Ram build

[PATRICK MOORE]

Some questions:

1. What sort of riding do y'all find the Ram best for? My purpose for it is longer rides with light if any load; my two Riv fixies are great for up to 30 miles without load (had a great, smooth, quiet ride on the '99 gofast today) or 20 miles with load. The Fargo is the dirt bike that, with the second, Rhyno Light/Kojak wheelset, is great for heavier grocery and (one day, please God) touring loads. 

I imagine that the Ram is probably too stout to be a "racing" bike, but then, my gofast always surprises me at how fast it feels after riding other bikes.

So: Racer? Randonneur? Tourer? All rounder?

2. Does the Ram handle best with tires of a certain diameter? Is there an optimum range? I remember Riv #1 (ordered late '94, rec'd early '95) felt best with 559X32 Paselas; with 22 mm Turbos it wasn't bad, but it was a bit more darty than please my particular taste. (#s 2 and 3, largely identical, are superior evolutions in that they handle better both with the current 22 mm Michelin Pro Race 3s ('99) and the 34 mm Kojaks ('03).

Mine will start out with whatever tubs I can get cheaply; so far, looks like skinny Vittorias.

3. What are those braze ons for on the *inside* of the upper seat stays?

4. My frame is blue. It has a few chips in the paint on the outer for'ard right chainstay and on the inside, upper seatstays. Does anyone have a paint # or nail enamel model that matches?

5. How does the Ram handle with loads? I note that the chainstays are shortish at 43.4 (those on my Fargo and the two Riv customs, both build as gofasts, are a cm longer), but my '95 with 42.5 stays handled heavy rear loads better than the later ons. My Ram has no fork braze ons for a rack, nor would I want to add a front rack; but I am curious how  heavy a rear load I could carry on a top quality, top-for-stiffness rack (say Tubus Cargo or Logo or, for that matter, Fly) without getting the "wag the dog" feel.

Going through my parts boxes recently, I find that I lack only seatpost, calipers, and dt shifters. Someone onlist has very generously offered parts for shipping, so I hope even these will be supplied. 

More as things develop.

--

-------------------------
Patrick Moore, Albuquerque, NM, USA
For professional resumes, contact Patrick Moore, ACRW
http://resumespecialties.com/index.html
-------------------------

[Michael]

You forgot to mention it is especially good for lookin' at. Yum!

[David Yu Greenblatt]

I had an orange Rambou for several years. I built it up in fairly standard Riv/BOB manner: Nitto bar/stem/seatpost/bottlecages, Brooks B17 saddle, friction downtube shifters, Shimano derailleurs, compact double crankset (Ritchey Logic with 46/33 rings if I recall correctly), 28mm Roly Poly tires, and a Baggins Banana seatbag. It was a lovely bike to look at and ride. I found it well suited to long rides on rural Wisconsin roads. 

The Rambou is a comfortable and versatile road bike, as you would expect from Grant P, and as described in the Riv brochure: 

http://www.cyclofiend.com/rbw/rambouillet/rambflyer/index.html

So, all rounder? - yes;  country bike? - yes;  tourer? - yes;  randonneur? - yes;  commuter? - yes;  racer? - no. 

Patrick, I think adding a Rambou to your current stable will allow you to enjoy longer road rides in hillier terrain. 

The braze ons on the seat stays are to mount a rear rack, as you can see in several of the fine examples on Cyclofiend Jim's website:

http://www.cyclofiend.com/rbw/rambouillet/index.html

As I have opined before, I think your choice of skinny tubular tires for this bike is odd. Skinny racing tubulars on a classic Italian racing bike for rides on good roads in good weather would be neat. High-quality fat tubulars (e.g., 27mm FMB Paris Roubaix or the new 30mm Challenge Eroica) on a Rambouillet on those same good roads in good weather would be sublime. But skinny cheap tubulars on a Rambouillet in goathead-infested ABQ, where you currently get 2-3 flats per week? I don't get it. Let us know how it works out.

- David G in SF

[Michael Hechmer]

Randonneur.   The Ram was built around the 28mm roly-poly or ruff tufty tires and fenders.  I run mine with Grand Bois Cerf, which measure 29mm.  This is a great all around bike.  It weighs a pound or so more than my custom '89 Marinoni,   stage racing frame (columbus steel), climbs and descends very much the same, is more stable, less quick handling, more comfortable and more fun to ride.  No doubt a bit slower off the line in a sprint to the traffic light.   If you don't want or need fenders it would also be nice with JBs.  I run mine with a 44/30 compact and DT friction.  I've been riding it for 7 years and it is still my all time favorite bike.

Michael,

Westford, Vt, where we have finally gotten some snow.

[PATRICK MOORE]

Interesting replies; thanks. I see that it is not a direct ancestor of the Roadeo -- and even that, I see, is built for 28s. 

I'll ride what I got until I get $ for what I want; I've been very generously offered tubs and wheels, but I don't know what size the tires are. Probably skinnies.

It would be nice to have a tubular-shod racing bike, but if I want to do that, I can always (assuming that this on-the-cheap tub test works out) build a set of 650C tubular wheels for the gofast fixie.

Randonneur type it is. A LBS showed me some "commuting tubulars" that are fatter and, they claim, better than clinchers. We'll see -- I may end up with green Cerfs one day.

Dave: the entire tubular experiment is premised on the efficacy of Stan's and other current sealants. Two experienced riders here have confirmed that they work against goatheads.

'Nother question: mine is a later blue; what differences between the earlier oranges and the later blues, beside color?

[Steve Palincsar]

On Sun, 2012-12-23 at 14:06 -0700, PATRICK MOORE wrote:
>
> 'Nother question: mine is a later blue; what differences between the
> earlier oranges and the later blues, beside color?

The early orange Rambouillets had fancier lugs.

Also, some few of them in one size had an issue with the placement of
the brake bridge. The bike was made to get max clearance out of the
then-new Shimano long reach dual pivot sidepulls by using a bottom of
the slot placement for brake shoes. Unfortunately, some had the bridge
placed a little too high, and even at the bottom of the slot the shoes
didn't quite make it onto the braking flats. No such issue with any of
the blue ones.

[iamkeith]

Regarding the touch-up paint question, there's a "formula" for using
Testor's paint on the cyclofiend site here:

http://www.cyclofiend.com/rbw/color.html

I've used it with "moderate" success on my Ram, but not quite
perfect. It seems to need a bit more of a greenish tint to be
perfect. I could take some photos for you, but maybe not until after
Christmas.

[iamkeith]

Oh yeah... as to your question of what kind of bike the Rambouillet
is, I've always enjoyed the description from Peter White's website,
comparing them to the A.H.H., from when he stocked them both. There
are some nice photos if you follow this link to the original page
(http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/rambouillet.asp), but here are the
highlights:

...I'll keep this page up, not just until I've sold the last
Rambouillets and A Homer Hilsens I have in stock, but for as long as
Riv has them. I'm happy to promote them, and to continue building up
bikes with these terrific frames. If you need a size I no longer have,
I recommend contacting them directly, or checking around with other
dealers who may still have some in stock.

These two frames are so similar, I've decided to keep them on the same
page, at least until I think of a reason not to. If you start from the
Rambouillet, the Hilsen has longer chainstays, by one centimeter. It
also requires longer caliper brakes, because it has clearance for
larger tires. Essentially the Rambouillet is great for fast day riding
with the racer wannabees, brevets and credit card touring. The Hilsen
is more into the loaded touring category. When you put full panniers
on it, the handling will be a bit more stable than if you load down
the Rambouillet. And with fat tires on the Hilsen, dirt roads will be
more comfortable to ride on all day.

So for now the text below is what it has been ever since I started
selling the Rambouillet frames several years ago. Virtually everything
written here applies to the Hilsen, with the caveats above. And, as of
October 2008, we have Hilsens in stock from 56cm to 65cm. 54cm and
56cm use 650b wheels. The 57cm through 65cm use 700c wheels. As soon
as I have time, I'll list maximum tire sizes I'm happy recommending,
with and without fenders. My recommendations have been a bit more
conservative that Rivendell's recommendations in the past. I usually
recommend a smaller maximum tire size with fenders than Riv does. It
is somewhat personal preference; essentially how risk averse you are.
The smaller the gap between the tire and the fender, the easier it is
for something to get caught in there. I like lots of space; some
people are happy with less. My recommendations are only that;
recommendations. You're the one riding the bike, and accepting the
risks that come with our favorite outdoor activity.

What's a Rambouillet? There are two ways to think of it. It's either a
racing frame with a bit longer wheelbase, because the chainstays are
longer; and provides a higher handlebar position, because the top tube
slopes upwards a bit, and the headtube is extended; and there's lots
of tire and fender clearance. Or it's a touring bike with a wheelbase
that's too short for carrying heavy loads, so it's perfect for weekend
tours where you're staying at B&Bs or hotels and don't need a tent,
sleeping bag and lots of clothes.

In short, it's a bike for someone who wants a really comfortable and
stable ride. There is clearance for pretty large tires, which make the
ride smoother. Larger tires aren't necessarily slower, if they're high
quality. And they make a huge difference if you're doing long
distances in a day, because they soak up road shock. The seat tube is
set back more, to take weight off of your hands, and help you enjoy
the scenery...

[PATRICK MOORE]

"What's a Rambouillet? There are two ways to think of it. It's either a racing frame with a bit longer wheelbase, because the chainstays are longer; and provides a higher handlebar position, because the top tube slopes upwards a bit, and the headtube is extended; and there's lots of tire and fender clearance. Or it's a touring bike with a wheelbase that's too short for carrying heavy loads, so it's perfect for weekend tours where you're staying at B&Bs or hotels and don't need a tent, sleeping bag and lots of clothes."

Thanks for this and your tip about touch up paint. What PJW says above pretty much says what I wanted to know. 

On Sun, Dec 23, 2012 at 4:32 PM, iamkeith <keith...@gmail.com> wrote:

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/rambouillet.asp