I've been thinking of getting a Rivendell bicycle for a long time. I first joined this group to lurk back in 2010 and have been a member and sometimes lurker since then. But, I had not made the commitment and purchased a Riv. The closest I came was getting a Velo-Orange Rando. That was sort of rivish. https://www.flickr.com/photos/timbutterfield/sets/72157624827193423
Being in the suburbs of Chicago near O'Hare airport limited my comfort using it the way it should have been. That bike was sold before I left Chicago to live full-time in an RV. Once we decided to settle in Anacortes, WA (still in the RV), I purchased a Specialized AWOL Comp, definitely not rivish. https://www.flickr.com/photos/timbutterfield/sets/72157644371355428 It's a nice bike, but I now want something more rivish, this time, the real thing. I'm thinking of getting either the Roadeo or the A Homer Hilsen. I like the idea of the liveliness and sportiness of the Roadeo, but like the bit of extra versatility of the AHH also. With my weight at 200+ (PBH 33" or 83.8cm, age 51), I'm leaning towards the AHH instead of the Roadeo. I can start more roadish with the AHH and, as I build my abilities further, expand the bike to fit new and/or different tasks without having to change frames. So, I'm fairly settled on getting my first Riv, one of the two mentioned. My pondering now is mostly on how to appoint it. My Rando was more modern with the 105 setup. The AWOL was definitely modern with discs and SRAM setup. But, I'm not tied to that. Though I haven't used it much, I like the looks of a quill stem, drop bars, and downtube shifters. It looks clean and simple. I'm just not sure what it's like to live with. I expect that, like many things, it is a matter of adapting to it. But, using DT shifters or bar ends does set a direction as neither would work with an 11-speed I could have instead. I'm trying to consider the pros and cons of each. With my AWOL, I leave it locked to the cabana just outside my RV. Some RVs have sufficient inside storage for a bike. Mine doesn't. My questions to the group are these: As I am not yet doing longer distances, are there still benefits to the more traditional setups? If I pick either one, what might I later miss the other may have provided? Are there likely to be any weather related or other wear issues leaving a Riv locked to the RV park cabana like I do my AWOL? I'm doubtful of that, but don't want to mistreat it either. Any thing else I should consider? Thanks for any advice you have. Tim -- 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 https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
