Tim, So, you're contemplating a new bike. My $0.02 is to get a bike for the kind of riding you do now, If you can get one that lends it self to what you imagine your future riding will be like, so much the better. The liveliness and sportiness of a ride comes mostly from the engine, then probably next from the tires.The comfort of a bike comes from the tires again, also the touch points -- saddle and handlebars. Both the VO Rando and the Specialized AWOL comp could be set up to accommodate a variety of preferences.
I suggest setting up the AWOL in a way best suited for your riding style. After you figure what's best for you, you'll know which Riv suits you best. If you are looking for Rivish, a good place to start is with wide tires, fenders if it gets wet, a leather Brooks saddle, and Rivish handlebars. I have a Rivendell Road. Road it for many years with B17 saddle, noodle bars, friction bar end shifters, Avocet Road 28mm tires. Much to my surprise (from the vantage point of 10 years ago) I now ride a $125 craigs list Japanese steel bike with 38mm Compass Barlow Pass Tires (cost more than the bike), fenders, Brooks B17 Imperial, and upright (VO Montmartre) handlebars. I'm influenced by Jan Hein's tire research.The riding position with drop handlebars is no longer comfortable enough for me -- although Nitto noodle bars are the most comfortable drop bars ever. I like the folks at Rivendell, appreciate their contributions to bike culture, and am feinding for a Sam Hilborne (especially orange) with Albatross bars. I suggest making your current ride work as best it can for you. Read, post questions, experiment. Then buy your next bike. If you ride a lot, diet, and loose 40 pounds, you may want the Roedeo. If you are anything like most of us, I bet you will choose the HH. In any case, get a good lock. I'm curious about the new titanium ones <http://tinyurl.com/zjc9hea>. Best, Larry http://tinyurl.com/create.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.techtimes.com%2Farticles%2F158697%2F20160518%2Fdoctors-urged-to-consider-other-depression-treatments-amid-declining-efficacy-of-antidepressant-medications.htm On Wednesday, May 25, 2016 at 10:38:33 PM UTC-4, Tim Butterfield wrote: > > 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 > <https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Ftimbutterfield%2Fsets%2F72157644371355428&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNHVVBcaAG0_N9kqu4kYP3BJSp78oA> > > 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 > livhttp://tinyurl.com/create.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.techtimes.com%2Farticles%2F158697%2F20160518%2Fdoctors-urged-to-consider-other-depression-treatments-amid-declining-efficacy-of-antidepressant-medications.htmeliness > > 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 rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
