Congratulations on your Appaloosa! My first Riv was one and I absolutely loved the ride. This bike is made for adventures like yours, which I loved reading about. I wish you many years of great adventures and thanks for the write up and pictures.
Roberta Philadelphia, PA, USA On Wednesday, May 1, 2024 at 6:12:28 AM UTC-4 Dan wrote: > Thank you for the kind responses everyone. > > Randy, Nicholas: I'd love to see photos of your Appaloosas set up for > touring, if you haven't shared them already. > > Patrick: I enjoy reading the reports from the foreign lands of the USA too > ;) > I wish I could see mountains on the horizon! > > On Wednesday 1 May 2024 at 04:12:22 UTC+9:30 Patrick Moore wrote: > >> Thanks for more very interesting report and photos from worldwide >> Rivendell riders. The rangeland looks much like the US Southwest but >> without the inevitable mountains on the horizon. >> >> On Sun, Apr 28, 2024 at 5:44 AM Dan <gril...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> I bought my Appaloosa because I wanted a bike for adventures. I wanted a >>> bike that could take me and my things anywhere, on or off road. A bike that >>> was comfortable enough to ride all day for days. >>> >>> To that end, one month after my new Appaloosa rolled out of the shop, I >>> departed with a friend on what would be my first ever overnighter! >>> >>> >>> *Disaster strikes* >>> >>> On the morning of the ride I felt great. I was packed, I’d made it to >>> the 7:28am train, and I was waiting at another station to join my friend on >>> a train that would take us to the end of the line. Looking at my bike, I >>> noticed the seat was a little crooked. I loosened the bolt, straightened >>> the seat, and tightened it. The train arrived, I hopped on, said hi to my >>> friend, and noticed the seat was still moving when I tried to twist it. So >>> I attempted to tighten it some more. >>> >>> >>> **SNAP** >>> >>> >>> The seatpost binder bolt had snapped. I stared in disbelief at the >>> broken bolt in my hands. Nooooo! >>> >>> I recalled reading on the Analog Cycles website that Rivs use a standard >>> bolt for their seatposts, so we spent the remainder of the train ride >>> frantically searching for an open hardware store. Unfortunately, it was the >>> ANZAC Day public holiday and so all shops only opened at 12pm. We were out >>> of luck. Defeated, we resigned to train back to town so I could swap my >>> gear over to my Straggler. >>> >>> As we neared my front door, my friend had a brainwave. “What if you see >>> if you have the right bolt at home?”. It turns out that I did - on an >>> unused post-to-IS-mount disc brake adapter - and the Riv was on the road >>> again! This time, I made sure to grease the bolt before install, and it >>> tightened smoothly and snugly. >>> >>> >>> *On the Road* >>> >>> Our destination was a series of seaside holiday towns on the south coast >>> of South Australia’s Fluerieu Peninsula. We started our riding at the end >>> of the train line, in the picturesque wine region of McLaren Vale. After a >>> well-earned coffee, we rode through autumn-hued vineyards before reaching >>> the escarpment - our big climb for the day. I learned that even a 24x36 low >>> gear doesn’t make for an easy climb of 10+% gravel grades, and we enjoyed a >>> walk up the hill in good spirits. >>> >>> >>> Following lunch at the top of the escarpment, we made our way through >>> the rolling landscape of the peninsula, passing through a forest plantation >>> and several conservation parks on the way. After an unexpected creek >>> crossing we ran in to a family of campers, whose comment of ‘I couldn’t >>> imagine two bikes better set up for adventure’ left us in smiles. We even >>> felt good about the next hour or so of alternately walking and riding >>> through the sandy scrubland! >>> >>> >>> Despite the late start, we made it to the coast at the perfect time - >>> just as the sun was setting. I’d planned the last few km to follow the bike >>> path along the coast, and it was sublime. >>> >>> [image: IMG_1195.jpeg] >>> >>> [image: E0C3AD72-4167-49D8-95CC-B6678632E349.jpg] >>> >>> [image: IMG_1221.jpeg] >>> >>> [image: IMG_1233.jpeg] >>> >>> >>> >>> *Day Two* >>> >>> I’m one of those people that just can’t ride the same way twice on one >>> trip. My rides have to be loops. Our return leg was longer than the first >>> one, eventuating in 90km of riding with some 1,400m of climbing. We set out >>> early took our time, enjoying the expansive vistas from the gravel farm >>> roads, and finding our zone in the long, gradual climbs. Memorable moments >>> include meeting some people hiking the Heysen trail while we had stopped in >>> what we thought was the middle of nowhere to have a snack, and coffee and >>> scones in the cozy, wood-panelled cafe in the tiny town of Inman Valley. >>> After passing through the Myponga reservoir and enjoying a beer and >>> much-needed fries at the adjacent brewery, we made one last climb before >>> descending the escarpment we had climbed the day before. >>> >>> >>> The descent - Old Sellicks Hill Rd - was long, loose and rocky. If I’d >>> been riding it on my Straggler, I’d have been white knuckled the entire way >>> and worn out the time I had reached the end. On the Appaloosa, it was a >>> breeze. I took my time, going neither fast nor slow, and was even able to >>> enjoy the views of rock formations, valley-bottom abandoned cars, >>> spectacular unfolding of the valley and sea along the way. I couldn’t help >>> but smile. >>> >>> >>> The day ended with another sunset ride along the coast, through both >>> singletrack and esplanade shared use path. If we’d ridden a couple of weeks >>> later, it would have been shared use path all the way back to the station, >>> but as the final section hadn’t been opened and we turned on our lights and >>> braved some busy roads in the dark to complete the day’s ride. >>> >>> >>> [image: IMG_1309.jpeg] >>> >>> [image: IMG_1347.jpeg] >>> >>> [image: IMG_1345.jpeg] >>> >>> [image: IMG_1352.jpeg] >>> >>> [image: IMG_1361.jpeg] >>> >>> [image: IMG_1908.jpeg] >>> >>> >>> *Parting thoughts* >>> >>> I’m so happy with this bike. It was stable and reassuring and >>> comfortable, yet not boring in the slightest. It was a trustworthy >>> adventure companion. Yes, there are things I’d like to tweak. I’d like some >>> grips with more padding, and maybe to change my 42 tooth big ring for a 40 >>> or even a 38 down the line. Maybe one day it will get fenders - I wonder >>> what the max tyre size I could fit in comfortably under fenders is? Being >>> able to run 2.1” Gravelkings would be nice. Oh, and I can’t wait for my >>> dynamo lights. Mostly, though, I’m just looking forward to being able to >>> ride more, on my own and with friends, wherever the roads take me. >>> >>> -- >>> 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/71bc909d-3f49-4f2d-b5fa-67093bc4fd9en%40googlegroups.com >>> >>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/71bc909d-3f49-4f2d-b5fa-67093bc4fd9en%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 rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/3d752059-1c74-4020-bd67-4d367d2e5489n%40googlegroups.com.
