Precursor Era! I have a 1999 Bontrager set up as you describe. 9/8 steerer, but still pretty short headtube. It's my fastest bike, faster than the LeMond with 30mm GP2000s, but can still get into the dirt. The only thing I'd change would be to add a dropper post. I guess that would be a "cousin species" coexisting in the Golden Age?
Philip Santa Rosa, CA On Thursday, September 27, 2018 at 8:32:06 AM UTC-7, Daniel M wrote: > > Prequel / Proto-proto / Embryo... There is nothing in Rivendell's current > lineup that excites me nearly as much as my 1993 Bridgestone MB-1 that I > converted to high flared drop bars (basically recreating the 1987 cockpit) > and shoed with extralight Compass tires. If I were to try to improve on > this design, I'd give it an up-sloping (and slightly shorter) top tube and > a longer head tube so it wouldn't need such a tall stem to get the bars so > high (NORBA geometry is long and low). I'd gladly accept TIG welds instead > of lugs, and I'd frankly prefer 1+1/8" threadless, but these are minor > nitpicks. The bike is athletic, lightweight, flexy in the right way, and > wonderfully quick on rough surfaces. > > If Riv were to re-design this bike today (they kinda just did), it would > have heavier tubing, super-long chainstays, and 650b wheels, none of which > would be improvements for me. There is something about the creative tension > of the Bridgestone bikes (racing-driven market forces vs. Grant-driven > practicality) that I love. It's why the Police and the Smiths are far > better bands than any of the solo projects that followed. > > Daniel M > Berkeley, 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 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.
