Last Thursday I carved out some time to visit RBWHQ & test ride the new Atlantis. Note I'm calling it "LWB" for long wheelbase, as was done in the days of custom coachwork cars. Anything designated LWB was the more luxurious, cushier riding version of its base. If this annoys anyone, then enjoy your annoyment. Where the bike was made is irrelevant to its quality.
The executive summary is the bike rides fantastically. It really is noticeably more supple and cushy than its predecessor. If you're on the fence about whether the "new & improved" version is worth getting excited about, proceed to get excited. At the price point, it's the deal of the year. If all you were looking for was thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down, read no further. It's truly everything the Atlantis has always been with subtle improvements and nothing has been compromised or limited. On the other hand, a reasonable skeptic might think that's a pretty vague endorsement & why should anyone care? Fair enough. Here's the full story. A good friend has been fence sitting about an Atlantis for waaayy too long. He really wants a brand new, Rivendell built bike but the price of the previous version has been a hindrance. He got so excited by the announcement of the new one he's very close to just doing it. Since I was headed north anyway, I offered to stop by & test one (tough duty but I'm up for it), and report back. I bought a 58 cm Atlantis in '03 & it has seen quite a few touring miles plus the usual assortment of fire trails, dirt roads, rocks, crappy weather, etc., for which I bought it. I've worn out plenty of stuff but nothing has ever broken as in snap-in-two failed. Tough bike with a tough build. It's the bike I ride 98% of the time, so I feel qualified to comment on changes. Rolling in to Walnut Creek at the crack of noon, I was impressed by the fleet of demo bikes. The LWB Atlantis in I think every size offered. Plenty of Clems, couple of Hunqs, etc. My intention was to check out the 53 for my friend by doing a quick ride on the local bike trail from the map that Rivendell provides. One thing lead to another & a knowledgeable guide volunteered to lead me on a more interesting route involving some fire road, single track, etc., to give the bike a thorough shaking out. The original 45 minute ride was obviously going to be extended. Rivendell is in an industrial building with serious speed bumps in the ally ways. The first thing I noticed is that the LWB absorbs those whollops to your backside quite nicely. Where I would stand up on the pedals on my own bike, the LWB seems to float over them. After standing for a couple, I gradually left more weight on the seat and never felt any jarring or sharp impact. Very handy on rough pavement in the urban environment. We then proceeded out onto the mean streets of Walnut Creek, hopping sidewalks and eventually working our way uphill thru a residential neighborhood to the trails accessing Shell Ridge. Never been there so I had no clue what was in store (pictures don't do it justice). Plenty of climbing but for most of it I was sitting & spinning in conditions where I would be standing & grunting on my own bike. Bonus: it pushes uphill just like my bike. Downhills & weaving thru the trees was a real treat. The more comfy ride gives more confidence and at no time did the rear end feel like it was losing contact. It just stays planted. Especially on single tracks with the usual rocks, roots, holes, etc., I never felt the need to get up on pedals to keep from getting knocked about. Best of all, the LWB seems to handle tight turns & 180s at least as well as my own bike. From a handling perspective, it doesn't require any adjustment or re-thinking. My off-roading skills & experience are quite limited, so pace was purposely kept low'n'slow. The bike was set-up with I believe the Billie Bars, an inboard thumbie on the left with a double ring and a trigger shifter for the rear. It had chubby knobbies & V-brakes. Contact Rivendell if interested in the specifics of gears, tires, etc. In addition to the obvious long chainstays, the new Atlantis is dripping with braze-ons so you can attach pretty much anything to it. That gap behind the seat post that got everyone so fizzed up when the first photo came out just begs for a frame bag. Could be a great place for your heavy junk you don't use very often. The new catalog talks about the Atlantis and the Appaloosa as being so similar you could choose by tossing a coin. Personally, I'd go for the Atlantis just because but the catalog is probably right. There are no wrong choices. Doug Peterson, Irvine, CA . -- 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.
