It is a slow Sunday morning here(after several busy weekends in a row) and I am just pondering bike things. I'm not seriously concerned about this, but as a 240lbs guy, I give consideration to the weight limit that Rivendell lists on their website. For instance, the Charlie Gallop has a weight limit of 207 (which I know is a bit tongue-in-cheek) due to the slightly lighter tube set than the Homer.
About a year or so ago, I picked up a 24.5"chartreuse 1971 Raleigh International (I mention the color because I absolutely love and I was on the hunt for one a couple of years before I found it). It is my first full butted 531 frame. I actually love the way it rides with the thin wall tubing. It hasn't ruined me on other bikes, but every time I ride it, I love it. Compared to the 84 Paramount Touring and the 85 Schwinn Voyageur I had, it just feels better. The Paramount and Schwinn were rightly designed with heavier tubing for touring and I understand why they rode differently. Raleigh was never accused of having super high quality assurance. It was somewhat hit and miss. Even if I got lucky with one of the hits, I am sure that Rivendell's QA is higher than everything Raleigh did in the early 70's outside of the SBDU unit. And yet, my 54 year old Raleigh is standing up to regular rides under my my bulk (which my doc insists needs to change) with no signs of trouble. So, as I contemplate my eventual purchase of a Rivendell frame, I think about those weight recommendations. I know a Charlie Gallop is not going to break under me on the first pedal stroke and would not let the weight limit stop me from buying one. Mostly I just want to avoid a bike that feels more like my Voyageur and I wonder if the Appaloosa and Atlantis are built like that. How about you? Do you take the weight recommendations seriously? Has it affected your purchase decision? If you bought a Rivendell rated for less than your weight, what has your experience been? -- 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 [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/309e0dd2-c046-4907-82dd-35a94f7f07e8n%40googlegroups.com.
