Gus, Susie, or Wolbis?

[sameness]

Obligatory Spoiler Alert.

In here, from today's Blahg:

Gus, Susie, or Wolbis?

They're all the same kind of Hillybike, with the identical geometries and handling and tire clearances.

But our Susie W. Longbolts and Wolbis Slugstone [both anagrams of Gus Boots-Wilsen] are for riders under 165lb who'll ride the bikes with dayloads. The frame tubes, fork, and rear dropouts are lighter; the fork has a 1-inch threaded steerer tube, so takes the same quality quill stem as our other bikes.

Neither Susie nor Wolbis pass the ISO mountain bike tests [neither would the best mountain bikes of the '80s]. But they come close. You should know yourself and riding style better than we do, and let that knowledge guide you. In any case, they're made of strong CrMo steel, so they're hardly risky.

Also check out the double TT mixte. Looks like 54.5 ST, 62TT, 700c, clearance for at least 46s, rear brake cable guides running along the underside of the swoopy tube. Possibly side pulls?

Jeff Hagedorn
Los Angeles, CA USA

[Joe Bernard]

Interesting stuff. I believe the double TT mixte is the Baby Bike.

[ccli...@gmail.com]

I assumed that it was the 26th anniversary mixte...

[Joe Bernard]

I don't think the 26th would have such a long "toptube" for its seattube size. Plus the under-tube cable routing would be to clear the child seat.

[Coal Bee Rye Anne]

It appears the ST angle (of the twin TT Mixte) is steeper than the super slack angle Grant originally alluded to with Rosco Baby and I also see a downtube headlug where I thought Rosco was going to be TIG’d. Unless this is an upscaled Rosco redesign it may be an entirely new model if not the 26th Anniversary.

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

Ok, this is so exciting. Will somebody who understands these things please make alllll the speculations about what we think is the Anniversary Mixte and report back every detail here?!?

1. Do you think the tubes will be lower than the current Cheviot’s?
2. Can you tell if it will take a big fat tire?
3. Does it appear from this drawing that the bike will be sparkly red with cream accents?!? 😬

I need to to know these things!!!!
Lover of all Riv mixtes,
Leah

[Bill Lindsay]

Leah asked three questions about the drawing of a Mixtec on the BLAGH.

1. Definitely a lower tube. It looks like a water bottle will be an issue
2. As Jeff pointed out, the drawing represents a 46mm tire
3. It will undoubtedly be red if that’s the color they paint it

I like the pump peg and the Dow tube shifter bosses.

Bill Lindsay
El Cerrito Ca

[Joe Bernard]

I like that my speculation seems to be wrong. 26th Anniversary Bike!

Hey Leah, it can always be custom painted by Rick Stefani before delivery if Sparkly Red isn't the stock color. He's done a bunch of work for Riv, and is putting Candy Purple on my Seven ti frame as we speak.

[Joe Bernard]

Ooh, I see twin top/swoopy-tubes. Nice!

[Drw]

I’m a little confused about the Susie and Wolbis. There are gonna be 2 additional Gus models that presumably have lighter tubing but look nearly identical? Why 2 more? Is one of them the twin tube mixte? Seems like no, since that one only goes to 46mm and the Gus goes to 2.8 or something.
What am I missing?

[Chris L]

I noticed that the file name is "F25......" which seems to indicate that it's likely what was originally conceived of as a 25th anniversary bike. 

[Leah Peterson]

Bill, how can you tell these things?!? Whatever, your observations are making my whole darn day! Feel free to add more if they come to you. I don’t think I can wait much longer; this is just the best news.

Sent from my iPhone

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[sameness]

Total unfounded guesswork, but: Susie and Wolbis will be the new Betty/Yves or Clementine/Clem of the light(er)weight Hillybikes. No substantive difference, just different paint and decals.

Jeff Hagedorn

Los Angeles, CA USa

[A. Nostuh]

The level of internet sleuthing in this post is extremely high.... chapeau!

Al in Saratoga

[Bill Lindsay]

Drw claimed to be confused about the Susie and Wolbis, and asked "what am I missing?"

Two models instead of one could simply be a repeat of Rivendell's standard policy of making every step-through with two names.  Glorious/Wilbury  Betty Foy/Yves Gomez  Clem Smith Jr/Clementine.  The Cheviut was the only counter-example.  

If the shape of the bike is perfecto for bike riding, but you want a lighter bike with narrower tires, it's cool to have a road-oriented Hillybike and an offroad oriented Hillybike.  

Is that what you were missing?

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

On Friday, April 5, 2019 at 9:10:06 AM UTC-7, Drw wrote:

[Bill Lindsay]

The drawing itself shows the rim diameter at 622mm and the tire diameter at 714mm.  714 - 622 = 92mm.  92/2 = 46mm.  That's a 46mm tire wrapped around a 700c rim.  

I judged the lower slung top tube(s) because of how they encroach on the water bottle in the drawing.  

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

On Friday, April 5, 2019 at 9:14:49 AM UTC-7, Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:

Bill, how can you tell these things?!? Whatever, your observations are making my whole darn day! Feel free to add more if they come to you. I don’t think I can wait much longer; this is just the best news.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 5, 2019, at 8:35 AM, Bill Lindsay <tape...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Leah asked three questions about the drawing of a Mixtec on the BLAGH.
>
> 1. Definitely a lower tube. It looks like a water bottle will be an issue
> 2. As Jeff pointed out, the drawing represents a 46mm tire
> 3. It will undoubtedly be red if that’s the color they paint it
>
> I like the pump peg and the Dow tube shifter bosses.
>
> Bill Lindsay
> El Cerrito Ca
>
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> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/Ya-zjaUyqcw/unsubscribe.

> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com.

[Bill Lindsay]

Duh, Clem Smith Jr was not a step through.  RETRACT!

[ted]

I thought there were both h and l Clem’s.

[Drw]

I guess I was caught on the 2 names for one bike thIng. Though I now remember the historical precedent.
So we have Gus, which is the stout bike we’ve all seen now. AND we will have Susie/Wolbis, which would be less stout but still take a 2.8 tire?

If that’s the case I’m way more excited about this project than I was when it was just Gus.

[Joe Bernard]

"I thought there were both h and l Clem’s."

Eventually. They started with "his and hers" names, then I think somebody gave Grant some grief about it.

[jeffrey kane]

Ah, but -- Bill Lindsay: Chev's did have two spellings of the same name on the same model ... so there's that.

RBW Owners Bunch

[lconley]

Clementine:

On Friday, April 5, 2019 at 1:22:57 PM UTC-4, Joe Bernard wrote:

[Abcyclehank]

IMO this should have been two separate posts to avoid some of the confusion.
To Jeff, and others who are incredibly insightful and logical in your investigative skills thanks.
To the other 50% who struggle interpreting Grant’s designs and intentions thanks also for the cheap laughs and entertaining opinions. (I sincerely mean that). Not intended as sarcasm).
Much Riv love to all.

Ryan
West Michigan (via Mexico today).

[A. Nostuh]

69.5 degree head angle...... even slacker than the cheviot!

Al in Saratoga

[tc]

I personally wish Grant would consider toning down the MTB (or what he calls MMB) hate rhetoric a bit.  He shouldn't have to disparage the MTB, and those who like them, in order to prove the usefulness of the Gus, or any 'hlllybike' he designs.  Marketing is one thing, but bashing the MTB (and therefore those who ride them) doesn't really come off well, as written. He's painting with too wide a brush.  It also implies that he isn't aware of the singletrack environs that are vastly different from the hilly paths of Mt. Diablo, where MTBs really shine.  And I'm just talking about a simple hard tail here.  I don't ride a hard tail to show off, or to take stupid risks, or to go faster than I can responsibly handle, or to tear up mother nature just for fun.  And I don't wear motocross clothing when I ride my MTB ... usually gym shorts or warm up pants and a tshirt or hoodie.  The MTB is a better tool for the job for many environments because it smooths things out a bit and also helps keep that tire on the ground.  Probably also important to say that, from what I've seen of where the Riv crew rides, an MTB is overkill.  Maybe he's reacting to those people ... so maybe his focus should be on them, not all MTBs, not all MTB riders.

Tom

[sameness]

Looks to be something kinda like a 60cm Cheviot, but with a shorter head and top tube and the obvious swoopy top tubes.

Extrapolated these measurements all on my lonesome, none of this is coming from or vetted by Walnut Creek:

Jeff Hagedorn

Los Angeles, CA USA

[sameness]

Err, make that shorter head and SEAT tube and the obvious swoopy TOP tubes.

[Joe Bernard]

Nice work! I couldn't read that thing to save my life.

[Ryan M.]

Agreed, Tom. There is nothing wrong with people riding modern mountain bikes.

[Deacon Patrick]

Hey Tom! I read Grant’s comments differently: the category of riding that is more akin to hiking (and then NOT racing thru-hiking) in it’s mindset, approach, demeanor, and action is lost in the noise and hype of MTB media and racing oriented bike stores. Living here on Pikes Peak, I wholeheartedly agree. Pre-e-bike, the only thing slowing people down on the trails was gravity and their fitness. When e-bikes catch on here (and i fear it is if, not when), they’ll be running over old folks and racoons and butterflies on the uphills too. I can’t buy anything at my one LBS because it is all racing bike = mountain bike = racing bike. So, people who don’t know you don’t have to race to ride, don’t learn so from the industry at large. Thus, I hear Grant attempting to seperate out racing from the mountain bike category, but ceeding the term MTB = racing and going with hillybikeing. Can one hillybike, as you describe you already do on your modern rigid MTB, or on a full-suspension MTB? Of course. It is 100% mindset. For which mindset Grant has built a few offerings that eliminate the motorcycle racing gear that isn’t needed for hillybiking and if used may well inadvertantly get in the way of learning how to properly pick a line, slow down, and even, in utter delight rather than dejected failure, LCG. Grin.

With abandon,
Patrick

[Pancake]

Cheviut may not be a counter example of "two names for every step-through" ,,, it does have two names:

Cheviot and Cheviut

Horned sheep's advocate,

Abe

On Friday, April 5, 2019 at 9:39:11 AM UTC-7, Bill Lindsay wrote:

[iamkeith]

04/25/19  

Didn't Grant once say that the fillet brazed version of Gus was going to be limited or first-run thing only?  I recall the phrase "..at least at first."  I wouldn't be surprised if the special edition Susie and Wolbis were fillet brazed, and then Gus stays around as a longer-running, production, tig-version.  That's total speculation though.

I sure wish some of you in the Bay area who have the opportunity to see and test ride the samples would post some pictures.   There's been a frustratingly light amount of spy photos for this bike.

[sameness]

It's all daguerreotypes of Diablo at dusk these days.

Jeff Hagedorn

Los Angeles, CA USA

[Deacon Patrick]

If you're looking for bits on Boots, these posts of mine may be helpful I posted them here, but you may have missed them?):

https://deaconpatrick.org/new-bike-day

https://deaconpatrick.org/spring-snow

https://deaconpatrick.org/riding-kings-crown-easter-morn

With abandon,
Patrick

[Garth]

If anyone missed the sales page and photos for the small and XL Gus Boots demos, the webcache of the pages is still good. If the link doesn't work just google search  :  rivbike gus boots . The small and XL links show up, click on the little upside down triangle and choose the cached page. There's a couple of ways you can see the full photos rather than the zoomed in box, with Firefox one is to save the "web page complete" and open the saved folder and the photos. The other is right click and choose "view page info", under "media" all the 1600x photos are listed, copy and paste the links.

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:k9CzF9tDdxYJ:https://www.rivbike.com/products/xl-gus-boots-willsen-sample-bike

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:3mR4UZ4dw1UJ:https://www.rivbike.com/products/small-gus-boots-willsen-sample-bike

About the 2 extra names, this is explained in the .png of the sometime-to-be pdf flyer from the Blag #10..... https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1403/7343/files/12-13_2048x2048.png.  Gotta zoom the image some . Essentially the anagram names are for a lighter tube weight frame+fork+dropouts of the same GBW geometries+clearances for riders under 165 lbs. riding with dayloads, plus a 1" threaded fork instead.

Geometries ? What geometries would those be ?  Ahahahahahahah !

[tc]

Hmm, maybe the 25th (26th?) anniv bike will be made of wood from the trees of Mt Diablo, like these.  Then you can paint 'em any color you want!

Tom