that the 61 is the way to go (my Atlantis is also a 61).

How is the reach to the down-tube bosses and what is the length of the stem that you are using?   I have talked to cyclist that have ridden both the San Marcos and the Rambouillet, but I have never heard of a comparison between the San Marcos and the Rodeo.

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[naw...@comcast.net]

A little background, at 54 years young my brevet days are good memories. I love the Noodle drop bars but in the last few years have been riding the Albatrossed SimpleOne more and more for the upright comfort.

Ever since the Albastache bar was introduced I could not stop thinking about how these would be on the Rodeo.  Made the switch a couple weeks ago.

The comfort level is through the roof fantastic.  The more upright position feels totally natural. 

Also put the longboards on and took off the big ring(never used it) and added the chain guard.

And I obviously am not too concerned with fender lines :) The bag is a Carradice Barley.  I plan on adding a front rack at some point with another bag or basket.

Dave Nawrocki

Fort Collins, CO

[Ryan]

Nice-looking bike. Really nice. And I love the colour scheme. Have you ridden moustache bars? If you have, how do the 2 bars compare? I love the M-bars and have 2 NIB sets tucked away. But I'm curious about the Albastache

 

3 of my bikes run moustache bars, and I use 46 cm Dream bars on my road Rivendell...which with the TRP levers and barend shifters are quite comfortable, although, I confess, I don't spend a lot of times on the drops

[Allingham II, Thomas J]

Beautiful!

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[Eric Norris]

What? Quitting randonneuring at 54?

I’ll be 56 when I ride PBP next year, and there will be plenty of guys in theirs 60s (and even beyond) out there. At 54, you’re firmly in the middle of the rando demographic (http://campyonlyguy.blogspot.com/2013/10/ultramarathon-cyclings-demographic.html) 

Come to Cali and let’s do some riding—don’t hang up your RUSA card yet!

--Eric Norris
Email: campyo...@me.com
Web: www.campyonly.com
Blog: http://campyonlyguy.blogspot.com
Twitter: @CampyOnlyGuy
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/campyonlyguy

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<rodeo re do.jpg>

[Paul Gong]

Very, very nice, Dave. Love it!

Paul

 

----- Original Message -----

From: naw...@comcast.net

Sent: 01/31/14 07:15 AM

To: rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com

Subject: [RBW] Rodeo re-do

 

A little background, at 54 years young my brevet days are good memories. I love the Noodle drop bars but in the last few years have been riding the Albatrossed SimpleOne more and more for the upright comfort.

 

Ever since the Albastache bar was introduced I could not stop thinking about how these would be on the Rodeo.  Made the switch a couple weeks ago.

The comfort level is through the roof fantastic.  The more upright position feels totally natural. 

 

Also put the longboards on and took off the big ring(never used it) and added the chain guard.

And I obviously am not too concerned with fender lines :) The bag is a Carradice Barley.  I plan on adding a front rack at some point with another bag or basket.

 

Dave Nawrocki

Fort Collins, CO

 

 

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[naw...@comcast.net]

A big yes on the mustache bars, never had a problem with them although some do.

The love child is a very nice right in between the Albatross and the Mustache.

Dave Nawrocki

Fort Collins, CO

---

From: "Ryan" <ryte...@mts.net>
To: rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Friday, January 31, 2014 8:26:26 AM
Subject: [RBW] Re: Rodeo re-do

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[naw...@comcast.net]

Well they may not be completely over. There still may be a chapter or two.

Eric, we may have ridden in some brevets together in CA already but not have known each other.

I started my brevet riding with Bill and Lois down in Santa Cruz, the Big Basin 200k was my favorite.

Also did the Duck Double once, the Clear Lake 600k and many others there.  Did alot here in Colorado too.

Just seem to enjoy my shorter country rambles more these days. 

Keep trying to make plans to get back to California to ride, if I do I will give you a shout for sure.

Have a blast at PBP!

Dave Nawrocki

Fort Collins, CO

RUSA #2442

---

From: "Eric Norris" <campyo...@me.com>
To: rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Friday, January 31, 2014 8:54:10 AM
Subject: Re: [RBW] Rodeo re-do

[James Warren]

That bike image is enough to brighten anyone's day.

-----Original Message-----
From: naw...@comcast.net
Sent: Jan 31, 2014 7:15 AM
To: rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [RBW] Rodeo re-do

A little background, at 54 years young my brevet days are good memories. I love the Noodle drop bars but in the last few years have been riding the Albatrossed SimpleOne more and more for the upright comfort.

Ever since the Albastache bar was introduced I could not stop thinking about how these would be on the Rodeo.  Made the switch a couple weeks ago.

The comfort level is through the roof fantastic.  The more upright position feels totally natural. 

Also put the longboards on and took off the big ring(never used it) and added the chain guard.

And I obviously am not too concerned with fender lines :) The bag is a Carradice Barley.  I plan on adding a front rack at some point with another bag or basket.

Dave Nawrocki

Fort Collins, CO

[Paul G]

Here's are a few more pictures of the Roadeo from last weekend while out on the open road. Sorry for the slightly soft images. My camera lens was covered in pocket lint; I should have wiped it off...but I didn't.

Paul