[Orin]

When I had Ruffy-Tuffys on my Rambouillet, I never found an ideal pressure. It was either harsh as you describe or slow and soggy - felt like I was having a bad day! I put Michelin Axial Supercomps on and the bike was transformed... no more slow/soggy feel and the bike felt lively without the harshness of the Ruffy-Tuffys. It may be that the Rivendell tires work well for those less mass challenged than myself - I'm around 155 lbs. I traded mine with someone for some Michelin Axial Pros which ride at least as well as the Supercomps, but do tend to cut easily.

Out of the saddle, the Rambouillet certainly feels different at the BB from my Ti Rapid Tour (which is probably very close to a Concours in feel). Sitting down, I probably couldn't tell the difference. The Ti bike has a hard to describe stiff but springy feel. My old steel Koga-Miyata feels even stiffer but has more chain rub... I think this feel is affected by chainstay length as well as BB stiffness as the K-M is shortest and the R-T in the middle.

My Rambouillet was proven for randonneuring earlier this year on the BC Randonneurs Fleche Pacifique set up with Campy Daytona 10 speed, 53-39 front and 13-29 rear. Shimano RX100 brakes, SON generator hub. We did 431km from the top of Chinook Pass in WA to Harrison Hot Springs in BC.

BTW, I get chain rub on the top of the front derailleur cage when using the 53 and at least the largest three rear cogs (23,26,29), perhaps the 21 too. This is due to the seat angle as far as I can tell...

Orin.