Grew up on a 'ten-speed', did everything on it. Outgrew it; headed off to college, kidnapping my dad's Nishiki; discovered skinny tires and railroad track crossings didn't mesh... Ended up getting a Nishiki MTB to be my campus-commuter. Post college, used the Nishiki for everything, 'til I got lazy, didn't ride much for a decade, just an annual bike ride or so...
Forward to Spring of '09: coworkers I carpool w/ had CF road bikes, invited me along, here I go on my ol' Nishiki; realization, I need a road bike. They're pushing me towards Trek, Specialized, Fuji, Crackendales, etc; but I'm not yet decided, not excited about CF... So... I happen to wonder into my local Orvis fly shop to chat w/ my friend who's the guide there, and while he's chatting with some other folks, I turn to browse the Specialized they have in there, and then, there beside them, is something completely different... a Hilsen, a Ram, a Sam, a Bleriot, and an Atlantis... My coworkers/riding friends, have, on many occasions, accused me of being 'eccentric'. They liked Jeeps; and I do, too, but instead, but I have old Land Rovers. They like Sierra Design tents, regularly getting new ones; but I'd stick my old Moss. I'd always pick something good, but not-as-mainstream, in their opinion.... That rack of Rivendells there at MSL, just clicked with me. The aesthetics, the colors, the versatility, the durability, it just made sense to me. I'll admit, I was initially taken back on the prices, given my last bike was a quarter of what these frames alone would run... But given the expected longevity, it seemed justifiable. That green Ram, well... hey, it matched my old Rover... And, getting 'just' the frame/fork set, made it more bearable; I could piecemeal the cost part-by-part, and got to learn something new, in building it myself. It clicked. It was 'my' perfect road bike, even if not my buddies' ideal. And, as it goes, you can't have just one... Different bikes have different strengths, and, it made sense to have a 'brute' to go w/ my road bike... something for being able to load up, take a fatter tire... I considered an Atlantis, and a Sam, but settled on the Bomba... Have to admit, they make a great pair. I don't ride as much as I should, or that they deserve... I'm not a commuter, I don't do high mileages. However, I enjoy both, greatly. They'll serve me well for a very long time. I still might get an Atlantis someday; I'm wanting a fat bike (Pugsley or akin); and a cargo bike is a possibility (an Xtracycle or a Big Dummy). I can't say I need any of those, given the pair I have, and what my needs are, but they'd be fun to have. I have no need for a Legolas yet still want one a lot, too. That covers it, methinks... -L -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rbw-owners-bunch/-/DgKqd6a6D1AJ. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
