My limited experience with these bikes is that it's probably best to set them up the way they were designed. That reach is such an important factor in the comfort of a bike. I've been considering Joes and Sams and Altantises a lot lately, and if I were to choose a Joe, it would definitely have either Toscos or Billie bars. I can never imagine my Gus being comfortable with anything other than upright, swept-back bars (like my Toscos with a 110 stem), because the reach on the frame is sooooo long. Even classic models like the Atlantis and the Homer have changed so much with the extended stays and longer reaches, that I feel like you see less and less of these newer models with drops these days. Of course, there's many different body types and styles of riding to factor into it, so to each their own. Personally, I can't see myself owning another Rivendell with drop bars unless it was an older, more traditionally designed model.
On Thu, Jun 29, 2023 at 10:08 AM Ted W <ted.l.w...@gmail.com> wrote: > Got my Appa on Monday, built it yesterday and commuted to work on it > today. First impressions are that it's exactly what I had hoped for. The > ride is amazing and it feels so plush while still remaining responsive; > nimble yet stable. But I think it could still be better and I want to > channel the wisdom of the group. > > Currently, I have the bike built with drop bars (50cm V/O Randonneur). > However, I know this frame, like many of the Riv frames, is really built > with swept back bars in mind. Knowing this, I went with a stem that's about > half my "typical" length. Unfortunately, it still feels like quite a reach > to get on the hoods, not impossible, but not "normal". So, this is where my > question starts: > > Do I continue to try shortening the stem, say to maybe 30-40mm, or do I > give in to my swept bar destiny and spring for some new bars? And if I go > with sweeps, which bars do people like on the Appa? I have 65mm Tosco bars > on my Gus and it's wonderful on that bike, but being that I don't want to > be quite so upright (and there's not quite as much room) on the Appa. I was > thinking of going with either Billie or Albatross bars. The two are so > similar, however, that I'm having a hard time deciding between the two. I'm > probably splitting hairs, as usual, but I'm genuinely curious to see what > y'all think. > > Cheers, > -- > Ted Wood < ted.l.w...@gmail.com > > > -- > 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 view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CANCvShpXY3fGzrS2nt3t6ZBeHeaFsi2dFhAiHFLykU5J9rGQCA%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CANCvShpXY3fGzrS2nt3t6ZBeHeaFsi2dFhAiHFLykU5J9rGQCA%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- 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 view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CAMKavSCNhb4SL2-gqAPwYc5FVuSeeBYG16d2Xbmr7CA8ojSQhA%40mail.gmail.com.
