This happens to me a lot, where I think I've got my bike quiver dialed perfectly but then my needs change, and riding with new or different groups is a prime example! It's also why my Hillborne keeps bouncing back between drop bars and Albatross bars. I think the Homer makes perfect sense!
I'm going to suggest the Choco bar and a long stem, such as 12cm. The Choco ought to be a great compromise between the Albastache and the Albatross; the 'stache is very forward feeling, much like reaching for the hoods on a drop bar, while the 'tross is very relaxed to the extent it is hard to get a comfortable 'hunched' position when you're climbing or pushing harder. The Choco has a more natural feeling forward hand position thanks to its bend and flatter profile, but still sweeps back far enough that when you're cruising you don't need to have too much weight on your hands and shoulders. I would run it with bar end shifters so you get full range of hand positions, and I really like the Paul levers because they are thin enough that I can put my hands such than one or two fingers is in front of the lever as well. I would echo that triples are pretty nice - not only do you get more range, but the 10-tooth jumps in the front are a lot less 'disruptive' if you know what I mean. I find the smaller chainring jump means that when I hit the base of a hill I can often just drop a chainring and leave the rear alone, and it is a natural gear reduction .. whereas on the wide-low double, you would be spinning like crazy if you tried the same thing Other than that, lightweight wheels (A23's are great!) and tires (ie anything Rene Herse, but lots of other options too) and just avoiding putting unnecessary accessories on the bike will keep it pretty light. I love this whole plan! On Sunday, 26 November 2023 at 08:29:37 UTC-8 sarahlik...@gmail.com wrote: > And it was a beginner ride with a avg 12 mile posted pace. I almost told > him i hoped I hadn't held him back from making a personal best time on that > ride! > > My other bikes are set up perfect for what I do, so no stripping! Although > I might have to consider that myself to bring in money for my bike habit. > > On Sunday, November 26, 2023 at 7:45:47 AM UTC-8 Ted Durant wrote: > >> On Sunday, November 26, 2023 at 9:25:01 AM UTC-6 sarahlik...@gmail.com >> wrote: >> >> You always need a Hilly Bike... Do it! >> >> A list full of enablers :-) >> >> >> I had an injury (shoulder) last year and had what I would call total >> fitness depletion so I have been building back up from what feels like >> zero. >> >> I'm very sympathetic to that. I've had a bunch of weird stuff happen >> over the last few years, including a drug that started killing my red blood >> cells, so I have felt like I've had to restart the engine a few times. That >> might be one reason why my bikes are all set up the same way ... trying to >> stick with what works in terms of positioning, while I get the other things >> going. >> >> >> So while I figure that out I'm open to seeing what a lighter built up >> bike can do. >> >> Far be it for me not to be the enabler of buying another Riv, but have >> you considered stripping down one of your existing bikes and trying some >> nice, light tires? In my experience, tires make by far and away the biggest >> difference to how a bike feels, and if you've dialed in a good riding >> position, you could start there (and maybe a wider range set of gears in >> back). Removing a rear rack can also remove some stiffness from the rear of >> the bike, but I don't know how many people would feel that difference, >> especially on a bike that's already fairly stout and on cushy tires. >> >> with exception to the guy who led the first beginner ride I went on, >> looked at my bike and stated, "I hope I can ride slow enough..." >> >> >> Hoo boy, just the kind of person you want leading a group ride... one of >> the reasons I stopped going on group rides. >> >> Ted Durant >> Milwaukee, WI USA >> > -- 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/ecca3c9e-8ed7-4d6c-8aae-d7c511fa7f03n%40googlegroups.com.
