I think the sweet spot for comfort and speed is the RH 32mm Stampede Pass in Extra-light. I couldn't quite fit these on my Waterford RS-22 so I picked up another frame that will allow me to run them with fenders. You can certainly try them on your current wheelset. In fact the 25mm (inner) width of the Cliffhanger should give them excellent shape. Decide then if you need another lighter wheelset if you like the ride.
Jim in Annapolis On Friday, January 9, 2026 at 2:43:03 PM UTC-5 Michael Cinibulk wrote: > I've been thinking about this on and off for several years. I don't have a > good suggestions but here is some anecdotal info for you to consider. > I ride three of my bike on the road regularly. > Bike 1 is a Waterford 1250 sport tourer with ~1700 g wheelset, not > including the 700x28 mm Conti 5000 tires. Total bare bones weight ~22 lbs. > Bike 2 is a Rivendell Sam Hillborne with ~2300 g wheelset, not including > the 700x38 mm Gravel King slicks. Total bare bones weight ~27 lbs. > Bike 3 is a BMC Mod-Zero with ~1700 g disc wheelset, not including the > 650x52 mm UD Cavas in JFF casing. Total bare bones weight ~27 lbs. > > After riding the first two for over 15 y over the same routes at similar > effort in SW Ohio, I consistently avg 1.5 mph faster on the Waterford. > After riding all three the past year on the same routes at similar effort > in SW Ohio, I seem to avg maybe 0.5 mph slower on the Mod-Zero than on the > Hillborne. > > Routes vary from hilly to fairly flat and the difference in avg speed is > about the same regardless of route. I suspect that the main difference has > more to do with rider position than anything else, since the bars on the > Waterford are 1 cm lower than saddle, on the Hillborne are about level, and > on the Mod-Zero are about 2 cm higher. > > -Mike > Bellbrook OH > > On Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 6:20:53 PM UTC-5 [email protected] wrote: > >> TL;DR: Looking to make my Rivendell Platypus faster and more efficient >> for long century rides on rough chip seal without losing comfort. >> Considering narrower/faster tires (38–40mm) and possibly a lighter >> wheelset. Curious what’s worked for others. >> >> >> Spring rides are coming up, and I’m thinking about taking my Rivendell >> Platypus out for a few local century charity rides this year. >> >> >> In past years, I’ve done these rides on my faster steel road bikes with >> ~28mm tires, but several of the routes have long stretches of chattery chip >> seal, potholes, and general road roughness. Comfort can become a limiter >> later in the ride. I’d like to try the Platypus instead—ideally still >> riding in sandals on flat pedals—but with a setup that’s a bit quicker and >> more efficient over distance. >> >> >> Right now the bike is very much in winter/comfort mode: >> >> **Rear*: René Herse Antelope Hill 29 × 2.2 (700 × 55) >> >> **Front*: IRC Marbella 29 × 2.25 >> >> **Wheels*: Velocity Cliffhangers (30mm) with a Peter White Cycles dynamo >> hub up front and a Rivendell Silver hub in the rear. >> >> It’s extremely comfortable and stable, but once I hit a certain pace, it >> feels like I’m pushing against a speed ceiling—especially on longer climbs. >> >> >> I’ve been considering swapping to something narrower and faster, like: >> >> **René Herse Barlow Pass (38mm)* >> >> *or *Pirelli P Zero Race ~40mm* >> >> I’m also curious what something in the *32–35mm range* would feel like >> on a Platypus—whether it would still play nicely with the geometry while >> offering a meaningful bump in speed and climbing efficiency. >> >> I’ve also briefly thought about a lighter wheelset, but I haven’t gone >> very far down that path yet. I’ve even wondered about putting together a >> second, more performance-oriented wheelset—something like a carbon >> deep-section setup—and what that would look and feel like on a Platypus. >> >> >> Has anyone here experimented with setting up a Platypus (or similar Riv >> geometry) with lighter, faster road-oriented tires or wheels? I’m not >> chasing aero road-bike speed, but I am hoping to improve cruising speed and >> climbing comfort over long endurance rides while still keeping the Platypus >> character intact. >> >> >> Would love to hear what’s worked (or hasn’t) for others. >> > -- 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/5c5a8ebb-7e71-4726-9212-728a994073fen%40googlegroups.com.
