Hi, All, I just wanted to post a quick update on my husband's new Clem. You
will remember that he was enamored with Specialized and its garish modern style
and garish modern colors. You will be amused to know that he has been studying
MY bike and wondering how to make his more like it. You know, so we can
"match." Anyway, this is a man who never spends money on himself. Therefore,
you might imagine my shock when he wanted new cork grips ("like yours, Leah"),
wanted those grips shellacked ("to match our saddles, Leah") and a new Brooks
saddle ("They make them with SPRINGS?!?"). I took some extra liberties,
however, and not only did he get his new cork grips (which I then shellacked,
along with mine to "match") and his Brooks (in honey to "match", mind you), but
I got him a silver bell (complements but doesn't "match" my brass bell), a
bottle cage, a cygolight which has yet to arrive, and I wrapped an Irish strap
around his bars. I don't know why I did that last thing. Now our bars do not
"match." He has neither inquired nor complained about the cost of Riv-ing up
his Clem, which is quite possibly a first.
I cringe to say it, but the magic of this bike is, for now, unnoticed by my
husband. He has no notion of how special it is, and the attributes of his Clem
that he's assigned value to are not typical, or even sensical. When I ask him
about his favorite attributes of his bike, he offers this as the pinnacle of
the bike's good points: it matches mine. I have to stifle laughter because he's
ridiculous. Incorrigible and ridiculous and darling! His favorite, and I do
mean all-time, incomparable, cherished, revered, favorite thing, is that it
looks like our bikes are a matched pair. How silly it would be for me to be on
my Riv and he on a Specialized! What a relief not to have made THAT mistake.
Because, priorities! Also, if we can be seen riding our bikes in tandem, all
the better, so that the neighborhood knows WE MATCH. Is it foolish to suppose
that over time he will realize the true splendor of lugged steel magic bikes
created by the elves at Rivendell? For this we hope!
His ride impressions are that the bike feels sturdy and sounds quiet. He is
weirded out by friction shifting. You know how sometimes you'll think you're in
gear and then when you apply more pressure to the pedals sometimes the gears
will grind or slip? He HATES that. "It was NOT out of gear! I was going along
perfectly fine, didn't touch a thing and then IT DID THIS!" Completely
confounded by friction shifting, can't see why this would ever be superior to
his old Pile 'O Junk and its twisty numbered grip shifting mechanism. Somehow
his chain popped off the rear cog and gouged the paint on his frame. That was a
low point for sure. He definitely needs his saddle raised a few inches but
staunchly opposes that idea ("I like it like this."). Not easily deterred, I
raised it at least a couple of inches when I installed his Brooks. We'll see if
he notices. He calls his bike his "gentleman's bike." He says it looks like a
British gentleman just waiting to go for a ride. The only British thing on the
bike is the saddle, and the rest of it is a conglomeration of parts from all
over the world, but it's British if you ask HIM. His next idea is to figure out
the bag situation. He doesn't want a Saddlesack because he doesn't want to lose
his Pletscher rack. So he thinks about rear Back-a-Bike bags, but he isn't sure
yet.
Now, I have a couple of questions, and they are silly because I don't know
anything about bikes, so bear with me. Look at the angle of his Brooks. He
hasn't complained (because he's been away on business and hasn't ridden it
yet), but it looks like I may want to nose it down a bit, and I better know how
to do it before he asks. Mine adjusts effortlessly. Why can't I seem to do it
with his? Also, when I ride his bike, I feel scrunched. He's 6 feet and I'm
only 5' 6" but I feel like I want to stretch out more. When I sit on my bike it
might as well be a favorite chair, it's so comfortable. Could this be because
the Clem bars rise and reach back? Mine are Albatross, how different can they
be? Can bars really made THAT much difference?
Anyway, there's a link here, and if you would be so kind to examine the bike
and give your opinion, I'd be grateful!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/daytondogg/albums/72157661891945032
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