@David Jones - I enjoyed reading your post. Hearing another facet of
perspectives of your thoughts on " A College Clem". Very well written I
must say.
Thank-you.
Kim Hetzel
Yelm, WA.
On Friday, August 18, 2023 at 10:20:07 AM UTC-7 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!
wrote:
> Hi David,
>
> Thank
Hi David, Thank you for asking about Dad. Dad was a darling, the kind of man you love to love. He died too young, only 62.Dad taught me many things, but this is a lesson he never meant to teach…Dad took meticulous care of his things. He collected historical books and had each one jacketed at our
Well, Leah, you sure opened up a thread that everyone seems to want to
weigh in on, and a thread that seems to be enjoying a longevity that few
can match.
One thought I had that hasn't been covered by anyone, yet, is: "What would
your father's wishes be for this bike? Which of the different
I resisted moving to Los Altos as long as I could, but having moved here, I
will say that the riding is superlative compared even to Sunnyvale. All the
hills you can get, while the valley being flat enough that the kids can
bike to school without complaining. I was quite impressed to see so many
@Piaw - I had a feeling you would be chiming in after me mentioning of Los
Altos and Foothill College.
Kim Hetzel.
On Wednesday, August 16, 2023 at 4:30:28 PM UTC-7 pi...@gmail.com wrote:
> Foothill/Los Altos isn't the den of bike thieves that a big city college
> campus like Berkeley or City
Foothill/Los Altos isn't the den of bike thieves that a big city college
campus like Berkeley or City College San Francisco is going to be. Of
course, my mother in law left a $1700 REI ebike unattended outside ranch 99
for a few minutes while shopping and of course it was gone before she came
I went to Foothill Junior College in Los Altos Hills, California from the
fall of 1973 to June of 1977. You ask why I went there for four years ? I
had to be on my mother's employer's dental insurance to be covered for
dental bridges for most of my entire mouth.
In the course of my college
Leah,
I probably can't add much to the discussion that hasn't already been
mentioned aside from more personal anecdotes, but catching up on this
thread has ignited some thoughts and reminiscing so will try my best to
share my .02 cents without being redundant. Fortunately, you have more
time
Send Grandpa's Clem!
On Tuesday, August 15, 2023 at 6:29:17 PM UTC-4 Will wrote:
> Oh yes it might help a bit if the bike didn't look so new. With a few
> duct tape patches that can be easily solved without hurting the frame.
>
> On Tuesday, August 15, 2023 at 5:24:24 PM UTC-5 Will wrote:
Oh yes it might help a bit if the bike didn't look so new. With a few
duct tape patches that can be easily solved without hurting the frame.
On Tuesday, August 15, 2023 at 5:24:24 PM UTC-5 Will wrote:
> When I was in college I had a Raleigh Competition and a Raleigh RRA
> (French metric
When I was in college I had a Raleigh Competition and a Raleigh RRA (French
metric Raleigh bike). It was a small campus in Williamsburg, VA. I had no
problems with either bike. Yes, I locked them. Yes, I didn't leave them out
at night and so on, but my point is... with a good U lock and maybe
I've been thinking about this situation a lot. (And thinking back about 20
years to my time in college.) I was from a small town, and went to a large
public school. I learned a lot, and a lot of learning is through mistakes.
I did lots of dumb stuff, and minus the time I went flying over the
Great story Mackenzy! I think many of us started on BMX bikes. I was an 80s
kid and the group of guys in my neighborhood all had BMX bikes. In college
I rode a Trek mountain bike (low end) but also had a car so the bike was
primarily for exercise. I tried single speed a few years ago and really
Admittedly, I had almost the exact opposite issue as a college student. I
grew up without cyclists in my family, and think it's so rad that there are
parents like Leah to give a good starting point of living a happily car
free college life.
I was messy messy messy in my hyperfocus niche
John,Over the years I have found this forum to be extremely helpful. The willingness of members to answer elementary questions from someone just entering the bike world has been invaluable. I’ve always been appreciative, and I have made it a point to say so.But here on our forum, there also exists
This is going great you guys. I think it was clear after many days and many
posts that the question is "what bike?", not does the kid even want one.
It'd be super if we could stick with that.
On Tuesday, August 15, 2023 at 11:38:13 AM UTC-7 Patrick Moore wrote:
> Sorry, I have to agree with
Written communication can often come off the wrong way. The original
question does come off a bit rough but might not have been intended that
way. In addition I think the "take a deep breath and count to 10" comment
comes off as very condescending (but hopefully wasn't intended that way).
Just
Sorry, I have to agree with both Johns; the question seemed to be serious
and without condescension. The triple question marks indicate reserve in
asking the question and not exasperation or putdown; "Perhaps you might
consider ...?"
On Tue, Aug 15, 2023 at 12:02 PM Doug H. wrote:
> John,
> I
I think many of us have had an experience where we cared much more about
the bike for a loved one than the loved one does. Maybe that’s where the
question was coming from.
Eric
Three kids, zero who care about bikes :(
On Tuesday, August 15, 2023, 'John Phillips' via RBW Owners Bunch <
Doug, I was addressing Leah's response to John Hawrylak's question, not
your posting.
John
On Tuesday, August 15, 2023 at 11:02:16 AM UTC-7 Doug H. wrote:
> John,
> I took the question exactly as Leah interpreted it. The triple question
> mark at the end of the question was pretty emphatic.
John,
I took the question exactly as Leah interpreted it. The triple question
mark at the end of the question was pretty emphatic. Take a breath? Really
man?
Doug
On Tuesday, August 15, 2023 at 1:57:37 PM UTC-4 John Phillips wrote:
> Leah, please take a breath and count to 10.
>
> John's
Leah, please take a breath and count to 10.
John's question wasn't rude, and was a fair question in that the *strength
of his desire *for a bike at college *could* correlate to the amount of
attention he would give to keeping the bike secure.
You did ask for people's opinions, so please just
Leah,
It looks like the ole Betty Foy served you well during your sons' early
years. Where is that bike now? I don't remember if you sold it or have it
stashed away. And, doesn't time fly!?! We were looking at some old photos
of my sons recently and reminiscing.
Doug
On Tuesday, August 15,
John,Text makes it hard to tell sometimes, so I suppose I’ll ask.1. Is your question asked because you have the perfect bike waiting for him that you would like to gift him?2. Is your question being asked because you are genuinely confused about the topic of the conversation?3. Or is your question
Leah
I might I missed it, but does your son want a bike at college
John Hawrylak
Woodstown NJ
On Sunday, August 13, 2023 at 11:09:58 PM UTC-4 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!
wrote:
>
>
> Wow, since the boys were in elementary school, Ryan, that’s a long time!
> But yes, I started out in
Not to put a damper on things...but those in academia employed as
professors can probably wheel their bikes into their offices(if they;ve got
room or make room), a privilege students don't enjoy unless they're grad
students who may be lucky enough to share office space.
And one other thing
These posts are so engaging. I have enjoyed reading all of them, and I see
your points and they are good ones.
I may send my son off with the 52 Clem as a test bike, but it really is too
small. My WORD, the big Clem L fits him so nicely. Still, I hate to risk it
right away before he really
My take, in point form:
- Any bike is at risk of theft or vandalism in this situation, no matter
how 'perfectly suited' to the job it is.
- That said, the Clem L is definitely less attractive to thieves than a
Surly, despite being better in our eyes. Surlys are much better known.
- If you
Let's make it 3 for 3. Keep the new Clem at home. There will be plenty of
time for him to enjoy it during college breaks, and post-college. In 20+
years as a campus pastor at a Big 12 university, I don't ever recall seeing
that nice of a bike on campus.
David Jones
On Sat, Aug 5, 2023, 9:56
I've ridden a Clem on a university campus in Michigan every day for several
years. I've been working at colleges for 20 years, and this is my first
non-beater that I lock up around campus. The risk has been worth the reward
of making thousands of useful trips on such a dignified ride.
That
On Friday, August 11, 2023 at 3:14:34 PM UTC-5 brok...@gmail.com wrote:
I agree with Mackenzie’s point about swoopy top tube bikes not being taken
seriously by most folks - regardless of whether or not they are “bike
folks”. I
Be that as it may, the bike that was stolen from me in college was
Fortunately , Leah, you do have a year to think about this. I suspect,
since you haven't definitely settled on which college your son is going to,
a tour of the campuses is probably part of your plans. Once you settle on a
college, I'm sure you'll visit it. When you're visiting maybe a trip to
Hi Leah,
I could not afford a car in graduate school at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison, so wound up with a Diamond back mountain bike my first
two years and then traded it in for a Specialized Triple Sirrus for my last
two years there. I was OK with both bikes, but after having my saddle
The current best value from Surly is the Cross Check, at $1100 for a
complete.
-W
On Friday, August 11, 2023 at 1:00:16 PM UTC-7 Eric Daume wrote:
> The 1x1 isn’t made any more, and they hold their value really well as they
> seem to be coming somewhat collectible. The replacement is the
I'd have a tough time focusing on/in class knowing I had a Riv. locked up
outside.
On Friday, August 11, 2023 at 4:14:34 PM UTC-4 brok...@gmail.com wrote:
> I agree with Mackenzie’s point about swoopy top tube bikes not being taken
> seriously by most folks - regardless of whether or not they
I agree with Mackenzie’s point about swoopy top tube bikes not being taken seriously by most folks - regardless of whether or not they are “bike folks”. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked if my Gus is “an old vintage bike”. Haha. Then I try to explain to them what it actually is and
The 1x1 isn’t made any more, and they hold their value really well as they
seem to be coming somewhat collectible. The replacement is the Lowside, I
think it’s about $890 for the frame set. Not really a value play anymore.
Eric
On Friday, August 11, 2023, George Schick wrote:
> I'll chime in
All things are things. They pass on, as we all do. The experience using the
thing is more important than the thing. He, and we, will learn from
whatever thing he rides. But, so long as we live, we will make another
thing. But to ride, that is the thing.
Bill Gibson
Tempe, Arizona, USA
My
@Piaw -
I lived on Sladky Avenue between Springer and Fordham Way to be more
specific.
Kim Hetzel.
On Monday, August 7, 2023 at 8:42:37 PM UTC-7 pi...@gmail.com wrote:
> I'm 2 long blocks from Cuesta Drive. I'm pretty sure if this happened in
> MTV or Sunnyvale the police wouldn't be
I'm 2 long blocks from Cuesta Drive. I'm pretty sure if this happened in
MTV or Sunnyvale the police wouldn't be unresponsive. I have no idea why
Oakland and San Francisco don't consider a holdup at gunpoint worth getting
a search warrant over.
On Mon, Aug 7, 2023 at 7:17 PM Kim H. wrote:
>
@Piaw -
Oh my goodness ! How terrible that is being forced at gunpoint to hand over
your bicycle and being left stranded. Unbelievable. I am glad I do not live
there anymore. I moved away decades ago not too far from you, near Cuesta
Drive in Mountain View, California.
Kim Hetzel
Yelm, WA.
>
>
>
> Whenever I lock a Rivendell to a rack, I lock the heck out of it. I’m
> talking three U locks and a thick cable lock. It’s a pain, you have to find
> the right kind of rack to accommodate all the locks, and it means carrying
> an extra weight. The additional few seconds a thief would have
I agree with Christian’s general message. If the young man does end up taking the bike to college, make sure he locks it properly and redundantly. Whenever I lock a Rivendell to a rack, I lock the heck out of it. I’m talking three U locks and a thick cable lock. It’s a pain, you have to find the
TL;DR
- I disagree... Clem College Cruiser FTW!
- Properly lock it up with multiple locks to a secure rack
- don't leave it in one spot outside more than a day, less if the spot
sees high traffic
- Revert it to stock/cheap(but cheerful) configuration
- make it uGly to
I went to college at Cal Berkeley. My first bike in the USA, a $50 walmart
special, got stolen my first year while I was attending a lecture at Warren
Hall. After that pain, I never had a bike stolen again, since I learned to
lock the bike properly and bring it into my house/apartment
I've been following this thread/discussion and it really is a bit of a
downer. Reality bites. Theft is rampant on college campuses I guess
although I was a commuter student (car) for most of my college years so
didn't witness or even hear about crime on campus back in the late '80s. I
didn't
I think Grant sent his older daughter to school in Minneapolis with a red
Glorius. I think she made it halfway through college with it but it was
finally stolen after she locked it to a chain link fence.
https://bikepirates.livejournal.com/3520587.html?
I did email Grant and ask his opinion.
I'll toss this out, FWIW, which may not be much, but: for a year or so
(sophomore/jr years) my daughter got around campus on a longboard, compact
enough to haul into the lecture hall, until her project responsibilities
with bulky kit made it impracticable. But books fit in backpacks and the
campus
A Clem with a dyno hub and a few accessories is a $2500 machine. That’s
pretty expensive by most any standard.
Eric
On Monday, August 7, 2023, Joe Bernard wrote:
> I'm with Max on this. It's a good bike designed to be used as a
> commuter/shopper/cruiser, and not so maddeningly expensive that
The boy will think of his grandfather with nostalgia and love and think of
the bike with regret and bitterness because it was stolen within the first
48 hours.
*BUT!!!* I recall a Blahg post or posts where Grant described his
then-college-attending daughter's campus Clem. Why not ask Grant?
On
It's fast, isn't it? I recall your bike-trains to school. My baby daughter
turned 22 in June -- I told an acquaintance at church yesterday carrying
his just-churched newborn girl that in 20 years he will still be
counseling, encouraging, guiding, correcting, and paying for the child.
A Clem at
Lots of good points were made here, and I’m grateful you took the time, All. We still have a year left with our son, and the Clem will hopefully get lots of use here, for now. One of the Riv Riders on this forum is a professor at our university of choice (no, we aren’t certain my son is going
What others have said
BUT a Clem could go to college if...in an ideal world
If he's living on-campus they're not going to fuss if he brings it inside
his room at night to avoid leaving it locked up outside and creating ample
opportrunity for theft...and maybe don't take the Clem
I'm going to join the majority and say don't send the Clem to college. IF*
your boy needs a bike at school, buy a cheap hybrid, new or used. Bike
shops are desperate to sell anything right now, and the used market is also
oversaturated.
*It's been a long time since I was at college, but even as a
I'm with the majority here: don't do it. What's the upside? You didn't say
what his major is, but if it's anything that requires his full attention,
the bike is for getting around, not primarily enjoyment. If it won't
require that, why go at all?
This suggestion is valid:
>> I've had to use
Another consideration is the climate where your son will be attending college. Road salt is a good way to trash a bike, or at least the drivetrain. It happened to my XO-1 after my first winter in Wisconsin — after that I road a sacrificial beater.My oldest daughter went to college in sunny LA and
I've spent over 30 years on college campuses and 20 of those with an
Atlantis. If I ride to work, it stays in my office until I leave. I have
seen literally hundreds of bikes stripped and stolen. If you can't keep it
indoors,my advice is a 80-90s steel MTB frame that fits.
On Sun, Aug 6, 2023,
First, what an awesome story. What a lucky & no doubt deserving young man. And oh, what a beautiful big Clem. That said & having started my cycling life @ University in the ‘70’s, I would take something like this to college.Klunker Bikes - BMX / Beach Cruiser Inspired Machinestatebicycle.comSent
I know nothing about college theft BUT if he is relying on bus
transportation as well I am 99.9% positive that a Clem that size won't work
with their racks. If thats the case then more often than not the bike won't
get used. Side note...judging by photos the 59 Clem looks like a really
good
I'll take the middle ground. Let him get the lay of the land before making
a decision.
On Sunday, August 6, 2023 at 12:53:46 AM UTC-7 Luke Hendrickson wrote:
> Do it!!! What a way for him to think of your father and remember him.
>
> On Saturday, August 5, 2023 at 10:56:15 PM UTC-7
Do it!!! What a way for him to think of your father and remember him.
On Saturday, August 5, 2023 at 10:56:15 PM UTC-7 krhe...@gmail.com wrote:
> DON'T DO IT !
>
> I am collectively in the same thought as the others before my post. Save
> the Clem Smith Jr. "L" for after his college years for
DON'T DO IT !
I am collectively in the same thought as the others before my post. Save
the Clem Smith Jr. "L" for after his college years for him to thoroughly
appreciate it, as a graduation present.
Yes, the likelihood of it getting stolen is very high in a college setting.
Buy him a
I'm going to go against others' strong opinions here. It probably depends
on where exactly he's going, but a Riv can be fine on a college campus if
he's careful. My Crust and Rivendell have both survived college campus life
at the University of Montana with me. I've had to use all sorts of
Don’t do it!
The college towns in which I’ve lived—and currently live—have a terrible
problem with bike theft. I frequently see cut locks and stripped frames in the
racks outside the dorms, apartment complexes, and university villages, and
certain streets in this college town are littered with
Our children both had their bicycles stolen. One child had two bicycles
taken. They were hurt even though the bicycles were "beater" bicycles as
they liked the cheap bicycles.
Save the Clem for when the child is at home and so he will come home to
ride the Clem.
The child will be expanding
Such a beautiful bike and kind of lovely to see him on his grandpa's frame.
Looks like it fits him really well. I have no good insight into this, other
than it would be really sad to see that bike turn into a "garage queen"
when he looks so natural on it. Is there room for him to stash this
Don’t do it. I used to work on a college campus and the reality is, bikes are stolen like crazy, campuses are targeted by bike thieves, college kids are busy and forgetful and all it takes is one careless lockup and it’s (or parts of it’s) gone. I don’t believe there’s any way to keep a nice bike
It nearly kills me to say it, but my older son will be heading to college
in a year. Freshman aren’t to bring cars to campus, so that leaves buses,
bikes, and your own two feet for transportation. My boys have grown up
riding Clem Hs; this son rides a 52 cm cast-off from my husband (who
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