Leah:
First of all I've enjoyed following this story. It sounds like you're
having a lot of fun with the project and he's certainly being treated
right.
While the "magic goes unnoticed" for now, my guess is it'll grow on him.
He's probably never had anyone comment on his POJ (the acronym suggested by
Pile O'Junk) but NOW there will be the occasional comment, esp. if you are
on your "matching bikes". Even non-bikey people often detect quality and
beautiful design. Full disclosure: my wife & I both have Atlantis' so we
really hear a lot of "matching bikes" comments.
As to the angle, from the photo it looks like the seatpost has a single
large bolt on the underside of the clamp. If you took this loose to
install the Brooks, then loosening it up a bit should allow you to adjust
the angle. BTW, it would be a surprise if you raised the seat 2" and he
didn't notice. Once an optimal height is worked out (takes time),
adjustments in the 1/8" to 1/4" range are usually noticeable. Of course,
if he was horribly low before this may improve things quite a bit.
Shifting: I'm going to go against conventional wisdom in this group &
offer that if he likes gripshifters you might consider them. While they
are looked down upon by many, they are intuitive and once someone has used
them and likes them, why mess with success? All the shifter is doing is
pulling a cable so there's no "right way".
Luggage: You say he doesn't want to lose his Pletscher rack. Doesn't the
rack make a good saddlebag support? So wouldn't it stay? Or maybe he
still wants to be able to strap something to the rack, in addition to
having a saddlebag? Then a smaller bag? Saddlesacks come in various sizes
and there are other vendors with equally good looking & performing bags
(Acorn, Carradice, etc.). If just needs minor luggage capacity & wants the
rack free for big things (basketball?), lots of nice front bags are
available. Riv's bar tube is super handy for keys, phone, wallet, small
stuff. Moving up, Acorn has a nice bag with a couple of rear pockets for
organizing, and it's big enough to carry food, windshell, camera, etc.
Handlebars are HUGELY different. So yes, your experience jumping between
the two bikes is valid. If you look around Riv's site, there may be an
overlay of their various handlebars that shows how the width & shape
compare. And they only have a small selection. Personal taste in height,
reach, hand angle, etc., determines what's comfortable.
Lastly, there are NO "silly questions". No one is born knowing this
stuff. Much of the knowledge on this list is the result of decades of
experience. And we have vast collections of saddles, handlebars, stems,
bags, tires, etc., etc., to prove it.
dougP
On Tuesday, December 15, 2015 at 11:33:07 AM UTC-8, LeahFoy wrote:
>
> 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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