Just Bought a Heron Randonneur

[Frank Conway]

First post here. I love this group. I just picked up this Heron Randonneur locally. Doesn't seem like it has seen a lot of action and if it has, it was well cared for. I'm currently recovering from a skiing accident and have only (with great effort) ridden it about two miles. I'm hoping to take it on a 100k in about 3 weeks (depending on how my hip is doing). Also, I'm torn between cheaping out on a Velo Orange Campagne or saving up for a Gilles Berthoud front bag. Any opinions there? Apologies if the pic doesn't display - I can't seem to preview it on my phone.

[Deacon Patrick]

Welcome! Condolences on being approved to join us. Grin. Beautiful Heron. Stunning. I'm no help on the front bags, but heal well and enjoy!

With abandon,

Patrick

[René Sterental]

Welcome! Hope you recover fast!

On the bag, take the middle (arguably better) road and get an Acorn Bicy Rando bag. I actually have one in black I'll post for sale Becky week along with a matching saddlebag. They're black, so they'll fit your Heron perfectly!

Email me off-list if you're interested and welcome to the group!

René 

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[John Hawrylak]

I have the VO Campagne bag.  It works well and does what a bag needs to do.  The map case is good.  The price was low, the quality was good.  I use a plastic bag inside, so I do not worry about the fabric water resistance.

John Hawrylak

Woodstown NJ

On Saturday, March 12, 2016 at 3:44:47 PM UTC-5, Frank Conway wrote:

[Eric Norris]

Berthoud bags are expensive, but I’ve never regretted buying one. They look an work great, and will last forever. I sold one that had been used on and off for ten years on a bicycle I bought last year, and it sold on eBay for half the price of a new bag, which shows how well they hold their value.

Note that you’ll need a decaleur—there are many sources for those, including Velo Orange.

--Eric Norris
campyo...@me.com
www.campyonly.com
campyonlyguy.blogspot.com

On Mar 11, 2016, at 10:59 AM, Frank Conway <frankj...@gmail.com> wrote:

First post here.  I love this group.  I just picked up this Heron Randonneur locally.  Doesn't seem like it has seen a lot of action and if it has, it was well cared for.  I'm currently recovering from a skiing accident and have only (with great effort) ridden it about two miles.  I'm hoping to take it on a 100k in about 3 weeks (depending on how my hip is doing).  Also, I'm torn between cheaping out on a Velo Orange Campagne or saving up for a Gilles Berthoud front bag.  Any opinions there?  Apologies if the pic doesn't display - I can't seem to preview it on my phone.

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<image.jpg>

[donavanm]

Nice Setup. Was that the 54cm Heron from Dupont WA, per chance?

[Frank Conway]

I apologize in advance for these replies to be disjointed but being a new member my posts are still being moderated (I'll be nice, moderators, I promise!) and there is a delay. Anyway, this was from Massachusetts.

I'm leaning more and more towards spending the money on the GB, but I seem to waffle back and forth hourly!

[WETH]

Frank,
Welcome. That is a great looking bike. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Erl

[Lungimsam]

I vote for the Berthoud GB model, in whatever height will meet your handlebars at the height you need for the decalleur. Blue color.

You can get them with/without carry straps, with/without side pockets, leather buckles or elastic bands.

I like the elastic closure bands. I use side pockets for holding spare tubes.

Compass cycles and Boulder cycles has a nice collection of models and features.

If the height isnt a perfect fit, you can remove the stiffner as long as the bottom of the bag touches down on your rack so the load can rest there.

[Frank Conway]

I can still barely walk but I managed to ride it 6 miles today. The B17 is new to me (always had racier stuff). Going to take some getting used to but I think I'll like it. I'm going stir crazy!

[Joe Bernard]

I support getting the Berthoud if you'll use it often, but then I'm a sucker for really nice (expensive) bags :)

[Mark Reimer]

One suggestion for the B17 - I'm reading into this a bit, so apologies if this is redundant. Pretty much everyone I've met (myself included) has been surprised by the unusual upward angle most people have their Brooks saddles positioned at for optimal comfort. I came from years of race saddles and bib shorts. When I got my first Brooks, I set it up flat just like all the other saddles I've had, and found it uncomfortable. It wasn't until I gave it a gentle upward angle that encouraged my body to slide back on the slipper leather, positioning my seat bones on the widest and softest section of the saddle, that I achieve Brooks nirvana. Of course saddle angle and position is highly personal, but consider it a friendly tip to try out if you aren't quite sure the Brooks is working. The higher your bars, the higher I find I need to angle the saddle. Enjoy the bike, it's gorgeous!!!

[Frank Conway]

Thanks for the B17 tip. I'll certainly give that a try. I treated it with Obenauf's last night and it felt sort of rewarding in a strange way. Never really cared for a bike part like that before.

[Neil Doran]

I saw the VO bag at NAHBS, and personally I would pass on that bag. The price is nice, but quality and details are ho-hum. My feeling on a rando bag is that they get a lot of use and you spend a lot of time lookIng at it. I have an Acorn that I love, and of course the Frenchie is unimpeachable.

If I was going to go cheap, I'd consider Ostrich, even though it opens the wrong way.

BTW, not a knock on VO, I buy lots of their stuff, and their stack-mounted decallieur is terrific.

Also, sweet bike, congrats!

[Frank Conway]

Thanks for the welcomes!

I've only recently discovered the virtues of steel bikes, I've been steadily testing my wife's patience. Having acquired a new plastic (I call it that in a derogatory manner, but it is pretty nice) Ridley Fenix and two beautiful Eddy Merckx steel bikes (MX Leader and a well used Corsa Extra fixed gear) in the last six months, I had been looking for a low priced Trek 614 frame set to convert into a rando bike. I then stumbled upon this for only $650, which although a great deal was much more than I promised my wife that I would spend "for my last bike for a long time".

Anyway, now I'm trying to justify spending a good amount on a bag. The Acorns certainly look nice, but I'm not certain that I'm sold on them vs the Berthoud. There doesn't seem to be a giant cost difference, and it seems there are many long term owners of the GB that claim they remain waterproof for a long time. That is very important to me.

That being said, I'm trying to keep an open mind. Rene, once I can figure out the email offline thing on my phone, I'll hit you up and discuss the Acorn.

Thanks again. I'm excited to be in this group!

P.S. - Anyone have any idea what year range my bike may be?

[Tim Gavin]

Frank-

Consider getting a bag from David Banzer (RBW listmember).  http://treetop.bigcartel.com/product/tall-rando-bag-red-waxed-canvas

He can make the bag the exact height required to fit well with whatever decaleur you use, and he has a selection of canvas colors to choose from.  

He made me a black Rando bag that fits perfectly on my Riv Road Standard and it seems to be made with very high quality.

Tim

[Lungimsam]

The Berthoud looks better in person than in pics.
You will be pleased with the high quality and dapperness of the design. I like the blue color better than black. The blue is a close match for my blue Sam. Looks great on my Bleriot, too.

I dont know why racks/decaleurs/bags have to cost so much. There are a kazillion bikes and accessories in China and I dont think their paying 3kUS for bikes with accessories.

It took a little while to get my head around the prices but I eventually got two racks (VO, Nitto) and decaleurs (Compass), and one Berthoud bag, which I switch from bike to bike.

I really enjoy having a front bag and that satisfying feeling that comes with flipping the lid open and closed so easily.

Racks are great headlight hangers, too. But that's a whole orher financial mindblower with light, dyno hub and wheel selection.

[Frank Conway]

Luckily, for the $650 I paid, it came with a Schmidt dynohub and a Supernova E3 light!

[Lungimsam]

Jackpot!!!!!

[Lungimsam]

Wait...650$US for a heron bike with fenders, rack, lights, and dyno wheel?!?!

Thats like the deal of the century!

[JohnS]

Great looking bike Frank and congratulations for getting such a good deal on it. I'm not sure how to tell it's vintage, but I had found this review from 1999 so I would guess yours would be from around that time.

http://www.adventurecycling.org/default/assets/resources/rivendell.pdf

Good luck and happy trails,

JohnS

[mikel...@juno.com]

that review is for the first generation Heron Tourer not the Randonneur model

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[Joe Bernard]

Did Todd Kuzma do Herons in that metallic blue/green color? I thought that was only on the first-gen Ted Durant models.

[Frank Conway]

No idea. Mine is kind of a deep green color. BQ did a test a long time ago on this and mine looks like that. I'll have to getting around to buying that issue to find out more.

[mikel...@juno.com]

my Heron Road is the blue/green 'Bailey Falls Blues'
i had a first gen Tourer that was also Bailey Blue'
i have a second gen Wayfarer tourer that is 'Gooding Green'...metallic green
my buddy has a 55cm Rando like Frank's bike in Gooding green