I own one of the original green Sams, 56. I'm very close to you in height and build. 5'10", PBH 87. I run Mavic A719s with Jack Brown Blue tires. This bike is a wonderful commuter, set up with Noodles and a small front rack and large rear. I have done two centuries on it. I also have a Romulus. The difference between the two bikes is not nuanced and the Rom is my definite go-to bike when I'm just on a ride and don't need to carry more than will fit in a small saddlebag (Carradice Barley).
Interestingly, when the Sam first came out Rivendell compared it to the Homer and suggested they were essentially the same, function-wise. Elsewhere Rivendell claimed the Homer was essentially the same as a Rambouillet (an upscale Romulus), ride-wise, with the only difference between the two being the Homer's ability to run wider tires. My experience with the Romulus and the Sam is that there is a lot more space between the two than you would be led to believe by their promotional material. Now, I haven't ridden a Homer, but if its biases lean towards the Ram/Rom end of the spectrum, that might be THE ONE. The Sam is a wonderful bike, comfortable, steady, and true. I just wouldn't call it fastish, and if you have a true touring bike I think you'll find it very similar to what you already have. D.G. On Sunday, March 25, 2012 5:13:21 PM UTC-6, SeanMac wrote: > > I'm considering pulling the trigger on one of the new blue Sam > Hillborne's. They look like really wonderful bikes. Strong, versatile, > attractive are words that come to mind when I think about this bike. These > are qualities that I find attractive. However, I also like to go fastish. > Can I do this with a Sam as well? > > I'm pushing 45 years old. A few years ago I had a custom made go-fast > bike built for me. That bike goes fast, but is limited in what it can do. > I also have a Trek 520 Touring bike. This bike, obviously, is built for > touring. Its not very fast, nor very lively. In short, my Trek isn't much > fun to ride. I'm looking for a bike to fit in between these two bikes -- > one that will be able to carry a few bags and ride on stone dust bike paths > (such as the Erie Canal path), but one that will not feel sluggish to ride > (like my Trek). > > Most of the time, when I see photos of Sams, the bikes seem to be set up > to be workhorses -- carrying a collection of bags and racks. I want to be > able to do this with a bike (thus the attraction to the bike in the first > place). However, I would like to use noodle bars and go on fast-ish club > and recreational rides as well. In fact, the vast majority of rides will > be 20 - 30 mile "out for fun and exercise" rides. Is the Sam well suited > to this as well, or will it likely feel more like my Trek 520? Most likely > I would set up a Sam with Noodle bars and tires such as Roly-Poly or Jack > Browns. > > I'm also considering having a custom built randonneur bike -- one that > will be able to carry some load but also feel quick and lively to ride. > However, if the Sam will meet my needs, it certainly would be a less > expensive alternative. I don't think that my body has any proportions that > would make me difficult to fit (5ft, 11 inches tall, PBH 87.5, arm length > 35 inches) so I don't think that I *need* to go custom (though it sure is > fun to do so!). > > Any thoughts on whether a Sam would be a good choice would be appreciated. > > Sean > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rbw-owners-bunch/-/0UuZbpD70iMJ. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@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.
