Originally Posted by
Amazonia
How will the (possibly) longer chain stay impact the ride or handling? The Cheviot is designed with more swept back handlebars, the Aurora, more of a flat bar, and due to my long femurs and average arms, I can get crossed up here by not understanding the impacts of the choices made.
Touring bikes have used longer chain stays (~45 cm) for ages. This gives them a longer wheelbase, which has more stable handling (and better pannier clearance). In contrast, racing bikes have short chain stays (~41 cm) for quicker handling.
Grant Petersen at Rivendell has extended these chain stays even longer to 50 cm (on the 55 cm frame, which is probably your best size). Folks that have tried these "long Rivendells" love the way they handle.
Regarding handlebars, swept back bars like Rivendell's Albatross are usually more comfortable than a flat bar because they offer more hand positions. However, some folks don't like riding with their wrists parallel to the top tube; some find the horizontal wrist position of a flat bar more comfortable.
Originally Posted by
Amazonia
I notice that the diaga-tubes are straight on the Aurora and since it is not a true pass-through, bent on the Cheviot. In this case, flex is good? Are the skinny tubes a bad idea because nothing can be hung on them?
Frame flex is caused primarily by the diameter of the tubing used. The two small-diameter mixte tubes on the Aurora will flex more easily than the single large-diameter tube on the Cheviot.
On both bikes, the diaga-tubes are firmly attached to the seat tube, so neither should flex in that area. I expect the Aurora to flex more in the front triangle (due to the skinny mixte tubes); Bob's response above describes how a similar bike (UK-made 531 mixte) would flex. I've seen bikes like that, where you can torque the fork/head tube and seat tube a couple degrees away from vertical. Front triangle flex is disconcerting.
I expect the Cheviot to flex a bit more in the rear triangle (due to the extra long chainstays), which shouldn't affect handling but may provide a little suspension/damping.
You're correct that the skinny tubes are the wrong diameter to attach any accessories. But lots of folks love how you can hold a U-lock between the mixte tubes.
Originally Posted by
Amazonia
This is a big question. I have emailed Pashley to find out the widest tire the bike will accept as I want to be able to go much wider than the build tire width.
It's too bad that Pashley doesn't list the exact geometry for the Aurora. It looks like you can request a brochure; maybe that would be more detailed. Hopefully they're quick to reply to your email.
The 55 cm Cheviot is made to fit a 650b x 45 mm tire, plus fenders (60 cm fits a 700 x 50 tire). Plus, the folks at Rivendell are happy to talk to you on the phone or email. If you want to talk to Grant, you probably can.
Where are you located? Rivendell has a shop in SF, and dealers in a handful of other cities.
Originally Posted by
Amazonia
Yes, this is a big consideration. I was going to do a full a la carte build on the Cheviot but I would like an internal hub and the Aurora gives me that right away, on the Cheviot, it may have to wait. But, I don't really care for thumb shifters...
With the Cheviot, everything is a la carte. If you want their friend Rich Lesnik to build you an Alfine 8 wheelset, they'll set that up. They'll probably try to sell you an SP dynamo front hub (which I also recommend).
Or, if you want to order your own wheelset and ship it to Riv for assembly, they'll do that too. But the 55 cm Cheviot is 650b, which is less common, so you won't find as many pre-built wheelsets.
Regarding the shifter, you can use the Nexus 8 grip shifter with the Afine 8 hub. I don't know how tricky that would be to swap out on the Aurora.