Re: [RBW] Re: The ups and downs of my Clem Smith Jr
Of course there is also Grant’s ballcock washer mod that achieves the same thing to create a stop/rest for your hands. I just happened to have old road levers laying around and gave them a try with great success. -- 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-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Re: [RBW] Re: The ups and downs of my Clem Smith Jr
Hi Jim, Before I traded away my Bosco bars one thing I did find that helped make them a little more useful was to tilt them back/down a bit more and install some old road brake hoods (with lever removed) at the outer curve, essentially creating more of a ramp/hood position in front of the shifters. this helped stop/prevent sliding forward too far and created a more purposeful second grip area. I’ve seen some pics of others doing the same with those diacompe knob grips. I still found the 55cm a little too narrow and much prefer the wider flare and backsweep of the 66cm Jones loop... which seems to be more consistent with the other bars you are now considering vs Bosco. But should you find yourself going back to Bosco I thought I’d share that mod that worked well for me despite the width issue. Regarding the shifting... I have experienced some ghost shifts and other finickiness with the stock Clem shifters but otherwise love the positioning and placement so I’ve managed to accept it for now but I’ll also likely consider moving to an indexed rear in the future if there is an indexed thumb shifter that will mount on the existing pod so I’ll be curious what you end up changing it to. Best, Brian Cole Lawrenceville NJ -- 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-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Re: [RBW] Re: The ups and downs of my Clem Smith Jr
Keith, Would you be willing to take another picture of the Billie with the stem mount lined up (about 2" forward from where it is in the pic)? On Fri, Sep 7, 2018 at 10:30 AM iamkeith wrote: > Just occurred to me that I had these all sitting out and handy. Here's a > photo showing a 58cm bosco, a Billie and an Open. > > > > On Friday, September 7, 2018 at 6:51:28 AM UTC-6, Garth wrote: > > > > > > > >For bars take look at either a Jones bar or the Surly Open bar. The > black only Surly has 53 degree sweep(25.4 stem), the silver/black > Jones(31.8 stem) 45 degrees. Surly is 66cm wide and the Jones is 66 or 71. > > > > > >I suspect much of not liking friction shifting has to do with the > oddities of those particular/peculiar SunRace thumbies. > > -- > 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-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- -- signature goes here -- 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-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Re: [RBW] Re: The ups and downs of my Clem Smith Jr
Jeffrey, A list member was very kind to sell me his set of 8 speed indexed SunRace thumbies for a very reasonable price. So it will be staying 8 for now. I don't really feel the need for more gears on this bike as others. I like to have a lot of gears on my brevet Rivendell so I can match effort to desired pace as closely as possible, but on the Clem, well, I'll get there when I get there. In case you were curious though, the standard derailer on the Clem completes is Grant's favorite derailer, the big-jockey-wheel Altus M310. On Thu, Sep 6, 2018 at 5:44 AM 'jeffrey kane' via RBW Owners Bunch < rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com> wrote: > Hey Jim -- I don't know what RD came with the Clem but I can't imagine why > you couldn't make it work for 9 speed just by working the limit screw > (and/or B-Screw depending on how wide of a range you wanted). I'm an > Index-Only guy myself so depending on budget I'd look to Shimano 9 for the > shifter and any number of inexpensive cassette options to clear that part > of the problem up. > > On Wednesday, September 5, 2018 at 4:51:21 PM UTC-4, Jim Bronson wrote: >> >> The good news about my Clem is that I've been riding it a lot more since >> I moved. I now live on a busy 4 lane highway with no shoulders, so I was >> having to either brave the traffic to get to a side street or trail, or put >> the bike on the car, which I hate to do if I'm just going out for a fun >> ride. I found a gravel path behind my condo complex that goes about a >> quarter mile to the next cross street to the highway. From there I can >> cross the highway and access the regional mixed terrain trail system. >> >> The shortcut I found has got pretty rough big-ish rocks so I am loath to >> ride my more roadish Rivendells with their relatively fragile Compass >> tires. The Clem though tackles this section with aplumb so I find myself >> wheeling it out for rides more than my other bikes. I also find the >> traction just a little bit better on the pea gravel sections of the >> regional trails, where the slick Compass tires might kick out a bit going >> around a corner, the Clem and it's big Kendas track straight and true where >> I point my wheels. It just feels a little less squirrely, so to say. >> >> Which is a good segue into what I don't like. I bought my 65 ClemH >> complete and one of the things that it came with that I am not super >> enamored of is the Bosco bars. This may sound odd since they are 58cm wide >> (I think) but they feel too narrow and too far back for me. I feel like I >> might hit them with my knees when I'm out riding. I feel I would prefer a >> bar with less intrusion into my midsection. I'd also prefer something a >> little less upright, which I think having a bar that's not so far into my >> midsection will take care of itself. It just doesn't feel dialed in the >> way it is now. >> >> Looking around on Rivendell's website, I like the look of the Billie >> bars. I'm just not sure if 58 will be wide enough for my preference. I'm >> thinking maybe because they flare out a lot more and much less back than >> the Boscos, that the 58 might be fine in this form factor. Truth is my >> drop bar bikes are only 48cm so having a bar not so far back like the >> Billie would work I think >> >> Or there is the Aherne+MAP handlebar which is 61.5 cm wide in the wider >> version. >> https://www.ahearnecycles.com/shop/ahearnemap-handlebar if you're not >> familar. I still have some store credit at Rivendell though so this route >> would cost me more out of pocket. >> >> Anyone tried either of these bars on their Clem? >> >> The other thing I don't like is friction shifting. Does Microshift or >> SunRace make an indexed 8 speed thumbie? I was hoping to re-use the thumb >> pod and just get the shifter part of it, but I can only find 8 speed in >> friction. I could switch to Shimano 8 which would require a different >> thumb pod or go 9 speed indexed T09 Microshift thumbies which would require >> a 9 speed cassette and potentially a different derailer. >> >> Any thoughts? >> >> -Jim >> >> >> >> -- >> -- >> signature goes here >> > -- > 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-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- -- signature goes here -- 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-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post
Re: [RBW] Re: The ups and downs of my Clem Smith Jr
That is so true Joe! You don't get the clackety-clack when you are a little off like you did in the days of old. Back when I was rocking my Schwinn Collegiate, there was no question if the gear lever needed a little more trim or not. The feedback was highly audible. Surely I don't hear as well now as I did when I was 12 or 13, but I'm not so deaf as to miss some clacking from the back of the bike. No the failure mode with modern friction shifting when the lever's not trimmed right is your chain jumping all over the place. At least it is in my case. Maybe we just need a cassette with straight cut teeth like the old ones. The new cassettes have all sorts of CAD created funny shapes and angles to aid in index shifting. On Wed, Sep 5, 2018 at 11:46 PM Joe Bernard wrote: > Part of the problem is the first edition Clems used those weird ratchety > shifters that weren't really friction, weren't really Power Ratchets. > Mostly they just sucked. Also, in my 56-years-old case, I just can't hear > bad shifting like I used to. Friction is more work than when I was a > youngster banging giant stem levers on Schwinn Varsitys. Gimme them clicks, > man! > > -- > 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-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- -- signature goes here -- 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-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
