Richard: Thanks! I doubt the back pain is due to the downtube shifting, as I'm a notoriously lazy shifter. I usually only shift if I absolutely have to...even when running barends or thumbies. The lowering of the saddle definitely helped, though I need another long ride to find out it that completely alleviates it.
And yes, that is in fact a threadless setup. The original owner had it made with a threadless fork and 130mm rear spacing. The spacing worked out perfectly for a spare wheelset I had banging around and I really like the look of a decently proportioned (non-chunky) threadless stem with the Rivendell lugs. There's a nice contrast between the ornamental and industrial. Brian: I'd love to do a local Riv ride. Shoot me an email and we can set something up. I definitely need to do some more trial and error with the bars. I generally like upright bars, but have never really meshed with the Albatross. I really want to like it (sooo pretty and I love the way it looks on a Hilsen with chubby tires), but it's always felt weird to me. Though I do like the control when riding over bumpy dirt trails. With my short torso, I've always felt uncomfortable with drop bars. But I'm interested in trying them out. Having grown up exclusively mountain biking with flat bars, I admit to finding them a bit intimidating. Perhaps I just need someone with more experience to walk me through the ideal setup. I've asked at bike shops before, but they always look at me like I'm and idiot. Eric On Monday, October 31, 2016 at 9:22:02 AM UTC-4, RichS wrote: > > Eric, your AHH is gorgeous! Could it be the back pain you experienced was > partly a result of the downtube shifter setup? Looks like a fair reach from > the bars to the shift lever. > > Are my eyes deceiving me or is that a threadless steerer? Just curious. I > don't recall seeing many Hilsen's going the threadless route. > > Enjoy your fall rides! > Richard > > On Saturday, October 29, 2016 at 8:36:09 PM UTC-4, Eric Karnes wrote: >> >> Hi all- >> >> After six months with the commuter SimpleOne as my only bike, I decided >> to build up a geared bike for longer rides into the wooded areas outside of >> Center City Philadelphia. I ended up picking up a wonderful Hilsen frame >> from list member Charles (to whom I had previously sold my Roadeo). While >> the old 62cm Rivs are perfect for me, I went with a 61 in case I ever want >> my short torso to be comfortable on a drop setup. But for now it's sporting >> sweptback bars. Build-wise, I didn't have much money to spend, so my goal >> on this bike was to build it up for free. So every part is either (a) from >> my existing parts bin; (b) acquired via trade; or (c) purchased with funds >> from parts sold here or on eBay. >> >> The last two weeks, I've been taking it for some long rides up into the >> Wissahickon Park on the outskirts of Philly. And it's great! The low bottom >> bracket makes it soooo stable, but still zippy. Fantastic. There are still >> a few things I need to dial in. I was having back pain when I first started >> riding it. Couldn't figure out why, as the reach and bar height was >> consistent with my SimpleOne. Then I halfway through the ride today >> realized I was riding the AHH in shoes with much thinner soles. Lowered the >> seat a bit and that seems to have helped. I'm still on the fence about the >> albatross bars, Ergon grips, and friction shifting. But I'll live with them >> for a while and see if they grow on me (and to be fair, the friction >> shifting issues are likely due to my mediocre mechanical skills). >> >> Anyways, it was a beautiful ride today. And my route out to the park >> passed a major regatta on the Schuylkill River. Universities from up and >> down the east coast were competing. So I took some water breaks to watch >> the action. Hope all you east coasters also get some autumnal rides in this >> weekend! >> >> Eric >> >> >> -- 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.
