Old 10-23-07, 10:27 AM
  #2  
MKahrl
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Posts: 1,128

Bikes: Rivendell A.Homer Hilsen, Paramount P13, (4) Falcon bicycles, Mondia Special, Rodriguez Tandem

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I just got one a couple of weeks ago, only have a few commutes to work on it and some long weekend rides for about 200 miles. It's my first new bike in 25 years and so my reference for comparison is early 70's sport touring bikes like Falcons and Paramounts.

It's a very pretty bike, much better looking than the photos on the RBW website. Very fancy lugs and paintwork that highlights elements of the lugs such as lug windows, epaullettes on the fork crowns and front fork dropouts. There is a little bleeding of the cream paint under the painting masks that can be seen from 12 inches away if your eyeglass persciption is up to date but it's not noticable from normal viewing distances.

It has lots of mounting eyelets for racks, one set on the fork and two sets on the rear seat stays. Three sets of waterbottle bosses. The top tube slopes up slightly but it's only noticeable if you sight along it from the rear. It has a plate behind the bottom bracket for properly mounting a kickstand or generator.

The key characteristic of this bike is the size of the tires, 33mm Rivendell Georgie Porgie (Jack Brown) lightweight version. I'm becoming too complacent in what I run over because it will roll over anything without me noticing, potholes, root heaves, railroad tracks. I also have to run through a killing field of broken glass bottles in an underpass without any flats. The Silver brake calipers require little effort to brake with. It's my first experience with dual pivots and aero brake levers.

My PBH would put me on a 62cm frame and the AHH comes in AHH comes in 61 and 63. I went with 61 as I was leary about 63 since I have another 63cm bike that is too big for me. I probably could fit on a Rivendell 63 but I am happy with the 61. One unusual aspect is the low bottom bracket. When I take my foot off the pedal the ground is right there. That is really nice in stop and go traffic on the commute to work. I've been pedaling through corners and have yet to lean far enough to touch a pedal.

My bike came with 48cm Noodles set up level with the seat. Spent 5 hours on Sunday going into a 17mph headwind and I spent a lot of time comfortably with my hands down on the bar ends (I wasn't comfortable battling a headwind but at least my hands and position on the bike was comfortable). The brand new Brooks B17 needs more breaking in; I had some sore sit bones after 84 miles.

I'm very happy with the bike.
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