My Bronzey Green Sam

[Michael]

I posted most of this in a separate thread recently, but thought I'd share here with a few more pics.

I bought a Sam last year as my first Rivendell and had their team build it as my "dream" do all bike.  I was looking for a  light-ish bike that I could put wide smooth tires on, zip around bike paths while riding up-right and in comfort but also capable of riding for long distances on pavement or gravel. I was torn between the Sam and Homer but ultimately went with the Sam for V-Brakes and Color. 

As for my impressions of the Sam, over all I absolutely love it both aesthetically and functionally. Its the only bike I have owned where almost every time I approach or depart, I stop and gaze in admiration, its a functional piece of art to me. It doesn't feel slow, I wouldn't say it feels zippy but definitely not sluggish.  I find myself using multiple hand positions on the albatross bars frequently. Ill use the regular cork grips often on bike paths, but on longer stretches or if there is a head wind I will alternate to the front tape wrapped round the curved part of the bars, this puts me into a very similar position as riding in the hoods on a drop bar.  My longest ride is 50 miles with very little discomfort, which was reassuring because I hadn't seen many people discuss longer distance riding w/ albatross bars. I use a stem mounted baby seat and have carried my 30lb toddler a few hundred miles and the bike handles like a dream. 

There is a rather large dilemma I am experiencing however. After 1 year of riding my dream "do-all" bike , the only bike I shall ever need, I find myself dreaming about what my next Riv should be.... I find sometimes on long straight country roads with a head wind, I wish I had a more aerodynamic position such as a road bike w/ drops. I also wonder if the Sam is over built for my mostly paved smooth road riding.  I cant decide if I would put drops on the Sam and get a Platypus for the upright ride or keep the Sam as is and get a lighter homer w/ drops. I suspect a Platypus & Homer would be an awesome combo. I think I would probably advise people buying their first Riv to not try and create a "do-all" bike, because well, n+1. 

[Michael]

[Ant Warland]

Hi Michael,

That is certainly a beautiful Sam! Interesting to read your dilemma as I am having frame swap thoughts about my own Bronzey Green Hillborne. I'm having the opposite problem to you in that I find the ride to be too harsh for the terrible condition of the roads and cycle lanes I commute on here in South Wales. I personally think it's a faster bike than I need (also set up with a high albatross but with inner bar ends on the front of the curve for an extra aero position). This is with 44 mm tyres which is nearly the max with fenders so I'm potentially in the market for something dedicated to commuting with bigger tyre clearances like a Platypus or a Clem. I have an Appaloosa set up as a trail bike at the moment which would potentially be well suited to commuting duty.

I personally didn't get on with drops on my Sam. In order to put the reach close enough to be not too stretched out I had to use a short stem and it was far too twitchy with 42 cm bars

Hopefully some food for thought.

Ant

On Friday, 7 November 2025 at 14:44:33 UTC Michael wrote:

[Michael]

Thanks Ant! I really do love this bike regardless of my n+1 desires. How would you say the Sam feels compared to your Appaloosa? I've never ridden a Platypus but I've heard it's similar to the Sam, but certainly can fit larger tires. It may be a good choice for your case. Also, do you happen to have any pictures of the bar ends you are running? 

[Roberta]

Hi, Michael. 

Your Sam is lovely! 

As a current owner of a Platy and a Homer, I think they compliment each other perfectly. Homer does feel zippy. I’ve always said “lively, spritely“ more so than the Platy or Hillborne. I wouldn’t put a baby on the Homer, but would on the Platy.  Homer is my forever bike.

I ride exclusively upright bars—Albatross and Billie— distances to 45 miles. Leah, bicycle bell ding ding,  has the same handlebars that I do and she rides even longer distances, including centuries. Perhaps changing your Sam handlebars to drops and getting a Platypus for your baby seat rides will be your ticket to happiness.  That is until you want “just one more” Rivendell. 😊

I’m in Philadelphia, venturing into NJ a bit, and you’re welcome to try my bikes. DM if you’re close and interested. Neither is for sale. 

Roberta

Philadelphia 

[ChuckB]

I recently had similar thoughts with my own Bronzey Green Sam. I have Choco bars on it, but sometimes wonder what it would be like with drop bars on longer road rides. I went as far as pre-ordering a Gallop with Choco bars a month ago with the thought of using it as my "city bike" and putting drops on the Sam to use as my road bike, but then after reading RBW's web site description of the Sam again, along with my own experience, I just couldn't convince myself that it would be radically different enough to justify another bike. I have since canceled the rather impulsively done Gallop order. I have taken the Sam on 50-65 mile rides and found it comfortable enough but just slower than what I was accustomed to with drop bar bikes. If I can just get over that concern, which is something I'm working on, the Sam is perfectly suited as an only bike.

Chuck