March 2026 Photos!

[Takashi]

I'll start the March 2026 Photos thread with  a photo from the summit of Mt. Jinbagata, overlooking Kiso Mountains and Ina Valley.

We had exceptionally snowless winter, and I saw no snow on the road up to the summit.

It was a warm, sunny day, and there were many hikers enjoying the view.

Takashi

[Kim H.]

I have been monitoring closely on a weekly basis with my visits to the Nisqually River RR bridge construction since it began last October with eagerness to see it open to the public and be able to ride my bicycle over the river into another county. I have faithfully documented the progress in taking photos from my cellphone. This bridge is located less than a mile from my house; literally in my backyard.

Yesterday, I rode down to the bridge with much anticipation. Low and behold, there were no signs of construction and no barriers or fences and even the trail camera for security from the construction company was removed out of a tall tree. This was finally done, except for the arrival of custom made reader interpreter boards to be mounted onto four different stands before and after the bridge entrances. I was very fortunate to be the only person down there at that time. I felt very comfortable in taking a lot of pictures of the new construction. I remembered the time a couple years ago, when I walked my bike over this same bridge before the construction. I cautiously walked over every railroad tie between the rails clutching my cellphone not to drop it through the crack openings into the river below to the other side. Now, I do not have to do that anymore.

It will most likely be years before the trail on the other side gets developed into the next town; time and money. There is a lot of Scotch Broom vegetation that hinders the idea of riding my bicycle into this undeveloped portion of the Yelm Prairie Line Trail where the railroad ties and tracks still remain. If I had a horse and knew how to ride, I just might consider doing so. For now, I will wait.

Kim Hetzel.

[Patrick Moore]

Takashi: as always, lovely scenery very competently photographed; thanks for sharing.

Patrick Moore, in 74*F but still dry and gray and brown ABQ, NM, USA.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/82c739ed-2d4b-496c-8322-8e8b6d71d950n%40googlegroups.com.

--

Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Executive resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, letters, and other writing services

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When thou didst not, savage, know thine own meaning,

But wouldst gabble like a thing most brutish,

I endowed thy purposes with words that made them known.

[Nick Shoemaker]

Happy Meteorological Spring to all! Fortunately it's beginning to actually feel like it here in East TN - mid 50s at sunrise! Dry trails! 

Sharp's Ridge in Knoxville w/ sunrise over the Smokies

[Drew Fitchette]

Swapped my Moth bars out for 610mm Loscos on the Atlantis yesterday. Not sold, but a much more chill feeling ride!

[Steffen]

Lovely weather.

[Jason Fuller]

I haven't ridden either of my Rivs this month on account of I tore them both down to frames and lost steam putting them back together LOL 

But I did ride 15km on the old Raleigh today and took great joy in seeing some early blooming trees starting their show. 

[Paul M]

Downtube shifters on a Susie. Nice!

On Thursday, 5 March 2026 at 11:21:26 UTC-8 Steffen wrote:

Lovely weather.

[Luis Maturana]

Taking advantage of the rare nice day.

[Tony Lockhart]

Sam over the 110 freeway in South Pasadena.

[Mike Rossi]

Sweet gum balls all over the place here. It’s almost as bad as riding on ice. I got the Bar68, but haven’t decided on which bike to try them out on. They’d be on the Atlantis here if it wasn’t for the fact that I just set this cockpit up a month or so ago. Even though I stole the idea from Blue Lug, I’m kinda proud of running the shifter housing through the flanges of the Oury grips, and would hate to change things up. Maybe once the newness wears off.

Mike

On Mar 7, 2026, at 10:05 AM, Tony Lockhart <alockh...@gmail.com> wrote:



<IMG_9484.JPG>

Sam over the 110 freeway in South Pasadena.

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/9cc7d7b9-3f8a-4281-8631-a16c927ef37fn%40googlegroups.com.

<IMG_9484.JPG>

[Keith Paugh]

Great looking bike Mike.

I’d love to see a close up of those grips/pods

The shifter cables run inside the oury grips and then connect into the pods, but did you have to cut a notch out of the grips to accommodate that cable to pod angle?

k.

On Mar 7, 2026, at 8:44 AM, Mike Rossi <mwill...@gmail.com> wrote:

Sweet gum balls all over the place here. It’s almost as bad as riding on ice. I got the Bar68, but haven’t decided on which bike to try them out on. They’d be on the Atlantis here if it wasn’t for the fact that I just set this cockpit up a month or so ago. Even though I stole the idea from Blue Lug, I’m kinda proud of running the shifter housing through the flanges of the Oury grips, and would hate to change things up. Maybe once the newness wears off.

<image1.jpeg>

Mike

On Mar 7, 2026, at 10:05 AM, Tony Lockhart <alockh...@gmail.com> wrote:



<IMG_9484.JPG>

Sam over the 110 freeway in South Pasadena.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/9cc7d7b9-3f8a-4281-8631-a16c927ef37fn%40googlegroups.com.

<IMG_9484.JPG>

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/92F120C9-B9D3-426C-9E64-7A95091E5DFB%40gmail.com.

[Mike Rossi]

Thanks, Keith. I stepped up a hole in the flange with the largest needle I had followed by the smallest Allen key and increasing in size until the housing fit through. I had to slide the grip/housing over the pod and then line it all up to have it end up looking like this…

Mike

On Mar 7, 2026, at 1:05 PM, Keith Paugh <keith...@gmail.com> wrote:

Great looking bike Mike.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CB527051-3A7E-44DE-A953-81ED6C295CE4%40gmail.com.

[Mike Rossi]

Keith, sorry I just now got what you were asking. Yes, I cut a little notch where the housing meets the pod.

Mike

On Mar 7, 2026, at 7:38 PM, Mike Rossi <mwill...@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks, Keith. I stepped up a hole in the flange with the largest needle I had followed by the smallest Allen key and increasing in size until the housing fit through. I had to slide the grip/housing over the pod and then line it all up to have it end up looking like this…

[Jason Fuller]

Got out for 50km of mixed terrain on the Bombadil today; took six hours on account of route choices and also breaking out the shears to try to fend off some of the blackberry bushes etc that are growing over this little-used trail that I quite like. 

I would not normally lay it drive side down but I think I was too exhausted to care at this point! 

[Patrick Moore]

Greybeards at Play (title of early GK Chesterton literary work).

I don’t think Chris (who with Tyler organizes our monthly and sometimes more frequent group rides here in ABQ, NM) will mind sharing this, since it’s March and it’s a ride.

Four of us took the RailRunner (complete with “beep-beep” sounds) to Bernalillo, NM, a town ~20 miles North of ABQ and rode back South via ditchbank/levy roads and meandering singletrack where we stopped for lunch at Flying Star Corrales before riding home. Much sand and dust and very nice weather despite, for me, a cold headwind outbound from my house to the Los Ranchos train station. The Rio Grande Conservancy District has crews cutting and mulching the undergrowth for fire prevention along much of the bosque North of Albuquerque but we found a fair amount of singletrack to add even more interest. Chris’s looong wheelbase Clem (about 8” longer than my Matthews with 45 cm stays) didn’t seem to hinder his singletrack performance. Tyler rode the sand with aplomb in 32s. I fell twice and covered myself more with sand than with glory.

I stupidly didn’t get around to eating anything that day until almost 4 hours into the ride, and was almost comatose when we stopped at Flying Star. I broke the Lenten fast with cheese in a veggie panini. 

My mileage was 35.83, but this was mostly sandy dirt, so the equivalent of 200 miles on pavement.

Great fun, and I only regret that I didn’t take some shots of the magnificent river views from the bluffs as we left Bernalillo; next time.

From left, my brother Peter on a BMC Monstercross, Tyler on an eclectic Rambouillet, and I on the Matthews “road bike for dirt.” Chris did the photography but you can see his stately tall Clem to my right.

[Patrick Moore]

One more remark: since we rode a fair amount of singletrack amongst fallen cottonwood branches and clear-cut debris left by work crews, fenders with knobbies would generally be inadvisable. My Matthews has 54 mm actual Thunderburts under custom Kelpie 80 mm fenders. But the Kelpies are made from 2x gauge aluminum sheet with stays at least 50% thicker than your standard Honjos or Berthouds or VOs (helluva job bending the left front stay around the disk brake caliper). I repeatedly picked up sticks that rattled briefly before breaking with loud “cracks!” and falling off; the immense stiffness of the Kelpies prevented them from folding and stuffing under crown or bridge, jamming the front wheel, and causing a header. Chris rode smooth Soma Shikoro 48s, so his VO fenders were safe.

[Steffen]

Stopped to watch some paragliders launch from a field, being towed by a Volvo station wagon with a towing contraption mounted on its roof.

[Matthew Williams]

Just a short afternoon ride for a taco lunch and a view of Mount Tamalpais. Spring is almost here.

 

[Ted]

Got the Atlantis out for its first sniff of fresh air after a long winter packed away. It was barely a ride. But the sun was out and it sooooooo good to be back!

[Richard Rose]

Spring has sprung! If only momentarily. 55 degree trail ride yesterday & going out soon for a 70 degree ride (shorts!) on a dry singletrack under blue skies. Gus in its natural habitat. Near & around Toledo, Ohio.

[Nick Payne]

It's autumn here in the southern hemisphere, and we're spending a few days cycling the country around the town of Orange in central New South Wales. Rather strangely for a town named Orange, the principal agricultural product here is apples...

There is a nice network of small fairly quiet roads, and the local council has produced a good booklet of rides in the area.(https://www.orange.nsw.gov.au/sports-grounds-leisure/ride-orange/), plus one of the local cyclists has put together a website covering road, gravel, and MTB rides (https://rideorange.com.au/).

This is from a ride a couple of days ago:

Nick Payne

[Rudy Molinek]

We got a few warm, sunny days here in Wisconsin, so I took the opportunity to try out my Sam with the Burley pod for our 10-month-old's first bike ride! He seemed to love it, and the Sam handled the trailer really well. I had my Shopsack loaded with the diaper kit in the front basket, and that weight helped even out the small wobbles in the steering that the trailer induced. It's snapping cold again here, but I'm excited for the spring/summer of baby biking!

[Jay]

First Riv contribution of 2026.  After the worst January I can recall, followed by lingering winter conditions in February (salty roads), I was able to ditch the Salsa Fargo for goldilocks.  I've been out 4x in the last week and it's so nice.  Today I actually road some gravel trails in my city (small sections still had ice, but it's amazing how quickly things melt when it warms up and rains).

[Sean McRobert]

I took the Atlantis on a 33 mile round trip into Tampa to check out the St. Patrick's Day festivities and see the river dyed green.  It was one of those rare days when the wind was behind me on the way there, then switched around to follow me home.  It must have been the luck of the Irish.

[Gordon Stam]

I think I've figured out how to resize photos so they fit. Anyway, I took this last week, looking at the vanishing ski season. But here's a challenge: how many Voile straps can you spot on the Clem? Here's a hint - there are 16 in total on the bike but you can't see all of them. After a couple tries I'll tell you.

[Steffen]

[Takashi]

Ume blossoms (a kind of apricot) are coming into bloom.

Takashi

[Patrick Moore]

Takashi: Lovely photos, as always. 

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/a70adcb6-0b06-4c02-bdc4-91f5618b5ee9n%40googlegroups.com.

[Richard Rose]

Local trail, Bedford, Michigan.

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 22, 2026, at 3:26 PM, Patrick Moore <bert...@gmail.com> wrote:



Takashi: Lovely photos, as always. 

On Sun, Mar 22, 2026 at 9:41 AM Takashi <lachry...@gmail.com> wrote:

Ume blossoms (a kind of apricot) are coming into bloom.

<ume01.jpg>

<ume02.jpg>

Takashi

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/a70adcb6-0b06-4c02-bdc4-91f5618b5ee9n%40googlegroups.com.

--

Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Executive resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, letters, and other writing services

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When thou didst not, savage, know thine own meaning,

But wouldst gabble like a thing most brutish,

I endowed thy purposes with words that made them known.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfgtw2WY82s0Loj_y%2BvQBp-KKc2LoTebwo1k%3Dkkv7xLnwqQ%40mail.gmail.com.

[Gabe]

Overnight excursion from Seaside CA to Fremont Peak, crossing the fertile salinas valley. Bike felt like a hippopotamus going up hills but felt great on flats and going downhill. 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/403752D7-84EB-4D85-98CF-1021ED2A4A60%40gmail.com.

[jaredwilson]

Great photos, looks like a wonderful trek through some beautiful country!

jared in Berkeley

[Patrick Moore]

Richard: Just curious: have you ever had problems when riding on such detritus having debris caught by the tires and carried up into the fenders, particularly since the tires seem to have a somewhat pronounced tread? It’s hard to see, but I think you have QR fender stay clips.

On a recent dirt ride on very lightly knobbed Thunderburts that included extensive surfaces covered by shredded debris from a Conservancy District undergrowth clearance I got many small branches caught up by the tires into the fenders, and heard them snapping as they broke against the very sturdy Kelpie fenders (fenders and stays 50%? 100% thicker than typical metal fenders). And even more recently a member of the group had his Velo Orange front fender crumpled up by such a branch — smooth tire, Soma Sikora or some such. I guess it was because he was riding a hugely long and very upright Clem that he avoided a header.

[Richard Rose]

Patrick, funny you should mention this. Since getting my Gus I rarely take the Clem on trail. Also, I installed the fenders and 43mm Homage tires vs. the 55’s I’d had for a long while. I had just finished fiddling with my rear shifter & went for a ride. It was pretty windy so I sought refuge in the nearby woods. I did hear/feel more than a few sticks & such between fender & tire. Nothing stuck but I was thinking about such things. I would definitely remove the fenders if I planned on doing much singletrack. But that’s not going to happen as long as the Gus is here.:)

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 23, 2026, at 12:26 PM, Patrick Moore <bert...@gmail.com> wrote:



Local trail, Bedford, Michigan.

<image0.jpeg>

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfgvyV04Bj%2B7D5w_dLFX3tOM4rURDqPEEWu7qpdJSSxw3%3DQ%40mail.gmail.com.

[Jason Fuller]

This past weekend we had our first properly-spring feeling days. The first wave of blossoms are out in full force. I went for a group ride and then a solo extension afterwards. My Bombadil pictured below amongst the social scene. Second photo taken along my solo part of the journey - lots of streets similar to this in Vancouver.  Shame there are always parked cars in the photo too, though! 

[Jeff McCartney]

I'm currently forbidden from riding bikes during recovery from a back surgery :( However I couldn't resist taking my recently rebuilt Clem out to see a bit of the Sun and maybe I snuck in a ride down the block and back.

[Brian Ferry]

A fine day for a ride in Cincy Saturday on my new-to-me Clem! 

[Takashi]

Patrick, glad to know that you liked my photos. Thank you.

Here's a photo from Sunday.

Snow on Kiso Mountains are melting fast.

And another photo of ume blossoms.

Takashi

[Tony Lockhart]

Sam in San Dimas, CA

[Drew Fitchette]

Swapped Albatross bars onto the Atlantis for Spring/Summer commuting. 

Stopped on the trail to make an adjustment and a friend landed on my handlebars.

[Ryan Fleming]

That's good luck :) 

[Steve]

A few pics from our recent camping trip on the South Carolina coast. I'm still in the Honeymoon phase with the Hillborne, but dang - what a great bike!

Steve in AVL

 

[Gabe]

Sweet bike! Looks like prime bird watching territory and that boardwalk thing is awesome! 

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/afeb45b4-f387-47cc-a788-6107f0a93b9bn%40googlegroups.com.

[Kainalu V. -Brooklyn NY]

Same old Brooklyn-UWS commute, switching bikes every couple weeks, changing tires regularly, keeping things interesting. Here’s Clem with studded schwalbe pizza cutters

Good times.

-Kai

[Kainalu V. -Brooklyn NY]

And Ram’s getting new olde cranks and some fresh rings this weekend 

[ANDREW LETTON]

Oooh, I like that elegant and long custom rack! Did you build it yourself?

cheers,

Andrew

(Painstakingly pecked out on my iPhone; please pardon my brevity and tpyos.)

On 29 Mar 2026, at 4:53 am, Kainalu V. -Brooklyn NY <kaivi...@gmail.com> wrote:



--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/b1239c04-1517-4ac4-bd86-620554b2003bn%40googlegroups.com.

[Kainalu V. -Brooklyn NY]

Thanks Andrew, it’s my own make. Practicing on racks before I dip my toe in the frame pool

-Kai

[Kartik]

Got off work early and made my way up Mt. Tam for a sunset ride on my Sam:

On Thursday, March 26, 2026 at 4:05:36 AM UTC-7 krhe...@gmail.com wrote:

@Jeff,

Your Clem is very elegantly built. Good job !

Kim Hetzel.

[Patrick Moore]

Lovely!

[Steve]

Kartik, nice shot!!!   Hope you won't mind that I'm using it as my current desktop wallpaper.  (I'll delete it when I change the wallpaper again).    Steve in AVL

[Ted]

It was -3 deg. C. this morning and windy. And it snowed overnight. But with fenders and the right layers on it was a fantastic first ride of the season!

Ted

Ottawa, ON

 

[Jason Fuller]

In stark contrast to Ottawa, spring is fully set in motion here in Vancouver. The first wave of cherry blossoms are at their peak, but I am even more excited by the 'shrub tunnels' filling in with green again: 

[Richard Rose]

Fantastic!

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 29, 2026, at 12:35 PM, Kartik <karti...@gmail.com> wrote:

Got off work early and made my way up Mt. Tam for a sunset ride on my Sam:

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/be92180e-53d8-4200-9aa8-52fc1c50a26en%40googlegroups.com.

<IMG_0021.jpeg>

[Takashi]

Cherry blossoms usually bloom in mid-April around here, but they are already blooming this year. Crazy.

A weeping cherry tree that's 5-minute ride away from my room:

Weeping cherry trees near post town of Tsumago:

Cherry blossoms and Kiso Mountains:

Takashi

[rlti...@gmail.com]

Beautiful photos! I was lucky enough to catch peak blooms in Tokyo last year and this brings those memories back.

Robert Tilley

San Diego, CA

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 30, 2026, at 7:07 AM, Takashi <lachry...@gmail.com> wrote:



Cherry blossoms usually bloom in mid-April around here, but they are already blooming this year. Crazy.

A weeping cherry tree that's 5-minute ride away from my room:

<sakura01.jpg>

Weeping cherry trees near post town of Tsumago:

<sakura03.jpg>

Cherry blossoms and Kiso Mountains:

<sakura05.jpg>

Takashi

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/da4caf1d-5ee2-46ab-98ee-5f29401a637cn%40googlegroups.com.

<sakura01.jpg>

<sakura05.jpg>

<sakura03.jpg>

[Scott Garrison]

Nevada County, CA. Gold Country canal riding on my Sam on the last day of March!

[st nick]

At White Rock Lake, Dallas,  TX on my 

2 month old Riv Charlie Gallop.

Paul Cunningham in Dallas 

[Alex Buly]

Posting this March photo quite a bit late. This was on the D&R Canal Trail on my way back home to New York from the Philly Bike Expo. It was so awesome meeting so many great Riv folks at the Expo and Pam's talk was fantastic!

This ride was a 65-mile connection between the SEPTA station in Yardley and the NJ Transit station in New Brunswick. Very cool trail, the stone spillways every couple miles made for some fun bumpy sections.

[Steve]

Never too late - and - nice looking Platypus! 

- I'm curious about how much weight you had loaded up front. I've been front loading mine with a rando box & rack. It's also running Billie Bars and I've yet to load it with enough weight to affect stability. 

Steve in AVL

[Matthew Williams]

On Sunday, I rode from Berkeley through Alhambra Valley to Concord. Spring is here.

[Gabe]

Beautiful! Nice seeing all the poppies. 

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/a7cd115e-2f1e-4a61-9711-35ad71c6ad60n%40googlegroups.com.

[Alex Buly]

Hi Steve,

I'm honestly terrible at estimating weights, but my best guess is I probably had just shy of 10 lbs up front. The Fabio's chest was my overnight bag for the trip, and I had a small U-lock and cable (necessary for biking anywhere in and around NYC) in the basket along with warm layers that I shed along the way. I do feel the Platypus handles front loads pretty nicely.

[Andrew Scherer]

Late to the party - at the Ashokan Reservoir. 

Andy Scherer

Manhattan & Woodstock NY