Hi Roberta and all - I too have been "enlightened." Once Roberta said she was going to go for it and lighten up her Appaloosa I got the courage to do the same to mine. Analog built me some new wheels with Pacenti rims, Bitex hubs, a SRAM 990 cassette and tubeless Gravelkings. Of course, some red spoke nipples and valve stem as well. I just love it! It's still not a light bike because I am keeping my Choco-Moose bars, my triple crank, and Clem rack. But the feel is very different. That zzzzz of the hubs disturbed me at first. But now I know it is just urging me on, "faster, faster, faster." Such joy.
So Roberta - how does riding with the 1x drivetrain compare with the old triple??? - Melanie On Saturday, June 6, 2020 at 12:42:36 PM UTC-4, Roberta wrote: > > In April 2017, I rode a 2016 stock-built Rivendell Joe Appaloosa at Gravel > and Grind and fell in love. James (formerly of G&G, now of Analog > Cycles) recommended a Brooks B-17 saddle, fenders, a rear rack, and I > happily pedaled away for the next three years. My only change was to a > Brooks Flyer saddle. > > > I love the ride of the Appaloosa and rode it at home on the weekends. When > I wanted another bike at my office for after work rides, I bought an A. > Homer Hilsen from a fellow RBW member. My only issue with the Joe > Appaloosa was it was heavy for me to maneuver on mass transportation, > steps, and general lifting. Now I had a lighter AHH, and that is the > bike I chose to travel with. > > > But…I still loved the ride of the Appaloosa…it was just so…heavy. A call > to James and Candice one day to talk about tubeless tires options, and I > was signing up to change nearly everything on it to lighten it and get an > even better ride. I changed the saddle back to the B-17, removed the > heavy and too large for my use Carradice bags. Rack, fenders and kickstand > are too practical, so I kept them. > > > On Memorial Day weekend, I drove both bikes to Analog Cycles. AHH got > 1.75” Gravel King tubeless tires and a shorter stem. Instead of regular > grips, they wrapped the grip area with Fizik tape over gel. Deity valve > caps in red for the finishing touch. I didn’t need to change out > anything else on the bike—it already had dyno lighting and the correct > rims. My new bag is a Sackville Banana Sax, just the perfect size! > > > The Appaloosa got the most work. They changed the handlebar from steel > Choco-moose to aluminum Albatross and changed my 3x8 (or 3x9, I forget) > drive train to a 1x11 with indexed shifting. However, the biggest > difference came with the new wheels, tubeless tires and dyno lighting! > Candice > recommended purple spoke nipples and they look great with the butterscotch > frame. Near the valve stem, she changed the colorway to gold, topped off > with chartreuse valve caps, and I think it looks smashing! I also got > nice cork grips that probably a “blend” because they have more give than > the Rivendell ones. I also like the ergonomic “bulge” in the middle, > like the older cork grips Riv used to sell. > > > The ride with the tubeless tires on both bikes, wheels built by Analog’s > master wheel builder Mark, is sublime. The more I ride them, the more I > LOVE them. They soak up the bad city pavement and cracks in the MUP > sidewalks. Even going over railroad tracks isn’t jarring. The tires > just “smush” to take up as much road vibrations as it can. Yet, they are > not slow or plodding. I explained it to Bicycle Belle Ding Ding, who was > anxiously awaiting delivery of her new wheels, this way: “By the time I > get home from my rides, I feel so much less beat up and feel like I can > keep on going.The ride was so much more pleasant.” It took a few days to > get to this state. Every day I rode them I liked them so much more than > the previous day. I think part of that is getting the psi down to my > optimal level. On the day that the pressure felt too low and I just > pumped it up to 35 psi. Over time, I’ll find my sweet-spot, pressure > wise. > > > Then, there is Dyno lighting! I can now just jump on the Appaloosa > without worrying if I charged my lights. The Edulux light Analog speced > is so bright. I have Busch + Muller IQ-XS on the AHH. It’s very nice, > but not nearly as bright as the Edulux. > > > Now the Appaloosa is light enough for me to pick up, move it around, even > carry it up steps if needed, or onto a train if there is no boarding > platform. I just love it! Candice, James, and Mark did a fantastic job > and I’m SO pleased. They are easy to work with and are meticulous with > their work. They picked the parts and basically, I said “OK.” > > Going tubeless took a lot of consideration. I heard so much pros and > cons, but after speaking with James and Candice, I decided to take the > chance. What would happen if I didn’t like it???—I’d take the goo out of > the tires and put in tubes. And, I’d be out some money. But, I’m so > glad (in the two weeks I’ve had the “new” bikes) I took the chance. The > ride quality is AMAZING. Beyond anything I could even imagine. > > > Here are my new Appaloosa parts: > > > Shutter Precision PV-8 Hub > > Bitex Center lock Disc 145mm Rear Hub > > Schmidt Edelux II dynamo light > > Busch & Muller Toplight Line Plus rear light > > Pancenti Brevet Rims > > Sapim Lazer spokes > > Sapim Allow Spoke Nipples in purple > > White Industries ENO Square Taper 1x > > White Industries Titanium Bottom Bracket > > Sram NX 11 Speed Trigger Shifter > > Sram GX Rear Mech rear derailler > > Connex Nickel Plated 11 speed chain XL > > Shimano XT 11-46 11 speed Cassette > > Tallux stem—80mm > > Albatross aluminum handlebars > > Cork grips > > Teravail Rampart 650bx47 light and supple brown wall tires (originally, > these were to be GravelKings, but there was a mix up in the order, so James > and Candice recommended these, as they were in the shop and they were on > their personal bikes.) > > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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