In my opinion, the best value in Rivendell bikes for road (and occasional off-road) is the Ram. It has longish chainstays. Not as long as current models - but plenty long to support wide tires and a comfy ride. The Ram has a rather deep bottom bracket drop (77mm in my 60cm size). The only bike I have with more bottom bracket drop (and a better, more stable ride) is my custom at 80mm. The Ram has a 2.0 degree upsloping top tube and the characteristic tall head tube lug. This is great if you want (like Grant) to get the bars up. Not as great if (like me) you want to slam the bars. Whereas the Sam (and other current models) have a 6.0 degree upsloping top tube. This makes it much easier to get the bars up.
The Roadeo geometry is similar to the Ram. The Roadeo has a 2.0 degree upsloping top tube and the characteristic Rivendell tall head lug. The Roadeo has a 75mm bottom bracket drop (in my size). I am not cognizant of the specs - but I think the Roadeo has lighter tubes. My take is that if you want to get your bars up - buy a Sam. If you prefer a much less upright posture, buy a Ram. I admit that buying a Ram is easier said than done. However if you are on this list, you already have a head start on an important character trait required to acquire a Ram - patience. Rams appear on this list, Craigslist, Ebay, etc. periodically. You need to keep your eyes peeled for what you want and beat the bushes! I got my Ram this way. A first generation cream-sicle Ram in excellent condition from the previous owner that passed into the great beyond. I joined the precursor to this list (before the Google Group) in '97. I have watched lots of bikes come and go. Many, many Rivendells. Ride lots of bikes - Rivendells if possible. Think carefully about what you want. Don't be afraid to try different things. Meditate on the differences. And most of all, practice patience if you are looking for a Ram. Regards, Corwin On Monday, March 4, 2024 at 5:28:11 PM UTC-8 Joe Bernard wrote: > Roadeo would be its direct descendant in a lighter frame handbuilt by Mark > Nobilette. The other sidepull-brake frames qualify but they're not classic > flat-toptube road bikes. > > On Monday, March 4, 2024 at 5:20:44 PM UTC-8 [email protected] wrote: > >> Lots of love for the Rambouillet here! What would be the comparable model >> in the current lineup? >> >> On Monday, March 4, 2024 at 7:40:28 PM UTC-5 Kainalu V. -Brooklyn NY >> wrote: >> >>> Yeah, Rambouillet is the best! >>> [image: IMG_8283_Original.jpeg] >>> -Kai >>> >>> >>> >>> On Sunday, March 3, 2024 at 5:49:08 PM UTC-5 [email protected] wrote: >>> >>>> Patrick - >>>> >>>> You forgot the Ram! >>>> >>>> Regards, >>>> >>>> Corwni >>>> On Saturday, March 2, 2024 at 2:23:07 PM UTC-8 Patrick Moore wrote: >>>> >>>>> Roadeo, Roadini, Sam, Homer, and the Nitto Noodle? >>>>> >>>>> FWIW, after having used any number of drop bars, my favorite is the >>>>> Maes Parallel, available from Rene Herse but not from Rivendell. >>>>> (Rivendell >>>>> ought to offer it!) >>>>> >>>>> Patrick Moore, present and former owner of 5 Rivendell drop bar >>>>> road/roady-ish bikes >>>>> >>>>> On Sat, Mar 2, 2024 at 11:56 AM Chuck Blessing <[email protected]> >>>>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> I really like the Rivendell approach to bikes and bike technology >>>>>> with the idea of a more upright posture and a long wheelbase for long >>>>>> rides >>>>>> at a comfortable pace, but it seems like the models all lean heavily to >>>>>> what they call "country bikes." I like to ride from my house, and that >>>>>> means riding almost exclusively on smooth (mostly) pavement. Can anyone >>>>>> suggest which models are better suited for road riding? Reading and >>>>>> comparing the descriptions, it seems that the Homer might be a good >>>>>> choice, >>>>>> or possibly the Appaloosa or Atlantis? Or the new Charlie Gallop, though >>>>>> I >>>>>> haven't heard much about how it is supposed to ride? I tried a Roadini >>>>>> (which I recently listed here and sold), but I think it was too big for >>>>>> me. >>>>>> I never felt comfortable on it. Maybe I just needed it in the right >>>>>> size. >>>>>> >>>>>> I would like the bike to work well with drop bars because of the >>>>>> multiple hand positions and they're just what I'm used to. I tried a >>>>>> bike >>>>>> with swept bars recently, but found I wasn't comfortable on longer >>>>>> rides. >>>>>> And when riding on streets with minimal shoulder width, I felt like I >>>>>> was >>>>>> going to catch the end of them on mailboxes or other obstacles. Maybe >>>>>> there's a handlebar in Rivendell's catalog that works well for road >>>>>> riding? >>>>>> >>>>>> I'd appreciate any comments, especially if someone does this type of >>>>>> riding and has tried several of these models. Thanks. >>>>>> >>>>>> Chuck >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> 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 view this discussion on the web visit >>>>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/ffe4848a-d3bc-4cd1-b75e-0260676c5865n%40googlegroups.com >>>>>> >>>>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/ffe4848a-d3bc-4cd1-b75e-0260676c5865n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>>>> . >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> >>>>> Patrick Moore >>>>> Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum >>>>> >>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>>> >>>>> Executive resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, letters, and other >>>>> writing services >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>>> >>>>> *When thou didst not, savage, k**now thine own meaning,* >>>>> >>>>> *But wouldst gabble like a** thing most brutish,* >>>>> >>>>> *I endowed thy purposes w**ith words that made them known.* >>>>> >>>> -- 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 view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/be1adc29-3304-4891-9006-49750a21c539n%40googlegroups.com.
