[RBW] Re: Hillborne review

[Paul LZY]

>
> Pics here! 
>

http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulatwork/sets/72157631135084942/ 


-- 
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/-/xvZCRELBotgJ.
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.

[RBW] Re: Hillborne review

[Paul LZY]

>
> Pics here!
>

http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulatwork/sets/72157631135084942/ 


-- 
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/-/u7VseA7f10wJ.
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.

Re: [RBW] Re: Hillborne review

[James Warren]

7 years ago, I had to bend back my front dropout on the Ram fork. Good as new 
in just a few minutes for something that initially had made me gasp. I was 
happy to have steel then.

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 18, 2012, at 12:49 PM, cyclotourist  wrote:

> Great to hear the repair-ability part. We hear how steel is easily 
> repairable, but never really hear of anyone doing it!
> 
> On Sat, Aug 18, 2012 at 11:41 AM, lungimsam  wrote:
> Pics, pics!! Love to see it.
>  
> 
> On Saturday, August 18, 2012 12:23:08 PM UTC-4, Paul Yeoh wrote:
> Tried to post this to rivbike.com, but they only allow 1000 characters and 
> this review is about 5X that. 
> Hope it helps anyone looking at the Hillborne. 
> 
> 
> This review is overdue, I have had the bike almost 2 years now, and its been 
> through a few configurations. I didn't love it at first, but I really do 
> appreciate it now, I guess I've grown into the bike. 
> 
> It might be good to first state that I don't fit the usual Riv customer 
> profile. I've been riding XC since 13 (age 32 at time of writing), and more 
> recently gotten into road riding. I love my go-fast kit, enjoy racing and 
> train with a heart rate monitor. That's not to say that I don't ever "Just 
> Ride" - I ride in a variety of ways. 
> 
> I first specced my Hillborne with moustache bars, a schmidt dynohub (powering 
> B&M lights front and rear) , phil rivy 7 speed rear hub, 42mm marathon 
> extremes (knobby) , tektro 720 cantis, MKS Sylvan pedals and B17 saddle. I 
> went to town on this build, thinking it'd be my bike to tour the world on. I 
> didn't enjoy riding it so much, it felt slow on the road, and not nearly as 
> much fun as my racing hardtail off road. The moustache bars have the cool XO 
> look, but felt awkward to me - I could never settle into a position for long.
> 
> I didn't start to really enjoy and appreciate the bike until after making 
> several changes... which I would recommend to anyone who enjoys aggressive 
> riding.
> 
> - Noodle bars and technomic stem: this handlebar setup gave me enough 
> positions to play with, both aggressive and relaxed. The only way to go, 
> imho. Much more comfortable over a long trip, and easier to crank out power  
> than on a moustache bar. 
> 
> - Jack Brown tires: The best 700c tire for this bike! These make it possible 
> to keep up with slower roadies while being very comfortable and secure. For 
> the same effort that I can keep my 23mm road racer going at 40 kph, I can 
> keep these tires going at 35 kph, which is pretty darn good considering 50psi 
> comfort and the Hillborne's significant heft. I feel that a fatter, knobby 
> tire like the 42mm marathon extreme is overkill for this frame, and doesn't 
> allow me to ride off road any faster anyway. 
> 
> - Crankbrothers 50/50 platform pedals : these were actually for my full 
> suspension trail bike but were put on the Hillborne while the trail bike was 
> out of service. Its much easier to put power down on the bike with a grippy 
> platform pedal vs. a more slippery MKS Sylvan. It lets me charge over rough 
> surfaces and accelerate with a great deal more conviction = more fun. I'd 
> tried clipless pedals on the Hillborne too, but platforms allow you to 
> embrace the Rivendell / Grant philosophy properly, and it works really well. 
> 
> I've not been a huge fan of the Silver friction shifters, and I am just about 
> getting used to them now. I don't shift very often on this bike, whereas I am 
> constantly shifting on my road racer to keep power output at a max. I prefer 
> my dura-ace brifters, but I can appreciate that friction bar ends do work 
> well for this bike's intended purpose. 
> 
> I ride this bike every where now. In any type of clothing, into any 
> non-extreme terrain. Commuting, adventuring, training, its never a bad time 
> to take the Riv out, especially when the terrain or weather is unexpected. 
> Ridden at an easy pace, this bike is effortless. Ridden hard, its fast enough 
> to feel fun and nimble. Not as quick as a road racer, but certainly quick 
> enough. The ride is like most would rave about - supple, confident, secure. I 
> agree wholeheartedly with Grant that if you had just one bike, you couldn't 
> do better, though knowing what I know now, I might've sprung for a Roadeo 
> instead, specced it with a full Ultegra 2x10 drivetrain, and reduced my 
> stable by one bike.
> 
> Complaints: I did have regular trouble with chain suck when the bike from 
> new. It tends to be a problem when riding very muddy/dusty terrain.  I 
> generally don't ride so much dirt with the hillborne now, and also keep the 
> drivetrain clean and well lubed, and the problem is not present then. Dirt 
> roads are generally fine, singletrack tends to cause problems. 
> 
> I also managed to break the frame whilst riding some singletrack. Not a very 
> big impact, riding up a river embankment, nothing that threw me off the bike, 
> but I cracked the joints joining the hea

Re: [RBW] Re: Hillborne review

[cyclotourist]

Great to hear the repair-ability part. We hear how steel is easily
repairable, but never really hear of anyone doing it!

On Sat, Aug 18, 2012 at 11:41 AM, lungimsam  wrote:

> Pics, pics!! Love to see it.
>
>
> On Saturday, August 18, 2012 12:23:08 PM UTC-4, Paul Yeoh wrote:
>
>> Tried to post this to rivbike.com, but they only allow 1000 characters
>> and this review is about 5X that.
>> Hope it helps anyone looking at the Hillborne.
>>
>>
>> This review is overdue, I have had the bike almost 2 years now, and its
>> been through a few configurations. I didn't love it at first, but I really
>> do appreciate it now, I guess I've grown into the bike.
>>
>> It might be good to first state that I don't fit the usual Riv customer
>> profile. I've been riding XC since 13 (age 32 at time of writing), and more
>> recently gotten into road riding. I love my go-fast kit, enjoy racing and
>> train with a heart rate monitor. That's not to say that I don't ever "Just
>> Ride" - I ride in a variety of ways.
>>
>> I first specced my Hillborne with moustache bars, a schmidt dynohub
>> (powering B&M lights front and rear) , phil rivy 7 speed rear hub, 42mm
>> marathon extremes (knobby) , tektro 720 cantis, MKS Sylvan pedals and B17
>> saddle. I went to town on this build, thinking it'd be my bike to tour the
>> world on. I didn't enjoy riding it so much, it felt slow on the road, and
>> not nearly as much fun as my racing hardtail off road. The moustache bars
>> have the cool XO look, but felt awkward to me - I could never settle into a
>> position for long.
>>
>> I didn't start to really enjoy and appreciate the bike until after making
>> several changes... which I would recommend to anyone who enjoys aggressive
>> riding.
>>
>> - Noodle bars and technomic stem: this handlebar setup gave me enough
>> positions to play with, both aggressive and relaxed. The only way to go,
>> imho. Much more comfortable over a long trip, and easier to crank out power
>>  than on a moustache bar.
>>
>> - Jack Brown tires: The best 700c tire for this bike! These make it
>> possible to keep up with slower roadies while being very comfortable and
>> secure. For the same effort that I can keep my 23mm road racer going at 40
>> kph, I can keep these tires going at 35 kph, which is pretty darn good
>> considering 50psi comfort and the Hillborne's significant heft. I feel that
>> a fatter, knobby tire like the 42mm marathon extreme is overkill for this
>> frame, and doesn't allow me to ride off road any faster anyway.
>>
>> - Crankbrothers 50/50 platform pedals : these were actually for my full
>> suspension trail bike but were put on the Hillborne while the trail bike
>> was out of service. Its much easier to put power down on the bike with a
>> grippy platform pedal vs. a more slippery MKS Sylvan. It lets me charge
>> over rough surfaces and accelerate with a great deal more conviction = more
>> fun. I'd tried clipless pedals on the Hillborne too, but platforms allow
>> you to embrace the Rivendell / Grant philosophy properly, and it works
>> really well.
>>
>> I've not been a huge fan of the Silver friction shifters, and I am just
>> about getting used to them now. I don't shift very often on this bike,
>> whereas I am constantly shifting on my road racer to keep power output at a
>> max. I prefer my dura-ace brifters, but I can appreciate that friction bar
>> ends do work well for this bike's intended purpose.
>>
>> I ride this bike every where now. In any type of clothing, into any
>> non-extreme terrain. Commuting, adventuring, training, its never a bad time
>> to take the Riv out, especially when the terrain or weather is unexpected.
>> Ridden at an easy pace, this bike is effortless. Ridden hard, its fast
>> enough to feel fun and nimble. Not as quick as a road racer, but certainly
>> quick enough. The ride is like most would rave about - supple, confident,
>> secure. I agree wholeheartedly with Grant that if you had just one bike,
>> you couldn't do better, though knowing what I know now, I might've sprung
>> for a Roadeo instead, specced it with a full Ultegra 2x10 drivetrain, and
>> reduced my stable by one bike.
>>
>> Complaints: I did have regular trouble with chain suck when the bike from
>> new. It tends to be a problem when riding very muddy/dusty terrain.  I
>> generally don't ride so much dirt with the hillborne now, and also keep the
>> drivetrain clean and well lubed, and the problem is not present then. Dirt
>> roads are generally fine, singletrack tends to cause problems.
>>
>> I also managed to break the frame whilst riding some singletrack. Not a
>> very big impact, riding up a river embankment, nothing that threw me off
>> the bike, but I cracked the joints joining the headtube to downtube and
>> lower top tube (56 cm, Waterford, double top tube model) This is not  a
>> strike against Riv or Waterford - these things happen, and no manufacturer
>> is 100%. To Riv's credit, John handled the matter most graciously and
>> off

[RBW] Re: Hillborne review

[lungimsam]

Pics, pics!! Love to see it.
 

On Saturday, August 18, 2012 12:23:08 PM UTC-4, Paul Yeoh wrote:

> Tried to post this to rivbike.com, but they only allow 1000 characters 
> and this review is about 5X that. 
> Hope it helps anyone looking at the Hillborne. 
>
>
> This review is overdue, I have had the bike almost 2 years now, and its 
> been through a few configurations. I didn't love it at first, but I really 
> do appreciate it now, I guess I've grown into the bike. 
>
> It might be good to first state that I don't fit the usual Riv customer 
> profile. I've been riding XC since 13 (age 32 at time of writing), and more 
> recently gotten into road riding. I love my go-fast kit, enjoy racing and 
> train with a heart rate monitor. That's not to say that I don't ever "Just 
> Ride" - I ride in a variety of ways. 
>
> I first specced my Hillborne with moustache bars, a schmidt dynohub 
> (powering B&M lights front and rear) , phil rivy 7 speed rear hub, 42mm 
> marathon extremes (knobby) , tektro 720 cantis, MKS Sylvan pedals and B17 
> saddle. I went to town on this build, thinking it'd be my bike to tour the 
> world on. I didn't enjoy riding it so much, it felt slow on the road, and 
> not nearly as much fun as my racing hardtail off road. The moustache bars 
> have the cool XO look, but felt awkward to me - I could never settle into a 
> position for long.
>
> I didn't start to really enjoy and appreciate the bike until after making 
> several changes... which I would recommend to anyone who enjoys aggressive 
> riding.
>
> - Noodle bars and technomic stem: this handlebar setup gave me enough 
> positions to play with, both aggressive and relaxed. The only way to go, 
> imho. Much more comfortable over a long trip, and easier to crank out power 
>  than on a moustache bar. 
>
> - Jack Brown tires: The best 700c tire for this bike! These make it 
> possible to keep up with slower roadies while being very comfortable and 
> secure. For the same effort that I can keep my 23mm road racer going at 40 
> kph, I can keep these tires going at 35 kph, which is pretty darn good 
> considering 50psi comfort and the Hillborne's significant heft. I feel that 
> a fatter, knobby tire like the 42mm marathon extreme is overkill for this 
> frame, and doesn't allow me to ride off road any faster anyway. 
>
> - Crankbrothers 50/50 platform pedals : these were actually for my full 
> suspension trail bike but were put on the Hillborne while the trail bike 
> was out of service. Its much easier to put power down on the bike with a 
> grippy platform pedal vs. a more slippery MKS Sylvan. It lets me charge 
> over rough surfaces and accelerate with a great deal more conviction = more 
> fun. I'd tried clipless pedals on the Hillborne too, but platforms allow 
> you to embrace the Rivendell / Grant philosophy properly, and it works 
> really well. 
>
> I've not been a huge fan of the Silver friction shifters, and I am just 
> about getting used to them now. I don't shift very often on this bike, 
> whereas I am constantly shifting on my road racer to keep power output at a 
> max. I prefer my dura-ace brifters, but I can appreciate that friction bar 
> ends do work well for this bike's intended purpose. 
>
> I ride this bike every where now. In any type of clothing, into any 
> non-extreme terrain. Commuting, adventuring, training, its never a bad time 
> to take the Riv out, especially when the terrain or weather is unexpected. 
> Ridden at an easy pace, this bike is effortless. Ridden hard, its fast 
> enough to feel fun and nimble. Not as quick as a road racer, but certainly 
> quick enough. The ride is like most would rave about - supple, confident, 
> secure. I agree wholeheartedly with Grant that if you had just one bike, 
> you couldn't do better, though knowing what I know now, I might've sprung 
> for a Roadeo instead, specced it with a full Ultegra 2x10 drivetrain, and 
> reduced my stable by one bike.
>
> Complaints: I did have regular trouble with chain suck when the bike from 
> new. It tends to be a problem when riding very muddy/dusty terrain.  I 
> generally don't ride so much dirt with the hillborne now, and also keep the 
> drivetrain clean and well lubed, and the problem is not present then. Dirt 
> roads are generally fine, singletrack tends to cause problems. 
>
> I also managed to break the frame whilst riding some singletrack. Not a 
> very big impact, riding up a river embankment, nothing that threw me off 
> the bike, but I cracked the joints joining the headtube to downtube and 
> lower top tube (56 cm, Waterford, double top tube model) This is not  a 
> strike against Riv or Waterford - these things happen, and no manufacturer 
> is 100%. To Riv's credit, John handled the matter most graciously and 
> offered me a chance to buy a shop model at a deeply discounted price w 
> frame swap. My problem was that being based in South East Asia, shipping 
> would be prohibitively expensive. Since one of the

[RBW] Re: hillborne review

[cyclotour...@gmail.com]

Here's a link to her flickr photos if interested:
http://www.flickr.mud.yahoo.com/photos/lovely_bicycle/


On Nov 10, 12:28 pm, TJ Ramb  wrote:
> http://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2010/11/born-for-hills-review-of-riven...
>
> the link was broken for me so I recreated it.
>
> nicely written but photos IMHO are outstanding
>
> On Nov 10, 4:35 pm, Way Rebb  wrote:
>
> > On Nov 7, 9:26 pm, Seth Vidal  wrote:
>
> > > Dunno if everyone saw this but my significant other pointed it out to me:
>
> > >http://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2010/11/born-for-hills-review-of-riven...
>
> > > Pretty seriously glowing review.
>
> > I really liked that review, and not just about the Hillborne either
> > Her description of the way she has been riding really struck home.
> > When I bought my bike I knew I'd ride to work and maybe around a
> > little but I had no idea I'd let the car sit un-started since June,
> > let my drivers license expire for several months, ride up and down the
> > CA coast, all over the Altamont hills, ride in the pouring rain and
> > the dead of night.   I think I am even getting lazy, I tend to ride
> > four blocks to the grocery store rather than walk.
>
> > A new bicycle has been the most useful thing I've bought in years.
>
> > -Ray

-- 
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.

[RBW] Re: hillborne review

[TJ Ramb]

http://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2010/11/born-for-hills-review-of-rivendell-sam.html

the link was broken for me so I recreated it.

nicely written but photos IMHO are outstanding

On Nov 10, 4:35 pm, Way Rebb  wrote:
> On Nov 7, 9:26 pm, Seth Vidal  wrote:
>
> > Dunno if everyone saw this but my significant other pointed it out to me:
>
> >http://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2010/11/born-for-hills-review-of-riven...
>
> > Pretty seriously glowing review.
>
> I really liked that review, and not just about the Hillborne either
> Her description of the way she has been riding really struck home.
> When I bought my bike I knew I'd ride to work and maybe around a
> little but I had no idea I'd let the car sit un-started since June,
> let my drivers license expire for several months, ride up and down the
> CA coast, all over the Altamont hills, ride in the pouring rain and
> the dead of night.   I think I am even getting lazy, I tend to ride
> four blocks to the grocery store rather than walk.
>
> A new bicycle has been the most useful thing I've bought in years.
>
> -Ray

-- 
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.

[RBW] Re: hillborne review

[Way Rebb]

On Nov 7, 9:26 pm, Seth Vidal  wrote:
> Dunno if everyone saw this but my significant other pointed it out to me:
>
> http://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2010/11/born-for-hills-review-of-riven...
>
> Pretty seriously glowing review.

I really liked that review, and not just about the Hillborne either
Her description of the way she has been riding really struck home.
When I bought my bike I knew I'd ride to work and maybe around a
little but I had no idea I'd let the car sit un-started since June,
let my drivers license expire for several months, ride up and down the
CA coast, all over the Altamont hills, ride in the pouring rain and
the dead of night.   I think I am even getting lazy, I tend to ride
four blocks to the grocery store rather than walk.

A new bicycle has been the most useful thing I've bought in years.

-Ray

-- 
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.