I gave up drop bars (I had them on previous bike from HS days, but was always on the hoods), and straight bars once I found Rivendell. I have Albatross on my Homer and Betty Foy, I think both with 10 cm stem. No more neck pain! I love Homer.
Roberta On Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 9:42:08 AM UTC-5 [email protected] wrote: > Johnny - Thanks! > > Mike - I will neither persuade nor dissuade you from riding your fixed > gear. I briefly owned a Surly Steamroller for about 2 months before giving > up on track bikes ha! > > Roberta - I've been toying around with the idea of switching to my > albatross bars to make it even more comfy... > > Eric - He is certified a freak of nature. In no alternate universe will > you find me riding anywhere near that ratio. > > > On Wed, Jan 7, 2026 at 4:58 PM Mike Rossi <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Although it may not have been this report’s intention,… man, this makes >> me want to take my fixed gear out that’s been collecting dust for a couple >> of years. It’s a mere 49/17. Your friend’s a beast! >> Mike >> >> On Jan 7, 2026, at 4:17 PM, PDXJohnny <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Awesome ride report, congrats to you and your friend <3 >> >> On Wednesday, January 7, 2026 at 12:58:59 PM UTC-8 [email protected] wrote: >> >>> Hello RBW Owner's Bunch, >>> >>> On Monday, a friend of mine remarked that he had never completed a >>> century. >>> >>> I replied, "What about tomorrow?" >>> >>> It was an opportune moment. Both of us are currently in school and not >>> working. The forecast revealed an unseasonably warm day with a low of 40 >>> but reaching a temperate 60 in the afternoon. He leapt at the suggestion, >>> eager to tackle a goal that to him was practically unattainable. His >>> longest ride was around 50 miles. >>> >>> It was settled. We were to depart around 7am the next morning. With a >>> few stops and some rest, I told him to expect 8-9 hours of elapsed time. >>> Some people would have second thoughts at those numbers, but he didn't >>> waver. He was determined to complete a century. On my end, I have finished >>> multiple centuries and 200K's but this would be my first extended ride with >>> my Homer which had only seen commutes to school, an array of errands, and >>> the occasional 20 mile river loop around Richmond VA. I was thrilled. >>> >>> When morning broke, we honored our anticipated start time and set off >>> right at 7am. The 40 degrees wasn't too chilling. It took us about 10 miles >>> to get warm. He expressed his desire to pick up the pace but I stressed the >>> importance of riding steadily. No need to burn our matches. It was going to >>> be a long day regardless of effort. We filled the time consuming trash >>> calories and talking about life. He openly described his turbulent family >>> history which directly led to years of drug and alcohol addiction, amongst >>> other unhealthy behaviors. Despite it all (and with tremendous support from >>> his partner), he got sober! Now just over 2 years. He longs to help others >>> battling addiction and he plans to use cycling as an instrument, leading >>> weekly recovery rides beginning next week. >>> >>> 52 miles in, we reached our halfway point in Williamsburg, VA. We were >>> both feeling good and quickly hopped back on our saddles. Once again, he >>> expressed the itch to ride harder, but this time I obliged (with the >>> condition I get to draft behind him). After about an hour, I could feel him >>> slowing. I encouraged frequent fluids and nutrition. I was happy to pull >>> him and so we switched position. This is the point where the Homer shined. >>> Normally, I would experience noticeable discomfort after 4-5 hours on my >>> other bikes. Riding the Homer, my legs, shoulders, back, and arms were >>> perfectly intact. I did not just feel good, I felt great. My fit priority >>> leaned towards comfort and I could not have been happier with that >>> decision. >>> >>> The miles ticked down but the saddle time began taking a toll on my >>> friend. We stopped more frequently to allow his bottom some relief. His >>> Brooks C17 was betraying him. I continued with encouragement reminding him >>> we were closing in on the city. We had about 1 more hour of riding. He >>> locked-in to the point of becoming completely non-verbal. When we reached >>> the last climb, he donned a smirk and unashamedly got off his bike to walk. >>> I forgot one crucial detail. He's crazy. His bike of choice for the ride >>> was fixed gear with 53/13t ratio. We met at the top and I reminded him-- >>> You did it. You rode 100 miles today. >>> >>> 108 miles, 2300ft elevation. 7:30 of moving time, 8:45 of elapsed. >>> >>> If you made it this far, thanks for reading! I hope you all get some >>> good time outside (it's 65 here in Richmond VA) >>> >>> James >>> >>> -- >> 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 visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/f83ed589-7927-4749-ad26-07ac10e78bben%40googlegroups.com >> >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/f83ed589-7927-4749-ad26-07ac10e78bben%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 [email protected]. >> > To view this discussion visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/4F4C4E4C-6F26-4FD0-955E-E2A2EBB80B38%40gmail.com >> >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/4F4C4E4C-6F26-4FD0-955E-E2A2EBB80B38%40gmail.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 [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/b3c8c595-1717-4f68-9c31-1b16b4f87167n%40googlegroups.com.
