[RBW] Re: Riding from Portland to the Coast
Mt Tabor is an urban park... it has trees, playground, water reservoirs, and a few peek-a-boo views of the surrounding terrain. It's worth the ride up, but it's more of an after dinner to watch the sunset or on the way to X we'll ride over Mt Tabor kind of place. That said, if you want a more urban ride to explore Portland, Mt Tabor and Rocky Butte can be a fun Two-fer. http://www.rubbertotheroad.com/?p=656 You could add in a stretch along the Columbia or Willamette Rivers too. The Banks-Vernonia trail is pretty cool. Although Larch Mtn has a more scenic payoff (at least I hear and believe it's scenic, the one time I rode up it was completely socked in) but Larch has no services like in Vernonia. You can take the light rail from Portland to the end of the line in Hillsboro and ride 10-ish flat miles to the Banks trail head. Not a loser ride in the bunch. --Smitty -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: [RBW] Re: Riding from Portland to the Coast
And don't forget Leif Ericsson! cc On Sat, Jun 29, 2013 at 11:46 PM, Andy Smitty Schmidt 54ca...@gmail.comwrote: Mt Tabor is an urban park... it has trees, playground, water reservoirs, and a few peek-a-boo views of the surrounding terrain. It's worth the ride up, but it's more of an after dinner to watch the sunset or on the way to X we'll ride over Mt Tabor kind of place. That said, if you want a more urban ride to explore Portland, Mt Tabor and Rocky Butte can be a fun Two-fer. http://www.rubbertotheroad.com/?p=656 You could add in a stretch along the Columbia or Willamette Rivers too. The Banks-Vernonia trail is pretty cool. Although Larch Mtn has a more scenic payoff (at least I hear and believe it's scenic, the one time I rode up it was completely socked in) but Larch has no services like in Vernonia. You can take the light rail from Portland to the end of the line in Hillsboro and ride 10-ish flat miles to the Banks trail head. Not a loser ride in the bunch. --Smitty -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- I want the kind of six pack you can't drink. -- Micah -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: [RBW] Re: Riding from Portland to the Coast
Actually, this is true: a recent after-work ride involved a climb up Mt. Tabor from the West, with a descent on the east side, and a jaunt along the 205 multi-use path with a nice ride along the Columbia River and the Airport (where you'll get buzzed by jets!). cc On Sat, Jun 29, 2013 at 11:46 PM, Andy Smitty Schmidt 54ca...@gmail.comwrote: Mt Tabor is an urban park... it has trees, playground, water reservoirs, and a few peek-a-boo views of the surrounding terrain. It's worth the ride up, but it's more of an after dinner to watch the sunset or on the way to X we'll ride over Mt Tabor kind of place. That said, if you want a more urban ride to explore Portland, Mt Tabor and Rocky Butte can be a fun Two-fer. http://www.rubbertotheroad.com/?p=656 You could add in a stretch along the Columbia or Willamette Rivers too. The Banks-Vernonia trail is pretty cool. Although Larch Mtn has a more scenic payoff (at least I hear and believe it's scenic, the one time I rode up it was completely socked in) but Larch has no services like in Vernonia. You can take the light rail from Portland to the end of the line in Hillsboro and ride 10-ish flat miles to the Banks trail head. Not a loser ride in the bunch. --Smitty -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- I want the kind of six pack you can't drink. -- Micah -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: [RBW] Re: LBS Love...
Benji was amazing with price and ferrous with his time. That means he ironed things out while you spent time with him! -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] For Sale: 55 Betty Foy - Never Build- Pickup in CT $900
Purchased about a year ago - never built - never has a component mounted except for the headset. Pickup only because I hate packing and paypal. Pictures here. http://www.flickr.com/photos/7338969@N06/8671173227/ Charlie -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: [RBW] Re: LBS Love...
Generous. Sunuvabitch autocorrect! -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: [RBW] Re: LBS Love...
Another one who votes with his dollars at Hiawatha Cyclery. Jim and Mark are great. Willing to put up with my strange needs. Then again, they have come up with some pretty strange and cool things themselves. The Twin Cities does have a nice selection of bike shops that speak steel bikes. Doesn't hurt that QBP is located here. Eric Platt St. Paul, MN On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 6:36 AM, Edwin W dweenda...@hotmail.com wrote: Benji was amazing with price and ferrous with his time. That means he ironed things out while you spent time with him! -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: [RBW] Re: LBS Love...
Boston Area is lucky. We have Harris Cyclery. You could not ask for better. Good people, good stock, good shop.Jim D.Massachusetts On Sunday, June 30, 2013 9:06:24 AM UTC-4, EricP wrote: Another one who votes with his dollars at Hiawatha Cyclery. Jim and Mark are great. Willing to put up with my strange needs. Then again, they have come up with some pretty strange and cool things themselves. The Twin Cities does have a nice selection of bike shops that speak steel bikes. Doesn't hurt that QBP is located here. Eric Platt St. Paul, MN On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 6:36 AM, Edwin W dween...@hotmail.comjavascript: wrote: Benji was amazing with price and ferrous with his time. That means he ironed things out while you spent time with him! -- 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-bun...@googlegroups.com javascript:. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.comjavascript: . Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] CR720 on LongLow
Looking for some feedback on setting up these brakes. I have a canti LongLow and have installed the CR720. I've just fitted the front ones, but the problem I have is that due to the length of the pads, the brakes aren't able to release past the fork legs, meaning that I have to deflate the tire in order to remove the wheel. Short of changing out the brake pads to shorter ones (this I won't do) do I just live with this or am I missing something obvious? Thanks for any advice. Ian A Edmonton AB Canada -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: [RBW] CR720 on LongLow
On Sun, 2013-06-30 at 14:12 -0700, IanA wrote: Looking for some feedback on setting up these brakes. I have a canti LongLow and have installed the CR720. I've just fitted the front ones, but the problem I have is that due to the length of the pads, the brakes aren't able to release past the fork legs, meaning that I have to deflate the tire in order to remove the wheel. Short of changing out the brake pads to shorter ones (this I won't do) do I just live with this or am I missing something obvious? I have the extra-long Kool Stop BMX pads on one of my bikes, and I had the same problem. Easily solved, by snipping off the edge of the pad. -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Travel woes!
My flight got out of Louisville an hour late, making my connection at Ohare almost impossible. Concourse change and everything. I ran for it and just made it! Just realized I left my fresh Bicycle Quarterly in the seat back pocket on the plane from Louisville! Ah!!! Thinking about missing my flight and going back to get it.. -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] For Sale: Sackville Slickersack/Nitto Platrack
Hi Folks: My first foray into selling on this forum, but I've realized that the Slickersack/Platrack combo is bigger than I really need, and also sits pretty low on my big ol' 2TT AHH. So I need to sell it to fund the purchase of a Sackville Bar Sack and accompanying Nitto BarSackRack. Up for sale is: - Sackville Slickersack - Nitto Platrack They are lightly used, completely undamaged and all hardware is included. Pictures are here: https://plus.google.com/photos/102411392699939180397/albums/5895396665763489473?authkey=CJO6jaidtIyc_gE These two products go together, neither is worth much for cycling without the other. They have been discontinued by Riv, and don't come up for sale often, so here is your chance to have a complete set in very good condition. Price is $250, including shipping to CONUS. I'll ship wherever you like at an additional charge, which will be whatever it costs me to ship it. Paypal works, other arrangements can be made upon request. You also need a front rack to mount these. The Nitto Mark's Rack is what I used, and I believe the Nitto Mini-front is compatible as well. Left to my own devices, I'd keep the Mark's Rack on my bike, but if you want it, i'll throw it in for an additional $110 (new is $130). Be warned that the struts have been cut down to size; I think I took an inch or so off. You can get replacements from Riv. I'll also entertain a straight-up trade of the Slickersack/Platrack for the aforementioned Bar Sack/BarSackRack combo in similar condition. contact me at jamesfekete at gmail.com Thanks for your consideration, Jim in Boulder -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: [BOB] ISO large **non saddlebag loop** seat wedge big enough to carry a 1 qt water container + a 20 oz water bottle.
Well, Paul, the strap directly to the rails ploy seems to work, at least for the small Junior. I don't care for how the dowel is right up against my thighs (I have my saddles slammed all the way back) but it does work. I did use another Junior on this bike some years ago, but using Cyclo loops. I think, though, that I'd prefer the smaller, 5 liter Carradice Prima Maxi on this gofast -- the Junior is really, at 9 liters, too big -- and I'd really prefer 8 or 9 liters on the Fargo. I should have kept my last SQR, but I'm going to try to rig something up for the Fargo so that the C P Maxi can go to the gofast. The more I consider the Super C Saddlepack, the more I like it -- 8 liters, longer and thinner than the Banjo, let alone the Jandd, not nearly as expensive or tube-like as the Revelate. Time and $$ will decide, and I'll report further as appropriate. -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: FOUND! - A Homer Hilsen - SF
This prompted me to take a look at the original invoice for my Atlantis in 2003. The serial number is NOT listed on the invoice but I respectfully suggest that including it would be useful information. I recorded it on the invoice myself but there's a higher level of credibility if it's original information from Rivendell. Another level of protection in establishing ownership is to register your bicycle with your local police dept. Granted, they will not put out an APB if you report your bike stolen. However, the registration process usually involves identifying the bike in detail (my local PD's form includes space for the SN). Should the bike turn-up it can be re-connected to you more easily. dougP On Monday, June 24, 2013 5:09:59 PM UTC-7, Dave Rivbike wrote: Hi Maelcolm, Dave at riv here. About a month ago a customer called mentioning a stolen A Homer Hilsen, didn't have his serial number handy (let that be a lesson!) I told him to come here (the bunch) and post it, don't think he ever did. He'd never heard of the owner's bunch. If you don't mind calling us up here 800 345 3918 tomorrow I can check our order history and maybe connect the dots. Dave Schonenberg Operations Manager 800 345 3918 dave at rivbike.com On Sunday, June 23, 2013 11:31:04 AM UTC-7, maelcolm wrote: Found A Homer Hilsen Bike. Looking for owner, please be ready to describe bike in detail, size, color, including all accessories. Proof of ownership, including serial number information preferred. Please email with contact information and all relevant proof of ownership. -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: [BOB] ISO large **non saddlebag loop** seat wedge big enough to carry a 1 qt water container + a 20 oz water bottle.
I'm kind of with patrick on this. When i was commuting I used a barley Bag and the SQR system, which works great and is absolutely the fastest to get the bag on or off the bike. Now that I'm retired that bag rides almost empty most of the time and I'm not thrilled about the extra parts on the seat post, so a large wedge would work better for me OTHA it's no big deal one way or the other. Michael On Sunday, June 30, 2013 6:31:40 PM UTC-4, Patrick Moore wrote: Well, Paul, the strap directly to the rails ploy seems to work, at least for the small Junior. I don't care for how the dowel is right up against my thighs (I have my saddles slammed all the way back) but it does work. I did use another Junior on this bike some years ago, but using Cyclo loops. I think, though, that I'd prefer the smaller, 5 liter Carradice Prima Maxi on this gofast -- the Junior is really, at 9 liters, too big -- and I'd really prefer 8 or 9 liters on the Fargo. I should have kept my last SQR, but I'm going to try to rig something up for the Fargo so that the C P Maxi can go to the gofast. The more I consider the Super C Saddlepack, the more I like it -- 8 liters, longer and thinner than the Banjo, let alone the Jandd, not nearly as expensive or tube-like as the Revelate. Time and $$ will decide, and I'll report further as appropriate. -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: So. Cal Vs North Cal. Rivendell Rumble. July 27- 28
I'm in 100%. I'll be around longer than just the weekend, so let me know if you plan to arrive early or stay over we'll work out some the details. dougP On Thursday, June 27, 2013 7:42:53 AM UTC-7, Manuel Acosta wrote: Bumping this least we forget this WILL happen. Head count? On Thursday, June 20, 2013 10:20:43 PM UTC-7, Manuel Acosta wrote: After a couple of weeks of hashing out the details looks like we have come to a consensus of what's going on. Rivendell Rumble (Cali Edition) July 27-28 Meet at El Chorro campgrounds around 12ish. Various of folks are coming earlier or later feel free to do what cha want. Ride somewhere on that Sunday. Bring food, stories, and your bikes to share. Should be a blast! Anyone want to make a poster of the event I am more then happy to donate one of my photos for a event poster. Also someone needs to add this to the RBW owners bunch calendar. (Totally forgot the link) Let me know if this looks right. -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: Travel woes!
dont ya jus luv flyen. michael On Sunday, June 30, 2013 5:21:05 PM UTC-4, LouisvillePatrick wrote: My flight got out of Louisville an hour late, making my connection at Ohare almost impossible. Concourse change and everything. I ran for it and just made it! Just realized I left my fresh Bicycle Quarterly in the seat back pocket on the plane from Louisville! Ah!!! Thinking about missing my flight and going back to get it.. -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: CR720 on LongLow
I have a '998 LongLow, and have dealt with this by using brakes that get the post further away from the forks/chainstays. Have to say I'm very happy with the basic Shimano cantis - super-adjustable, and strong braking. I was very frustrated with other brakes that put the posts closer to the forks - an issue that we feel more acutely, as our forks are round, not ovalized, and our fork crowns narrower than current Riv practice. - Andrew, Berkeley On Sunday, June 30, 2013 2:12:20 PM UTC-7, IanA wrote: Looking for some feedback on setting up these brakes. I have a canti LongLow and have installed the CR720. I've just fitted the front ones, but the problem I have is that due to the length of the pads, the brakes aren't able to release past the fork legs, meaning that I have to deflate the tire in order to remove the wheel. Short of changing out the brake pads to shorter ones (this I won't do) do I just live with this or am I missing something obvious? Thanks for any advice. Ian A Edmonton AB Canada -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: Overheard on Sierra to the Sea
Thanks for the write-up. I plan to mark my calendar for next year (never too early to plan). That's a wonderful area for cycling. Last year, a charity I'm involved in did a week long tour through that area, and Sweetwater Springs was an optional route. We also used some interesting hills in the Napa Valley. The only grumbles we heard were from folks with compact doubles and standard racing bike gearing who were unhappy about the hills. Since most of the event crew rides 30+ lb touring bikes, we found it difficult to be truly compassionate about the problem. dougP On Sunday, June 23, 2013 11:20:09 AM UTC-7, Anne Paulson wrote: Last week I was on the (very fine) Sierra to the Sea ride put on by Almaden Cycle Touring Club. It was tons of fun. Rivendell was represented by me, and also JimD. The first night, I hopefully snuggled my British racing green Roadeo next to JimD's orange custom, hoping that in the morning I'd see a little red Betty Foy, but alas, I was disappointed. That was pretty much the only disappointment of the entire trip, though. The food was super and plentiful, and somehow ACTC managed to route us across the entire state of California on fabulous roads. Some of those roads were rough: Dogtown Road in the Sierra foothills, some Delta roads and the fabulous Coleman Valley Road in Sonoma County spring to mind. My Roadeo with Rolly Polys purred like a kitten. The Jack Browns might have even been a better choice. Overheard: Rider #1: My neck gets so sore sometimes when I'm riding, I have to look down for a while instead of looking ahead. Rider #2: Me too, even though I know it's not that safe. Me: Have you tried raising your handlebars? Rider #1: ?? You mean tilting them? Me: No, just moving them up higher. Rider #1: (puzzled) I don't think you can do that on my bike. Jim Warren showed up to say hello and ask about the ride, on his Hunqa with the Big Bens. The two riders with me were obviously appalled at the the idea that someone might try the ride with Big Bens. (But they're so heavy!) In fact, Big Bens would be great. In addition to the idea that bikes need to be shod with 23 mm or 25 mm tires, a number of the Sierra to the Sea riders apparently subscribed to the common belief that extra clothing, food and equipment weigh less if you carry them in a backpack or in jammed pockets, than if you carry them on the bike. Saddlebags and front bags were not much in evidence. One day we rode from Calistoga to the Russian River. The optional route included Sweetwater Springs, one of those roads that is terrific in almost every possible way: deserted, with oak grasslands, then a secluded little valley, then a (steep) climb up through redwoods. The regular route was not too shabby either, but I chose the Sweetwater option. On the way up I passed a couple of other riders walking. I understand the appeal of compact doubles if compact doubles give you low enough gears. And for a lot of people (who are stronger than me or lighter than me or both) compact doubles do work. But riders who are walking the steep hills, or riding up them with some knee-destroying cadence in the 30s or 40s, need lower gears. It's sad to hear, The guy in the bike shop told me... when the guy in the bike shop obviously told the rider the wrong thing. I highly recommend Sierra to the Sea. Try it for yourself next year and see! -- -- Anne Paulson My hovercraft is full of eels -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: [RBW] Re: Overheard on Sierra to the Sea
People who ride compact doubles chose those bikes. Sometimes just riding by them on a steep hill in your comfortable triple is enough to make them rethink whether their gearing is what they want. People sometimes buy the bike for the fitness they wish they had, instead of the fitness they actually have. I rode Sierra to the Sea with a friend. He is one of those technophiles who wants everything new, and he has some kind of whizbang titanium bike, with some kind of superlight wheels (one of whose hubs cracked during the ride, and of course there was no way to fix it, so he just continued on with what he said was considerable drag). He had what to me seemed to be absurdly high gears given the ride, although he did not do the steepest hills I did. I think his low was probably twice as high as my ridiculously low low. But after the ride, he emailed me about getting lower gears. Good choice. It would be great if we could get a Riv contingent on Sierra to the Sea. We could show another riding esthetic, opposed to the go-go-go esthetic that some of the fast riders have. Nothing wrong with going fast, or wanting to go fast, as your entire purpose of riding, if that's the way you feel. But it doesn't hurt to show people another way of thinking about riding. On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 4:10 PM, dougP dougpn...@cox.net wrote: Thanks for the write-up. I plan to mark my calendar for next year (never too early to plan). That's a wonderful area for cycling. Last year, a charity I'm involved in did a week long tour through that area, and Sweetwater Springs was an optional route. We also used some interesting hills in the Napa Valley. The only grumbles we heard were from folks with compact doubles and standard racing bike gearing who were unhappy about the hills. Since most of the event crew rides 30+ lb touring bikes, we found it difficult to be truly compassionate about the problem. dougP On Sunday, June 23, 2013 11:20:09 AM UTC-7, Anne Paulson wrote: Last week I was on the (very fine) Sierra to the Sea ride put on by Almaden Cycle Touring Club. It was tons of fun. Rivendell was represented by me, and also JimD. The first night, I hopefully snuggled my British racing green Roadeo next to JimD's orange custom, hoping that in the morning I'd see a little red Betty Foy, but alas, I was disappointed. That was pretty much the only disappointment of the entire trip, though. The food was super and plentiful, and somehow ACTC managed to route us across the entire state of California on fabulous roads. Some of those roads were rough: Dogtown Road in the Sierra foothills, some Delta roads and the fabulous Coleman Valley Road in Sonoma County spring to mind. My Roadeo with Rolly Polys purred like a kitten. The Jack Browns might have even been a better choice. Overheard: Rider #1: My neck gets so sore sometimes when I'm riding, I have to look down for a while instead of looking ahead. Rider #2: Me too, even though I know it's not that safe. Me: Have you tried raising your handlebars? Rider #1: ?? You mean tilting them? Me: No, just moving them up higher. Rider #1: (puzzled) I don't think you can do that on my bike. Jim Warren showed up to say hello and ask about the ride, on his Hunqa with the Big Bens. The two riders with me were obviously appalled at the the idea that someone might try the ride with Big Bens. (But they're so heavy!) In fact, Big Bens would be great. In addition to the idea that bikes need to be shod with 23 mm or 25 mm tires, a number of the Sierra to the Sea riders apparently subscribed to the common belief that extra clothing, food and equipment weigh less if you carry them in a backpack or in jammed pockets, than if you carry them on the bike. Saddlebags and front bags were not much in evidence. One day we rode from Calistoga to the Russian River. The optional route included Sweetwater Springs, one of those roads that is terrific in almost every possible way: deserted, with oak grasslands, then a secluded little valley, then a (steep) climb up through redwoods. The regular route was not too shabby either, but I chose the Sweetwater option. On the way up I passed a couple of other riders walking. I understand the appeal of compact doubles if compact doubles give you low enough gears. And for a lot of people (who are stronger than me or lighter than me or both) compact doubles do work. But riders who are walking the steep hills, or riding up them with some knee-destroying cadence in the 30s or 40s, need lower gears. It's sad to hear, The guy in the bike shop told me... when the guy in the bike shop obviously told the rider the wrong thing. I highly recommend Sierra to the Sea. Try it for yourself next year and see! -- -- Anne Paulson My hovercraft is full of eels -- 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
Re: [RBW] June CicLavia Historic Wilshire Blvd.
That looks less crazy busy than the one we did a couple of years ago. I did, however, notice a couple of skateboarders in your photos. They looked innocent enough, but you gotta watch out for them. And what a mix of bikes! Good stuff. Hope they keep using new routes for this event, makes it a fresh adventure. dougP On Monday, June 24, 2013 11:27:50 PM UTC-7, hsmitham wrote: I actually liked this one a bit more not quite so frenetic less stops and the Architecture was great. We had Indian food from a food truck which was delicious. Your ride looked pretty nice though not a bad trade off :-) ~Hugh On Monday, June 24, 2013 11:17:02 PM UTC-7, cyclot...@gmail.com wrote: I really wanted to go to this, as I love the CicLAvia events. But it just wasn't in the cards for this one. Next time! Cheers, David On Mon, Jun 24, 2013 at 8:23 PM, hsmitham hughs...@gmail.com wrote: Another great day in Los Angeles. http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedalpusher61/sets/72157634297771696/show/ ~Hugh -- 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-bun...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: CR720 on LongLow
Why are you so against using shorter pads? The longer pads are really best on V brakes but not needed on good cantis. I use Paul's neo retros with Avid shorty pads, works great. Also, what size tire are you running? Beyond 40 mm not many road bikes are designed for cantis long pads. Both my Bilenky tandem Saluki have 38mm tires and work fine with long pads; it just requires a push; but if I went to 40s, I'd probably have to use short pads or deflate, which is a real pia in a tire that big. Michael On Sunday, June 30, 2013 5:12:20 PM UTC-4, IanA wrote: Looking for some feedback on setting up these brakes. I have a canti LongLow and have installed the CR720. I've just fitted the front ones, but the problem I have is that due to the length of the pads, the brakes aren't able to release past the fork legs, meaning that I have to deflate the tire in order to remove the wheel. Short of changing out the brake pads to shorter ones (this I won't do) do I just live with this or am I missing something obvious? Thanks for any advice. Ian A Edmonton AB Canada -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: [RBW] Re: Overheard on Sierra to the Sea
And yet, in the latest issue of Dirt Rag (a mountain bike focused magazine), the mechanic column had a quote along the lines of the only thing dumber than a triple on a mountain bike, is a triple on a road bike. Seems like a lot of folks are thinking that way. Now, for non-loaded touring, on the hills I have ridden, a compact with a 32/42 (or 44) up front and a 12-36 rear might be fine. Then again, for a long climb either out east or west, would probably want a 24 up front, along with the 36 in the back. Eric Platt St. Paul, MN On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 6:21 PM, Anne Paulson anne.paul...@gmail.comwrote: People who ride compact doubles chose those bikes. Sometimes just riding by them on a steep hill in your comfortable triple is enough to make them rethink whether their gearing is what they want. People sometimes buy the bike for the fitness they wish they had, instead of the fitness they actually have. I rode Sierra to the Sea with a friend. He is one of those technophiles who wants everything new, and he has some kind of whizbang titanium bike, with some kind of superlight wheels (one of whose hubs cracked during the ride, and of course there was no way to fix it, so he just continued on with what he said was considerable drag). He had what to me seemed to be absurdly high gears given the ride, although he did not do the steepest hills I did. I think his low was probably twice as high as my ridiculously low low. But after the ride, he emailed me about getting lower gears. Good choice. It would be great if we could get a Riv contingent on Sierra to the Sea. We could show another riding esthetic, opposed to the go-go-go esthetic that some of the fast riders have. Nothing wrong with going fast, or wanting to go fast, as your entire purpose of riding, if that's the way you feel. But it doesn't hurt to show people another way of thinking about riding. On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 4:10 PM, dougP dougpn...@cox.net wrote: Thanks for the write-up. I plan to mark my calendar for next year (never too early to plan). That's a wonderful area for cycling. Last year, a charity I'm involved in did a week long tour through that area, and Sweetwater Springs was an optional route. We also used some interesting hills in the Napa Valley. The only grumbles we heard were from folks with compact doubles and standard racing bike gearing who were unhappy about the hills. Since most of the event crew rides 30+ lb touring bikes, we found it difficult to be truly compassionate about the problem. dougP On Sunday, June 23, 2013 11:20:09 AM UTC-7, Anne Paulson wrote: Last week I was on the (very fine) Sierra to the Sea ride put on by Almaden Cycle Touring Club. It was tons of fun. Rivendell was represented by me, and also JimD. The first night, I hopefully snuggled my British racing green Roadeo next to JimD's orange custom, hoping that in the morning I'd see a little red Betty Foy, but alas, I was disappointed. That was pretty much the only disappointment of the entire trip, though. The food was super and plentiful, and somehow ACTC managed to route us across the entire state of California on fabulous roads. Some of those roads were rough: Dogtown Road in the Sierra foothills, some Delta roads and the fabulous Coleman Valley Road in Sonoma County spring to mind. My Roadeo with Rolly Polys purred like a kitten. The Jack Browns might have even been a better choice. Overheard: Rider #1: My neck gets so sore sometimes when I'm riding, I have to look down for a while instead of looking ahead. Rider #2: Me too, even though I know it's not that safe. Me: Have you tried raising your handlebars? Rider #1: ?? You mean tilting them? Me: No, just moving them up higher. Rider #1: (puzzled) I don't think you can do that on my bike. Jim Warren showed up to say hello and ask about the ride, on his Hunqa with the Big Bens. The two riders with me were obviously appalled at the the idea that someone might try the ride with Big Bens. (But they're so heavy!) In fact, Big Bens would be great. In addition to the idea that bikes need to be shod with 23 mm or 25 mm tires, a number of the Sierra to the Sea riders apparently subscribed to the common belief that extra clothing, food and equipment weigh less if you carry them in a backpack or in jammed pockets, than if you carry them on the bike. Saddlebags and front bags were not much in evidence. One day we rode from Calistoga to the Russian River. The optional route included Sweetwater Springs, one of those roads that is terrific in almost every possible way: deserted, with oak grasslands, then a secluded little valley, then a (steep) climb up through redwoods. The regular route was not too shabby either, but I chose the Sweetwater option. On the way up I passed a couple of other riders walking. I understand the appeal of compact doubles if compact
Re: [RBW] Re: 50K on a Sunday morning
Am to the point of thinking 38s (on a 700C wheel) are the narrowest I'll go. Even my 26 wheel bike with 50mm tires seems narrow some days. Maybe a fat bike is in my future. Eric Platt St. Paul, MN On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 6:23 PM, dougP dougpn...@cox.net wrote: And 40 is the new 32... dougP On Sunday, June 23, 2013 9:23:29 PM UTC-7, cyclot...@gmail.com wrote: 32 is the new 25! :-) Cheers, David On Sun, Jun 23, 2013 at 8:59 PM, Michael john1...@gmail.com wrote: Oh yes, I see those skinny tires! :) -- 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-bun...@**googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.**com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/**group/rbw-owners-bunchhttp://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch . For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/**groups/opt_outhttps://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out . -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: [RBW] Re: Overheard on Sierra to the Sea
I saw that comment too, in what incidentally seemed to me to be pretty much a waste of an issue. In any case, I found myself thinking of it again yesterday while riding some steep stuff at about 9500' ASL. So thanks Eric for reminding me to go dig out my old triple and look at replacing my mountain bike's current mountain double with it. Cheers, Tim On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 6:15 PM, Eric Platt epericmpl...@gmail.com wrote: And yet, in the latest issue of Dirt Rag (a mountain bike focused magazine), the mechanic column had a quote along the lines of the only thing dumber than a triple on a mountain bike, is a triple on a road bike. Seems like a lot of folks are thinking that way. Now, for non-loaded touring, on the hills I have ridden, a compact with a 32/42 (or 44) up front and a 12-36 rear might be fine. Then again, for a long climb either out east or west, would probably want a 24 up front, along with the 36 in the back. Eric Platt St. Paul, MN On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 6:21 PM, Anne Paulson anne.paul...@gmail.comwrote: People who ride compact doubles chose those bikes. Sometimes just riding by them on a steep hill in your comfortable triple is enough to make them rethink whether their gearing is what they want. People sometimes buy the bike for the fitness they wish they had, instead of the fitness they actually have. I rode Sierra to the Sea with a friend. He is one of those technophiles who wants everything new, and he has some kind of whizbang titanium bike, with some kind of superlight wheels (one of whose hubs cracked during the ride, and of course there was no way to fix it, so he just continued on with what he said was considerable drag). He had what to me seemed to be absurdly high gears given the ride, although he did not do the steepest hills I did. I think his low was probably twice as high as my ridiculously low low. But after the ride, he emailed me about getting lower gears. Good choice. It would be great if we could get a Riv contingent on Sierra to the Sea. We could show another riding esthetic, opposed to the go-go-go esthetic that some of the fast riders have. Nothing wrong with going fast, or wanting to go fast, as your entire purpose of riding, if that's the way you feel. But it doesn't hurt to show people another way of thinking about riding. On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 4:10 PM, dougP dougpn...@cox.net wrote: Thanks for the write-up. I plan to mark my calendar for next year (never too early to plan). That's a wonderful area for cycling. Last year, a charity I'm involved in did a week long tour through that area, and Sweetwater Springs was an optional route. We also used some interesting hills in the Napa Valley. The only grumbles we heard were from folks with compact doubles and standard racing bike gearing who were unhappy about the hills. Since most of the event crew rides 30+ lb touring bikes, we found it difficult to be truly compassionate about the problem. dougP On Sunday, June 23, 2013 11:20:09 AM UTC-7, Anne Paulson wrote: Last week I was on the (very fine) Sierra to the Sea ride put on by Almaden Cycle Touring Club. It was tons of fun. Rivendell was represented by me, and also JimD. The first night, I hopefully snuggled my British racing green Roadeo next to JimD's orange custom, hoping that in the morning I'd see a little red Betty Foy, but alas, I was disappointed. That was pretty much the only disappointment of the entire trip, though. The food was super and plentiful, and somehow ACTC managed to route us across the entire state of California on fabulous roads. Some of those roads were rough: Dogtown Road in the Sierra foothills, some Delta roads and the fabulous Coleman Valley Road in Sonoma County spring to mind. My Roadeo with Rolly Polys purred like a kitten. The Jack Browns might have even been a better choice. Overheard: Rider #1: My neck gets so sore sometimes when I'm riding, I have to look down for a while instead of looking ahead. Rider #2: Me too, even though I know it's not that safe. Me: Have you tried raising your handlebars? Rider #1: ?? You mean tilting them? Me: No, just moving them up higher. Rider #1: (puzzled) I don't think you can do that on my bike. Jim Warren showed up to say hello and ask about the ride, on his Hunqa with the Big Bens. The two riders with me were obviously appalled at the the idea that someone might try the ride with Big Bens. (But they're so heavy!) In fact, Big Bens would be great. In addition to the idea that bikes need to be shod with 23 mm or 25 mm tires, a number of the Sierra to the Sea riders apparently subscribed to the common belief that extra clothing, food and equipment weigh less if you carry them in a backpack or in jammed pockets, than if you carry them on the bike. Saddlebags and front bags were not much in evidence. One day we rode from Calistoga
Re: [RBW] Re: Big Sur Tour
About the train: Cyclists need reservations for the bike on the Coast Starlight now? When I have ridden it with my bike, I have arrived early, boxed my bike and paid for it, and then given it to the baggage people with no trouble. I've never made a reservation beforehand, just arrived at the station by bike and boxed the bike (in a box supplied by Amtrak). Is it a new policy that bikes need reservations? Amtrak's website is chock full of information BUT it's poorly organized requires a lot of digging, and much stumbling along. Having just used them 3X in the last week, here's what I've learned. Note that stuff changes frequently and their staff isn't always consistent. Amtrak SURFLINER: service San Diego to San Luis Obispo requires a bike reservation (no charge). This started June 1. When you buy your ticket on-line there is a box to click add a bike. There is a maximum of 6 bikes PER TRAIN (not per car, per the entire train). The bike area has wheel holders for 7 bikes, and is in the same car as the handicapped area. On on of our legs a person in a wheelchair was already on board, in the designated space, and there was no way to get our bikes past to the bike area. The conductor was cool and let us stand there for a few stops until the wheelchair person exited. On that leg they wound up with 7-8 bikes stacked up in there. So the reservation required isn't strictly enforced (yet). On our other 2 legs the bike demand was light we had no problems. The conductors did not seem to check that we had bike reservations (it's printed on your ticket) as we were on, bikes stashed up in the seating area before our tickets were checked. COAST STARLIGHT travels between San Diego and Seattle, and the one Hugh tried to catch in Paso Robles. The Starlight has always required bikes to be boxed and checked as luggage. As Anne noted, It's a simple process given some lead time. Big box (sometimes used ones available for free) for something like $5; remove pedals, turn bars, wheel the bike tape it up. I think on their website Amtrak wants an hour or 2 before departure for this process. Another wrinkle in the process is that this can only happen at a station that is designated for baggage service which means the train stops long enough to load unload stuff. We had to make a change to our reservation stopped in at the SLO station to confirm it. While waiting, a conductor approached us and asked if we were going on today's train. The Starlight was due in shortly. He let us know that we'd have to box our bikes unless the conductor was willing to allow roll ons. He was talking about the Starlight so apparently there is some leniency but it's the discretion of the conductor. When we told him that our reservation was on the Surfliner, he said no problem, that's different. Whew! Moment of panic averted. dougP On Sunday, June 23, 2013 8:32:04 AM UTC-7, Anne Paulson wrote: Sounds like a great trip! Touring the Pacific Coast in the warmer months is always a bike party. Another lesson: Check with local cyclists if possible. Locals would probably not have routed you on Highway 92. King's Mountain or Old La Honda would have been recommended; it's possible to ride 92, as you discovered, but better alternatives exist. In Northern California, highways are not called THE N. They are just called N, so for example Highway 92 is called Highway 92. About the train: Cyclists need reservations for the bike on the Coast Starlight now? When I have ridden it with my bike, I have arrived early, boxed my bike and paid for it, and then given it to the baggage people with no trouble. I've never made a reservation beforehand, just arrived at the station by bike and boxed the bike (in a box supplied by Amtrak). Is it a new policy that bikes need reservations? On Sun, Jun 23, 2013 at 8:18 AM, Mike mjaw...@gmail.com javascript: wrote: Fantastic! Glad everything worked out with the departure and getting to visit RBWHQ. --mike -- 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-bun...@googlegroups.com javascript:. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.comjavascript:. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- -- Anne Paulson My hovercraft is full of eels -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For
[RBW] Albas as mood lifter for Maryland people?
Since I have started riding with Albas, I have noticed that people are smiling and saying hello and waving to me as I go by. People hardly ever did when I rode drops and staches. It immediately started happening after switching to Albas. Maybe I have just been running into the right people lately. Notice any funny things like this happen to you with change of bikes/gear? -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: [RBW] Re: Overheard on Sierra to the Sea
I don't get it. There are lots of steep roads. They're fun to ride, but for many riders, they're hard to ride. If you can ride them with a double, compact or otherwise, more power to you. But if you need lower gears to ride them, your choice is to skip those fun rides, or walk them, or equip your bike so you can ride them. I don't want my bike to order me around. I don't want my bike to be whining to me that I can't ride some nice quiet road. I'm the boss of my bike, and if I say Sweetwater, we go up Sweetwater, so I need gears that do the job they are hired for. On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 5:15 PM, Eric Platt epericmpl...@gmail.com wrote: And yet, in the latest issue of Dirt Rag (a mountain bike focused magazine), the mechanic column had a quote along the lines of the only thing dumber than a triple on a mountain bike, is a triple on a road bike. Seems like a lot of folks are thinking that way. Now, for non-loaded touring, on the hills I have ridden, a compact with a 32/42 (or 44) up front and a 12-36 rear might be fine. Then again, for a long climb either out east or west, would probably want a 24 up front, along with the 36 in the back. Eric Platt St. Paul, MN On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 6:21 PM, Anne Paulson anne.paul...@gmail.com wrote: People who ride compact doubles chose those bikes. Sometimes just riding by them on a steep hill in your comfortable triple is enough to make them rethink whether their gearing is what they want. People sometimes buy the bike for the fitness they wish they had, instead of the fitness they actually have. I rode Sierra to the Sea with a friend. He is one of those technophiles who wants everything new, and he has some kind of whizbang titanium bike, with some kind of superlight wheels (one of whose hubs cracked during the ride, and of course there was no way to fix it, so he just continued on with what he said was considerable drag). He had what to me seemed to be absurdly high gears given the ride, although he did not do the steepest hills I did. I think his low was probably twice as high as my ridiculously low low. But after the ride, he emailed me about getting lower gears. Good choice. It would be great if we could get a Riv contingent on Sierra to the Sea. We could show another riding esthetic, opposed to the go-go-go esthetic that some of the fast riders have. Nothing wrong with going fast, or wanting to go fast, as your entire purpose of riding, if that's the way you feel. But it doesn't hurt to show people another way of thinking about riding. On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 4:10 PM, dougP dougpn...@cox.net wrote: Thanks for the write-up. I plan to mark my calendar for next year (never too early to plan). That's a wonderful area for cycling. Last year, a charity I'm involved in did a week long tour through that area, and Sweetwater Springs was an optional route. We also used some interesting hills in the Napa Valley. The only grumbles we heard were from folks with compact doubles and standard racing bike gearing who were unhappy about the hills. Since most of the event crew rides 30+ lb touring bikes, we found it difficult to be truly compassionate about the problem. dougP On Sunday, June 23, 2013 11:20:09 AM UTC-7, Anne Paulson wrote: Last week I was on the (very fine) Sierra to the Sea ride put on by Almaden Cycle Touring Club. It was tons of fun. Rivendell was represented by me, and also JimD. The first night, I hopefully snuggled my British racing green Roadeo next to JimD's orange custom, hoping that in the morning I'd see a little red Betty Foy, but alas, I was disappointed. That was pretty much the only disappointment of the entire trip, though. The food was super and plentiful, and somehow ACTC managed to route us across the entire state of California on fabulous roads. Some of those roads were rough: Dogtown Road in the Sierra foothills, some Delta roads and the fabulous Coleman Valley Road in Sonoma County spring to mind. My Roadeo with Rolly Polys purred like a kitten. The Jack Browns might have even been a better choice. Overheard: Rider #1: My neck gets so sore sometimes when I'm riding, I have to look down for a while instead of looking ahead. Rider #2: Me too, even though I know it's not that safe. Me: Have you tried raising your handlebars? Rider #1: ?? You mean tilting them? Me: No, just moving them up higher. Rider #1: (puzzled) I don't think you can do that on my bike. Jim Warren showed up to say hello and ask about the ride, on his Hunqa with the Big Bens. The two riders with me were obviously appalled at the the idea that someone might try the ride with Big Bens. (But they're so heavy!) In fact, Big Bens would be great. In addition to the idea that bikes need to be shod with 23 mm or 25 mm tires, a number of the Sierra to the Sea riders apparently subscribed to the common belief that extra
Re: [RBW] Re: Big Sur Tour
In practice, you just have to have your bike boxed and given to the baggage people before the train arrives. They may say an hour or two, and I usually allow plenty of time, but really it doesn't take long and the longest time is taken by taping up the box. Since I almost always ride to the train station, I loosen up the pedals beforehand and then tighten them just finger-tight so they'll be easy to take off. COAST STARLIGHT travels between San Diego and Seattle, and the one Hugh tried to catch in Paso Robles. The Starlight has always required bikes to be boxed and checked as luggage. As Anne noted, It's a simple process given some lead time. Big box (sometimes used ones available for free) for something like $5; remove pedals, turn bars, wheel the bike tape it up. I think on their website Amtrak wants an hour or 2 before departure for this process. Another wrinkle in the process is that this can only happen at a station that is designated for baggage service which means the train stops long enough to load unload stuff. -- -- Anne Paulson My hovercraft is full of eels -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: Big Sur Tour
Hugh: You really are the man with the camera. Great photos. I can guess which bikes belong to the Belgian couple. Trekking bars a full complement of Ortleibs (in red or black, rarely yellow) are the giveaway. For ...not really a loaded touring bike I'll guess the Hilsen did just fine. It sure looks the part with those beautiful Tubus racks. Don't you love the variety of bikes camping gear people use? A couple of friends have Novarra Sarfaris and one guy was musing on doing the Xtracycle thing. Now I can point him to a photo. Of course, no one is set up like that guy with the giant trailer! People like that make the world a much more interesting place. dougP On Sunday, June 23, 2013 6:38:17 AM UTC-7, hsmitham wrote: My Brother Bruce and I have been planning a cyclotour from San Francisco to Paso Robles for months and all the planning paid off. On June 14thBruce picked me up in LA loaded up the bikes and headed for Paso Robles where we were planning to catch the Amtrak coast starlight to Oakland. The Coast Star Light was 20 minutes late and when it arrived the chief conductor said we could not bring our bikes aboard as we had not made reservations for boxes. If we had all we’d have needed to do was remove the pedals and loosen the handlebars and roll it into the box provided. Needless to say we were in a bind, what to do? It was Friday on graduation weekend and 5:30pm most of the rental car establishments were closing and the ones that were open had no cars to rent especially one way. We rented a Camry in SLO for $100 a day drove back to Paso and dropped off our car stuffed the tour bikes in the Camry and make it to the Clarion Hotel in Oakland at midnight my front fender took a hit and was bent awkwardly. The following day we jumped on BART and headed to RivHQ. How can you be so close to the epicenter of relaxed common sense cycling and not stop in? It was mandatory. We made some repairs and final purchases met with Will, Sean, Scott, Harry the man behind it all Grant who was busy on a photo shoot preparing for a BW catalogue. Harry Scott helped us Google map a route over to Pigeon Point Lighthouse and Grant humored me with a pose with the loaded Hilsen and said “the Hilsen’s not really a loaded tour bike”. But he felt it would handle just fine. We finally made our way back to the BART albeit late and headed for San Bruno. From there we promptly got confused as the Beta bicycle map feature lead us along a bikeway of enumerable (Lesson carry a map) turns and eventually lead us up to a closed bridge near Crystal Springs Reservoir. Fortunately we met a local cyclist who got us straightened out and we were on our way to Half Moon Bay via the 92 (note to self never take this route again) which had little to no shoulder lots of traffic and was windy. We stopped in Half Moon Bay refueled with sandwiches and continued to our Light house destination for the evening. The next day was our big mileage day 70 miles to the Marina area just north of Monterey via the farm lands of Castroville and Watsonville. The Ramada provided us with warm showers great beds and a breakfast in the morning where we loaded up with instant oatmeal and peanut butter for our two days in the Sur. We both agreed that night’s pizza “The Luau” was the best ever! Our third day of riding took us through Monterey and Caramels 17 mile drive which if by car there was a fee and if by bicycle well we just rolled through the gate another benefit of being on a bicycle. I’ve got to say that this stretch is amazing as there are no large cliffs and reminds me of La Jolla in San Diego. We made a pit stop at the grocery store at the south end of Carmel to load up on supplies, Dutch Crunch bread, fresh fruit and other essentials. One of my fender nuts had fallen off and there was an Ace Hardware store where I conveniently got a replacement. We continued on for another 26 miles to the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park hike bike camp located a bit away from the water but none the less beautiful as it was in a Redwood grove and $5 per person, warm showers and Velo-culture abounded, it was like riding into a cyclo city just awesome! We met so many great people. Next morning we made our way toward Kirk Creek Camp which was situated near the water and a bit exposed. The thing was that the hike and bike area had been overtaken by car campers as they liked the location and we were relegated to a typical car camp spot, that didn’t dampen our mood as how can you be upset while in the Sur? The camp host felt bad and gave us a wheel barrel of wood and Jacob from Colorado built a great fire. We camped with a couple of teachers from Colorado Jacob ( Can’t remember his wife’s name will update this later), a couple from Belgium Davie Rose who have been on tour around the world for 9 months and two fellows from Toulouse France
Re: [RBW] Re: Overheard on Sierra to the Sea
This is interesting. My own take on the bike-to-rider contest of mastery is that I like to adapt myself to the bike's limitations and to the circumstances -- terrain, wind, gear, load, etc. I'd rather learn to grunt a 40 lb load up a mile-long hill than to create a gear system that will let me exert more or less equal energy at 18 mph on the flat, 10 mph on the hill, and 30 on the downhill. (I used to be that way, but no longer -- in fact, I was that way theoretically, devising ingenious gear systems, but found myself riding a very limited range of gears.) For me, one of the great joys of cycling is overcoming obstacles -- wind, hill, load -- with limited means. It's horses for courses. Of course, my favored rides are short (and, relatively, energetic) but, with that qualification, I hugely enjoy riding one gear across many different circumstances. Even with the two derailleur bikes I have (Fargo, mostly off road, Ram, on road) I naturally ride in just 2 or 3 gears across a very wide range of conditions, load, wind, hills. I daresay that, after 8 hours in the saddle, and facing a miles-long, steep hill against a wind with 40 lb of gear, I'd be grateful for that 20 low, too. But I did want to add this other, perhaps very idiosyncratic, perspective, to the many that make up the world of pleasurable cycling. On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 7:09 PM, Anne Paulson anne.paul...@gmail.comwrote: I don't want my bike to order me around. I don't want my bike to be whining to me that I can't ride some nice quiet road. I'm the boss of my bike, and if I say Sweetwater, we go up Sweetwater, so I need gears that do the job they are hired for. On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 5:15 PM, Eric Platt epericmpl...@gmail.com wrote: And yet, in the latest issue of Dirt Rag (a mountain bike focused magazine), the mechanic column had a quote along the lines of the only thing dumber than a triple on a mountain bike, is a triple on a road bike. Seems like a lot of folks are thinking that way. Now, for non-loaded touring, on the hills I have ridden, a compact with a 32/42 (or 44) up front and a 12-36 rear might be fine. Then again, for a long climb either out east or west, would probably want a 24 up front, along with the 36 in the back. Eric Platt St. Paul, MN On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 6:21 PM, Anne Paulson anne.paul...@gmail.com wrote: People who ride compact doubles chose those bikes. Sometimes just riding by them on a steep hill in your comfortable triple is enough to make them rethink whether their gearing is what they want. People sometimes buy the bike for the fitness they wish they had, instead of the fitness they actually have. I rode Sierra to the Sea with a friend. He is one of those technophiles who wants everything new, and he has some kind of whizbang titanium bike, with some kind of superlight wheels (one of whose hubs cracked during the ride, and of course there was no way to fix it, so he just continued on with what he said was considerable drag). He had what to me seemed to be absurdly high gears given the ride, although he did not do the steepest hills I did. I think his low was probably twice as high as my ridiculously low low. But after the ride, he emailed me about getting lower gears. Good choice. It would be great if we could get a Riv contingent on Sierra to the Sea. We could show another riding esthetic, opposed to the go-go-go esthetic that some of the fast riders have. Nothing wrong with going fast, or wanting to go fast, as your entire purpose of riding, if that's the way you feel. But it doesn't hurt to show people another way of thinking about riding. On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 4:10 PM, dougP dougpn...@cox.net wrote: Thanks for the write-up. I plan to mark my calendar for next year (never too early to plan). That's a wonderful area for cycling. Last year, a charity I'm involved in did a week long tour through that area, and Sweetwater Springs was an optional route. We also used some interesting hills in the Napa Valley. The only grumbles we heard were from folks with compact doubles and standard racing bike gearing who were unhappy about the hills. Since most of the event crew rides 30+ lb touring bikes, we found it difficult to be truly compassionate about the problem. dougP On Sunday, June 23, 2013 11:20:09 AM UTC-7, Anne Paulson wrote: Last week I was on the (very fine) Sierra to the Sea ride put on by Almaden Cycle Touring Club. It was tons of fun. Rivendell was represented by me, and also JimD. The first night, I hopefully snuggled my British racing green Roadeo next to JimD's orange custom, hoping that in the morning I'd see a little red Betty Foy, but alas, I was disappointed. That was pretty much the only disappointment of the entire trip, though. The food was super and plentiful, and somehow ACTC managed to route us across the
Re: [RBW] Big Sur Tour
The joy of bike touring is the simplicity of bike-eat-sleep, with your whole world right there in a few bags. dougP On Wednesday, June 26, 2013 10:48:43 AM UTC-7, hsmitham wrote: Thanks Perry! The ride was great. Everyday my job was to pedal nothing else to be concerned about. Pure joy. ~Hugh Hugh Sunland, Ca On Mon, Jun 24, 2013 at 3:04 AM, bobish bob...@gmail.com javascript:wrote: Well done! Love the photos, especially. And the beard. Mustn't forget. Kudos to the beard! :) Perry -- You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/edQHMqIB7T0/unsubscribe . To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com javascript:. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.comjavascript: . Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: [RBW] Albas as mood lifter for Maryland people?
Its great that theyre lifting others spirits but its more important that theyre lifting yours! Best bars ever! Sent from my iPhone On Jun 30, 2013, at 9:04 PM, Michael john11.2...@gmail.com wrote: Since I have started riding with Albas, I have noticed that people are smiling and saying hello and waving to me as I go by. People hardly ever did when I rode drops and staches. It immediately started happening after switching to Albas. Maybe I have just been running into the right people lately. Notice any funny things like this happen to you with change of bikes/gear? -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: [RBW] Re: [BOB] ISO large **non saddlebag loop** seat wedge big enough to carry a 1 qt water container + a 20 oz water bottle.
Paul -- thanks for this additional information and perspective. No Vaude system, I'm afraid -- aesthetic compulsions. I want as much as possible to keep the lean and clean look, as well as avoid all unneeded weight -- as light as the bike is with just the small seat wedge, it climbs magnificently with the 75 fixed gear. This is a special purpose bike, and the larger bag capacity is solely to allow additional water carriage in hot, dry weather. The Super C saddle bag looks like the ideal, but -- should you care to consider it -- I would be interested in learning how much you might want for that Banjo Brothers Saddle Trunk. I've found that a nice musette (mine, Dubonnet, from Velo Retro) can cover a multitude of carriage sins, but it would be nice to have a 6-to-8 liter wedge that fits nicely under the saddle. On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 7:14 PM, Paul Brodek p...@skyweb.net wrote: Wood tightened firmly against rails does tend to hold things in place, but transverse dowels will get you more thigh action. Smaller/narrower bags (Acorn, Frost River, Riv Banana) can snug up well and stay outta the way better, but don't hold as much. I've had a Prima Maxi for a while, works OK but for 2 buts. Firstly, I found the plastic buckles didn't prevent the nylon straps from slipping. I burned a couple holes in the strap behind the buckles and another couple in the straps, then installed a bolt through each buckle side pointing upwards. Slip strap hole over bolt, no more slipping. Should have an eyelet in the strap hole to make it neater/easier. Attached a piccy to illustrate, bolt installation on top, strap over bolt on bottom. Should have fished the bottom strap through the buckle first, but you should be able to figure it out. On modern saddles the bolts are long enough to lightly contact glutes when sliding back off saddle to descend, a bit weird I suppose, they don't protrude from under Brooks saddles IIRC. Second but is you really wanna use the bottom straps around seatstays to securely anchor the bag, and I'm not thrilled with the idea of wrapping straps around good paint. Beater bikes I got no probs, but not happy doing it with pretty ones. Also have a Banjo Bros Saddle Trunk, haven't used it in a while, don't rightly recall how she goes. IIRC it worked OK, but it didn't wow me and I haven't used it in forever and a day. I've used a Vaude seatpost bag/rack trunk, that klik-fix mounts to the seatpost. I know you're talking no bolt-on stuff, but the klik-fix mount is quick to install, doesn't get in the way when the bag is off, and though there's a little bit o' rattle there's no sway and the bag goes on/off real quick-like. There's also the quick-release seatpost racks, have a Topeak with Banjo Bros rack trunk on a 650b-converted Marinoni trail bike. Stays out of the way better than a transverse bag, quicker to install/remove than an under-seat bag... Oh, the tyranny of choice! Paul Brodek Hillsdale, NJ USA On Sunday, June 30, 2013 6:31:40 PM UTC-4, Patrick Moore wrote: Well, Paul, the strap directly to the rails ploy seems to work, at least for the small Junior. I don't care for how the dowel is right up against my thighs (I have my saddles slammed all the way back) but it does work. I did use another Junior on this bike some years ago, but using Cyclo loops. I think, though, that I'd prefer the smaller, 5 liter Carradice Prima Maxi on this gofast -- the Junior is really, at 9 liters, too big -- and I'd really prefer 8 or 9 liters on the Fargo. I should have kept my last SQR, but I'm going to try to rig something up for the Fargo so that the C P Maxi can go to the gofast. The more I consider the Super C Saddlepack, the more I like it -- 8 liters, longer and thinner than the Banjo, let alone the Jandd, not nearly as expensive or tube-like as the Revelate. Time and $$ will decide, and I'll report further as appropriate. -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- http://resumespecialties.com/index.html patrickmo...@resumespecialties.com http://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmooreresumespec/ Albuquerque, NM -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: [RBW] Re: [BOB] ISO large **non saddlebag loop** seat wedge big enough to carry a 1 qt water container + a 20 oz water bottle.
Can't you just carry 3 20oz bottles in cages? I am not sure if that's enough, I have never ridden in the desert. On Jun 30, 2013 9:34 PM, Patrick Moore bertin...@gmail.com wrote: Paul -- thanks for this additional information and perspective. No Vaude system, I'm afraid -- aesthetic compulsions. I want as much as possible to keep the lean and clean look, as well as avoid all unneeded weight -- as light as the bike is with just the small seat wedge, it climbs magnificently with the 75 fixed gear. This is a special purpose bike, and the larger bag capacity is solely to allow additional water carriage in hot, dry weather. The Super C saddle bag looks like the ideal, but -- should you care to consider it -- I would be interested in learning how much you might want for that Banjo Brothers Saddle Trunk. I've found that a nice musette (mine, Dubonnet, from Velo Retro) can cover a multitude of carriage sins, but it would be nice to have a 6-to-8 liter wedge that fits nicely under the saddle. On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 7:14 PM, Paul Brodek p...@skyweb.net wrote: Wood tightened firmly against rails does tend to hold things in place, but transverse dowels will get you more thigh action. Smaller/narrower bags (Acorn, Frost River, Riv Banana) can snug up well and stay outta the way better, but don't hold as much. I've had a Prima Maxi for a while, works OK but for 2 buts. Firstly, I found the plastic buckles didn't prevent the nylon straps from slipping. I burned a couple holes in the strap behind the buckles and another couple in the straps, then installed a bolt through each buckle side pointing upwards. Slip strap hole over bolt, no more slipping. Should have an eyelet in the strap hole to make it neater/easier. Attached a piccy to illustrate, bolt installation on top, strap over bolt on bottom. Should have fished the bottom strap through the buckle first, but you should be able to figure it out. On modern saddles the bolts are long enough to lightly contact glutes when sliding back off saddle to descend, a bit weird I suppose, they don't protrude from under Brooks saddles IIRC. Second but is you really wanna use the bottom straps around seatstays to securely anchor the bag, and I'm not thrilled with the idea of wrapping straps around good paint. Beater bikes I got no probs, but not happy doing it with pretty ones. Also have a Banjo Bros Saddle Trunk, haven't used it in a while, don't rightly recall how she goes. IIRC it worked OK, but it didn't wow me and I haven't used it in forever and a day. I've used a Vaude seatpost bag/rack trunk, that klik-fix mounts to the seatpost. I know you're talking no bolt-on stuff, but the klik-fix mount is quick to install, doesn't get in the way when the bag is off, and though there's a little bit o' rattle there's no sway and the bag goes on/off real quick-like. There's also the quick-release seatpost racks, have a Topeak with Banjo Bros rack trunk on a 650b-converted Marinoni trail bike. Stays out of the way better than a transverse bag, quicker to install/remove than an under-seat bag... Oh, the tyranny of choice! Paul Brodek Hillsdale, NJ USA On Sunday, June 30, 2013 6:31:40 PM UTC-4, Patrick Moore wrote: Well, Paul, the strap directly to the rails ploy seems to work, at least for the small Junior. I don't care for how the dowel is right up against my thighs (I have my saddles slammed all the way back) but it does work. I did use another Junior on this bike some years ago, but using Cyclo loops. I think, though, that I'd prefer the smaller, 5 liter Carradice Prima Maxi on this gofast -- the Junior is really, at 9 liters, too big -- and I'd really prefer 8 or 9 liters on the Fargo. I should have kept my last SQR, but I'm going to try to rig something up for the Fargo so that the C P Maxi can go to the gofast. The more I consider the Super C Saddlepack, the more I like it -- 8 liters, longer and thinner than the Banjo, let alone the Jandd, not nearly as expensive or tube-like as the Revelate. Time and $$ will decide, and I'll report further as appropriate. -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- http://resumespecialties.com/index.html patrickmo...@resumespecialties.com http://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmooreresumespec/ Albuquerque, NM -- 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 post to this
Re: [RBW] Re: Overheard on Sierra to the Sea
It's horses for courses. There are many different reasons for riding, and pushing a relatively big gear up a hill or, more generally, adapting your riding to the arbitrary limitations Of your machine is one of them--albeit, I daresay, an odd one/ But it is one that appeals to me. Patrick Moore iPhone On Jun 30, 2013, at 7:47 PM, dougP dougpn...@cox.net wrote: I don't see it as a contest. The bike is a tool to get me where I want to go, and should be versatile enough that I don't have to consider the terrain or road surface or other conditions to be limiting factors. I don't get the whole how often do you need a granny gear? thing. It doesn't matter how often. What matters is that it's there when I need it. A lot of interesting places are at the top of steep hills, some of them quite long. Patrick, I agree about using limited gears on known routes. I have plenty of 20-30 mile rides close to home that only need maybe 3-4 gears. But once I get onto new turf, unknown territory or off-road, the triple with the wide range cogset is welcome equipment. Happiness is being able to pedal a load at 4 mph. dougP On Sunday, June 30, 2013 6:24:49 PM UTC-7, Patrick Moore wrote: This is interesting. My own take on the bike-to-rider contest of mastery is that I like to adapt myself to the bike's limitations and to the circumstances -- terrain, wind, gear, load, etc. I'd rather learn to grunt a 40 lb load up a mile-long hill than to create a gear system that will let me exert more or less equal energy at 18 mph on the flat, 10 mph on the hill, and 30 on the downhill. (I used to be that way, but no longer -- in fact, I was that way theoretically, devising ingenious gear systems, but found myself riding a very limited range of gears.) For me, one of the great joys of cycling is overcoming obstacles -- wind, hill, load -- with limited means. It's horses for courses. Of course, my favored rides are short (and, relatively, energetic) but, with that qualification, I hugely enjoy riding one gear across many different circumstances. Even with the two derailleur bikes I have (Fargo, mostly off road, Ram, on road) I naturally ride in just 2 or 3 gears across a very wide range of conditions, load, wind, hills. I daresay that, after 8 hours in the saddle, and facing a miles-long, steep hill against a wind with 40 lb of gear, I'd be grateful for that 20 low, too. But I did want to add this other, perhaps very idiosyncratic, perspective, to the many that make up the world of pleasurable cycling. On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 7:09 PM, Anne Paulson anne.p...@gmail.com wrote: I don't want my bike to order me around. I don't want my bike to be whining to me that I can't ride some nice quiet road. I'm the boss of my bike, and if I say Sweetwater, we go up Sweetwater, so I need gears that do the job they are hired for. On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 5:15 PM, Eric Platt eperic...@gmail.com wrote: And yet, in the latest issue of Dirt Rag (a mountain bike focused magazine), the mechanic column had a quote along the lines of the only thing dumber than a triple on a mountain bike, is a triple on a road bike. Seems like a lot of folks are thinking that way. Now, for non-loaded touring, on the hills I have ridden, a compact with a 32/42 (or 44) up front and a 12-36 rear might be fine. Then again, for a long climb either out east or west, would probably want a 24 up front, along with the 36 in the back. Eric Platt St. Paul, MN On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 6:21 PM, Anne Paulson anne.p...@gmail.com wrote: People who ride compact doubles chose those bikes. Sometimes just riding by them on a steep hill in your comfortable triple is enough to make them rethink whether their gearing is what they want. People sometimes buy the bike for the fitness they wish they had, instead of the fitness they actually have. I rode Sierra to the Sea with a friend. He is one of those technophiles who wants everything new, and he has some kind of whizbang titanium bike, with some kind of superlight wheels (one of whose hubs cracked during the ride, and of course there was no way to fix it, so he just continued on with what he said was considerable drag). He had what to me seemed to be absurdly high gears given the ride, although he did not do the steepest hills I did. I think his low was probably twice as high as my ridiculously low low. But after the ride, he emailed me about getting lower gears. Good choice. It would be great if we could get a Riv contingent on Sierra to the Sea. We could show another riding esthetic, opposed to the go-go-go esthetic that some of the fast riders have. Nothing wrong with going fast, or wanting to go fast, as your entire purpose of riding, if that's the way you feel. But it doesn't hurt to show people another way of thinking about riding. On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 4:10
Re: [RBW] Re: Overheard on Sierra to the Sea
I like a challenge; to paraphrase Sheldon Brown, If you wanted it to be easy, why are you riding a bike? However, I just geared up a bikehttp://www.biketinker.com/2013/projects/four-clicks-on-a-7-speed-shifter/ to ride with workmates, and I like it. My first try with the bar-end shifter left me with a gear range of 54 to 72 which, yes, is the same high and low I have on my fixed gear bikes. I have in fact climbed Sweetwater Springs in the 54 gear, and pushed it up in the 72. I did fix the bar-end shifter, thanks to listmembers' advice, by winding the ratchet back up. Philip www.biketinker.com On Sunday, June 30, 2013 6:24:49 PM UTC-7, Patrick Moore wrote: This is interesting. My own take on the bike-to-rider contest of mastery is that I like to adapt myself to the bike's limitations and to the circumstances -- terrain, wind, gear, load, etc. I'd rather learn to grunt a 40 lb load up a mile-long hill than to create a gear system that will let me exert more or less equal energy at 18 mph on the flat, 10 mph on the hill, and 30 on the downhill. (I used to be that way, but no longer -- in fact, I was that way theoretically, devising ingenious gear systems, but found myself riding a very limited range of gears.) For me, one of the great joys of cycling is overcoming obstacles -- wind, hill, load -- with limited means. It's horses for courses. Of course, my favored rides are short (and, relatively, energetic) but, with that qualification, I hugely enjoy riding one gear across many different circumstances. Even with the two derailleur bikes I have (Fargo, mostly off road, Ram, on road) I naturally ride in just 2 or 3 gears across a very wide range of conditions, load, wind, hills. I daresay that, after 8 hours in the saddle, and facing a miles-long, steep hill against a wind with 40 lb of gear, I'd be grateful for that 20 low, too. But I did want to add this other, perhaps very idiosyncratic, perspective, to the many that make up the world of pleasurable cycling. On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 7:09 PM, Anne Paulson anne.p...@gmail.comjavascript: wrote: I don't want my bike to order me around. I don't want my bike to be whining to me that I can't ride some nice quiet road. I'm the boss of my bike, and if I say Sweetwater, we go up Sweetwater, so I need gears that do the job they are hired for. On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 5:15 PM, Eric Platt eperic...@gmail.comjavascript: wrote: And yet, in the latest issue of Dirt Rag (a mountain bike focused magazine), the mechanic column had a quote along the lines of the only thing dumber than a triple on a mountain bike, is a triple on a road bike. Seems like a lot of folks are thinking that way. Now, for non-loaded touring, on the hills I have ridden, a compact with a 32/42 (or 44) up front and a 12-36 rear might be fine. Then again, for a long climb either out east or west, would probably want a 24 up front, along with the 36 in the back. Eric Platt St. Paul, MN On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 6:21 PM, Anne Paulson anne.p...@gmail.comjavascript: wrote: People who ride compact doubles chose those bikes. Sometimes just riding by them on a steep hill in your comfortable triple is enough to make them rethink whether their gearing is what they want. People sometimes buy the bike for the fitness they wish they had, instead of the fitness they actually have. I rode Sierra to the Sea with a friend. He is one of those technophiles who wants everything new, and he has some kind of whizbang titanium bike, with some kind of superlight wheels (one of whose hubs cracked during the ride, and of course there was no way to fix it, so he just continued on with what he said was considerable drag). He had what to me seemed to be absurdly high gears given the ride, although he did not do the steepest hills I did. I think his low was probably twice as high as my ridiculously low low. But after the ride, he emailed me about getting lower gears. Good choice. It would be great if we could get a Riv contingent on Sierra to the Sea. We could show another riding esthetic, opposed to the go-go-go esthetic that some of the fast riders have. Nothing wrong with going fast, or wanting to go fast, as your entire purpose of riding, if that's the way you feel. But it doesn't hurt to show people another way of thinking about riding. On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 4:10 PM, dougP doug...@cox.net javascript: wrote: Thanks for the write-up. I plan to mark my calendar for next year (never too early to plan). That's a wonderful area for cycling. Last year, a charity I'm involved in did a week long tour through that area, and Sweetwater Springs was an optional route. We also used some interesting hills in the Napa Valley. The only grumbles we heard were from folks with compact doubles and standard racing bike gearing who were unhappy
Re: [RBW] Re: [BOB] ISO large **non saddlebag loop** seat wedge big enough to carry a 1 qt water container + a 20 oz water bottle.
Wow. Thats a LOT of water. I've done 8 hour runs in the Canyon Lands at low humidity and 100˚F as the high (starting off at 6am, returning at 2pm), with 40 oz. of water, without being extra thirsty on arrival. This may seem a silly question, but do you breathe through you mouth, nose, or a combo? Nose breathing dramatically decreases water loss. Natives living and running the desert would fill their mouths with water and run for hours, having to show the elders at the destination village the mouth of water before they could swallow. You said you like challenges on your bike? There's one for you. Grin. With abandon, Patrick On Sunday, June 30, 2013 7:45:37 PM UTC-6, Patrick Moore wrote: Not, alas, with just one set of bottle cage braze-ons. And even 60oz -- heck, even 84 oz: 3 x 28 oz -- isn't enough for me for a 25 mile ride in upper-90s, 5% humidity. Patrick Moore iPhone On Jun 30, 2013, at 7:39 PM, Peter Morgano uscpet...@gmail.comjavascript: wrote: Can't you just carry 3 20oz bottles in cages? I am not sure if that's enough, I have never ridden in the desert. On Jun 30, 2013 9:34 PM, Patrick Moore bert...@gmail.com javascript: wrote: Paul -- thanks for this additional information and perspective. No Vaude system, I'm afraid -- aesthetic compulsions. I want as much as possible to keep the lean and clean look, as well as avoid all unneeded weight -- as light as the bike is with just the small seat wedge, it climbs magnificently with the 75 fixed gear. This is a special purpose bike, and the larger bag capacity is solely to allow additional water carriage in hot, dry weather. The Super C saddle bag looks like the ideal, but -- should you care to consider it -- I would be interested in learning how much you might want for that Banjo Brothers Saddle Trunk. I've found that a nice musette (mine, Dubonnet, from Velo Retro) can cover a multitude of carriage sins, but it would be nice to have a 6-to-8 liter wedge that fits nicely under the saddle. On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 7:14 PM, Paul Brodek p...@skyweb.netjavascript: wrote: Wood tightened firmly against rails does tend to hold things in place, but transverse dowels will get you more thigh action. Smaller/narrower bags (Acorn, Frost River, Riv Banana) can snug up well and stay outta the way better, but don't hold as much. I've had a Prima Maxi for a while, works OK but for 2 buts. Firstly, I found the plastic buckles didn't prevent the nylon straps from slipping. I burned a couple holes in the strap behind the buckles and another couple in the straps, then installed a bolt through each buckle side pointing upwards. Slip strap hole over bolt, no more slipping. Should have an eyelet in the strap hole to make it neater/easier. Attached a piccy to illustrate, bolt installation on top, strap over bolt on bottom. Should have fished the bottom strap through the buckle first, but you should be able to figure it out. On modern saddles the bolts are long enough to lightly contact glutes when sliding back off saddle to descend, a bit weird I suppose, they don't protrude from under Brooks saddles IIRC. Second but is you really wanna use the bottom straps around seatstays to securely anchor the bag, and I'm not thrilled with the idea of wrapping straps around good paint. Beater bikes I got no probs, but not happy doing it with pretty ones. Also have a Banjo Bros Saddle Trunk, haven't used it in a while, don't rightly recall how she goes. IIRC it worked OK, but it didn't wow me and I haven't used it in forever and a day. I've used a Vaude seatpost bag/rack trunk, that klik-fix mounts to the seatpost. I know you're talking no bolt-on stuff, but the klik-fix mount is quick to install, doesn't get in the way when the bag is off, and though there's a little bit o' rattle there's no sway and the bag goes on/off real quick-like. There's also the quick-release seatpost racks, have a Topeak with Banjo Bros rack trunk on a 650b-converted Marinoni trail bike. Stays out of the way better than a transverse bag, quicker to install/remove than an under-seat bag... Oh, the tyranny of choice! Paul Brodek Hillsdale, NJ USA On Sunday, June 30, 2013 6:31:40 PM UTC-4, Patrick Moore wrote: Well, Paul, the strap directly to the rails ploy seems to work, at least for the small Junior. I don't care for how the dowel is right up against my thighs (I have my saddles slammed all the way back) but it does work. I did use another Junior on this bike some years ago, but using Cyclo loops. I think, though, that I'd prefer the smaller, 5 liter Carradice Prima Maxi on this gofast -- the Junior is really, at 9 liters, too big -- and I'd really prefer 8 or 9 liters on the Fargo. I should have kept my last SQR, but I'm going to try to rig something up for the Fargo so that the C P Maxi can go to the gofast. The more I consider the Super C
[RBW] Re: Well that was Stupid. (SuperMoon S240 Recap.)
Manny: ...the horrible time you had. BUT you kept the shutter clicking, captured the essence of your adventure. Had you not posted anything word leaked out about a trip so bad you wouldn't talk about it, THAT would be cause for alarm! Just seeing Chin's backpack was painful. He looks young fit, but perhaps you could suggest a rack for next time? Even a cheap rack some crappy panniers could improve his enjoyment. dougP On Wednesday, June 26, 2013 8:56:17 AM UTC-7, Manuel Acosta wrote: Not all great adventures are memorable for the things you want it to be. Sometimes they are memorable because of the horrible time you had... Pictures Proved it was stupid and miserable: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjGmF74X -Manny Well that sucked. Kinda. Acosta -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Re: LBS Love...
Patrick: I like to do my own stuff, and my Atlantis is built up fairly simply (standard Rivendell stuff) so I can fix it on tour, if needed. In 10 years, it's only been worked on once, for a new headset. The shop was recommended by a friend I'd gotten to know the guys before having any needs. If you've found someplace where they appreciate what you've got are not puzzled by it (what kinda brakes are those?), they'll probably do just fine. dougP On Friday, June 28, 2013 2:02:15 PM UTC-7, Deacon Patrick wrote: Broke a spoke (no idea how, but a loud sproing-crack troubadoured it's presence on a fast descent (I may have hit something, but have no idea). Rode the ten miles down to the LBS after cutting off the spoke at the nipple. It was fascinating. This was the first time I'd had the Hunqapillar in my LBS since receiving it last April, a little over a year ago. Every single person, customers and employees, on the walk back to the work area commented on how great and classic the bike is. One employee, after working on it, lamented as I paid that They don't make them like that any more. They do, actually. You just have to go to Rivendell to get it. This is just over a year old. Stunned silence. Still not sure if that's where I should go in the future, but at least this was the fairly simple job of spoke and brake replacement. How do you all figure out where to take your Riv. for servicing? I've already ruled out several shops that are closer or equidistant. There is one I'm pretty sure would do a great job for another mile or so. With abandon, Patrick *www.MindYourHeadCoop.org* *www.OurHolyConception.org* -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: [RBW] Big Sur Tour
Yes to all of your sentiment. I loved my job for a week of pedaling :-) Hugh Sunland, Ca On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 6:25 PM, dougP dougpn...@cox.net wrote: The joy of bike touring is the simplicity of bike-eat-sleep, with your whole world right there in a few bags. dougP On Wednesday, June 26, 2013 10:48:43 AM UTC-7, hsmitham wrote: Thanks Perry! The ride was great. Everyday my job was to pedal nothing else to be concerned about. Pure joy. ~Hugh Hugh Sunland, Ca On Mon, Jun 24, 2013 at 3:04 AM, bobish bob...@gmail.com wrote: Well done! Love the photos, especially. And the beard. Mustn't forget. Kudos to the beard! :) Perry -- You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/** topic/rbw-owners-bunch/**edQHMqIB7T0/unsubscribehttps://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/edQHMqIB7T0/unsubscribe . To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@**googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.**com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/**group/rbw-owners-bunchhttp://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch . For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/**groups/opt_outhttps://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out . -- You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/edQHMqIB7T0/unsubscribe . To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: [RBW] Re: Big Sur Tour
Thanks Doug, I learned a great deal not the least of take more days off, reduce miles per day so you can soak it all in I.E. take more pictures,camp more, bring less clothing as if you bring the right stuff you can wash dry quickly. I enjoyed meeting different cyclotourists and especially enjoyed the diversity of machines they choose to ride. Hugh Sunland, Ca On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 6:20 PM, dougP dougpn...@cox.net wrote: Hugh: You really are the man with the camera. Great photos. I can guess which bikes belong to the Belgian couple. Trekking bars a full complement of Ortleibs (in red or black, rarely yellow) are the giveaway. For ...not really a loaded touring bike I'll guess the Hilsen did just fine. It sure looks the part with those beautiful Tubus racks. Don't you love the variety of bikes camping gear people use? A couple of friends have Novarra Sarfaris and one guy was musing on doing the Xtracycle thing. Now I can point him to a photo. Of course, no one is set up like that guy with the giant trailer! People like that make the world a much more interesting place. dougP On Sunday, June 23, 2013 6:38:17 AM UTC-7, hsmitham wrote: My Brother Bruce and I have been planning a cyclotour from San Francisco to Paso Robles for months and all the planning paid off. On June 14thBruce picked me up in LA loaded up the bikes and headed for Paso Robles where we were planning to catch the Amtrak coast starlight to Oakland. The Coast Star Light was 20 minutes late and when it arrived the chief conductor said we could not bring our bikes aboard as we had not made reservations for boxes. If we had all we’d have needed to do was remove the pedals and loosen the handlebars and roll it into the box provided. Needless to say we were in a bind, what to do? It was Friday on graduation weekend and 5:30pm most of the rental car establishments were closing and the ones that were open had no cars to rent especially one way. We rented a Camry in SLO for $100 a day drove back to Paso and dropped off our car stuffed the tour bikes in the Camry and make it to the Clarion Hotel in Oakland at midnight my front fender took a hit and was bent awkwardly. The following day we jumped on BART and headed to RivHQ. How can you be so close to the epicenter of relaxed common sense cycling and not stop in? It was mandatory. We made some repairs and final purchases met with Will, Sean, Scott, Harry the man behind it all Grant who was busy on a photo shoot preparing for a BW catalogue. Harry Scott helped us Google map a route over to Pigeon Point Lighthouse and Grant humored me with a pose with the loaded Hilsen and said “the Hilsen’s not really a loaded tour bike”. But he felt it would handle just fine. We finally made our way back to the BART albeit late and headed for San Bruno. From there we promptly got confused as the Beta bicycle map feature lead us along a bikeway of enumerable (Lesson carry a map) turns and eventually lead us up to a closed bridge near Crystal Springs Reservoir. Fortunately we met a local cyclist who got us straightened out and we were on our way to Half Moon Bay via the 92 (note to self never take this route again) which had little to no shoulder lots of traffic and was windy. We stopped in Half Moon Bay refueled with sandwiches and continued to our Light house destination for the evening. The next day was our big mileage day 70 miles to the Marina area just north of Monterey via the farm lands of Castroville and Watsonville. The Ramada provided us with warm showers great beds and a breakfast in the morning where we loaded up with instant oatmeal and peanut butter for our two days in the Sur. We both agreed that night’s pizza “The Luau” was the best ever! Our third day of riding took us through Monterey and Caramels 17 mile drive which if by car there was a fee and if by bicycle well we just rolled through the gate another benefit of being on a bicycle. I’ve got to say that this stretch is amazing as there are no large cliffs and reminds me of La Jolla in San Diego. We made a pit stop at the grocery store at the south end of Carmel to load up on supplies, Dutch Crunch bread, fresh fruit and other essentials. One of my fender nuts had fallen off and there was an Ace Hardware store where I conveniently got a replacement. We continued on for another 26 miles to the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park hike bike camp located a bit away from the water but none the less beautiful as it was in a Redwood grove and $5 per person, warm showers and Velo-culture abounded, it was like riding into a cyclo city just awesome! We met so many great people. Next morning we made our way toward Kirk Creek Camp which was situated near the water and a bit exposed. The thing was that the hike and bike area had been overtaken by car campers as they liked the location and we were relegated to a typical car camp spot, that didn’t dampen our mood as
