On Jun 6, 2016, at 6:17 AM, Michael Hechmer <mhec...@gmail.com
<javascript:>> wrote:
Leah, it sounds like you guys are ready for a tandem. The only
significant difference I can see in his set up is the higher
bars. As you raise the stem the angle of the head tube pushes
the handle bars back toward the seat. The other possibility is
your body proportions. Again, can't tell from the photo, but
just because he has longer legs, doesn't mean he has a loner
torso or a more forward comfort position..
I'm putting together a Chevy-ut for my daughter and even though
it is one size smaller than Riv's suggestion there is virtually
no seat post showing and a good fit to the drop bars.
Enjoy the ride.
Michael
On Sunday, June 5, 2016 at 5:20:18 PM UTC-4, LeahFoy wrote:
This post is a collection of questions and thoughts. I'm
trying to consolidate into just the one post, so sorry if it
seems disjointed - I thought maybe one post would be
preferable to three.
1. First question: Why does my 6 ft husband's 52 cm Clem
seem too small and confined to me, who is 5'6"?
You may remember my zany husband who got a Clem around
Christmastime. It was a memorable experience, let me tell
you. He isn't Rivy at all, so this was quite the leap for
him, and he settled on "matching" his bike to mine more than
any other inspiration. We've been having a wonderful time
with our bikes, not many lengthy rides, but rather, we do
this great thing he calls "Our Evening Constitutional." Every
night after dinner, we put on our matching Keens, our
matching RayBans, and we take our Rivendell bikes and cruise
around the neighborhood and through the park at our leisure.
Our kids are big enough to stay home, and we feel like we are
really getting away with something. We chat, we laugh, we
congratulate ourselves on our fantastic bikes and reflect on
12 years of marriage. This is the kind of date I recommend.
But I digress.
One night we decided to switch bikes. I'd made some minor
adjustments to his saddle and bars for him and wanted to test
them. Secondly, I wanted to gaze upon my lovely Betty Foy
while he rode it. (You never get to appreciate how great your
own bike looks when you're on it!) I was really expecting his
bike to be large and unwieldy but I was shocked to discover
it felt cramped! I felt like the bars were squirrely, and
that my butt should be way farther back. I wanted to be more
stretched out. Now, I have albatross bars and he has whatever
the Clems came with, but how can it make that much difference?
I told him I didn't like his "sit up and beg" positioning. He
retorted, "It is not. It's the 'seated command' position."
Then I rolled my eyes.
I tried grabbing his bars so I was more stretched out. No
improvement. His sprung Brooks is pushed all the way back on
its rails. Is this how the Clem is supposed to feel? Am I
just too used to the Betty Foy? I really thought loooonnnnggg
chainstays would make a huge difference, but there I was -
cramped. I knew if I came to you, you all would tell me why.
I felt so disappointed because I was hoping his bike would be
as good/even better than mine. The way I see it, my bike is
perfect. I feel like the bike is part of ME. I get on it and
there's nothing I could do to make it more comfortable. I
don't even think about comfort. I fret a little about the
dings in the paint and wish I had the Big Back Rack to match
my Big Front Rack, and I wish that I had the gray medium
Saddleback instead of the tan - all stupid cosmetic stuff.
But I couldn't be happy on his bike, and that seems odd to
me. Rivendells are comfortable and useful. It's their
trademark; what am I missing? My husband is not a bike
person, so he's just happy cruising around and looking alike.
He thinks his bike feels fine, but he calls mine "more
plush." He'll happily roll along in his "seated command"
position regardless of what we say here, but I'm hoping
you'll have some rationale.
2. It's his birthday next week. Do you remember his obsession
with getting a bamboo crate for the front of his Clem? Well,
he ordered one from the company Bamboobee on Amazon. They
said it would be here anywhere in a 4 week timeframe. That
timeframe came and went and after a lot of back-and-forth, I
was just refunded my money. I want to get him a rack and
different crate for his birthday. I have no idea what front
rack the Clem takes. Who can say, and does anyone have one
for sale on the list? He has the mousetrap rack on the back.
Also, does anyone have a recommendation for a crate? He loved
that the Bamboobee looked modern and had a built in cup
holder. He envisions himself riding his Clem with this
contraption and a handlebar speaker on the beach. He lives in
the desert.
3. His gears ghost shift. And there's lots of chatter in his
gears. Is it possible the REI mechanic didn't install the
gearing correctly? Do they need adjustment after a while?
Lastly, I've included a couple photos. Thanks so much for
reading and lending me your expertise.
Grateful!
Leah
https://flic.kr/p/GVbyb9
https://flic.kr/p/DNo3w6
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