Re: [RBW] First Ride of the Platypus

[Doug H.]

Nice build and ride report. I feel similarly about my Clem L in ride 
feeling and characteristics. It is long, upright and comfy. I call it my 
Clem Cruiser because I always feel like I'm cruising around on it. When 
someone asks what kind of bike I have I say an all-around cruiser. Not sure 
how to categorize it.
Doug

On Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at 2:10:19 PM UTC-5 DavidP wrote:

> Thanks, Mike - I'm in Chelmsford (just south of Lowell). It's a pretty 
> standard NE suburban area but one thing this part of MA does well is having 
> lots of public "open space" land dotted throughout various towns. None of 
> them are very large but you can string them together and make some really 
> great loops.
>
> Thanks, Ryan - looking forward to seeing your wife's bike as it takes 
> shape (it looks great already) and hearing how she likes it!
>
> On Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at 2:03:58 PM UTC-5 fra...@gmail.com 
> wrote:
>
>> Beautiful bike!! And a great looking area to ride. Still waiting on parts 
>> to finish building up my wife’s Platy but I love seeing all the great 
>> builds and different riding areas. Enjoy!
>>
>> On Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at 10:47:27 AM UTC-8 mkernan...@gmail.com 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Hey Dave,  the Platy looks perfect!   Where do you live in Mass?The 
>>> riding looks great.   -Mike
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>
>>> On Nov 30, 2022, at 10:27 AM, DavidP  wrote:
>>>
>>> This morning I squeezed a quick ride in before work - a dangerous thing 
>>> with most any bike but, as I learned, especially so with the Platypus. A 
>>> short ride can feel like an appetizer and there is always the temptation to 
>>> eke out a few more miles.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I covered 12 miles of roads, bike paths, and multi-use trails that I've 
>>> been riding regularly in various loops for the past several years. I have 
>>> several bikes that are well suited to these types of mixed surface rides 
>>> and they all bring something different to the table. My Platypus is built 
>>> with these types of rides in mind with Cliffhanger rims, Gravel King 50mm 
>>> (rear) and Fleecer Ridge endurance 55mm (front) tires, and 650mm wide Tosco 
>>> bars.
>>>
>>> The Platypus is my first Rivendell and the first one I've ever ridden. 
>>> I've gotten a few short rides in before this one but those were mostly 
>>> about setup rather than riding. My goodness, what a bike it is. I guess the 
>>> best way to describe the ride could be "cruisy zoomy", it's a very easy 
>>> going yet zippy ride.
>>>
>>> It is supremely comfortable and can be a very upright cruiser, though 
>>> even when ridden this way feels responsive. My setup with a 120mm stem puts 
>>> me at a ~75 degree back angle with my hands fully rearward on the grips of 
>>> the Tosco bar, perfect for taking in the scenery and appearing approachable 
>>> when encountering dog walkers on multi-use trails.
>>>
>>> I spend most of my time with the heels of my palms on the front of the 
>>> grips, palms over the brake lever clamps, fingers either loosely draped 
>>> over or wrapped around the taped bends of the Tosco bar, giving about a 60 
>>> degree back angle. This is a good home base position for forward progress, 
>>> still balanced enough to not put noticeable pressure on the hands.
>>>
>>> Moving my hands a bit forward, resting the heels of my palms on the 
>>> brake lever clamps, and bending the elbows more gets me to a ~45 degree 
>>> back angle to stretch out a bit or get lower in the face of wind. The 
>>> forward flats of the bar are also usable when wanting to get to the same 
>>> angle with less elbow bend and is nice option on open road sections, though 
>>> I doubt I'll bother taping there.
>>>
>>> During standing efforts I can hold the bars back at the grips or up at 
>>> the bends - both positions work fine and I found myself doing both in 
>>> different places.
>>>
>>> In all positions the fit is roomy and the handling is responsive but not 
>>> twitchy.
>>>
>>> I still haven't installed a front derailleur but a 46x34 low gear is 
>>> enough to grunt up most of the short climbs on this route. I did opt to 
>>> walk one short and steep pitch on a trail rather than manually changing to 
>>> the 30t ring.
>>>
>>> I also haven't settled the front carrying method yet but am leaning 
>>> towards a 137 basket and bag. For this ride temps were in the upper 30Fs 
>>>  and wanting a place for a layer and extra pair of gloves, I borrowed the 
>>> Swift Catalyst from my wife's bike to hold those things and my pump. I do 
>>> plan on putting a bottle cage on the bike but the stem bag is a really 
>>> convenient spot for the primary water bottle.
>>>
>>> A fantastic first ride (including a deer sighting!) for a fantastic bike.
>>>
>>> I took a few photos to commemorate the occasion:
>>>
>>> 
>>>
>>> (Our local open space stewards decorate trees throughout town lands this 
>>> time of year; it's kind of a scavenger hunt.)
>>>
>>> 
>>>
>>>
>>> 
>>>
>>> (Excuse the 

Re: [RBW] First Ride of the Platypus

[DavidP]

Thanks, Mike - I'm in Chelmsford (just south of Lowell). It's a pretty 
standard NE suburban area but one thing this part of MA does well is having 
lots of public "open space" land dotted throughout various towns. None of 
them are very large but you can string them together and make some really 
great loops.

Thanks, Ryan - looking forward to seeing your wife's bike as it takes shape 
(it looks great already) and hearing how she likes it!

On Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at 2:03:58 PM UTC-5 fra...@gmail.com wrote:

> Beautiful bike!! And a great looking area to ride. Still waiting on parts 
> to finish building up my wife’s Platy but I love seeing all the great 
> builds and different riding areas. Enjoy!
>
> On Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at 10:47:27 AM UTC-8 mkernan...@gmail.com 
> wrote:
>
>> Hey Dave,  the Platy looks perfect!   Where do you live in Mass?The 
>> riding looks great.   -Mike
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Nov 30, 2022, at 10:27 AM, DavidP  wrote:
>>
>> This morning I squeezed a quick ride in before work - a dangerous thing 
>> with most any bike but, as I learned, especially so with the Platypus. A 
>> short ride can feel like an appetizer and there is always the temptation to 
>> eke out a few more miles.
>>
>>
>>
>> I covered 12 miles of roads, bike paths, and multi-use trails that I've 
>> been riding regularly in various loops for the past several years. I have 
>> several bikes that are well suited to these types of mixed surface rides 
>> and they all bring something different to the table. My Platypus is built 
>> with these types of rides in mind with Cliffhanger rims, Gravel King 50mm 
>> (rear) and Fleecer Ridge endurance 55mm (front) tires, and 650mm wide Tosco 
>> bars.
>>
>> The Platypus is my first Rivendell and the first one I've ever ridden. 
>> I've gotten a few short rides in before this one but those were mostly 
>> about setup rather than riding. My goodness, what a bike it is. I guess the 
>> best way to describe the ride could be "cruisy zoomy", it's a very easy 
>> going yet zippy ride.
>>
>> It is supremely comfortable and can be a very upright cruiser, though 
>> even when ridden this way feels responsive. My setup with a 120mm stem puts 
>> me at a ~75 degree back angle with my hands fully rearward on the grips of 
>> the Tosco bar, perfect for taking in the scenery and appearing approachable 
>> when encountering dog walkers on multi-use trails.
>>
>> I spend most of my time with the heels of my palms on the front of the 
>> grips, palms over the brake lever clamps, fingers either loosely draped 
>> over or wrapped around the taped bends of the Tosco bar, giving about a 60 
>> degree back angle. This is a good home base position for forward progress, 
>> still balanced enough to not put noticeable pressure on the hands.
>>
>> Moving my hands a bit forward, resting the heels of my palms on the brake 
>> lever clamps, and bending the elbows more gets me to a ~45 degree back 
>> angle to stretch out a bit or get lower in the face of wind. The forward 
>> flats of the bar are also usable when wanting to get to the same angle with 
>> less elbow bend and is nice option on open road sections, though I doubt 
>> I'll bother taping there.
>>
>> During standing efforts I can hold the bars back at the grips or up at 
>> the bends - both positions work fine and I found myself doing both in 
>> different places.
>>
>> In all positions the fit is roomy and the handling is responsive but not 
>> twitchy.
>>
>> I still haven't installed a front derailleur but a 46x34 low gear is 
>> enough to grunt up most of the short climbs on this route. I did opt to 
>> walk one short and steep pitch on a trail rather than manually changing to 
>> the 30t ring.
>>
>> I also haven't settled the front carrying method yet but am leaning 
>> towards a 137 basket and bag. For this ride temps were in the upper 30Fs 
>>  and wanting a place for a layer and extra pair of gloves, I borrowed the 
>> Swift Catalyst from my wife's bike to hold those things and my pump. I do 
>> plan on putting a bottle cage on the bike but the stem bag is a really 
>> convenient spot for the primary water bottle.
>>
>> A fantastic first ride (including a deer sighting!) for a fantastic bike.
>>
>> I took a few photos to commemorate the occasion:
>>
>> 
>>
>> (Our local open space stewards decorate trees throughout town lands this 
>> time of year; it's kind of a scavenger hunt.)
>>
>> 
>>
>>
>> 
>>
>> (Excuse the poor photo - this guy was a ways off after he and two does 
>> dashed across the path in front of me.)
>>
>> 
>>
>>
>> -Dave (5'11"' on a 60cm Platy in Massachusetts)
>>
>> -- 
>> 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 rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
>> To view this discussion on the web visit 
>> 

Re: [RBW] First Ride of the Platypus

[Ryan Frahm]

Beautiful bike!! And a great looking area to ride. Still waiting on parts 
to finish building up my wife’s Platy but I love seeing all the great 
builds and different riding areas. Enjoy!

On Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at 10:47:27 AM UTC-8 mkernan...@gmail.com 
wrote:

> Hey Dave,  the Platy looks perfect!   Where do you live in Mass?The 
> riding looks great.   -Mike
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Nov 30, 2022, at 10:27 AM, DavidP  wrote:
>
> This morning I squeezed a quick ride in before work - a dangerous thing 
> with most any bike but, as I learned, especially so with the Platypus. A 
> short ride can feel like an appetizer and there is always the temptation to 
> eke out a few more miles.
>
>
>
> I covered 12 miles of roads, bike paths, and multi-use trails that I've 
> been riding regularly in various loops for the past several years. I have 
> several bikes that are well suited to these types of mixed surface rides 
> and they all bring something different to the table. My Platypus is built 
> with these types of rides in mind with Cliffhanger rims, Gravel King 50mm 
> (rear) and Fleecer Ridge endurance 55mm (front) tires, and 650mm wide Tosco 
> bars.
>
> The Platypus is my first Rivendell and the first one I've ever ridden. 
> I've gotten a few short rides in before this one but those were mostly 
> about setup rather than riding. My goodness, what a bike it is. I guess the 
> best way to describe the ride could be "cruisy zoomy", it's a very easy 
> going yet zippy ride.
>
> It is supremely comfortable and can be a very upright cruiser, though even 
> when ridden this way feels responsive. My setup with a 120mm stem puts me 
> at a ~75 degree back angle with my hands fully rearward on the grips of the 
> Tosco bar, perfect for taking in the scenery and appearing approachable 
> when encountering dog walkers on multi-use trails.
>
> I spend most of my time with the heels of my palms on the front of the 
> grips, palms over the brake lever clamps, fingers either loosely draped 
> over or wrapped around the taped bends of the Tosco bar, giving about a 60 
> degree back angle. This is a good home base position for forward progress, 
> still balanced enough to not put noticeable pressure on the hands.
>
> Moving my hands a bit forward, resting the heels of my palms on the brake 
> lever clamps, and bending the elbows more gets me to a ~45 degree back 
> angle to stretch out a bit or get lower in the face of wind. The forward 
> flats of the bar are also usable when wanting to get to the same angle with 
> less elbow bend and is nice option on open road sections, though I doubt 
> I'll bother taping there.
>
> During standing efforts I can hold the bars back at the grips or up at the 
> bends - both positions work fine and I found myself doing both in different 
> places.
>
> In all positions the fit is roomy and the handling is responsive but not 
> twitchy.
>
> I still haven't installed a front derailleur but a 46x34 low gear is 
> enough to grunt up most of the short climbs on this route. I did opt to 
> walk one short and steep pitch on a trail rather than manually changing to 
> the 30t ring.
>
> I also haven't settled the front carrying method yet but am leaning 
> towards a 137 basket and bag. For this ride temps were in the upper 30Fs 
>  and wanting a place for a layer and extra pair of gloves, I borrowed the 
> Swift Catalyst from my wife's bike to hold those things and my pump. I do 
> plan on putting a bottle cage on the bike but the stem bag is a really 
> convenient spot for the primary water bottle.
>
> A fantastic first ride (including a deer sighting!) for a fantastic bike.
>
> I took a few photos to commemorate the occasion:
>
> 
>
> (Our local open space stewards decorate trees throughout town lands this 
> time of year; it's kind of a scavenger hunt.)
>
> 
>
>
> 
>
> (Excuse the poor photo - this guy was a ways off after he and two does 
> dashed across the path in front of me.)
>
> 
>
>
> -Dave (5'11"' on a 60cm Platy in Massachusetts)
>
> -- 
> 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 rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
> To view this discussion on the web visit 
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/31b2a0b9-3921-4ac5-b516-f1e89dfb44aan%40googlegroups.com
>  
> 
> .
> 
> 
> 
> 
>
>

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Re: [RBW] First Ride of the Platypus

[Michael Williams]

Hey Dave,  the Platy looks perfect!   Where do you live in Mass?    The riding looks great.   -MikeSent from my iPhoneOn Nov 30, 2022, at 10:27 AM, DavidP  wrote:This morning I squeezed a quick ride in before work - a dangerous thing with most any bike but, as I learned, especially so with the Platypus. A short ride can feel like an appetizer and there is always the temptation to eke out a few more miles.I covered 12 miles of roads, bike paths, and multi-use trails that I've been riding regularly in various loops for the past several years. I have several bikes that are well suited to these types of mixed surface rides and they all bring something different to the table. My Platypus is built with these types of rides in mind with Cliffhanger rims, Gravel King 50mm (rear) and Fleecer Ridge endurance 55mm (front) tires, and 650mm wide Tosco bars.The Platypus is my first Rivendell and the first one I've ever ridden. I've gotten a few short rides in before this one but those were mostly about setup rather than riding. My goodness, what a bike it is. I guess the best way to describe the ride could be "cruisy zoomy", it's a very easy going yet zippy ride.It is supremely comfortable and can be a very upright cruiser, though even when ridden this way feels responsive. My setup with a 120mm stem puts me at a ~75 degree back angle with my hands fully rearward on the grips of the Tosco bar, perfect for taking in the scenery and appearing approachable when encountering dog walkers on multi-use trails.I spend most of my time with the heels of my palms on the front of the grips, palms over the brake lever clamps, fingers either loosely draped over or wrapped around the taped bends of the Tosco bar, giving about a 60 degree back angle. This is a good home base position for forward progress, still balanced enough to not put noticeable pressure on the hands.Moving my hands a bit forward, resting the heels of my palms on the brake lever clamps, and bending the elbows more gets me to a ~45 degree back angle to stretch out a bit or get lower in the face of wind. The forward flats of the bar are also usable when wanting to get to the same angle with less elbow bend and is nice option on open road sections, though I doubt I'll bother taping there.During standing efforts I can hold the bars back at the grips or up at the bends - both positions work fine and I found myself doing both in different places.In all positions the fit is roomy and the handling is responsive but not twitchy.I still haven't installed a front derailleur but a 46x34 low gear is enough to grunt up most of the short climbs on this route. I did opt to walk one short and steep pitch on a trail rather than manually changing to the 30t ring.I also haven't settled the front carrying method yet but am leaning towards a 137 basket and bag. For this ride temps were in the upper 30Fs  and wanting a place for a layer and extra pair of gloves, I borrowed the Swift Catalyst from my wife's bike to hold those things and my pump. I do plan on putting a bottle cage on the bike but the stem bag is a really convenient spot for the primary water bottle.A fantastic first ride (including a deer sighting!) for a fantastic bike.I took a few photos to commemorate the occasion:(Our local open space stewards decorate trees throughout town lands this time of year; it's kind of a scavenger hunt.)(Excuse the poor photo - this guy was a ways off after he and two does dashed across the path in front of me.)-Dave (5'11"' on a 60cm Platy in Massachusetts)



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