Platypus v Susie Longbolts Comparison

[Christian B-H]

How similar or different are the Platypus and the Wolbis Slugstone aka Susie W. Longbolts?

Some of the discussion around Jacob’s Gus v Platy decision, and Masa’s "How you choose 2 Rivendells?" thread have me thinking about the similarities and differences between the Susie Longbolts and the Platypus.  I think I’ve heard about Susies carrying weight better or worse in the front or in the back compared to the Platypus, but would love to hear from especially anyone who owns BOTH a PLATY and a SUSIE or who has owned or ridden both close together in time.

Are the Platypus and the Susie VERY similar? If the Susie is a “hillibike” only qualified up to 205 + 25lbs, and the platypus is a country bike ostensibly designed for less jarring impact and bumps but without a mentioned weight limit and carrying up to 30lbs…if the Platy could take 2.4”s would we have an Atlantis vs Appaloosa situation almost?

From what I can tell, the Major differences Platy to Susie (sure, 7 plus differences are certainly enough to make two bikes VERY different, but How do they ride differently?)

1.      Platy Lugged v Susie Fillet Brazed

2.      Platy Fits 2.2” V Susie Fits 2.8” tires

3.      Platy is Country Bike v Susie is Hilli bike

4.      Platy is an All-Road bike v Susie is an Off-Road bike

5.      Platy rec is to carry 30lbs max. v Susie rec is to carry 25lbs max

6.      Platy rider weight not mentioned v Susie rider weight 205lbs or less

7.      I suspect Platy has a Lower BB Height v Susie Slightly Higher BB?

8.      Other: Chainstays? Head Tube Angle? Rake? Trail? Frame Weight?

 

All this leads me to believe that use cases would be the biggest difference in the bikes and that a Susie could be used as a Platy but a Platy could not be used as a Susie (for MTB applications).

For example, I hypothesize that a Susie could probably carry MORE than a Platy on a non-MTB tour, but not much over 30lbs depending on rider weight.

Their PBH numbers compared to bike sizes are incredibly similar albeit not exact (4 sizes Susie and 3 sizes Platy). Here are the descriptions from the website condensed into a more useful and concise comparison (I know Grant didn’t write the descriptions to be compared like this and thus maybe it’s not “apples to apples,” but it’s what we’ve got!):

Susie: “for riders under 205 pounds and who promise to ride them with loads of 25lbs or less, and no jumps or canyon-crossings. It's a Gus for lightweights and light loads. weighs only about 12oz less than the same sized Gus frame…” 

Platy: “NO bike is better than the Platypus for zooming and cruising, shopping and commuting and all purpose day-riding on pavement…It's not for heavily loaded tours, but… put at least one bag on it. Put the Platypus to work for you... It's for all-around road riding with loads up to maybe 30lbs…It’s a country bike like our Sam..: Road tourer. All-Road. Gravel Grinder. It’s also nimble and more than able for fast fire-road rides with the right tires…. Everything that makes it a great touring bike also makes it a great commuter, camper or all-rounder.”

So, who’s got experience with both a Susie and Platy? How does the light-weight Hillibike compare to the relatively robust but “zoomie” country-bike?

- Christian in Boulder, Colorado, who rides his Platypus on gravel group-rides and on Singletrack trails he maybe shouldn't. 

P.S:

Extremely amateurish overlay of the platy vs susie from rive website pics grabbed and dragged onto eachother then screenshoted via iphone below:

[Jared Wilson]

I'll give it a go...

Prerequisites: 56cm Susie, 59cm Susie, 60cm Cheviot and 60cm Platypus

I think you're on the right track with the similarities between these two models, they ride much the same with, IMO, the main difference being the max tire size and front load-abliity.

The Platypus lends itself to what the copy states, zooming around town and in my experience the Platy handles a front (racked) load better than the Susie. This isn't to say that's all the Platypus is good for, as you have experienced first hand the Plat is very capable off road as well. Set up with Snoqualmie Pass tires for country or town cruising and 2.1 Thunder Burts for all terrain riding and you have a bike that's hard to beat. The bottom bracket does feel lower on the Platypus (I'm certain it is) and that does factor into some of the difference in feel between the two, but it's certainly not all that dramatic. I wouldn't worry about stated load capacity variances between the two, they're both stout bikes that can handle most anything the average person can throw at them. Weight wise I'd say they're also comparable, just depends on the racks, tires, etc.

My old 60cm Platypus is now in the hands of my wife (86pbh) who loads it down with a small Fabios chest up front and Swift panniers on a shiny rack out back. Even when she doesn't need all that capacity she'll leave the bags on because they leave the ability to find treasure out on the road (alley fruit, garage sale finds, etc). You'd think she's going on tour with her daily kit, but the Platypus takes it well and keeps on ticking. She claims it to be her forever bike and the only addition to the stable she cares to make will be a Heron touring whenever it may present itself.

My (89pbh) current bike is the 59cm Susie, with the 56cm being my first venture into Rivendells. I love the Susie, and the 56cm was just a little too small for my taste, with more stem and seatpost showing than I cared for. The 59cm feels a bit less crowded than the 60cm Platypus which I appreciate, and the additional tire clearance is welcome, but I feel that bike encourages a bit more tire than I actually need. The bulk of our riding is on country roads and occasional dirt, and the 2.5" Ehlines are a little overkill, but they sure look right at home. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a pair of Fleecer Ridge or Super Yummy tires (both 29x2.2) to see how the bike responds to a little less meat. Like I stated above, I don't care for a front racked load on the Susie, and this is after trying a few different set ups (Pass and Stow 5 rail, Marks Rack, RBW51) and I'm not quite sure how so many other people are content with front racks on theirs. I do toggle between an XS Sackville saddlebag on the bars and a small Fabios Chest, which doesn't give nearly the ill effects that a rack and basket does, YMMV. In the rear I use a shiny rear rack with Sackville Happisack and love the combo, I can't tell the difference with or without a bag in the rear.

I think it's a bit of the Leah's dual Platypus situation, they're similar bikes and can be set up to do much of the same things, but why not have both to shine in their respective areas. When customs come back online I'll be thinking long and hard about a Platypus-esque mixte with a few tweaks to make it a better fit for me, but for now I'm content with my Susie for what it is.

Apologies if my long winded response didn't make anything more clear, I guess the short of it is that they have a lot of overlap and can do much of the same stuff, just depends on how you set them up.

-Jared in SLO, CA

[Christian B-H]

Wow, Jared! What a great way to get us started off. Thanks for sharing! Interesting that moving "up" to the Susie which can handle bigger tires, you're itching to move back "down" to the max tire size for the Platy!

Also, I love that this world exists where one can write "Leah's dual Platypus situation" and everyone knows who you're referencing. A huge driver in my decision to buy a Platypus, that's for sure! 

Thanks again for lending your thoughts. Looking forward to other folks takes too!

Best, Christian

[Joe Bernard]

I've only owned/ridden a Susie so my only input is I'm fairly certain it has a shallower headtube angle than Platypus, this might account for a front load causing more floppiness on the Susie. 

[Pancake]

I've ridden all three:

Susie: 2 hour test ride from Riv HQ was delightful. Definitely more mountain bike than the Cheviot, perhaps mostly because it fits and had significantly wider tires. I am significantly over the Susie weight limit, no one was worried about that. 

Platypus: looks a little better than my cheviot but the same in nearly every ride category except (1) it takes slightly wider tires and (2) it has canti-studs allowing for superior V-brakes. I'm a heavy guy so v-brakes higher capacity is important to me, but the Cheviot also handles single track with it's r559 brakes pretty well. It's also swoopier which is nice. 

Cheviot: my main commuter ride, been everywhere with it with 42mm wide basketball tires. Only ever stopped by deep sand. I love nearly everything about this bike but I'd trade it for a RoscoPlat or Platypus to get those v-brake studs. That wouldn't matter as much to me if I wasn't as heavy. I'll probably get studs welded on one day if a Plat of some sort doesn't land in my lap. The Cheviot has been loaded up for touring/camping and taken along single track over tree stumps and rocks. I ride it with Atlas rims, basketball tires 42mm x 700; VO crankset 46/30t double, 11-40t 9-speed cassette, and wide pedals, SKS fenders work well. It's been a champ, my first Riv. 

Personally, if I was choosing for myself, I'd get the Platypus (but I commute more than I mountain bike).