You're probably right that I'm making mountains out of millimeters. I guess what I'm having trouble with is wrapping my mind around how the bike is intended to be best utilized, working from the BB drop as a cue. Bear in mind that I'm the guy who will *always* use the biggest tire a bike can fit. The comparisons you list pretty much make sense because it follows that, all other things being equal, a bike with a slightly taller tire should require a slightly lower bottom bracket. Since those other models are more mountain/rough-stuff bike than road bike, this would suggest that the Appaloosa would work well the same way, and would have a comparable fit and ride quality for a given size. In the case of my wife though, the "known entity" is actually a much more road-oriented 559 Rambouillet, which happens to have the same 55mm drop as the Appaloosa... but is intended to be used with a tire that is a full inch smaller! So compared to that bike, using the biggest tire is going to effectively raise the bottom bracket by quite a bit, affect the standover clearance without affecting the actual fit, and maybe even have a different ride quality due to a higher center of gravity. So coming from the road side kind of gives a different result - or at least a different frame of reference - than coming from the mountain side.
My wife's rambouillet is a 50. She thinks it fits fine but, if I could do it again, I'd put her on a 52. (Her stem is extended really high, she has more than a fistfull of seatpost, and has at least an inch and a half of standover clearance. Judging from standover alone, I'm working from the goal of putting her on the biggest frame possible. Even with 2 1/4" tires, the 46 Appaloosa would probably still feel smaller than the 50 rambouillet with 1 1/4" tires, right? The 51 Appaloosa would probably fit just perfect with 1 1/4" tires, but could be too big with 2 1/4" tires. Basically, it's just hard to decide because there's no apples-to-apples comparison to what she already has. On Friday, November 20, 2015 at 4:03:43 PM UTC-7, Bill Lindsay wrote: > > "The specified bb drop still throws me for a loop, when comparing it to > known entities." > > Can you elaborate how the BB drop of the Appaloosa throws you for a loop? > > A 559 wheeled Appaloosa has 55mm of drop, vs 57mm for a Clem and 55 for a > 559 Hunqapillar > A 584 wheeled Appaloosa has 68.9mm of drop, vs 67 for a 584 wheeled Hilsen > or 67 for a Clem > A 622 wheeled Appaloosa has 78mm of drop vs 80mm or a 622 Atlantis or > Hunqa or Hilsen > > Which of those 0-2mm differences have thrown you for a loop and why? On a > bike that I could run 38mm tires or 50mm tires, I think 2mm amounts to > absolutely nothing. > > Bill Lindsay > El Cerrito, CA > > > > On Friday, November 20, 2015 at 8:31:08 AM UTC-8, iamkeith wrote: >> >> I probably just need to join the chorus of voices begging for a >> frameset-only (and handlebar!) option. Even if i can't justify buying a >> redundant bike, I could sure rationalize buying a dream frame to have on >> hand as a spare for if-and-when one of my other bikes finally gives up the >> ghost. >> >> I kind of wish this project wouldn't have happened quite as soon as it >> did. There's still a good chance that my Clem isn't going to fit well >> enough, and this would have been a good backup plan substitute for that >> one. There's just no way to know, until summer comes or unless I travel to >> some other climate. >> >> MEANWHILE, I suppose a butterscotch appaloosa could make a good christmas >> and birthday present for my wife. Who better to tour with?!. She has a >> beat-up XO-1, but my daughter has sort of adopted it. Has anybody here >> been between the 46 and 51 sizes, and decided to order one or the other? >> If so, what factors influenced your decision? The specified bb drop still >> throws me for a loop, when comparing it to known entities. >> >> >> On Friday, November 20, 2015 at 4:03:14 AM UTC-7, William R. wrote: >>> >>> Oh yes, very happy to see that butterscotch! That will be my choice! And >>> to all of you out there thinking about it, give in to Rivs eternal scales >>> of decision where on one hand there are needs and on the other reside wants! >>> >>> Bill in Westchester, NY >>> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
