Jock: It seems that you already have a pretty darned nice collection. That Soma looks very rideable indeed, not to mention pretty.
Why did you dump the Litespeed if it felt so good? Patrick Moore, who also ought to be riding more and buying less - but who still has a few other possibilities in mind .... On Tue, Dec 13, 2016 at 8:49 AM, Jock Dewey <bikejoc...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hey, Bill: > > Definitely YES, do the L'Avecaise! Then c'mon over to Athens so I can have > a go at it. > > My quandry is, I haven't had skinny tubes since those days my Eisentraut > (now hanging up) was on the road. What if L'Avecaise was so magical my > Ebisu or Ram no longer came out of the house? Oh, that would be sad because > I'm so fond of both (and after 13 years just had JB respray Ram). > > Of course, much of this mystifies me. I built Soma--nice stainless > headlugs--a couple years ago with a bunch of nice bits I'd been collecting. > (I got pro-deal on frame so it was really inexpensive.) Despite frame specs > at which many would scoff, I grab this bike all the time as I love the way > it 'feels'. I guess I still don't know what that quite means totally, even > after more than 60 years aboard. To wit, I ride Ebisu all day, then hop on > the yellow bike and despite its on-paper shortcomings, it's full of life. > Sprightly, comfortable and fast, too. When I'm challenged by my kid to keep > his wheel, I often grab Soma. > > Last spring I had some time on a rainy day, my wife was in CA with family, > so I took off bags, pumps, water bottles--but left on fenders, pedals, > etc--and crudely weighed them all on a hanging scale. I must admit, I > wasn't sure I really wanted to know. Surprise, surprise, pleasant > surprise...they all weighed about 24 1/2 lbs. As comparison (and to make > sure scale was sort-of working), Waterford AC1900 came in at 28 lbs. and > kid's Columbus Bianchi racing bike with featherweight Chronometro Aerohead > wheels weighed in at just ever so slightly over 23 lbs. Wow. > > (Oh, another data point, all my bikes share same wheel spec, i.e. Open Pro > / 32 / XTR hubs / 15g spokes / light, responsive 30mm tires. All other > very-nice components quite similar). > > So now I wonder/ponder, thinking back to other bikes and experiences, > tandems included, I recall being stunned when I first rode my now-long-gone > Litespeed. THAT was breathtaking...so so so light. Oh my gosh. I was > instantly 20 years younger. > > Therefore, what is the mystical IT? Is there a mystical IT? I'm thinking > weight, other spex relatively equal, really does have something quite > crucial to say about *it. * > > I guess what I'm realizing is (and answering my own question), at this > point, I should probably just quit while I'm ahead. Enticing as today's > choices are and they ARE enticing, perhaps more so than they've ever been, > maybe I should continue to ride and care for the joys I gots rather than > entertain dreams of the ones I ain't gots. > > But, Bill, if you DO pull the trigger and go L'Avecaise, still c'mon over > so I can admire. And you would let me ride it around the block, right? > > Oh and BTW, someone once told me 'the best day is when you buy a boat and > the next best day is when you sell it.' > > BEST / Jock Dewey / Athens, GA > > > On Monday, December 12, 2016 at 10:56:32 PM UTC-5, Bill in Roswell GA > wrote: >> >> The little devil on my shoulder awoke when I saw that Jeff Lyon wants to >> move some L'Avecaise frames out with fork and headset (customer gets to >> pick the single, solid paint color). I'd been thinking Riv for years, but >> never justified pulling the trigger (I'm pretty happy with my stable, but >> I'm missing something to do bikepacking with - was thinking Wolverine, but >> then - you know - that NYT article came out; plus I just got rid of the >> monthly boat anchor at the local marina). >> >> So, given the choice for the same price and knowing I can't go wrong >> either way, would you pick a Riv or L'Avecaise? >> >> I'm just interested in hearing some different points of view because my >> feeble brain isn't capable of thinking of every angle of consideration! >> >> Cheers, >> Bill in Roswell, GA >> >> >> >> -- > 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. > -- Resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, and letters that get interviews. By-the-hour resume and LinkedIn coaching. Other professional writing services. http://www.resumespecialties.com/ www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmooreresumespec/ Patrick Moore Alburquerque, Nouvelle Mexique, Vereinigte Staaten ************************************************************************** ************** *The point which is the pivot of the norm is the motionless center of a circumference on the contours of which all conditions, distinctions, and individualities revolve. *Chuang Tzu *Stat crux dum volvitur orbis.* *(The cross stands motionless while the world revolves.) *Carthusian motto *It is *we *who change; *He* remains the same.* Eckhart *Kinei hos eromenon.* (*It moves [all things] as the beloved.) *Aristotle -- 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.
