Re: [RBW] Re: Am I thinking practically? Riv for all seasons

[Patrick Moore]

MacKenzy has a good point. A Rivendell is valuable enough for its design,
ride, quality, and style that -- I think, depending on one's finances and
responsibilities -- one can justify owning one simply for the pleasure of
having a truly wonderful bike to ride; utilitarian considerations come
second, or at least take a lesser place than, perhaps, with other bikes
less distinctive.

As to riding it in harsh conditions: I've never ridden in heavily salted
urban weather conditions -- I have ridden in snow enough to know something
about what it is like; recall the snow packing up under the fender at the
brake bridge on my first Road Custom on at least a couple of winter
commutes to work. But this was rare and, in any event, no salt.

OTOH, I converted that custom and the next but one (2003 Curt) to regular
commuting duties as fixed gears, in the first case personally removing
unneeded braze ons, and in the second, having a builder do it more
elegantly. (Conversion 1 actually turned out quite well, though.) In the
case of the 2003, the clean, shiny bike was hanging on the wall while most
of my cross-town commutes were on a (nice) beater, and I said, "Hey, that
makes no sense," so I turned it into a commuter to enjoy it a lot more, and
so it happened. This 2003 often got slung on cross-town bus bike racks, and
locked up at public parking racks, so it got a few bumps and scuffs.

So, I think that, if I were in the OP's position, I'd have a Riv (or
equivalent custom) dedicated to commuting, build it up to be as
maintenance-free and cheap to maintain as possible (fixed gears wonderful
for this), and simply be careful about washing and wiping it down in the
harsh season.

OTOH again, I wouldn't trust to the oddity of a Rivendell to protect it
from theft. And, depending on your riding preferences, you can certainly
make a very wonderful commuter out of much less expensive and cherishable
bikes. I've ridden many a nice errand beater, but the 2 I wish I'd kept are
(1) the very early Raleigh Technium sports tourer, flexy, heavy, cushy,
fixed conversion, great fun with (then) "fat" 32s (that's the one I used to
pull the child trailer), and a pre-susp, NORBA-type top-end DB mountain
bike, fixed conversion with White ENO hub and 60 mm Big Apple tires, 64" or
65" gear, and 46 cm Noodles. A really wonderful all rounder.

(Aside: I didn't own it during one of our more snowy years, but I did ride
it in snow and on ice patches, and I can heartily recommend a British
Racing Trike as the ultimate winter riding machine. Ice? No worries!  It's
also a 2-wheels-good / 3-wheels-better grocery vehicle, with a huge
saddlebag -- mine was a Riv Hoss. And I wonder what a prospective thief
would think at seeing a BRT ...?)

But none as nice as commuters as custom Riv road bikes!

On Tue, Mar 15, 2022 at 1:00 PM Mackenzy Albright <
mackenzy.albri...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I'd suggest not overthinking or overly justifying the purchase of a
> Rivendell. If you're keen and really are into that style of bike and afford
> it just go for it. I finally picked up a second hand clem L from a user
> here and the details on the frame are astounding. I love the mixte style
> bikes and have wanted one for quite some time. Happy I did and cant wait to
> be able to get it built and into my riding rotation. Plus, It's always easy
> to set up something less precious for locking up or grimy days.
>

-- 
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 view this discussion on the web visit 
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfgtW-7HTcNtOetndcFiArLL%3DpOfb8Xck7MP3w0vAkqxOKg%40mail.gmail.com.

Re: [RBW] Re: Am I thinking practically? Riv for all seasons

[Jason Fuller]

A Clem set up with utilitarian parts for winter riding combined with a 
Hillborne with higher end parts for summer riding sounds pretty awesome, 
thinking about it!

I bet that long wheelbase on the Clem (and Joe) would handle real nice in 
snow, too 

On Tuesday, 15 March 2022 at 12:00:00 UTC-7 Mackenzy Albright wrote:

> I'd suggest not overthinking or overly justifying the purchase of a 
> Rivendell. If you're keen and really are into that style of bike and afford 
> it just go for it. I finally picked up a second hand clem L from a user 
> here and the details on the frame are astounding. I love the mixte style 
> bikes and have wanted one for quite some time. Happy I did and cant wait to 
> be able to get it built and into my riding rotation. Plus, It's always easy 
> to set up something less precious for locking up or grimy days. 
>
> On Tuesday, March 15, 2022 at 8:35:03 AM UTC-6 trevor@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> Thanks for all the replies. I have basically come to accept that any Riv 
>> I get will need to be N+1 for now. My current commuter is a 1x9 running 
>> disc brakes and 700x42 (though I dabbled with 650x48 for a blink). I will 
>> likely keep that around for the time being. The evasion is pretty awesome 
>> for riding, but its not especially a bike I want to lock up for any period 
>> of time. As often as a Riv is, it doesn't strike me as a theft-magnet, 
>> especially where I live.
>>
>> I always find it so fascinating how different people view this topic. I 
>> appreciate the comments about going through parts/drivetrains, which I have 
>> definitely experienced some on my current and former winter set ups. When I 
>> had my Steamroller set up with v-brakes, the brakes themselves only lasted 
>> a winter before they succumbed to rust. Fortunately, where I live now, they 
>> don't salt the roads so that will be less of a concern, regardless of bike 
>> choice. 
>> On Monday, March 14, 2022 at 12:55:27 PM UTC-6 Mackenzy Albright wrote:
>>
>>> I am also a canadian - Edmonton Alberta. For winter commuting I used to 
>>> use a salsa elmariachi 29er single speed. That was 10 years ago when it'd 
>>> get cold and stay cold and conditions were stable. I find the last 3 years 
>>> there's been a lot of freeze thaw which produces more ice patches, sludge, 
>>> grime, and general unpredictable conditions. 
>>>
>>> I used to ride 80's mtbs which I love, but always have so many quirks. I 
>>> ended up ordering a custom SSFG MTB frame from marino bike to double as a 
>>> winter/ single track MTB. A mix of a surly 1x1 and crust evasion. It was 
>>> cheaper than buying a surly frame and fork and designed it around parts I 
>>> had in a bin. It's an incredible simple bike and I enjoy the fixed with 
>>> hydraulic front brake that is very reliable in all conditions. I just load 
>>> everything down with fluid film and it cleans up nicely in the spring. 
>>>
>>> I also recently acquired a ClemL. I just sit on it half built in my 
>>> living room imagining warm weather and sunshine. I am in love - and can 
>>> tell it'll be amazing once the steel rot snow sludge is gone. 
>>>
>>> I've admitted to myself that I needed multiple bikes in Edmonton. It was 
>>> easier to have only a few living in victoria/west coast with more mild 
>>> weather. 
>>>
>>> On Monday, March 14, 2022 at 11:54:17 AM UTC-6 jmlmu...@gmail.com wrote:
>>>
 +1 on the Hillborne. It’s really a swiss-army knife bike! 

 On Mar 14, 2022, at 10:48 AM, J S  wrote:

 I would not rule out a Hillborne. 



 On Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 12:42:34 PM UTC-4 trevor@gmail.com 
 wrote:

> First time posting here. Not yet an owner, but working on it!
>
> A few years back, I sold my year round commuter (a Surly Steamroller 
> with custom Canti mounts) in favour of a bike with disc brakes, thinking 
> that would be the way to go for all-season riding. For reference, I live 
> in 
> the middle of Canada where we have snow up to 6 months of the year, with 
> temperatures hovering well below -20C for a lot of that.
>
> I've recently been eyeing up the Joe Appaloosa as a contender for my 
> next bike. The idea is that it would be commuter as well as tourer/light 
> trail/etc. There would be some overlap with other bikes, but I am going 
> to 
> be honest and say that I am smitten with that bike.
>
> Does anyone have any experience riding their Riv in awful wintery 
> conditions? I've survived on 33c CX tires before, so that aspect of the 
> bike is less of a concern. I am mostly thinking about the rim brake 
> concerns and any other things to watch out for. Or maybe I am just trying 
> to coax myself into moving distinctly into N+1 territory. 
>
> I would be happy to hear any thoughts about riding Rivs in awful 
> winter conditions.
>
 -- 
 You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google 
 

Re: [RBW] Re: Am I thinking practically? Riv for all seasons

[Mackenzy Albright]

I'd suggest not overthinking or overly justifying the purchase of a 
Rivendell. If you're keen and really are into that style of bike and afford 
it just go for it. I finally picked up a second hand clem L from a user 
here and the details on the frame are astounding. I love the mixte style 
bikes and have wanted one for quite some time. Happy I did and cant wait to 
be able to get it built and into my riding rotation. Plus, It's always easy 
to set up something less precious for locking up or grimy days. 

On Tuesday, March 15, 2022 at 8:35:03 AM UTC-6 trevor@gmail.com wrote:

> Thanks for all the replies. I have basically come to accept that any Riv I 
> get will need to be N+1 for now. My current commuter is a 1x9 running disc 
> brakes and 700x42 (though I dabbled with 650x48 for a blink). I will likely 
> keep that around for the time being. The evasion is pretty awesome for 
> riding, but its not especially a bike I want to lock up for any period of 
> time. As often as a Riv is, it doesn't strike me as a theft-magnet, 
> especially where I live.
>
> I always find it so fascinating how different people view this topic. I 
> appreciate the comments about going through parts/drivetrains, which I have 
> definitely experienced some on my current and former winter set ups. When I 
> had my Steamroller set up with v-brakes, the brakes themselves only lasted 
> a winter before they succumbed to rust. Fortunately, where I live now, they 
> don't salt the roads so that will be less of a concern, regardless of bike 
> choice. 
> On Monday, March 14, 2022 at 12:55:27 PM UTC-6 Mackenzy Albright wrote:
>
>> I am also a canadian - Edmonton Alberta. For winter commuting I used to 
>> use a salsa elmariachi 29er single speed. That was 10 years ago when it'd 
>> get cold and stay cold and conditions were stable. I find the last 3 years 
>> there's been a lot of freeze thaw which produces more ice patches, sludge, 
>> grime, and general unpredictable conditions. 
>>
>> I used to ride 80's mtbs which I love, but always have so many quirks. I 
>> ended up ordering a custom SSFG MTB frame from marino bike to double as a 
>> winter/ single track MTB. A mix of a surly 1x1 and crust evasion. It was 
>> cheaper than buying a surly frame and fork and designed it around parts I 
>> had in a bin. It's an incredible simple bike and I enjoy the fixed with 
>> hydraulic front brake that is very reliable in all conditions. I just load 
>> everything down with fluid film and it cleans up nicely in the spring. 
>>
>> I also recently acquired a ClemL. I just sit on it half built in my 
>> living room imagining warm weather and sunshine. I am in love - and can 
>> tell it'll be amazing once the steel rot snow sludge is gone. 
>>
>> I've admitted to myself that I needed multiple bikes in Edmonton. It was 
>> easier to have only a few living in victoria/west coast with more mild 
>> weather. 
>>
>> On Monday, March 14, 2022 at 11:54:17 AM UTC-6 jmlmu...@gmail.com wrote:
>>
>>> +1 on the Hillborne. It’s really a swiss-army knife bike! 
>>>
>>> On Mar 14, 2022, at 10:48 AM, J S  wrote:
>>>
>>> I would not rule out a Hillborne. 
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 12:42:34 PM UTC-4 trevor@gmail.com 
>>> wrote:
>>>
 First time posting here. Not yet an owner, but working on it!

 A few years back, I sold my year round commuter (a Surly Steamroller 
 with custom Canti mounts) in favour of a bike with disc brakes, thinking 
 that would be the way to go for all-season riding. For reference, I live 
 in 
 the middle of Canada where we have snow up to 6 months of the year, with 
 temperatures hovering well below -20C for a lot of that.

 I've recently been eyeing up the Joe Appaloosa as a contender for my 
 next bike. The idea is that it would be commuter as well as tourer/light 
 trail/etc. There would be some overlap with other bikes, but I am going to 
 be honest and say that I am smitten with that bike.

 Does anyone have any experience riding their Riv in awful wintery 
 conditions? I've survived on 33c CX tires before, so that aspect of the 
 bike is less of a concern. I am mostly thinking about the rim brake 
 concerns and any other things to watch out for. Or maybe I am just trying 
 to coax myself into moving distinctly into N+1 territory. 

 I would be happy to hear any thoughts about riding Rivs in awful winter 
 conditions.

>>> -- 
>>> 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 view this discussion on the web visit 
>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/5cf61b00-0b08-4987-b590-9ac2d7188dcen%40googlegroups.com
>>>  
>>> 

Re: [RBW] Re: Am I thinking practically? Riv for all seasons

[Trevor Oleniuk]

Thanks for all the replies. I have basically come to accept that any Riv I 
get will need to be N+1 for now. My current commuter is a 1x9 running disc 
brakes and 700x42 (though I dabbled with 650x48 for a blink). I will likely 
keep that around for the time being. The evasion is pretty awesome for 
riding, but its not especially a bike I want to lock up for any period of 
time. As often as a Riv is, it doesn't strike me as a theft-magnet, 
especially where I live.

I always find it so fascinating how different people view this topic. I 
appreciate the comments about going through parts/drivetrains, which I have 
definitely experienced some on my current and former winter set ups. When I 
had my Steamroller set up with v-brakes, the brakes themselves only lasted 
a winter before they succumbed to rust. Fortunately, where I live now, they 
don't salt the roads so that will be less of a concern, regardless of bike 
choice. 
On Monday, March 14, 2022 at 12:55:27 PM UTC-6 Mackenzy Albright wrote:

> I am also a canadian - Edmonton Alberta. For winter commuting I used to 
> use a salsa elmariachi 29er single speed. That was 10 years ago when it'd 
> get cold and stay cold and conditions were stable. I find the last 3 years 
> there's been a lot of freeze thaw which produces more ice patches, sludge, 
> grime, and general unpredictable conditions. 
>
> I used to ride 80's mtbs which I love, but always have so many quirks. I 
> ended up ordering a custom SSFG MTB frame from marino bike to double as a 
> winter/ single track MTB. A mix of a surly 1x1 and crust evasion. It was 
> cheaper than buying a surly frame and fork and designed it around parts I 
> had in a bin. It's an incredible simple bike and I enjoy the fixed with 
> hydraulic front brake that is very reliable in all conditions. I just load 
> everything down with fluid film and it cleans up nicely in the spring. 
>
> I also recently acquired a ClemL. I just sit on it half built in my living 
> room imagining warm weather and sunshine. I am in love - and can tell it'll 
> be amazing once the steel rot snow sludge is gone. 
>
> I've admitted to myself that I needed multiple bikes in Edmonton. It was 
> easier to have only a few living in victoria/west coast with more mild 
> weather. 
>
> On Monday, March 14, 2022 at 11:54:17 AM UTC-6 jmlmu...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> +1 on the Hillborne. It’s really a swiss-army knife bike! 
>>
>> On Mar 14, 2022, at 10:48 AM, J S  wrote:
>>
>> I would not rule out a Hillborne. 
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 12:42:34 PM UTC-4 trevor@gmail.com 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> First time posting here. Not yet an owner, but working on it!
>>>
>>> A few years back, I sold my year round commuter (a Surly Steamroller 
>>> with custom Canti mounts) in favour of a bike with disc brakes, thinking 
>>> that would be the way to go for all-season riding. For reference, I live in 
>>> the middle of Canada where we have snow up to 6 months of the year, with 
>>> temperatures hovering well below -20C for a lot of that.
>>>
>>> I've recently been eyeing up the Joe Appaloosa as a contender for my 
>>> next bike. The idea is that it would be commuter as well as tourer/light 
>>> trail/etc. There would be some overlap with other bikes, but I am going to 
>>> be honest and say that I am smitten with that bike.
>>>
>>> Does anyone have any experience riding their Riv in awful wintery 
>>> conditions? I've survived on 33c CX tires before, so that aspect of the 
>>> bike is less of a concern. I am mostly thinking about the rim brake 
>>> concerns and any other things to watch out for. Or maybe I am just trying 
>>> to coax myself into moving distinctly into N+1 territory. 
>>>
>>> I would be happy to hear any thoughts about riding Rivs in awful winter 
>>> conditions.
>>>
>> -- 
>> 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 view this discussion on the web visit 
>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/5cf61b00-0b08-4987-b590-9ac2d7188dcen%40googlegroups.com
>>  
>> 
>> .
>>
>>

-- 
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 view this discussion on the web visit 
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/6a0c454e-181f-4839-b506-6897c20464dcn%40googlegroups.com.

Re: [RBW] Re: Am I thinking practically? Riv for all seasons

[Mackenzy Albright]

I am also a canadian - Edmonton Alberta. For winter commuting I used to use 
a salsa elmariachi 29er single speed. That was 10 years ago when it'd get 
cold and stay cold and conditions were stable. I find the last 3 years 
there's been a lot of freeze thaw which produces more ice patches, sludge, 
grime, and general unpredictable conditions. 

I used to ride 80's mtbs which I love, but always have so many quirks. I 
ended up ordering a custom SSFG MTB frame from marino bike to double as a 
winter/ single track MTB. A mix of a surly 1x1 and crust evasion. It was 
cheaper than buying a surly frame and fork and designed it around parts I 
had in a bin. It's an incredible simple bike and I enjoy the fixed with 
hydraulic front brake that is very reliable in all conditions. I just load 
everything down with fluid film and it cleans up nicely in the spring. 

I also recently acquired a ClemL. I just sit on it half built in my living 
room imagining warm weather and sunshine. I am in love - and can tell it'll 
be amazing once the steel rot snow sludge is gone. 

I've admitted to myself that I needed multiple bikes in Edmonton. It was 
easier to have only a few living in victoria/west coast with more mild 
weather. 

On Monday, March 14, 2022 at 11:54:17 AM UTC-6 jmlmu...@gmail.com wrote:

> +1 on the Hillborne. It’s really a swiss-army knife bike! 
>
> On Mar 14, 2022, at 10:48 AM, J S  wrote:
>
> I would not rule out a Hillborne. 
>
>
>
> On Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 12:42:34 PM UTC-4 trevor@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> First time posting here. Not yet an owner, but working on it!
>>
>> A few years back, I sold my year round commuter (a Surly Steamroller with 
>> custom Canti mounts) in favour of a bike with disc brakes, thinking that 
>> would be the way to go for all-season riding. For reference, I live in the 
>> middle of Canada where we have snow up to 6 months of the year, with 
>> temperatures hovering well below -20C for a lot of that.
>>
>> I've recently been eyeing up the Joe Appaloosa as a contender for my next 
>> bike. The idea is that it would be commuter as well as tourer/light 
>> trail/etc. There would be some overlap with other bikes, but I am going to 
>> be honest and say that I am smitten with that bike.
>>
>> Does anyone have any experience riding their Riv in awful wintery 
>> conditions? I've survived on 33c CX tires before, so that aspect of the 
>> bike is less of a concern. I am mostly thinking about the rim brake 
>> concerns and any other things to watch out for. Or maybe I am just trying 
>> to coax myself into moving distinctly into N+1 territory. 
>>
>> I would be happy to hear any thoughts about riding Rivs in awful winter 
>> conditions.
>>
> -- 
> 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 view this discussion on the web visit 
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/5cf61b00-0b08-4987-b590-9ac2d7188dcen%40googlegroups.com
>  
> 
> .
>
>

-- 
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 view this discussion on the web visit 
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/f8be6ccd-e2ab-4fb5-9fba-1a7259fa941cn%40googlegroups.com.

Re: [RBW] Re: Am I thinking practically? Riv for all seasons

[Joe Mullins]

+1 on the Hillborne. It’s really a swiss-army knife bike! 

> On Mar 14, 2022, at 10:48 AM, J S  wrote:
> 
> I would not rule out a Hillborne. 
> 
>> On Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 12:42:34 PM UTC-4 trevor@gmail.com wrote:
>> First time posting here. Not yet an owner, but working on it!
>> 
>> A few years back, I sold my year round commuter (a Surly Steamroller with 
>> custom Canti mounts) in favour of a bike with disc brakes, thinking that 
>> would be the way to go for all-season riding. For reference, I live in the 
>> middle of Canada where we have snow up to 6 months of the year, with 
>> temperatures hovering well below -20C for a lot of that.
>> 
>> I've recently been eyeing up the Joe Appaloosa as a contender for my next 
>> bike. The idea is that it would be commuter as well as tourer/light 
>> trail/etc. There would be some overlap with other bikes, but I am going to 
>> be honest and say that I am smitten with that bike.
>> 
>> Does anyone have any experience riding their Riv in awful wintery 
>> conditions? I've survived on 33c CX tires before, so that aspect of the bike 
>> is less of a concern. I am mostly thinking about the rim brake concerns and 
>> any other things to watch out for. Or maybe I am just trying to coax myself 
>> into moving distinctly into N+1 territory. 
>> 
>> I would be happy to hear any thoughts about riding Rivs in awful winter 
>> conditions.
> 
> -- 
> 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 view this discussion on the web visit 
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/5cf61b00-0b08-4987-b590-9ac2d7188dcen%40googlegroups.com.

-- 
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 view this discussion on the web visit 
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/64E78F7C-E895-4FB2-A0E3-D93CF4EB84F4%40gmail.com.

[RBW] Re: Am I thinking practically? Riv for all seasons

[J S]

I would not rule out a Hillborne. 

On Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 12:42:34 PM UTC-4 trevor@gmail.com wrote:

> First time posting here. Not yet an owner, but working on it!
>
> A few years back, I sold my year round commuter (a Surly Steamroller with 
> custom Canti mounts) in favour of a bike with disc brakes, thinking that 
> would be the way to go for all-season riding. For reference, I live in the 
> middle of Canada where we have snow up to 6 months of the year, with 
> temperatures hovering well below -20C for a lot of that.
>
> I've recently been eyeing up the Joe Appaloosa as a contender for my next 
> bike. The idea is that it would be commuter as well as tourer/light 
> trail/etc. There would be some overlap with other bikes, but I am going to 
> be honest and say that I am smitten with that bike.
>
> Does anyone have any experience riding their Riv in awful wintery 
> conditions? I've survived on 33c CX tires before, so that aspect of the 
> bike is less of a concern. I am mostly thinking about the rim brake 
> concerns and any other things to watch out for. Or maybe I am just trying 
> to coax myself into moving distinctly into N+1 territory. 
>
> I would be happy to hear any thoughts about riding Rivs in awful winter 
> conditions.
>

-- 
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 view this discussion on the web visit 
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/5cf61b00-0b08-4987-b590-9ac2d7188dcen%40googlegroups.com.

[RBW] Re: Am I thinking practically? Riv for all seasons

[Den John]

I agree with Ian from Alberta. I've used a variety of old 80s-90s 
non-suspension MTBs for commuting the past few years. There aren't many 
better 
bikes for commuting as long as they have mudguard and rack mounts. 
Components will suffer in the winter, so stick with basic stuff. Steel 
chainrings might be good idea. I currently have a specialized stumpjumper 
converted to 650B with 42mm tyres. 

If you do decide to use a Rivendell, get the best mudguards you can. I 
bought some Gilles Berthoud stainless guards a couple of years ago and it 
is remarkable how much difference they make keeping the frame clean in 
horrible conditions. 

Another consideration is what your bike storage at work is like. I found 
that my employer has a secure underground bike storage that is little used, 
so I'd be ok with storing a nice bike there. Previously I locked up my bike 
at a crowded bike rack in a train station, and then at a public bike rack 
used by students. I wouldn't want to do that with my nice bikes. 

Cheers,
Johnny

On Monday, 14 March 2022 at 09:04:02 UTC+1 Ian A wrote:

> I'm in Alberta and in the past ten years I have lived here, I have winter 
> commuted on an 80's Rocky Mountain MTB with 26"x2" Schwalbe Ice Spikers. 
> The bike has held up well, but all components have to be considered 
> sacrificial as the winter is hard on the bike. I ran it as a 2x6 for the 
> first ~six years, then converted it to a single speed (50x20) and it does 
> well. Hauls groceries and commutes in the winter and hauls groceries, 
> commutes and gets locked up around town in the summer!
>
> My nice bikes don't do the winter stuff. The grit, salt, spring thaw 
> puddles etc are just too wear inducing. I rebuild the Rocky periodically 
> and has never let me down. I would say the Appaloosa would handle the 
> winter conditions well, but keeping it nice for Spring/Summer/Fall touring, 
> commuting, errands etc and a slightly more sacrificial winter bike that you 
> can still be fond of is the way to go.
>
> IanA Alberta Canada
> On Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 10:42:34 AM UTC-6 trevor@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> First time posting here. Not yet an owner, but working on it!
>>
>> A few years back, I sold my year round commuter (a Surly Steamroller with 
>> custom Canti mounts) in favour of a bike with disc brakes, thinking that 
>> would be the way to go for all-season riding. For reference, I live in the 
>> middle of Canada where we have snow up to 6 months of the year, with 
>> temperatures hovering well below -20C for a lot of that.
>>
>> I've recently been eyeing up the Joe Appaloosa as a contender for my next 
>> bike. The idea is that it would be commuter as well as tourer/light 
>> trail/etc. There would be some overlap with other bikes, but I am going to 
>> be honest and say that I am smitten with that bike.
>>
>> Does anyone have any experience riding their Riv in awful wintery 
>> conditions? I've survived on 33c CX tires before, so that aspect of the 
>> bike is less of a concern. I am mostly thinking about the rim brake 
>> concerns and any other things to watch out for. Or maybe I am just trying 
>> to coax myself into moving distinctly into N+1 territory. 
>>
>> I would be happy to hear any thoughts about riding Rivs in awful winter 
>> conditions.
>>
>

-- 
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 view this discussion on the web visit 
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/af205df1-96b1-41fa-a6f2-2ef0975b6681n%40googlegroups.com.

[RBW] Re: Am I thinking practically? Riv for all seasons

[Ian A]

I'm in Alberta and in the past ten years I have lived here, I have winter 
commuted on an 80's Rocky Mountain MTB with 26"x2" Schwalbe Ice Spikers. 
The bike has held up well, but all components have to be considered 
sacrificial as the winter is hard on the bike. I ran it as a 2x6 for the 
first ~six years, then converted it to a single speed (50x20) and it does 
well. Hauls groceries and commutes in the winter and hauls groceries, 
commutes and gets locked up around town in the summer!

My nice bikes don't do the winter stuff. The grit, salt, spring thaw 
puddles etc are just too wear inducing. I rebuild the Rocky periodically 
and has never let me down. I would say the Appaloosa would handle the 
winter conditions well, but keeping it nice for Spring/Summer/Fall touring, 
commuting, errands etc and a slightly more sacrificial winter bike that you 
can still be fond of is the way to go.

IanA Alberta Canada
On Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 10:42:34 AM UTC-6 trevor@gmail.com wrote:

> First time posting here. Not yet an owner, but working on it!
>
> A few years back, I sold my year round commuter (a Surly Steamroller with 
> custom Canti mounts) in favour of a bike with disc brakes, thinking that 
> would be the way to go for all-season riding. For reference, I live in the 
> middle of Canada where we have snow up to 6 months of the year, with 
> temperatures hovering well below -20C for a lot of that.
>
> I've recently been eyeing up the Joe Appaloosa as a contender for my next 
> bike. The idea is that it would be commuter as well as tourer/light 
> trail/etc. There would be some overlap with other bikes, but I am going to 
> be honest and say that I am smitten with that bike.
>
> Does anyone have any experience riding their Riv in awful wintery 
> conditions? I've survived on 33c CX tires before, so that aspect of the 
> bike is less of a concern. I am mostly thinking about the rim brake 
> concerns and any other things to watch out for. Or maybe I am just trying 
> to coax myself into moving distinctly into N+1 territory. 
>
> I would be happy to hear any thoughts about riding Rivs in awful winter 
> conditions.
>

-- 
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 view this discussion on the web visit 
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/7a146662-487a-4095-bf44-55fd6d77bb5en%40googlegroups.com.

[RBW] Re: Am I thinking practically? Riv for all seasons

[Jason Fuller]

I would vote two bikes, one being the Appaloosa because I'm biased just 
like everyone else here and we all have an insatiable thirst to see more of 
them built up. The other, a disc brake bike for winter if you plan to ride 
year-round because while V-brakes are great in the dry and still pretty 
good in the wet, they're pretty much useless when frozen as you have no 
doubt experienced!  I hate how loud disc brakes become in the snow, but to 
their credit, they keep working.  Depends on your riding though - if you 
are just cruising MUP's in the winter, maybe that few moments of delay on 
the brakes (while the pads heat the rims) isn't a big deal, but if you're 
commuting in the city and need to be able to stop quick to avoid a 
collision, I'm team disc brakes once it's snowy. 

It's frustratingly hard to find a bike with Riv-like geometry and disc 
brakes - some compelling bikes made by Crust, Black Mountain etc but tend 
to be drop bar fit so probably not suitable for the bars you're likely 
thinking for an Appa. A Crust Evasion for winter and an Appaloosa for 
summer sounds pretty excellent as a two-bike household IMO!  I'd actually 
go Hillborne in that situation, as it's quicker but still capable of all 
the things you've listed.  Cheers!  





On Sunday, 13 March 2022 at 14:19:41 UTC-7 Will wrote:

> I have a Toyo Atlantis and my son has an Appaloosa. They are very similar. 
> The Appaloosa has longer chainstays but that doesn't seem to change 
> handling much. We're in Wisconsin and can ride from March until December. 
> In December the roads get icy and it's not worth putting on studded tires 
> for the couple of months we'd want them. 
>
> Both bikes are wonderful all rounders. You can''t go wrong with either. 
> Both take fat tires. My son's bike will easily take 700x45s (fendered) 
> which is plenty of tire. It will probably take 50s with fenders, don't 
> know, but suspect it would. 
>
> Your concern is brakes. The Appaloosa comes with V brakes. They do well. 
> Not sure that discs would do much better. 
>
> I'd do the N plus 1 route until you're sure about the Appaloosa. It's a 
> great bike. You won't do better. 
>
> You'll want an Abus U lock for it. It's that beautiful. 
>
> On Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 11:42:34 AM UTC-5 trevor@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> First time posting here. Not yet an owner, but working on it!
>>
>> A few years back, I sold my year round commuter (a Surly Steamroller with 
>> custom Canti mounts) in favour of a bike with disc brakes, thinking that 
>> would be the way to go for all-season riding. For reference, I live in the 
>> middle of Canada where we have snow up to 6 months of the year, with 
>> temperatures hovering well below -20C for a lot of that.
>>
>> I've recently been eyeing up the Joe Appaloosa as a contender for my next 
>> bike. The idea is that it would be commuter as well as tourer/light 
>> trail/etc. There would be some overlap with other bikes, but I am going to 
>> be honest and say that I am smitten with that bike.
>>
>> Does anyone have any experience riding their Riv in awful wintery 
>> conditions? I've survived on 33c CX tires before, so that aspect of the 
>> bike is less of a concern. I am mostly thinking about the rim brake 
>> concerns and any other things to watch out for. Or maybe I am just trying 
>> to coax myself into moving distinctly into N+1 territory. 
>>
>> I would be happy to hear any thoughts about riding Rivs in awful winter 
>> conditions.
>>
>

-- 
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 view this discussion on the web visit 
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/543ff120-ca03-449b-98c5-4e33c5261f42n%40googlegroups.com.

[RBW] Re: Am I thinking practically? Riv for all seasons

[Will]

I have a Toyo Atlantis and my son has an Appaloosa. They are very similar. 
The Appaloosa has longer chainstays but that doesn't seem to change 
handling much. We're in Wisconsin and can ride from March until December. 
In December the roads get icy and it's not worth putting on studded tires 
for the couple of months we'd want them. 

Both bikes are wonderful all rounders. You can''t go wrong with either. 
Both take fat tires. My son's bike will easily take 700x45s (fendered) 
which is plenty of tire. It will probably take 50s with fenders, don't 
know, but suspect it would. 

Your concern is brakes. The Appaloosa comes with V brakes. They do well. 
Not sure that discs would do much better. 

I'd do the N plus 1 route until you're sure about the Appaloosa. It's a 
great bike. You won't do better. 

You'll want an Abus U lock for it. It's that beautiful. 

On Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 11:42:34 AM UTC-5 trevor@gmail.com wrote:

> First time posting here. Not yet an owner, but working on it!
>
> A few years back, I sold my year round commuter (a Surly Steamroller with 
> custom Canti mounts) in favour of a bike with disc brakes, thinking that 
> would be the way to go for all-season riding. For reference, I live in the 
> middle of Canada where we have snow up to 6 months of the year, with 
> temperatures hovering well below -20C for a lot of that.
>
> I've recently been eyeing up the Joe Appaloosa as a contender for my next 
> bike. The idea is that it would be commuter as well as tourer/light 
> trail/etc. There would be some overlap with other bikes, but I am going to 
> be honest and say that I am smitten with that bike.
>
> Does anyone have any experience riding their Riv in awful wintery 
> conditions? I've survived on 33c CX tires before, so that aspect of the 
> bike is less of a concern. I am mostly thinking about the rim brake 
> concerns and any other things to watch out for. Or maybe I am just trying 
> to coax myself into moving distinctly into N+1 territory. 
>
> I would be happy to hear any thoughts about riding Rivs in awful winter 
> conditions.
>

-- 
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 view this discussion on the web visit 
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/08bc4e91-9a91-46d3-941b-34abd83402fen%40googlegroups.com.