Rambouillet - second time around

[eddief]

This is the second time around for me and an orange Rambouillet. Dialed in fit is appearing to make the difference in my appreciation. First time was right after a negative experience with a too-small, not-custom, 56 cm CSI. I went over to Riv and Grant suggested bigger, taller, wider and into a 60 cm Rambouillet. He suggested a 12 cm stem, Brooks saddle, 46 Noodle bars. The bike was ok, but that was before my fit was really dialed in by me and Steve Rex. First one felt, well, too stretched out and the Noodles with their long reach had me way out there. I'm now riding with 170 mm cranks and all these variables of fit are working to make biking more enjoyable/comfortable.

The new one has a 9 cm stem and Ritchey ergo bars (shorter reach) and my favorite Prolink Transam saddle rather than the Brooks B17. I've riddden about 100 miles now and the fit seems just right. The bike is obviously heavier than my Rex with zoot steel and all carbon fork, but it accelerates and cruises well and downhill cornering is really fun.

The last couple of clear mornings with new lighting has been a great time to get know the second Rambouillet.

[Orin]

This is the second time around for me and an orange Rambouillet. Dialed in fit is appearing to make the difference in my appreciation. First time was right after a negative experience with a too-small, not-custom, 56 cm CSI. I went over to Riv and Grant suggested bigger, taller, wider and into a 60 cm Rambouillet. He suggested a 12 cm stem, Brooks saddle, 46 Noodle bars. The bike was ok, but that was before my fit was really dialed in by me and Steve Rex. First one felt, well, too stretched out and the Noodles with their long reach had me way out there. I'm now riding with 170 mm cranks and all these variables of fit are working to make biking more enjoyable/comfortable.

The new one has a 9 cm stem and Ritchey ergo bars (shorter reach) and my favorite Prolink Transam saddle rather than the Brooks B17. I've riddden about 100 miles now and the fit seems just right. The bike is obviously heavier than my Rex with zoot steel and all carbon fork, but it accelerates and cruises well and downhill cornering is really fun.

The last couple of clear mornings with new lighting has been a great time to get know the second Rambouillet.

Another victim of bar reach ;) Sounds like a 5cm difference in the on the hoods position! 3cm stem and 2 bar reach. Somehow I doubt that the Rivendell higher bars policy will compensate for that...

With the right parts, the orange Rambouillet is a very nice bike. I suppose the blue ones are too but... Just tires made a night and day difference for me. Ruffy-Tuffys - yuch! Axial SuperComps - wonderful.

Orin.

[Marron]

I know two other owners who were lured into oversize Rambouillets. As I commented in the past, Riv has designed a compact frame that they fit as a regular frame.

[Ken Robb]

I'm unclear: did you refit the original 60cm bike with new bars and stem or get a different bike as well?

[eddief]

The original frameset is long gone and since then the prices have increased by a significant amount. I found another 60 cm NOS orange one on the ibob list and got it at the more reasonable original price. So this is deja vu all over again.

As for Marron's comment, I would never consider this bike to be a compact and ... the 60 that Grant recommended was the correct frame size. It just took some subtle dialing in of reach, and butt comfort, and a few other small things to get it right.

[Ken Robb]

there seems to be a pretty large range of sizes in bikes in general and Rivendells in particular where I can get comfy. I have 62cm Rambouillet and it's fine; 63 cm Riv Allrounder also fine, 58cm CSi is a bit cramped but with a longer stem I'd be ok. The surprise is that I just bought the original Romulus prototype for Leslie. It's a Riv 59cm. I "knew" it would be way small for me but it's not bad. I have a 9cm stem on it for her and I think I'd be pretty good with a 12cm stem. Of course it's not my bike so that's not likely to happen.

[Orin]

As for Marron's comment, I would never consider this bike to be a compact and ... the 60 that Grant recommended was the correct frame size. It just took some subtle dialing in of reach, and butt comfort, and a few other small things to get it right.

Nor me. I have a 58. The virtual TT is 57 and when you take the seat angle of 72 into account, it's like having a 56 TT with 73 degree angle. Either works for me - the saddle is 1cm further forward on the rails on the Rambouillet compared to my Rapid Tour with a 73 degree seat angle. The 58 measurement is center to top of top tube so c-c is more like 56.5. Compare that to the stock CSI 56 - with 56 c-c, 56 TT. If that was too small, so would a 58 Rambouillet...

The Rambouillet TT slope is 2 degrees - so it raises the bars about 2cm. I'd say it's a normal bike with the bars subtly raised rather than a compact...

Orin.