Rivendell Rosco Club

[J G]

As part of the Minneapolis cycling community, the Bridgestone and Rivendell ethos is embedded deeply in our roots.  As such, while I always appreciated and had an eye on Rivendell these past decades, I admittedly was never drawn in enough to own one.  That changed for me with the early Rosco bikes at Rivendell.  The unique and purposeful designs targeted at a specific size rider really resonated with me.  I was ready to refresh my city bikes after a decade rolling on the original Masi (no, not the real Masi) Soulville IGH coffee cruisers I had dialed for me needs and the early Rosco bikes that were available were just perfect for my needs.

The bit longer chainstays of these small batch models and the direction Rivendell was headed did not bother me for the use of these bikes.  I may have strong opinions about chainstay length and where long stays do not work for me, but that is reserved for mountain biking and tight singletrack.  For city bikes, I have owned a Big Dummy for well over a decade and not sure you can find longer effective stays than that.  By compare, these Rivs are still snappy (and shorter than current models) but give you a little of that flying couch feel a Dummy provides.

All this just to say I am a big fan of what the Rosco programs represent and even how they have evolved.   From very small batch and completely unique designs, to more recently allowing for more affordable and a bit larger batch versions of existing bikes like the Rosco Platy, they are all fun and interesting bikes.

So...share your Rosco!  

This is my 2nd Rosco and my first completed enough to have a couple season under it's belt and it's build getting closer to being dialed and complete (3x will swap for a 2x as not needed for city ride but needed some time testing a triple for other purposes etc.):

Rosco Bubbe ROAD-FATTY 55.5cm

SIZE: 55.5cm*
It's a "road" because it's easily drop-bar compatible--the top tube is shorter than we'd do if you were going to put a BOSCO or CHOCO on it. Albatross, OK. But if you have never had a drop bar bike and you're curious, or if you shun all non-drop bar bikes, this is a great way to spoil yourself, because it rides as well as any drop bar bike can ride. It's totally delightful, serious.

*Please note the 55.5cm Rosco Bubbe Road geo differs in many ways from the the Waterford 55.5 Rosco Bubbe*

BEST PBH range: 84-87.5cm
SADDLE HEIGHT RANGE: 73 - 76.5cm
MINIMAL TIRE: 700x28, but holy smokes—bring it up to a 700x33 Jack Brown (or even 700x40 as seen in photos) and max out at 700x42.
STANDOVER NOTE: The 83 cm shown with 700x39 (Conti SpeedRides, say 700x42, measure between 700x38-41 depending on the rim).
***REAR SPACING: 135MM***

• Only 10 available. (Originally)
• Made in the Taiwan
• Color: green

Freshly fit with fenders and custom Clockwork front and rear racks...

-Justus

Mpls, MN

[Karl Gee]

What do folks know about the Rosco Bubbe Road Mixte version without the lower crossbar. 

Was there a standard build with 700c wheels, and 

Is the missing crossbar significant in gravel/trail riding? 

Thanks

[Kainalu V. -Brooklyn NY]

All I know is that lower crossbars are great for picking up your bike, thus the liftatube moniker. It also provides extra triangulation for the bottom bracket, which is nice for those of us with a history of killing bottom brackets. But significant?, I’d say no.

Get a Rosco.

-Kai

[Jason Fuller]

I'm a bit surprised that Riv hasn't incorporated the lift tube into any production models outside the Rosco series. Probably due to FD / ST-mounted bottle interferences, which is fair, along with some added cost. I kinda wish the Clem would adopt the Mountain Mixte frame design with the lift tube, seems it would be stiffer and suit the "everything, everyday" ethos of that bike. 

[Jonathon Medgyesy]

Here is mine: https://photos.app.goo.gl/suipp63tsc5NDhpMA

I've used the lift-tube on many occasions already and I've had it for a few months now. I think mine is a 57cm ST, not sure on TT. Max tire size is 700x2.0", although I'm only running 38s right now. Wald 898 bars (iirc), Shimano dynamo hub, Suntour power shifters hook-mounted, LX cranks with Suntour XC Pro chainrings (42/32/22, just a perfect triple for someone with knee-issues).