Well I was all set to buy one of these Roadini frames today but now I'm having second thoughts. Like some of you have mentioned I find them aesthetically pleasing (especially the Sergio's Green) but I am feeling unsure about whether or not I would be happy with how it rides. I've churned through too many bikes and I just don't want to make the same mistake.. It's an affliction that we all share. I have a Sam that I absolutely love. It's my first Riv and I decided that I never want to part with it. My only other experience with a tig welded Riv was a Clem H. I realize that this is subjective but the Clem H didn't do it for me at all. I sold it not long after I finished the build. I'm afraid I might have the same experience with a the Roadini. I feel like I need to trust my instincts but the pull of FOMO is very strong. On Thursday, July 20, 2023 at 10:47:27 AM UTC-4 Brian Cunningham wrote:
> Since I now own both a Sam and a Roadini (as of last month), the latter is > noticeably zippier. The difference I feel in going from a stop to > accelerating to a normal cruising speed is palpable. The Roadini just gets > there faster and climbs more nimbly. My feelings seem to be supported by > data. Now we’re not talking crazy differences in speed, but my rather flat > commute is somewhere around 14mph on the Sam and exceeds 15mph on the > Roadini. (Though nobody rides a riv to break speed records, I like mapping > my rides to keep track of mileage, and as a side benefit, I get to see the > speeds, too.) > > The Sam has a nitto rack/Wald 137/sugarloaf, while the Roadini has just a > Fab’s Abs handlebar bag and a tiny Acorn bag in the rear for > tools/tubes/patch kit. > > At this point I see myself leaning on the Roadini except in cases where I > need to carry more stuff. Tire clearance is about the same between my 2015 > side pull Sam and ‘22 Roadini. The Sam of course has braze-ons that the > Roadini doesn’t. > > Hope this helps, > > Brian > On Thursday, July 20, 2023 at 7:22:47 AM UTC-7 pi...@gmail.com wrote: > >> My '93 RB-1 fit 32mm Avocet inverted thread cross-type tires. I bought >> the frame and fork (it came with a headset) and weighed it at the time. It >> was 6.2 pounds or so (corroborated here: >> https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/778487-bridgestone-rb-1-1993-a.html). >> >> My Roadini, by contrast weighed about a pound more. I put some parts I had >> lying around and on it and it weighed about 22 pounds ready to ride >> (pedals, bottle cages, etc). I can't tell whether it's stiffer, but it's >> definitely more flexy than my Ti touring bike which has 43cm chainstays and >> is modeled after the RB-1. >> >> On Thursday, July 20, 2023 at 5:35:06 AM UTC-7 eric...@gmail.com wrote: >> >>> I wish I had a breakdown by model and year (I don't!) but the >>> Bridgestone RB series varied the tire clearances by year. Some years fit a >>> bigger tire than others. For example, the TIG welded 1990 RB-2 could clear >>> a 32mm tire. I haven't encountered apocrypha indicating *any* RB-1 >>> could clear more than a 28mm. >>> >>> More on that 1990 RB-2 here: >>> https://www.sheldonbrown.com/bridgestone/pdfs/bstoneRB2synergy1990.pdf >>> >>> As Ex Lion Tamer alludes to, there are other frames out there you can >>> find that are cheaper than a top tier Bridgestone. Those frames have a lot >>> of cache and often are not cheap. >>> >>> Here's another helpful iBOB thread with some discussion on RB-1 ride >>> quality and suggestions for other frames to seek out: >>> https://groups.google.com/g/internet-bob/c/IYFf1tLmYPM/ >>> >>> Grant would say that any Riv is better than any Bridgestone. Better made >>> and without compromises. If your POV on tubing and geometry aligns with >>> Grant's then Robert's your mother's brother. >>> >>> On Thursday, July 20, 2023 at 8:24:18 AM UTC-4 Johnny Alien wrote: >>> >>>> The RB's in the 90's were advertised as around 22 lb total for a >>>> mid-sized frame and that was built with a lot of non-light parts. I would >>>> guess the frame is lighter weight and flexier than a roadini. >>>> >>>> On Thursday, July 20, 2023 at 7:46:23 AM UTC-4 Eric Daume wrote: >>>> >>>>> If the Roadini with its double oversized tubing is lighter than an >>>>> RB1… I would be very surprised. I’ve owned both, but probably 20 years >>>>> apart. But tall head tubes, long chainstays, and heavy tubing all add up >>>>> quickly. >>>>> >>>>> Eric >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On Thursday, July 20, 2023, exliontamer <rollu...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> An RB-1 is a relatively heavy bike especially in 59cm & up & I >>>>>> wouldn't be surprised if the Roadini is the same or possibly lighter. >>>>>> That >>>>>> said, I don't think that's a bad thing depending on the frame size, your >>>>>> personal pedaling style/power, weight, etc. When I was focused on only >>>>>> riding fast I had a 59cm frame with EL/OS tubing that was very thin >>>>>> walled, >>>>>> flexy, & light. I'm 6'1" & weighed 160lbs at the time & that bike was >>>>>> too >>>>>> whippy for me personally. It took getting a '93 RB-1 (62cm wouldn't fit >>>>>> a >>>>>> 32 btw) to make me realize that I preferred a stiffer frame...also my >>>>>> average speed increased even though the bike didn't "plane" & was 2 lbs >>>>>> heavier. >>>>>> >>>>>> I'm glad Jan & that crew are doing their thing but the message can >>>>>> get tedious. I'm sure it works for some people but a lot of it seems to >>>>>> be >>>>>> presented in a one size fits all way. All that said there are a lot of >>>>>> 90s >>>>>> steel frames that will fit a 28. Plenty of affordable lugged Bianchis >>>>>> that >>>>>> will be lighter and less expensive than the RB-1. I also second the used >>>>>> aluminum recommendation. Even the new Cannondale Optimo has clearance >>>>>> for >>>>>> 32s and, as long as a carbon fork doesn't freak you out, starts at 1k >>>>>> for a >>>>>> complete bike that's solidly spec'd and has rim brakes. >>>>>> On Wednesday, July 19, 2023 at 11:27:12 PM UTC-5 Joe Bernard wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> It's sacrilege to say but if you want a zippy road bike as a >>>>>>> compliment to what you already have - a steel Rivendell road bike - for >>>>>>> $1000 or less you can scoop up an aluminum >>>>>>> Trek/Cannondale/Specialized/Giant off Craigslist and probably have a >>>>>>> lot of >>>>>>> fun. And you can test ride it! >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On Wednesday, July 19, 2023 at 6:14:40 PM UTC-7 brenton...@gmail.com >>>>>>> wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Hi all, >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> I have really fallen for these luscious new Roadini builds I've >>>>>>>> seen at Riv and Blue Lug. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> I have a Sam Hillborne and love it. It's been through several >>>>>>>> iterations of cockpit/racks/bags/brakes/wheels/tires and all have been >>>>>>>> really fun. Right now it has flat bars with sweep, chunky 47mm tires, >>>>>>>> and >>>>>>>> is an excellent all around adventure/trail/camping ride. It's >>>>>>>> currently my >>>>>>>> only bike! >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Before the Sam, I rode 90s road bikes exclusively for 20 years, and >>>>>>>> those worked great for city/commuting/neighborhood/pub rides. I've >>>>>>>> heard >>>>>>>> that the Roadini does NOT offer that kind of >>>>>>>> ride/speed/feel/handling/gusto/whatever, from several folks in this >>>>>>>> group. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> So am I fooling myself into thinking another $2500 Riv build is >>>>>>>> going to scratch the itch? Or should I buy a <$500 Japanese Road Bike >>>>>>>> that >>>>>>>> can hold 33s and actually feel some performance? >>>>>>>> >>>>>>> -- >>>>>> 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-bun...@googlegroups.com. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>>>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/854bd364-6c73-477e-b2bb-3bc8b67b11c3n%40googlegroups.com >>>>>> >>>>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/854bd364-6c73-477e-b2bb-3bc8b67b11c3n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>>>> . >>>>>> >>>>> -- 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/02541ec2-0237-43af-a4a5-15affd1080ccn%40googlegroups.com.
