Thinking more clearly, one of the bikes that just "felt" right from the beginning was a porky Herse -- earlier owners had dumped it because of its (for them) excessively stout tubing. Despite the weight penalty, it was one of those bikes that seemed to require a cog 1 tooth smaller. Too bad that the handling wasn't up to my benchmark Rivendell standards.
The gofast just feels fast, but (as above) it's not just the 7 or 8 lb weight saving over my almost identical '03, which fits and is set up the same -- this one has all the accoutrements: racks, fenders, dyno lighting, and so forth. That is wonderful, but it doesn't feel as fast as the gofast. I know about adjustments. My Rivs have Qs of 130 mm; my Matthews has a Q of 160. I get on the Matthews after riding the Rivs for a week, and it feels awkward -- for about 500 feet. (Tho' I would happily reduce the Q by 10 or 20 mm if I could.) And there's the fixed versus free adjustment; the Matthews is the only bike of 3 that has a freewheel. I'd expect taller wheels to roll easier, all else equal; certainly, the 20" wheels on the Dahon Hon Solo feel more sluggish, but then we are comparing Tioga PowerBands with Elk Passes and Big Ones. Funny, I am beginning to think that the Big Ones (700C C 60) roll better even than the Compass Elk Passes, 559 X 29. On Sat, Sep 22, 2018 at 5:34 PM, Bill Schairer <commut...@gmail.com> wrote: > Patrick, > > Admittedly, my experience with different bikes is limited compared to many > but, between the two bikes I ride regularly, there is probably a 10 lb or > so difference and they both go just fine. The lighter one is set up with > granny half step gearing and so is easier to get just the right gear and > maybe go faster. My Atlantis, the heavier, has half steps but they require > double shifts and I am much more likely to feel bogged down on it BUT, on > the days where the gearing happens to be just right, I’ve set some of my > PR’s on Strava. The one I’ve ridden the most recently is usually the one > that feels the best until I adjust on the other after a few rides and then > it feels the best. > > Ride a fully loaded tandem for two weeks then get on your single and it > will be practically uncontrollable until you adjust. I think the same when > switching singles just less dramatic. I bought a junker Windsor off CL for > the parts. The first time I rode it, I couldn’t stand it. Rode it a > couple more times and, you know what, it wasn’t half bad. I adjusted. > > I’ve ridden my son’s plastic bike and a friend’s Seven Ti, both far ligher > than anything I have with fancy wheels etc and, while I loved the Seven > (perfect fit) and hated the plastic (admittedly the fit was not great), I > didn’t feel faster on either going up down or somewhere in between. Both > had compact doubles which I simply detest - my best gears are the most > cross chained with an awkward shift right in the middle. So, I guess I > need to get a Seven with a granny and half step and see if I still agree > with myself. I look from time to time, grin. Regardless, unless they are > set up exactly the same, I think I (the I emphasized somehow) can’t tell > nothin. > > Now, my Bike Friday is slower. It just doesn’t have the roll. Small > wheels or is it the IGH? > > Bill > > -- > 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/ Patrick Moore Alburquerque, New Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique ************************************************************************** ************** *Auditis an me ludit amabilis insania?* -- 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.
