I've been waiting about 6 months for the fork. Several extenuating circumstances: delayed design discussions, US shortage of acetylene, and several family health issues, but the intricacy of the design was certainly an issue.
I like little enchiladas. On Sat, Jul 23, 2011 at 2:13 PM, Steve Palincsar <[email protected]> wrote: > I'm glad I got to experiment with low trail by way of a Kogswell P/R. I > don't think I'd have the patience to wait as long as you're going to > have to wait for that experimental conversion fork. Which would have > been too bad, because low trail is, as they used to say long ago and far > away, the cat's pyjamas and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. > > If you're looking for advice, I'll offer some: go for the whole > enchilada. > > > On Sat, 2011-07-23 at 09:24 -0400, Ken Freeman wrote: > > Seth, I'm going down that path exactly. I'm having a low-trail fork > > built for my 1984 Trek 610 to try it. With cheaper materials it's > > quoted around $200 painted, with rather stout Dediaccia blades and a > > crown that fits. We looked at the Heine-offerred blades, and with > > crown they cost nearly what my whole fork is quoted - not right for a > > geometry trial. Only problem is, the fork is taking as long to build > > (a local LBS owner has an on-again off-again frame shop) as my current > > fave custom builder has quoted me for a whole rando frame. It will > > maintain frame height, have 6.5 cm offset, and have fender/rack braze > > ons. > > > > > > But then I can rationally decide, Riv v. rando. I hoped to have the > > refitted Trek available this summer, but it's not working that way. > > > > > > One thing to keep in mind: high-offset forks have long blades, and > > move the wheel considerably away from the original crown position. > > The brake reach requirement will be longer, and you'll probably need > > either cantis or long calipers. If you go canti or center-pull, > > you'll need to arrange for a cable hanger, which can affect what kind > > of bag attachment or decaleur you'd use. Simultaneously there is a > > stack height. There are a bunch of moving parts in this decision > > tree. Need to see if your designer/builder can manage this planning > > process, which would even become more complex for a full frame. So > > far I've found two (in a highly non-exhaustive search) who can. > > > > > > As far as new rando-style frames, I'm also looking at Boxdog Pelican > > and Boulder, and hoping more information comes out regarding the > > under-development Rawland Nordavinden in both steel and Ti (so far > > Rawland have used Lynskey to build their Ti products). In customs I'm > > leaning toward either Alex Singer or Tom Matchak, but all of these are > > investments I won't make without knowing the concepts will work for > > me. I'm reacting to the fact that Grant, whose judgment I respect > > though I don't own a Riv, does not see the strength of the low-trail > > concept. Need to evaluate it for myself. > > > > > > If I wanted a full tourer, Bruce Gordon is promising great service and > > price right now, but I want a rando not a tourer. > > > > On Fri, Jul 22, 2011 at 1:57 PM, Seth Vidal <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > On Fri, Jul 22, 2011 at 1:48 PM, Frank <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > Well said Brian. I remember years ago when you were > > thinking about a > > > new bike and you came by the house to ride mine. We met > > through a > > > mutual work acquaintance, and I felt a bit odd in revealing > > that I had > > > a number of Rivendell bikes in the garage given that I > > didn't know you > > > that well (nor you I) - seemed like it might smack of > > excess. I recall > > > that you rode the Quickbeam, Saluki, and maybe the Romulus, > > and we > > > discussed 650B, single speed, and the rationale for the > > price of a > > > Rivendell and what you got for the money. I told you what I > > knew, why > > > I'd bought each bike, and I tried not to do too much > > selling, rather > > > letting the bikes speak for themselves. You ended up with a > > fantastic > > > AHH, and it's been fun to vicariously watch you explore > > equipment, > > > configurations, and techniques that exceed my breadth of > > experience > > > (e.g. that harlequin wrap thing). > > > > > > When people ask me for bike advice, I always explain what I > > ride and > > > why, and then follow-up with some of the axioms from "tips > > for happy > > > riding"; there's no such thing as a bad bike. Rivendell's > > aren't > > > inexpensive, and they're most certainly not cheap, but > > they're what > > > I've chosen. It is about more than a bike. A Rivendell is an > > > investment in utility, function, form, in a way of doing > > business (and > > > the 12-14 people behind the business), and an entree to a > > community. > > > Since I bought my first Rivendell (Romulus #17, first batch) > > a decade > > > ago, I've been impressed with the company and the products, > > and I've > > > told that story when asked. Today I ride with friends who > > weren't > > > cyclists before, and when we meet I see Bleriots, Hilsens, > > etc., and > > > we often talk about "what's next". I don't "need" this many > > bikes, > > > but I ride them all, and I will until I'm too old to swing > > over the > > > top tube, or until my kids take them off to wherever. > > > > > > Every once in a while I think about a custom. Each > > successive trip to > > > Portland, my original hometown, leads me to look afresh at > > Ira Ryan, > > > Tony Pereira, and Joseph Ahearn in particular. And while > > those guys > > > are doing some innovative, beautiful work, I come home and > > look at my > > > Saluki, AHH, and other bikes, and I'm satisfied. > > > > > > > > > I have a lot of the same feelings as you articulate here. > > There are 2 > > things which hang me up recently: > > > > 1. I really wanna try out a low-trail bike for "the next > > bike". I'm > > intrigued enough to want to try it for a while and I > > completely understand that it is not riv's deal to do a low > > trail-designed bike. So I have been looking around > > for a production low trail bike. Right now it seems likely > > either a > > pelican from boxdog or one of the boulder cycles. But If there > > was a > > way to > > relatively easily convert my romulus to a low-trail geometry > > without > > butchering it, I would definitely investigate it. > > > > > > 2. tandems. Gotta have them.. > > > > -sv > > > > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the > > Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > > To post to this group, send email to > > [email protected]. > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch > > [email protected]. > > For more options, visit this group at > > http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Ken Freeman > > Ann Arbor, MI USA > > > > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > > Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > > To post to this group, send email to > > [email protected]. > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch > > [email protected]. > > For more options, visit this group at > > http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. > > -- Ken Freeman Ann Arbor, MI USA -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
