The bike can take 42mm tires though! I always feel like you should design the bike for the biggest tire you intend to use. I've never heard the term "slam the stem." I assume that means to put it down as low as possible? Right now I have it set up level with my seat just like my touring bike. I'm not sure I want it any lower, but it's worth a shot to see if my back aches. I have no intention of replacing the Roadini, which rides nice enough. My intention was to have it be a backup bike for my touring bike, since this is the 3rd frame I'm on from Carl Strong and he's retiring so that lifetime warranty isn't going to work any more. I may put 38mm tires on it and treat it like a MTB. :-)
On Saturday, September 10, 2022 at 9:27:17 AM UTC-7 Bill Lindsay wrote: > The Roadini GEO-Chart on rivbike says the drop is 75, but also shows the > bike set up with a 33mm tire. I think 75 is the correct drop for 622x33mm > tires. I agree with you that 80mm is the correct drop for 38-40mm tires > (like a Hilsen). I don't think any of that has anything to do with Grant > riding fixies and forgetting how to design road bikes. :) > > I don't think a rider can meaningfully feel a 5mm difference in BB drop. > I think what you are feeling is likely Stack related. A 54cm Roadini is a > bigger bike than a 56cm RB1. Is your stem slammed? Slam that stem! :) > If you want to split the difference, ride your Roadini for now, and get a > deposit in on a Nobilette Roadeo. Sell the Roadini when it arrives, and > off you go. I'm not sure if you'd prefer a 57 Roadeo, or maybe a 55? > > BL in EC > > On Saturday, September 10, 2022 at 9:06:15 AM UTC-7 pi...@gmail.com wrote: > >> I had a 56cm 1993 RB-1 (which died when a Volvo C70 broadsided me on a >> residential street). So ok, my impression that the Roadini is a taller bike >> makes sense. When I first talked to Will he thought I would fit a 57cm, but >> after I told him my intention to use drop bars he went and remeasured the >> bike and decided the 54cm made more sense. I'm glad I didn't go for a 57! >> Clearly bike sizes are like shoe sizes --- they seem to change year to year >> even from the same designer! I did give Grant a hard time for not making >> the Roadini a 80mm BB drop bike like the Hilsen. (The Hilsen wasn't a >> consideration --- it used 135mm wheels, which I don't have, and the >> chainstays are even longer --- the Roadini's long stays already make >> certain sharp steep climbs not as much fun to ride!) My thoughts are that >> with the trend to larger/wider tire sizes BB drop should be even lower, >> especially for those of us who aren't aggressively pedaling around corners. >> But Grant rides fixies and he pedals around corners so I'm going to lose >> that argument every time. >> >> On Sat, Sep 10, 2022 at 8:59 AM Bill Lindsay <tape...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> The legendary Piaw Na asked for a comparison of the 54cm Roadini with a >>> 1993 RB-1. >>> >>> What size 1993 RB-1 are you comparing? >>> >>> Back in 1993, I would have chosen a 56cm RB1 for myself, and that would >>> have been for a Lemond-ish race fit. I probably would have run a 120mm >>> extension stem, basically slammed. My Saddle Height is 75.5cm. I worked >>> at a Bridgestone dealer to the end and had my 56cm Bridgestone setup >>> dialed. The 1994 RB2, which had the identical geometry to the RB1, got >>> blown out at the end for $250 complete on my employee deal, so I set up one >>> of those as my primary road bike for a few years. It was my first road >>> bike with a compact double, which was life changing. >>> >>> Anyway, now I'm 53, and today I have an RB1. It's a 1992. My less >>> race-oriented setup puts me on a 59cm RB1, with a slightly shorter >>> extension stem (100mm) and not slammed. :) >>> >>> I also used to own a Leo Roadini, and I ran a 57cm. A 57cm Leo Roadini >>> is a MUCH larger bike than a 1992 59cm Bridgestone RB1. It's got enormous >>> stack and moderate reach. I would call my 57cm Roadini as a hair larger >>> than my current largest road bike, which is an Ebisu All Purpose whose seat >>> tube measures 60cm c-t-c, 61.5cm c-t-t. The reach number is about the >>> same, but stack on the 57cm Roadini is taller. >>> >>> I'd guess that a 54cm Leo Roadini would probably have a stack and reach >>> pretty similar to a 59cm RB1. If the RB1 you are comparing was a 59cm, >>> then I would not expect the 54cm Roadini to "ride taller". If your RB1 >>> is/was smaller than a 59cm, then YES, I think a 54cm Leo Roadini would ride >>> taller, because of it's huge stack. If, for example, your RB1 for >>> comparison was a 54.5cm size, then a 54cm Leo Roadini is a much much bigger >>> bike than a 54.5cm 1993 RB1. >>> >>> Bill Lindsay >>> El Cerrito, CA >>> >>> On Saturday, September 10, 2022 at 7:57:45 AM UTC-7 pi...@gmail.com >>> wrote: >>> >>>> I recently acquired a Roadini, and I've been puzzling over the way it >>>> rides. It feels a lot taller than my custom touring bike, which was itself >>>> based on a 1993 Bridgestone RB-1 geometry with longer chainstays (43cm) >>>> and >>>> a 80mm BB drop. The Roadini has a 75mm BB drop, and I've got 28mm tires on >>>> the Roadini vs 25mm on my touring bike, so in theory, that's only an 8mm >>>> difference in BB height. But when I ride the Roadini it feels a lot taller >>>> than that! Strangely enough, that doesn't affect handling on climbs or on >>>> gravel, but on descents it makes me slow down quite a bit in comparison >>>> with my custom bike. Did anyone experience anything similar? >>>> >>>> I've attached my frame geometry, and the Roadini 54cm geometry is here: >>>> https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1403/7343/files/ROADINI-540-Geo.jpg?7649874663519573416 >>>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the >>> Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit >>> https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/Lws-m4UiwKc/unsubscribe >>> . >>> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to >>> rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com. >>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/6d0ef45f-f44f-4b0c-9c9e-99ca14ef8c4fn%40googlegroups.com >>> >>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/6d0ef45f-f44f-4b0c-9c9e-99ca14ef8c4fn%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>> . >>> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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