On Sun, Aug 8, 2010 at 9:55 PM, ewb <ebons...@optonline.net> wrote: > However, I am a little concerned by the posts that > I've read (by a small minority of owners) that the Hillborne ride > quality can degrade under load; the fact that the latest version of > the Waterford 56cm Hillborne has 2 top tubes seems to confirm that > this is a potential issue.
In my own experience, the SH handles loads pretty well, though it is obviously not as stiff as a full on touring bike. Keven pointed out the tubing difference to me between it and the Atlantis when I talked to him about a bike for touring; but, in addition to getting a very good deal on the shop floor SH, I wanted a lighter framed bike for all round riding. Of course, when you get up to 50 lb you can feel the flex, but for me that is not really a problem; as I often report, I carry 40 lb loads on a much flexier, light-531 1973 Motobecane Grande Record. My problem with the SH is that the front end seems light and tends to wander slightly compared to my other bikes; and this both loaded (rear load only; light front load) and unloaded -- I first noticed it unloaded, in fact. How much of this is due to my seating position, which is far back, combined with the relatively long tt and high bar compared to my other road bikes , I don't know, but I wonder if this -- ie, less weight than optimal on the front wheel -- is the principal reason. (I also have a long torso and short-arms -- compared to knee scratching Anglos, anyway -- which may tend to increase a rearward weight bias.) The other problem is that, compared to my other road bikes, including the Motobecane, the SH just feels heavy and sluggish; doubtless some of this is due simply to its weight which, with all the accouterments, is considerable. But as others have said, if I just shut up and ride the thing for a week, I'll probably not notice the handling any more. -- Patrick Moore Albuquerque, NM For professional resumes, contact Patrick Moore, ACRW at resumespecialt...@gmail.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
