Now the Stumpjumper is one earlier bike that, imo, actually had something in common (aside from the obvious fact that it is also a bike) with some of the Rivendells (special-order skinny-tire bikes w/o eyelets notwithstanding). My 83/84 Stump has lotsa clearance, braze- ons for racks and fenders, relaxed geometry (maybe too relaxed), long chainstays and I think it was even made by Toyo. Like my Atlantis, it's a tough, versatile bike that I have configured in many different ways. Despite being 25 years old, it feels modern and the opposite of quaint.
I think it makes sense to differentiate between bikes that came before and bikes that came during/after MTBs hit the mainstream. All except the roadiest of Rivendells show lots of early-MTB influence: long chainstays, wide-range gearing, lots of clearance, etc. The Schwinn Paramount touring model, while marketed as a touring bike, had a lot of features that most Atlantis riders wouldn't accept. We had chrome one at the shop for awhile, which was ultimately purchased by one of my employees - a cool bike, but with plenty of antiquey quirks that I would consider disadvantages by modern standards. Even with its Campy triple crank it had a low gear of something like 36x28, no rack braze- ons, and fit a 27x1-1/8 (28 mm) with a fender. Also the cheesy Campy friction shifters and Campy Rally derailleur were less than ideal. Frankly, a stock Rambouillet (the complete bike that Riv sold) with its 26x27(later 26x32) low gear, rear rack eyelets on the seatstays, and slightly better clearance (32 mm w/ fenders) would have made a better touring bike. On Jul 24, 11:26 am, JoelMatthews <[email protected]> wrote: > I mentioned the Schwinns as I had a Continental my first two years in > college in the mid-80s. While certainly not as lovely as my Hilsen > was, the bike was a very faithful all rounder for me until its > untimely demise in a garage fire (neighboring frat house let a grill > burn out of control). > > I used the bike for day to day transit around school, to work and out > on the town and on many short to mid-length tours. I set it up with > Pletscher racks fore and aft, and an elaborate but not all that bright > bottle generator lighing system. I could not afford panniers, so I > just lashed my back packs to the racks. Now this was in Ironing board > central Illinois. Perhaps the bike would have been too heavy even for > a light weight college kid in more rugged terrain. > > After the fire, my favorite aunt bought me a Specialized mountain bike > (I think it was a Stump Jumper but cannot recall - whatever the basic > model was in '85). I rode hard tail mountain bikes (After the > Specialized I had a Trek 830 for a while then various Cannondales) > only until I got the Hilsen a couple of years ago. I now have three > road bikes and no mountain bike. Perhaps my memory is clouded by the > years and the general fun of being in college dulls problems I may > have had with the Continental. But in my memory at least, it was the > best bike I had until the Hilsen. > > On Jul 24, 10:43 am, Jim Cloud <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I totally agree with Patrick. The older flash-welded Schwinn consumer > > bicycles are not comparable to any of the bikes made by Rivendell. > > These were bikes that Schwinn offered to people eager to purchase an > > inexpensive durable bike (backed by a Lifetime Warranty for the > > original owner) that was represented as a "Ten-Speed" model for those > > ready to get into the "Bike Boom" of the early 1970s. They were not > > lugged frames and they were equipped with entry quality components, > > including cottered cranks with gearing that certainly would not > > qualify as suitable for touring (the Continental for example had a > > 39-52 crank and a 14-28 cog). > > > They were also quite heavy - the Continental was advertised as > > weighing 35-38 lbs. "depending on frame size", the Varsity Sport model > > weight ranged from 38-41 lbs.. These bikes were consumer oriented > > models that fulfilled a need and were quite popular in their intended > > market. The only flash welded model that Schwinn offered that could > > be considered a more sophisticated model was the Schwinn Superior (28 > > lbs.). Starting in 1975, Schwinn began to import Japanese > > manufactured bikes (e.g. Schwinn Approved Vogageur II) that were > > intended to compete with the flood of imports coming in to meet the > > demands of more knowledgeable biking enthusiasts (this was also just > > before the Bikecentennial sponsored transcontinental events of 1976). > > > Jim > > On Jul 23, 5:33 pm, PATRICK MOORE <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > On Thu, Jul 23, 2009 at 12:05 PM, JoelMatthews <[email protected]> > > > wrote: > > > > > > current RBW designs have little in common with > > > > > racing bikes from the past. Rather than some sort of nostalgic > > > > > throwback, I tend to think of my Riv and Riv-ish bikes as thoroughly > > > > > modern and uncompromising for the kinds of multi-use riding I like to > > > > > do. I don't see many parallels between, say, my Atlantis and any bike > > > > > that was even remotely racy from the 1970s. > > > > > Yeah, seems the 1970s bikes that have the most in common with Riv were > > > > some of the practical Raleighs, Motebecanes and arguably even the > > > > Schwinn lightweights such as the Continental and Varsity (the lugged > > > > Paramount was usually a racing bike - although I seem to recall there > > > > was a year or two when Schwinn made a touring Paramount). > > > > I disagree, at least about the Varsity -- don't know the Continental, but > > > if > > > it is like the Varsity or Collegiate, no way, no how. Those were mass > > > produced to be cheap and, admittedly, strong, which meant heavy and dead, > > > with cheap components. That's not true of any Riv I've heard of, and > > > certainly not true of my customs, which are very much like old stage > > > racers: > > > ~45 cm chainstays, just like my '73 Motobecane Grand Record, and able to > > > carry heavy rear loads (well, not the gofast, since it can't accept a > > > rack). > > > I assume that the Ram and the Rom and so on aren't that much different in > > > fit and feel from my Rivs. > > > > Anyway, to consolidate my point: far from being like low end Schwinns back > > > in the day, at least many Rivs are indeed like older road racing bikes, > > > based on my admittedly limited experience. > > > > > On Jul 23, 11:24 am, Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery > > > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > A fun idea, but why suggest it on the RBW group? I ask not to accuse > > > > > the OP of being OT, but to raise a broader philosophical issue. RBW > > > > > tends to focus on non-racing bicycles and equipment with "all-rounder" > > > > > versatility being the foremost consideration, and aside from being > > > > > lugged steel (for cosmetics and durability and market > > > > > differentiation), current RBW designs have little in common with > > > > > racing bikes from the past. Rather than some sort of nostalgic > > > > > throwback, I tend to think of my Riv and Riv-ish bikes as thoroughly > > > > > modern and uncompromising for the kinds of multi-use riding I like to > > > > > do. I don't see many parallels between, say, my Atlantis and any bike > > > > > that was even remotely racy from the 1970s. > > > > > > On Jul 23, 5:35 am, Marty <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > I've been keeping up with the TDF as always this time of year. Seems > > > > > > bike makers often roll out "specials" for certain stages etc. (like > > > > > > today's TT) and it occurred to me that the race could use another > > > > > > crowd-pleasing and playing-field-leveler gimmick: why not a > > > > > > turn-the- > > > > > > clock-back stage using vintage-style bikes? (Other sports do this > > > > > > from > > > > > > time to time) Maybe the stage would not even have to count in the > > > > > > overall standings, but it would be a blast to watch today's riders > > > > > > "suffer" with non-aero levers, down-tube shifters, pre-index > > > > > > drivetrains, five-speed clusters, toe-clips and leather saddles. > > > > > > They > > > > > > could auction off the bikes after the stage too, just like they do > > > > > > now > > > > > > for various charities. I can see it now: Wool jerseys, Citroen team > > > > > > cars, corked water bottles, sew-ups wrapped around their shoulders, > > > > > > and maybe even fenders if it's raining that day. A guy can dream > > > > > > right? > > > > > > > Marty- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > - Show quoted text - > > > > -- > > > Patrick Moore > > > Albuquerque, NM > > > Professional Resumes. Contact [email protected] > > > > Oh, I have been to Ludlow fair > > > And left my necktie God knows where > > > And carried halfway home or near > > > Pints and quarts of Ludlow beer. > > > And then in lovely muck I've lain > > > Happy 'til I woke again. > > > But when the sun rose in the sky, > > > High ho! The tale was all a lie: > > > The world, it was the old world yet; > > > I was I, my things were wet, > > > And nothing more remained to do > > > But to begin the game anew .... > > > > A Shropshire Lad, Houseman- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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