I got a Charlie on a whim too. Well mostly because our former LBS owner had a good line on Riv direct frames and he convinced me to buy one, mostly because I could install wider tires AND fenders; something that was limited on my Ram. So out went the Ram and in came the Charlie and over came the Ram parts and out went the slightly lower quality components along with the Ram. So my setup is pretty much the same as the Ram. Ram was a 56 and the Charlie is a 57. Charlie is setup with the same Albatross bars as before, but now has dispensed with the original Sugino triple and now has just a double chain-ring in front.
Ride-wise, the Ram was characteristically a bit lighter on the rear end and could be thrown about as I would crank onto the pedal, much like my older steel racing bikes. The short chain stays just made it more nimble/responsive, but those aren't really the right words when comparing it to the Charlie. Charlie definitely transfers my efforts directly to the wheels without much frame flex and seems equally responsive to my input. Not anything like my Platy, which is like a plush land cruiser of comfort and joy. The Charlie is for faster in-town riding and for going up the larger hills we have here in DC. At first I though I'd simply use panniers in the rear for carrying stuff - the Ram had a front basket on a Mark's rack - but decided that when I ride around town I NEED a front basket. I won't use it for longer group rides So the Charlie is super well-grounded, perhaps as fast as the Ram, certainly stiffer than the Ram, transfers my input very efficiently and it is fun. I believe that it will become my winter bike once the season's turn and I install fenders. As for the comparison to the Homer or a Sam and whether it is stiffer, I can't say because my older Sam with medium length (not long) chain stays is set up very differently as a drop bar gravel bike. Steve Seelig On Monday, June 15, 2026 at 3:32:44 AM UTC-4 [email protected] wrote: > Hi Leah and all, > > I don't have a Charlie, but am very Charlie-curious, so I'm pleased for > this thread and will look forward to hearing how other people are finding > theirs :) > > I'm also quite curious about whether people are finding the Charlie more > light and lively than the Homer, for people who have ridden both! (I'm > tossing up between these two.) > > As a tall person at the top of the nominal weight range for the Charlie, > I'm also curious to hear if any heavier folks have been riding it, and how > they have been finding it. I'm guessing that one wouldn't be in danger of > breaking the bike, but I'd be interested to hear if the bike feels 'noodly' > at that end of the weight scale. > > Apologies for adding more questions than answers, and looking forward to > hearing about people's experiences, > Tom > (Cambridge, UK) > > > > On Mon, Jun 15, 2026 at 2:40 AM Ted Durant <[email protected]> wrote: > >> On Sunday, June 14, 2026 at 6:34:19 PM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! >> wrote: >> >> At the gem of our area, George. Gull Lake! >> >> >> Home of one of the last remaining fleets of International 210's, the boat >> I grew up racing on. >> https://www.210class.com >> >> Ted Durant >> Milwaukee, WI USA >> >> -- >> 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/3d44a657-8643-453e-9d1a-66725f16e764n%40googlegroups.com >> >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/3d44a657-8643-453e-9d1a-66725f16e764n%40googlegroups.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 [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/8c1275a7-01b7-4cd1-b728-fd9164e28532n%40googlegroups.com.
