Flat-bar commuter or drop-bar tourer?

[KelOnWheels]

@TwoWheelsDC 29879 wrote:

The more time you spend spending imaginary loot, the more likely it is that it will become real loot…

Or since there’s a five year wait list for Vanilla, it could be real loot and an imaginary bike…

[Steve]

@Greenbelt 29573 wrote:

We rode the Rove out in Washington last week. Awesome bike.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1604[/ATTACH]

I was at Bikenetic yesterday and bored, so I took the Rove out for a short spin. I didn’t really love the handling (though it wasn’t the right size, so that’s probably at least part of the reason), but thought it was a fun bike to ride. I never ride fat tire bikes, so getting to fool around a little put me in a good mood.

One odd point that I wanted to make for those looking at it: because of where they put the rear disc brake mounts and the cabling, my heel would make contact with the barrel adjuster. This would have been a big problem for me, and will likely cross it off my list. I wear a 10.5-11, so for some people this might not pose a problem, but for a lot of people is will. Previous to this, the Rove was starting to challenge the Cross Check in my covet space.

[vvill]

The chainstays would be longer on a larger size but I don’t know if you rode a size that was too small or too large. In any case, it still might not be long enough, and maybe you’d need a less compact frame.

[Steve]

@vvill 36178 wrote:

The chainstays would be longer on a larger size but I don’t know if you rode a size that was too small or too large. In any case, it still might not be long enough, and maybe you’d need a less compact frame.

This was my initial though, but when I got home I looked up the geometry and saw that the chainstays are actually the same length for each size. Again, this might not affect most, and there might be a way to do the cabling slightly better to not have this problem, but I thought I’d call it to everyone’s attention in case you take it out for a test ride. I know sometimes you don’t notice everything in a test ride that you wish you did down the line…

[Dirt]

Some people ride with their heels in, some ride with their heels out. Some are more neutral. Cleat adjustment for some pedals can help with this, but may not be enough. Size of the bike would likely impact heel clearance because of crank length. I haven’t looked at the specs on this bike, but many bikes go to longer cranks for larger sizes to keep them proportionally sized to their riders.

I’ve had a few bikes with similarly placed rear brakes and not had a problem. It is a very good reason to test ride a bike… and make sure that you test ride it in the correct size.

Rock on, folks

Pete

[Rod Smith]

I would advise against setting cleat angle to accommodate the bike’s design rather than to accommodate the rider’s anatomy. Forcing the foot into an unnatural position can lead to knee problems.

Pete, I assume your feet are big. Do you ride with heels out? If so, is this your feets natural position? For instance, if you sat on a table with your feet hanging free, do your toes point in a little bit?

Is there any reason to run the brake line along the chainstay/downtube other than aesthetics?

[mstone]

@Rod Smith 36198 wrote:

Is there any reason to run the brake line along the chainstay/downtube other than aesthetics?

Mounting the disc brake that way can make it easier to mount fenders & rack.

[Dirt]

@mstone 36202 wrote:

Mounting the disc brake that way can make it easier to mount fenders & rack.

Yup. What he said.

Surly designed their own proprietary adapter to put 160mm rotors on the back of the Troll and Ogre frames in order to make the dropouts more friendly for racks, fenders and trailer hitches. They also radically curve the chain and seat stays in order to maximize tire and heel clearance. Also lets them put the Fatties Fit Fine sticker down there.

[Rod Smith]

After I asked that, I looked at my bike and it seems the rotor is very far inboard from the dropouts and the brakes do not stick out as far as the frame does. So it seems to me that the brake mechanism shouldn’t be in the way of a rider’s heel even if aligned with the chainstay, unless it protrudes to the side more than mine (or the stays are radically curved).

My bike has curved chainstays. Straight ones work better with my trailer hitch, but these work ok. My rack is not a disc specific model but it works fine with the seat stay routed brake lines on my bike. The rack is very close to the brake, but not touching.

[KelOnWheels]

PANIC! AT THE DISCO!

So it looks as if I shall have the funds to purchase a fine new velocipede here shortly, and I have NO FREAKING IDEA of how to actually do this.

How do I pick?

Where do I go?

What if I buy the WRONG ONE?

AAAAAAAH! 😮

[vvill]

Best problem to have in the world!

It is also a problem with no solution, or perhaps more accurately infinite solutions (n+1).

[TwoWheelsDC]

@KelOnWheels 36848 wrote:

PANIC! AT THE DISCO!

So it looks as if I shall have the funds to purchase a fine new velocipede here shortly, and I have NO FREAKING IDEA of how to actually do this.

How do I pick?

Where do I go?

What if I buy the WRONG ONE?

AAAAAAAH! 😮

Time to go shopping! Did you decide on flat or drop bars?

[KelOnWheels]

@TwoWheelsDC 36852 wrote:

Did you decide on flat or drop bars?

Erm… yes. :confused:

[TwoWheelsDC]

@KelOnWheels 36854 wrote:

Erm… yes. :confused:

I tell you what, if I had a chance to go back and buy my commuter again, I’d get something with discs. So maybe a Disc Trucker, Raleigh Sojourn, the new (I think?) Specialized TriCross elite, or maybe Kona Sutra or Jake. I think those would be easier to find and test ride than something like a Soma or Salsa, but others may know better than me on that. I think the Jake seems like the best value, but it’s aluminum and therefore only a figment of your imagination, since only steel is real.

[vvill]

The Kona Rove is Kona’s steel disc brake dropbar bike, and I believe it’s in stock at Bikenetic. Heavier and pricier than the Jake (which I own) for sure, but also better tire clearance and probably more versatile. And Reel.

[Author]

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