Show Me Your Roadeo!

[Tim Bantham]

There has been an ongoing thread about Mid 80's steel road bikes. Like some of you out there I am in the market for a "regular ass road bike". This whole year I've been riding my Sam Hillborne roadie style. Shoes and clip in pedals, drop bars positioned below the saddle, no racks and just a x-small Sackville. You know what? The Sam makes a fantastic road bike! It rides like a dream, is plenty comfortable on 38mm tubeless tires and I find it to be fast enough for my needs. It's a little heavy going up hill but I'm willing to live with that.

Given my current preferences I think my next Riv just has to be a Roadeo. I know it will be a long wait if I end up putting a deposit down but at least I'll always have the Sam.

So who has a Roadeo? Show me your photos for inspiration!!

Tim

[MCT]

Tim,

Here you go, sized 63cm.  I changed the saddle, chainrings and the fenders are not on right now from this picture, but close enough to the current build.  

Matt in OKC

.

[John G.]

Here's mine! It's a 61cm. I'm open to selling it, complete or frameset. I'd like to go up to a 63.

[Tim Bantham]

Thanks Matt and John,

Both bikes are examples of how they can be built with modern parts and still maintain the beautiful look of a lugged steel Rivendell. Do either of you own other RIVs? If so, how does the ride compare?

Matt, your bike is my size. Can you tell me how long the head tube is? I could find that information in the Geo charts I looked at.

[John G.]

I've owned a Hunqapillar and an Atlantis. I currently own a Quickbeam and a Roadeo. I sold the Hunq to buy the Atlantis, then I traded the Atlantis for the Roadeo.

First thing I'll say: Rivendells are incredibly versatile, but you shouldn't try to turn a particular Riv into something it is not. For example, I foolishly tried to make the Hunq a mountain bike for technical Northeast trails. I then hoped the Atlantis would be a speedy but comfortable brevet bike. Both bikes are a sensational at what they are intended to do, but neither of them was intended for the purpose I set for them. 

I love my Roadeo and I plan on always having one in my stable. It gets the most miles out of all my bikes. It handles similarly to the Quickbeam: stable, agile when you need it, confidence-inspiring, as comfortable at mile 100 as mile 1.The Roadeo is a rocket compared to the Atlantis, which is no knock on the Atlantis.

I do miss the Atlantis. It was stout, but the handling was...stately. Majestic, even. The head badge is utterly appropriate. Riding the Atlantis felt like being at the helm of a clipper under full sail. If I had had a Roadeo first and then an Atlantis, I never would've sold the Atlantis. But I really wanted a Go Fast that fit wide tires and wouldn't beat the crap out of me, and the Roadeo is exactly that.

[Calvin Yolo]

I ended up placing a deposit for the Roadeo instead of waiting for a Roadini. 10 month wait. I plan to put Ultegra on it like what's shown above.

[Austin B.]

Here’s my 63cm with a modern take on components.

[Doug H.]

I think Riv offers the option of a threadless fork for the Rodeo. Which do you Rodeo owner's prefer?

Doug

[Doug H.]

**Roadeo

[Tim Bantham]

John, You've got two great bikes with the QB and Roadeo. Both are high on my list to own. I mostly agree with your comments about taking the versatility of a Rivendell to far. I have an Appaloosa and a Sam. I had a Clem H and quickly sold it. The Clem was one I regretted and wished I hadn't gone down that path. With the Clem I tried to make it something it was not (at least to my standards) and that was an analog mountain bike. At the time I was caught up in the Rivendell Hillie Bike marketing only to be disappointed later. I found the ride to be heavy, dull and just uninspiring. I also did not get along with the very long chainstays. So in that sense my experience mirrors yours.

Like the Atlantis, the Appaloosa is great at what it is meant for. Touring, bike packing, grocery getting both on and off road. I currently have it set up with 2.25 Schwalbe T-Burts tubeless. A very Un-Riv Jones Loop bars along with a White Industries Double. The bike is super stable loaded or unloaded on any surface. I love it for what it is and mostly ride it for those purposes.

I have found the Sam to be the most versatile of them all. I've had that bike built up so many different ways, Before I had the Appaloosa I would ride it loaded with camping gear, It had Billie Bars, Albatross bars, Albastache bars and Noodle bars. I also had several different Nitto racks on it front and rear. All versions were great but I have finally settled on a drop bar set up. I ditched the Noodles for a 31.8 clamp so I could use Salsa Cowchippers. I have a Nitto Quill adaptor so I can use a normal clamp on stem. I mostly did that to make it easier to try different stem lengths without spending a fortune. I settled on a 110mm stem. This bike outshines my other Riv's in overall versatility.

I think the Sam makes a great road bike. Similar to the very popular "all road" versions from the bigger brands. The Sam is better because it's lugged steel and has far more tire clearance. That said, I wish it was lighter and had more snap. I think the Roadeo would provide that.

@Calvin, good for you on taking the plunge. You must be excited!! Although the Roadeo is technically not custom Mark Nobilette is a custom builder and talking to a local one man ship he told me most everyone is one year out. At least you are not having to wait until 2023 like some of the bigger brands out there!

@Austin, Beautiful bike! I love the red and white color. Looks like Bon Jon Pass tires so I know it's good for 35's. I'm happy to see that because this is the minimum size RH tire that will set up tubeless.

On Monday, September 20, 2021 at 7:29:54 PM UTC-4 Austin B. wrote:

[Tim Bantham]

@Doug H I have the same question about the fork. How did you decide between the two? My saddle height is 84.5 cm with a PBH of 93. My bars are 1.5 cm's below the saddle. On my Sam the 6 degree top tube slope creates a bit more stack height. In comparison the Roadeo has a 2 degree slope. This is why I am wondering what the HT size is on the size 63 that Matt has. I am trying to decide if I could get my bars high enough with a threadless form without having to add to many spacers.

[Bill Lindsay]

My Roadeo is pretty close to what mainstream roadies would call a retro-leaning regular ass road bike: a nice 18.5 pound road bike with 32s.  It's a 2x10 with barcon shifters. At its most stripped down my Hillborne may have been a 23 pound bike, and today it's probably more like 26 pounds.  I'm happy that both bikes are in my stable.  The Hillborne is a decent stand in for everything the Roadeo can do.  The Roadeo can only stand-in for a subset of what the Hillborne can do.  My Roadeo is pictured in the following flickr album

Every bike needs a Campy part | Flickr

My Roadeo has a threadless steerer, and that is what I prefer for a stripped down bike, because it's quite a bit lighter.  I usually end up buying custom stems, because there are few choices in true 1" threadless.  My Roadeo pictured has a custom Nobilette stem on it.  

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[Mike Godwin]

To John G,

if it were a 62 cm Roadeo (I know, they don't come off the peg in that size) I would still have the Roadeo and John may still have the Atlantis. 

Mike "Rivendell-ess" in SLO CA

[Austin B.]

My Roadeo is of a similar setup as Bill's--threadless setup, modern components, 35mm RH Bon Jon tires. For me it's exactly what I want--fast, comfortable, and I don't wince at rough chip seal roads. I did try mounting the Barlows on the Roadeo but it was a no-go. Before my Roadeo, I picked up a Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross-- after speaking with Mike V a couple times I took the plunge on it as my primary road bike and it saw a lot of road miles until the Roadeo came into the picture.

Tim commented that he wished the Sam was lighter and had more snap. He's right in that the Roadeo definitely has more snap, but functionally is different. I also had a 2TT 62cm Sam until last year--like Tim, I was always reconfiguring it--I liked it most in full gravel mode with 43mm gravel tires, Albastache bars while the BMC stayed my road bike. But I took the BMC offroad and realized that the it was the functional equivalent of the Sam, AND took larger tires and had canti brakes! And for me, it was a little lighter, more spritely, and just more fun so I sold the Sam.

The BMC makes a fine road bike and still sees a share of my road miles, but the Roadeo simply does roads better.
 

Austin
 

[Eric Peterson]

Just before my 1000k ride in June 2021:

On Monday, September 20, 2021 at 10:22:19 AM UTC-5 Tim Bantham wrote:

[Calvin Yolo]

@Tim, sure am excited! Don't want to think about the wait being even longer, but it is what it is. 

To current owners: What tubing does a Nobilette-built Roadeo use? I was thinking 853? 

[Tim Bantham]

Thank you all for sharing and commenting about your Roadeo's. This gives me something to go on as I contemplate one for myself.

To those of you with a 63cm Roadeo (Matt and Austin) can you let me know the HT length along with your saddle height as pictured in the photos you shared? I'm trying to get a feel for how high I would need to get the bars up if I were to ride a bike with a top tube that is less sloped then my Sam. Thanks!

[John G.]

Tim, try bikeinsights.com. You should be able to compare your Sam to a 63cm Roadeo.

[MCT]

Tim,

I measured the head tube at approx 21.1 cm from top to bottom.

You asked about ride compared to Sam Hillborne.  I rode a Sam until about 2012ish, so been awhile and feel of the Sam has faded a little.  In my opinion, the Roadeo has the standard balanced feel of a Rivendell.  It does feel more lively than the sam and I can get going faster.  That is all I have in comparison.     

Matt in OKC

[MCT]

Tim,

I missed the saddle height question.  My saddle height is 81.5cm.   

Matt in OKC.

[Austin B.]

@Tim: Measurements from my 63cm Roadeo:

HT length: 215mm

Saddle Height: 83.5

Happy to take any other pics/measurements if you need.

-Austin

[Hetchins52]

Here's mine, a 55cm frame; The bike was put together by Rivendell. I acquired it second-hand in March of this year. Nobilette built in late 2019.

It is a very responsive frame, especially compared to the current long chain stay models. 
Photo was taken west of Healdsburg on a hilly ride to the Russian River.

David Lipsky

Berkeley, CA

[Ahmed Elgasseir]

Nice ride David! :-)

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[Hetchins52]

Ahmed, I am forever in your debt for allowing me to wheedle it away from you!

It is truly a lovely bike!

Thanks much,

David

[Ahmed Elgasseir]

I do miss it. But I’m happy knowing it went to a rider who cherishes it. :-)

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/ba568aae-e388-4031-8b9b-68f504735324n%40googlegroups.com.

[Paul G]

This config is from a couple years ago. I've stuck with bar end shifters for a few years now but waffle between Silver, Silver 2 and Dura Ace. Right now I'm enjoying Dura Ace 9 shifting because I can go indexed or friction based on mood. The frameset was made in late 2013.

[reynoldslugs]

Dear Tim et al:

Here is a Flickr gallery of my Roadeo.  It's a 61, I sort of think I should have gone with a 63 - but the bike rides great and looks terrific.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/41563482@N06/albums/72157719068508932

Max Beach

Santa Rosa CA

[Drew Henson]

does pbh still provide the best guidance for sizing a roadeo? two posters in this thread think they should have gone a size up.

my pbh is ~87cm. i have a MIT 58 CM AHH. That bike is perfectly sized for swept back bars but I found it to be a tad too long when i used drop bars.

for my pbh, in what seems to me to be a classic riv website "nuance", they recommend either 59 or a 61 in the roadeo. (chart suggest 59, frame description says 59 or 61 depending on preferences). I'd go with a 57 if i were just going by stack/reach on bike insights.

[Gabriel Bruguier]

This is a such a great thread!  So many awesome builds on display.  I'm posting a few of mine from my ride into work today.  Its a 59cm Waterford built frame, currently running Barlow Pass ELs.  

The handling today was pretty slow, as I'm carrying 5 big hardcover books up front, but geez this bike is a smooth rider regardless of load!  

[Gabriel Bruguier]

A few more, since the file size was too large to post all of them at once.  

[Bill Lindsay]

Drew Henson asked:  "does pbh still provide the best guidance for sizing a roadeo?"

As with most things: it depends.  If by "best" you mean "quickest easiest way to make a best guess for a rider who doesn't have a solid idea how they want to fit on a bike", then YES, it's still the best way.  If by "best" you mean "the absolute best way to provide an optimal fit for every possible rider" then NO, it's not the best way and never was.  Riders who report that they wish they had gone a size up are telling us they made their best guess, and subsequently learned some more things about themselves and refined their guess.  

I'm within a few mm of your PBH (86.5) and I own a 59, and I would not change it.  In my youth I would have gone with a 57 to get the bars lower.  I would have run a ~12cm stem.  I'd characterize that setup as a 'race setup'.  Now, at 52, I run the bars somewhat higher and use a 10cm 90-degree threadless stem.  There's still about 5cm of drop, but I think of it as more of a dignified road setup.  I totally could rock a 61 and would do so if I wanted to run the bars much higher, like an 'all-road' or more of a leisurely road setup.  

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[Paul G]

Here's mine in the office today in its current commuting configuration.

[Karl Wilcox]

@Tim... I also have a 93 pbh with a 84cm saddle height.  I decided that the 63cm Roadeo was just not large enough.  I do not like elongated stems (vertical or horizontal).  I got the 2018 Roadini instead.  It fits perfectly.  My only gripe with the Roadini is that it is too stiff for my kind of riding (club rides that can be kind of fast).  I prefer more lateral compliance in my bicycles, and the Roadini is just stiffer all round than I like.  I will be selling it.  It rides wonderfully, but compliance is not its cup of tea.  My SOMA San Marcos which is really identical to the Roadini has more compliance-- perfect for long distance stuff and gravel.  I will keep the San Marcos.  It seems that Grant perfected frame design in the Roadini and the San Marcos: long head tubes and sloping top tubes for us tall riders really improves comfort immensely.  My old Riv 'Redwood' was a great bike, but the stem was always too low, and I really do not like the 'stuck up' stem look.   

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[Gabriel Bruguier]

@Drew.  My PBH is right under 85, which puts me squarely in the 57cm frame range according to this chart.  But I decided to compare the overall frame measurements to those of the best-fitting bikes that I've previously owned, and base my decision on that instead.  And that put me on a 59cm frame.  So to answer your questions, and compliment what Bill said in response, I don't think PBH should be the sole determinant for sizing a Roadeo.  

[Scott Calhoun]

A 63cm Roadeo remains the one Rivendell that I've always wanted but never owned. My current daily driver is a 64cm Quickbeam which based on the geometry would seem to give me a taste of Roadeo handling in a slightly more stout package. I'm really enjoying seeing Austin and Matt's 63cm builds, as well as all the other cool variations. 

[Paul G]

In sizes larger than 57cm, the tubing for Roadeo isn't much different than their other previous road-going designs and is similar to the Ram and AHH. It's the size 57 and below that gets the light 7/4/7 tubing...at least for the original Waterford-built renditions. Based on that, my guess is that your 64cm Quickbeam isn't appreciably more stout than a 63cm Roadeo.