Well written......I get ya on the LHT and the 'tanklike' nature of it. I have mine set up with some 700x47's now and it'll roll over pretty much anything.....but its not super quick or lively feeling but then I'm not either. I've noticed a small but definite difference in certain machines and like others have said tires make a big difference. I used to run some 700x32's Urbanmax's on the Trucker and it felt closer to some of my other bikes. Finding a ride that fits your size, weight and strength to give the maximum durability and ease of riding is kind of a process. I'm finding that a frame about the weight and configuration of my SimpleOne with deraileur gearing and 37-38 mm wide tires works the best for me for the type of riding I mostly do. I seldom venture off road and I live in a hilly area with mostly decent pavement shoulders on the roads. I'm leaning toward an eventual Homer Hilsen (but maybe beefed up in the down tube) because I am not fond of cantilever brakes. I don't tour but do carry a saddle bag so the Rando style machine is more to my liking with gearing set up for my area and knees. Its taken me about ten bikes over the last ten years to figure out what works best for me.......
On Feb 11, 7:16 am, trek610 <[email protected]> wrote: > Thanks Charlie - I hear you on the damage and tubing concerns. I am lucky > enough to have a frame builder local to me that is going to help me though > this. We have discussed the possibility of making a new fork. If the > frame has rust issues and other structural damage I will not move forward > with it for sure. The cost of adding cantis to a nice frame is pretty > cheap - at least in my neck of the woods. I was planning on painting it > anyway, and have a resource to get that done on the cheap. > > The trucker is a pig for sure - at least the way I have it setup. Not sure > if you looked at the pictures, but the Conti Contact 26 x 1.75 tires > probably have something to do with that... but it was by design and I love > the bike for it and what I use it for. I have beat that thing fire > roads occasionally and pulled a home made crappy cart with it. It will > stay as is. Make no mistake - handling, feel, quickness i.e. sprightly > would be the LAST descriptive term I would use. Again - I love the bike > and have pushed it thought a century or two. I hope to have a better > experience on long rides little or no load. Maybe I am fixing my head, but > my experience ridding other bikes has confirmed my belief of the rubenesque > nature of the LHT. Hopefully that dispels any vagueness I > have previously conveyed. > > Do I want a different bike - no revelation there. I would be lying if I > said no. I am would have a garage full if my wife would not divorce me > first. I really hope to wind up with something different that what I have. > Perhaps something more special as it as hand built about 20 miles from > where I live now. Or it will be an abomination and I will learn a valuable > lesson. I am sure the jury here will let me know there thoughts on that > :-) > > I like Grant and have leaned much about about bikes and subscribe to much > his philosophy. So much so that I purchased an XO-1 frame because I wanted > a piece of that history and design perspective. Riv undoubted makes > wonderful bikes. I can even say that I will own one in the future when I > can swing it financially. But that is not today. > > In terms of design, I wonder if there is any truth to the mystical nature > of low trail 650B bikes. Riv's do not (in my uneducated opinion) fall into > this category. There has been debate on this subject ad nausea already I > will not pile on. However - I believe there may be some truth to the > hoopla and I want to find out for myself .... on the cheap. > > Charlie - thanks for your sage advice. I appreciate your point of view. "It > may as well be a Rivendell they are pretty nice for quite a few good > reasons." - no doubt about that. I envy you guys and your classy rides. > > Cheers -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
