Paul, As for your question on Susie's turning characteristics given how far out the front wheel is, I have not noticed any problem. Generally it feels so stable, I feel the bike is doing the steering for me. If Elon Musk were to market this bike, he'd definitely claim it came with autopilot feature :)
3-4 weeks ago I rode 100k with ~15 lbs weight in Wald's basket in the front. One small issue I noticed happens at tight corners on trails. It requires a tad bit more maneuvering effort than regular (the 50cm MIT Atlantis I had owned for instance) bikes. It probably has more to do with overall wheelbase than front-center or fork-rake. That small inconvenience gets you a ton extra ride comfort in return. The extra bend (or maybe the overall angle contributes too) in the fork makes it sort of dance when you go over gravels and other road imperfections. I think it acts like a micro shock-absorber. The feeling is simply delightful. It makes me often avoid the smooth side of the trail and ride on the bumpy side, if available. Cheers, Ash On Wednesday, 9 September 2020 at 17:59:06 UTC-7 ☆ Paul ☆ wrote: > Hello Ash > > > Thank you for your note. I really appreciate the advice and photos. > > > Yes, I also concluded that the 53 is right for me, and it does seem to > measure super-long. I like Billie Bars, which come way back already, so a > short-ish stem should work just fine for me. Do you find that the bike > turns funny at all up front give how far that front wheel is out there in > front of you? IT seems like a pretty slack angle! > > > Sorry to see the orange skies! I live in Vermont but grew up in Berkeley, > and get reports from my mom. Hope it clears up soon!! > > > Best, > > > Paul > > On Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at 8:08:11 PM UTC-4, Ash wrote: >> >> >> Hey Paul, >> >> It's been a busy day I have not had a chance to catch up with this >> thread. Regardless, thought I'd share couple of pictures and my two cents. >> >> >> https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16-STunfWYCEndP2nIAWrJ6RRfnCyYYm5?usp=sharing >> >> I'm 5'7" with 81cm PBH. First I picked up a 53cm Wolbis. After >> attaching wheels, pedals and few stem/handlebar combos, I quickly realized >> that it was too big for me. It is one loong bike, in the first place. I've >> had 51cm Appaloosa before, but this one felt even longer. This bike runs >> large in general, IMO. I'm always grateful for Riv's top notch customer >> service. They happily exchanged the frame for a 50cm version, which fits >> me much better. >> >> As you can see in the pic, even with the small size, I have to use a >> relatively short reach stem to get full upright riding position (even with >> Bosco!). >> >> Bottom line, I think 53cm would work better for you. If the handlebar is >> too close, you have an option to use a longer stem. But if the frame >> happens to be on the longer side, then there's no easy/clean option to >> bring the handlebar to a comfortable position. >> >> Cheers, >> Ash >> >> PS: Those pictures were taken around 3pm today. No retro/sepia filter >> used. The light has been orange-ish and gloomy all day. My kid took the >> picture, looks like he was having a hard time focusing the camera, due to >> low light. >> >> >> On Tuesday, 8 September 2020 at 17:04:05 UTC-7 ☆ Paul ☆ wrote: >> >>> Hey Y'all. >>> >>> I spoke with Grant this afternoon, who told me that at 5'10 with 75.5 >>> PBH I could go for either a M (53) or or L (56) Susie, and they'd both work >>> for me. >>> >>> I'd really prefer a 53 because of the 650B wheels, but want to double >>> check the fit before I pre-order. My 5'7" wife just got her 52 Clem L, and >>> I can ride it too but the top of the head tube is a bit low. It would >>> require a maxed out tall stem to get the bars up where I like them. >>> >>> Does anyone have a 53 Susie out there? How tall are you and how is it >>> working for you? >>> >>> Can you upload a photo? >>> >>> Also if anyone can help: I'm trying to sort out what measurement to ask >>> for that would give me the top of the head tube height vs. top of seat tube >>> height, so I can make sure the head tube is longer than on the Clem L, and >>> that I don't have to have a crazy high stem on the Susie if I buy the 53. >>> >>> Hope I'm making sense here. >>> >>> Thanks all! >>> >>> 🙏 >>> >>> Paul >>> >> -- 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 view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/4ee12a9c-9cd2-4d1d-9087-c2fcf1ad7feen%40googlegroups.com.
