Who's ridden a Steamroller and can compare to the Quickbeam?

[tc]

I'm getting the single speed itch.  Quickbeam's (62ish) are so hard to find.  Looking at some awfully nice custom Steamroller builds (e.g., Blue Lug).  Would be interested in hearing any comparisons from those who've ridden both.  Thanks!

Tom

[Ken Yokanovich]

I used some leftover wheels from my Quickbeam and built up a Creamroller about 8 years ago. Not a huge fan and will strip it back down to sell off frame, fork, and front brake.

Not much clearance, not very practical without fender boss, and too heavy duty steel tubing to give it just a kind of blah feel makes for a combination that just isn’t worth it to me.

Hoping to replace its spot in the stable with a new Rivendell custom version of a SS-Roadeoish-beam

[William R.]

If we are talking Surly Steamrollers, the clearance is much better than 25s. It will easily fit 38s. Though these days maybe more than that would be good. 38s without fenders is pretty much the max. I had one for a few years, and that was a few years ago at this point, it was a fun bike as I recall. Only braze ons for one bottle, so I never went crazy far on it, but I have other bikes for those kinds of rides. It really shined for me in short “spirited” rides. High intensity I guess you could say. I had it set up with a “flip flop” hub that was fixed on one side and free on the other. Riding fixed was a kick in the butt in a fun kind of way. I’m a bigger guy (215+lbs) and so the stout tubing worked better for me than it would lighter riders. And with out the other components it always felt quite light and nimble. Never had a Quikbeam or any of Rivendells other single speed offerings, so can’t compare it. You can always find Rivs to feel and perform better, but in a pinch Surlys are not too bad. Disclaimer: just one guys two cents.

Bill in Westchester, NY

[John G.]

I've been getting the single speed itch, too, especially looking ahead to the winter and the type of riding I usually do. I've never ridden a QB, but I have borrowed a friends Steamroller for a few rides. I really liked it. I'm around 200lbs, and the tubing didn't feel dead to me. 

I wish Riv still made single speeds, but I guess they didn't sell quickly enough. You may also want to check out Wabi and the Cinelli Mash Work. The Cinelli is pretty much the anti-Riv: super long top tubes, short stack, reaaaallly short chain stays. A local shop owner has one, and loves it for bashing around town.

[Eric Daume]

If you're looking at QB alternatives, the Cross Check is a better fit (wider tires fit, canti brakes, lots of braze ons).

You could also look at the Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross. It's like a CC, but a bit lighter tubing, more stack, less reach. I've had both a CC and a BMC MC, both fine bikes.

Eric

On Thu, Oct 19, 2017 at 10:33 PM, tc <tdc...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm getting the single speed itch.  Quickbeam's (62ish) are so hard to find.  Looking at some awfully nice custom Steamroller builds (e.g., Blue Lug).  Would be interested in hearing any comparisons from those who've ridden both.  Thanks!

Tom

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[iamkeith]

I know it's not quite the same thing, but there's always the option of a white industries eccentric eno hub. Works on ANY riv frame. There was a blug entry or reader article or something, that specifically said that this was the reason Rivendell is unlikey to do any more single speeds (of course, right after that, they came up with the track style dropouts used on the rosco bubbe bikes, so who knows if or when they might change their mind)

[Matt]

I have/have had both (Simpleone) in 62cm. I hated both of them. I could never get comfortable. I like a long top tube with my hands high and couldn't seem to put them where I liked them. I finally tried a cross fork on the Steamer similar to the Crosscheck fork. With that and a steer tune riser, it's the most comfortable bike I've ever ridden. I like the higher bottom bracket, too. Sadly, I couldn't do the same with the Simpleone, so I sold it. I run 35's or 38's in the rear on the Steamer with a hybrid fender zip tied to the stay bridge. Lots of clearance.

[iamkeith]

Here's another thought, prompted by eric's comment:

One big issue with larger Surly frames like the 62 you're contemplating, at least to me, is poor fit due to too-short head tube/stack height. For some reason, as great as their bikes are, they refuse to proportionally scale these dimensions up with the rest of the frame. A quick search of images on google will tell you that tall riders on surlys most often require 4 or more inches of spacers to get the bars where needed.

[Jay Connolly]

I had an All City Big Block. Great bike and I was a fool to sell it. Mine was a 61, which is comparable to the Steamroller in a 61. Not a high-stack bike, mind you.

Jay

[Bill Lindsay]

"of course, right after that, they came up with the track style dropouts used on the rosco bubbe bikes"

The Rosco Bubbes do have semi-horizontal dropouts, but I wouldn't call them track style.  I'm sure that's all you meant.  Track style would be rear facing horizontals with no derailer tab.  The Roscos dropouts are semi-horizontal, forward facing with a derailer hanger.  It is worth repeating that these dropouts are Rivendell exclusive castings, not something bought out of the Long Shen catalog.  The fact that they went to the trouble to get yet another investment cast part set up indicates that they are thinking about having the capability for certain kinds of options as they move forward.  Maybe a single speed might be on the horizon, or maybe just selling bikes with the ability to be set up as a single speed is enough.  Grant himself has his 59 Clem L set up as a single speed, but since his Clem L has vertical dropouts, he's running a tensioner.  

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

P.S. when I got the singlespeed bug, I bought a NOS Dura Ace Track rear hub.  I ended up finding a complete bike with 130mm O.L.D. so I've never used this track hub.  If any of you potential Steamroller buyers want a nice 120mm track hub, let me know.  I bought it for $90 which seems to be under ebay market value now.  If I sell it to you for $90, I get my money back, and you get a good price relative to 2017 market value.

[Philip Williamson]

There's a 60cm orange Quickbeam on eBay right now: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rivendell-Quickbeam-Orange-60cm-Good-Used-Condition-/152729592842?_trksid=p2385738.m2548.l4275

I've never ridden a Steamroller, but I do have a 60cm green QB, and could easily fit on a 62. I got 60cm frame to better run fat tires offroad. Currently the bike has an S2 kickback hub, which I've been enjoying, but it spent most of its life as a two-speed fixed gear. 

Philip

www.biketinker.com

Santa Rosa, CA

[David Crowell]

I rode a friend's Quickbeam a few years ago.  I enjoyed it.

I ended up buying an All-City Space Horse frameset and having that built into a single-speed.  It has canti brakes and semi-horizontal dropouts.  I like the way it rides more than the QB.  <shrug>  Different build and personal preference probably have more to do with it than anything else.

I've never ridden a Steamroller.

On Thursday, October 19, 2017 at 10:33:26 PM UTC-4, tc wrote:

[Deacon Patrick]

At the risk of over simplifying things, a QB vs. Surly x or Surly y is going to as different/similar as a geared Riv and a somewhat similar Surly. My approach to this question was simple. I did a national search of Craigslist and found my 66cm QB and we've been bashin' n' crashin', crankin' n dancin' up hills ever since. I realized that since I was asking the question, I knew the answer. If I was fine with a Surly, I'd've just bought the Surly.

With abandon,

Patrick

[Tyler Jamieson]

Per the surly website the steamroller can run up to 700x38 tires.

On Oct 19, 2017 7:55 PM, "Ian A" <atte...@gmail.com> wrote:

Tire clearance is a massive difference. The Steamroller can only handle 25mm tires or so.

IanA

[Ian A]

Thank you for the correction. I had mixed up the model with the Pacer.

IanA

[tc]

Thanks for all the thoughts and comments.  Regarding Surlys in general, yes they seem to be made for long torsos.  My Ogre has an uncut steerer and all the spacers my LBS had...and with a Jones bar, it's a dream.

With my 90(.5) PBH, that 60cm QB on eBay is a tad small. Will confirmed I'd ride a 62...

Odd that more SimpleOne ads aren't out there.

The All-City Nature Boy is looking interesting.  Slacker HT and ST than the Steamroller; more stack, less reach.  The frame is just $100 more than the Steamroller.  The Nature Boy and Steamroller accept up to 700x38 tires; also 650b but that's not for me.  

Nature boy is disc only now, which is interesting.

 

Tom

[Matt B.]

On Friday, October 20, 2017 at 10:04:45 PM UTC-4, tc wrote:

With my 90(.5) PBH, that 60cm QB on eBay is a tad small. Will confirmed I'd ride a 62...

I have a 90(.5) pbh and easily ride a 64 QB, so you might keep an eye out for those as well. 

[dstein]

Take a look at the All City Nature Boy as well. My father-in-law has one that I ride when I visit him. I love it. I also owned a QB for a while, just sold it. Hard to compare since I had the quickbeam setup as a commuter with Jitensha bars, and the Nature Boy I ride is more of a flared drop bar cross bike. It's fast. Can fit up to 38m tires. But doesn't have the brazeons for racks if I recall which would probably be a deal breaker for many of us here ;).

As Deacon Patrick mentioned, if you can get a Rosco it has the track dropouts so you can setup as a single speed, but you can't fit the double crank and dos freewheel since there's not enough room in the dropout to accomodate for the wide changes.

Also - Riv is supposed to be working on a new single speed for Blue Lug that will be more like the QB in that it can fit the double frank and dos freewheel. No word on whether that would be available for purchase in the US though.

[Coal Bee Rye Anne]

If I remember correctly they did state in the Blug that "a few" of the Blue Lug singlespeeders (Senor Frank Jones, I think) would likely be available in the US but not to expect any tall ones.  The Rosco Roads have Simpleone forks and the same clearances as QB/Simpleone but not the long track ends... you could get around this by using two chainrings with the same tooth difference as a Dos Eno freewheel which keeps the wheel position the same in either ratio.  I've done this with my Milwaukee Orange One singlespeed using 42/44 rings and 17/19 dos eno (42x19 or 44x17)

[Grant @ Rivendell]

In about 6 wks, by about Dec 10, we'll have 20 total/6 sizes UP TO 59cm of the Frank Jones Sr, a singlespeed frame designed for Blue Lug, our Tokyo dealer. We made 20 extras for us.
• seat lug (new socket style, but made for 3-deg upslope) and head lugs (custom style)
• fillet-braed bb
• 28.6mm min triangle tubes (seat and top tbes usually are, but for FRANK, the downtube is, too).
• clears 38mm tire. clears 33.333 w/fender  (as long as feners are not aluminum)
• 120 rear spacing, new rear dropouts---track style...two eyes for rak & fendr. No der tab. Angle like Quickbeam's, long, too.
* brake reach is 59mm (necessary for 38mm tire). Brake options? Tektro 559, Paul or Compass centerpull, or new Dia-Compe 610 centerpull (not out yet)
• stay & fork rack mounts

Sizes and QTY we're getting:
53cm (7)
55cm (5)
57cm (6)
59cm (7)

The frames are designed to be comfortable fits with drop bars, but it's more of a classic fit than a RIVFIT 2017.8. In our experience, any drop-bar bike can take an Albatross bar easily,,,so FRANK can, too.

Sizing by PBH:
Mark's PBH is 82 and he'd ride a 53. Mine's 85 and I'm getting a 59 that I wish was a 58.

This is a paved-road, light-load singlespeed frame, not a "Manny bike" ! More info will follow. It's going to cost about $1,400 for frame-fork-hs-seat post (27.2)

G

On Friday, October 20, 2017 at 5:11:17 AM UTC-7, Eric Daume wrote:

If you're looking at QB alternatives, the Cross Check is a better fit (wider tires fit, canti brakes, lots of braze ons).

You could also look at the Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross. It's like a CC, but a bit lighter tubing, more stack, less reach. I've had both a CC and a BMC MC, both fine bikes.

Eric

On Thu, Oct 19, 2017 at 10:33 PM, tc <tdc...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm getting the single speed itch.  Quickbeam's (62ish) are so hard to find.  Looking at some awfully nice custom Steamroller builds (e.g., Blue Lug).  Would be interested in hearing any comparisons from those who've ridden both.  Thanks!

Tom

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[tc]

Sigh for us’uns on the taller side. The Frank sounds very nice...

[Davey Two Shoes]

If you crave clearance get an All City Nature Boy. If not, get a Big Block (28mm) or a Wabi (32mm)

IMO all are better options than the Roller.