on 8/30/09 8:31 AM, Frank at [email protected] wrote: > As a prospective randonneur but one with little experience with rides > over 400k, I am planning to dedicate one bike to next year¹s series. > Recognizing the breadth of on-the-road experience on this list, I am > interested in opinions about the ³better² choice between the Saluki, > AHH, and the Romulus. Is comfort the driving factor, or are there > other, more subtle criteria that also warrant consideration? I > believe that any of the three will perform just fine, but I will be > setting just one up for brevets and would like to get it as right as > possible. I own all three, all are comfortable, but each is set up a > little differently. Thanks for any input.
This is what my father would call "a high class problem"... As others have said, they'd all work, and as with any GP-designed bike, work pretty darned well. When I was prepping for my first 200K, I realized that my Quickbeam made the most sense as it was my most comfortable frame. (At that time it was my only Rivendell.) One of the reasons that I purchased my Hilsen was to use it for brevets. Around the SF Bay Area, the brevet series starts in late January, which typically involves rain and wet roads. Running a bike with no fenders is (IMO) foolhardy, not to mention disrespectful of those who have to ride behind you under such conditions. The Hilsen, as I'm sure you've noticed, can handle any fender and tire combo you are likely to come up with. The Hilsen also struck me as ideal for use with the Mark's Rack. Currently, I have one set up aft, as a stabilizer for the Country Bag. I've played around with my Zugster (Front) Rando Bag on the Quickbeam, and could easily set it up on the Hilsen, either swapping the Mark's to the front or by adding another one for longer rides. On a 400K, you'll have to consider lighting as well. I'd like to whole-heartedly plug the Gino Light Mount by Paul Components as a good way to set up a mid-fork light. Because you're potentially hanging fenders and racks and lights on the bike, I'd lean towards the frame that allows you to do that in an elegant manner - i.e. the Saluki or Hilsen. The thing about the Riv models is that they lend themselves to a lot of tinkering and refinement to come up with a bike that perfectly suits any number of applications. Another "high class problem"... - J -- Jim Edgar [email protected] "That which is overdesigned, too highly specific, anticipates outcome; the anticipation of outcome guarantees, if not failure, the absence of grace." William Gibson - "All Tomorrow's Parties" --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
