I did previously own a 58cm 700c Atlantis. It was a frameset I picked up on the list, and I did a really nice build on it. A neighbor/acquaintance talked me into selling it to him, to match the one his wife runs. My Saddle Height is 75.5cm.
I think the traditional pre-MIT 700c Atlantis is a classic. A masterpiece. An ultimate loaded road-touring machine. It's a tremendous bike, but it is 2018. The old-style 700c Atlantis is becoming more and more of an artifact, like a time capsule from 1995. Time capsule bikes can be cool, and if that is what you are after, there is not a better example. Trust me, I like time capsule bikes. I have an "eroica bike", among others that are somewhat nostalgic machines. There is a great deal of appeal in a throwback bike. The flipside is that the 650B Atlantis is a ton more evolved, in my opinion. As you saw I rode up and down Diablo on mountain bike trails on the 650B Atlantis, with it's 2.2" tires. I asserted to Grant that a 650B Atlantis is a VASTLY superior mountain bike to any Bridgestone that Grant ever designed, and he said "No contest". The fact that it's a fantastic road bike as well just shows how evolved it is. I would have been seriously underbiking on a 700c Atlantis on that ride. The upslope TT gets the bars up way higher way easier. The long chainstays are add a ton of stability without sacrificing any of the maneuverability. I would not hesitate to choose the 650B Atlantis. The only reasons I can think of to choose the 700C version is nostalgia and a more 'traditional' aesthetic, or some handwringing over tire availability when you are third world touring. Bill Lindsay El Cerrito, CA On Sunday, December 16, 2018 at 6:25:40 AM UTC-8, esoterica etc wrote: > > Howdy all, > > I'm wondering if anyone out there has any comparative riding experience > with both the new 650b Atlantis in a 56cm, and the older-style 700c > Atlantis in a size 58cm. My pbh is 87.5 which would put me on the 650 if I > were to buy new, and the 700 if I were to buy used. I did own a 58 Atlantis > many years ago, before the wide-tire phenomenon really got momentum. Even > though I never rode anything wider than a 38 on my Atlantis, I just thought > that bike was the bee's knees. Unfortunately, times were tight and I ended > up having to sell it. But I'm now in a position to afford another Atlantis, > although I would have to go with the 56cm/650b size if I were to buy new > from Rivendell. Since I live on the other side of the country, a visit to > their shop to test ride one is pretty much out of the question. > > In the years since selling the Atlantis, I've built up a handful of > Riv'ified bikes that I've found on Craigslist and garage sales, mostly old > 80's MTB frames. I think I've gotten to the point now that I'm really > comfortable and happy on the 26" platform and have been really enjoying > riding tires between 40-53mm (1.6-2.1"). I've never really ridden anything > 650b before, but I feel that I might be more inclined to veer in that > direction because 650b is closer to 26" than it is to 700c, and the ability > to ride slightly wider tires is certainly a influential factor. But I also > can't shake the memories of just how darn good my old 700c Atlantis felt. > > So I'm hoping there's folks on the list (maybe Bill Lindsay, from your > recent spontaneous ride on the 650b Atlantis with Grant?) who have ridden > and can chime in on their impressions of one or the other, what you liked > and didn't like, and which would you choose and for what reason(s)? Thanks > for lending an ear, and hope y'all are having a great holiday season. All > the best, > > ~Mark > -- 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.
