Andybg Red Raven Tour

[ianshearin]

Brill Andy!

Its almost the same as mine, except I have a Alfine hub.
A burning question from me Andy......

You went from a L frame with straights to a S frame with drops, how have you found this?
I struggled with the shorter top tube at first, even now I sometimes wonder if a Longer frame would have been more suitable.

[Andybg]

Hi Ian

I found them as different as chalk and cheese. Although am happy with straight bars with bar ends to get my wrists in a comfortable position I found the long frame just rode like a totaly different bike and felt almost bus like in comparison. Having said that I come from a roadie background and find anything with a long top tube (even my genesis mountain bike) feels a bit remote when riding. It was not so much the reach for me as this can be dealt with with different stems it was more the longer wheelbase made the bike feel slow. Excellent for a touring bike but when you are wanting the bike to do double duty as a heavy duty day ride bike it just did not have that alive feel.

Not sure if my explanation helps but fair to say there is a massive difference in feel between the two.

Andy

[ianshearin]

Ye think I understand Andy, thanks.

Great looking bike 

[Andybg]

I managed to get he new bike racked up and out for  a good 60km ride. The second half with 40kg of frozen food in the panniers

Thank god for low gears on the climb back home

Am very happy with the bike - just playing with fit now. Have shortened the stm to 100mm and need to take out for another run to review

[Andybg]

The last picture was so good I thought I would post it twice - lol

[jags]

great photos Andy bike looks like it went through its paces on that ride.
just curious why didn't you go for a dynamo set up, as it looks like you do plenty of night riding going by the the 2 lights up front.
anyway great set up enjoy.

[Andybg]

thanks jags. I do a lot of night riding but only for 2-4 hour rides so batteries work just as well. I may move to a dynamo at some point if I can find the right light

[in4]

Now that's a proper bike, with its feet dirty too. I do like those Carradice panniers, which ones are they?

[Danneaux]

Andy!

The new bike is looking simply wonderful, and so good to see it in "fighting trim" with racks, mudguards, lights, bottle, Click-Stand, and a terrific set of Carradice bags ("Nothing says Expedition like Carradice" is what I always think when I see them!).

Did you trim the steerer a smidge?

Really, really nice, Andy, and a bike you can surely be proud to own. Fine, fine!

Best,

Dan.

[Andybg]

The steerer is as supplied. It is about the right height luckily but I would hav liked it longer so I could have put an accessory bar on above to hold my lights. One less thing to move over if I change to staight bars for snow riding. The bags are carradice super c and am very happy with them

Andy

[sg37409]

Cool. Whats the prop stand ? (per Dan, a click-stand). Do you have a link for these, and how do you carry it ?
It would look a lot better with full panniers mind.

[Andybg]

Yes the satnd is a click stand and the details of which can be found here:

http://www.click-stand.com/

I found their service and postage charges to Europe to be excellent.

Got the bike out for a run today unloaded and managed to find a new route to take, taking in an old disused jeep trail up to an old wood felling area. As I was coming back down, I was spending too much focus on thinking this would be a nice spot for a photo that I tried to ride up the side of the jeep tyre gulley and with the recent new sdp pedals a lovely fall an slide. Unbattered I took these two photos. We are lucky enough here to have thousands of km of these un mapped and free access tracks needing exploring.

On returning back home I told the wife I had had a fall - her first question - you havent scratched the bike have you? - A woman after my own heart  - lol

Andy

[jags]

ah i love that woman fair play to her
gret pics andy keep em coming.

[Danneaux]

Oh, what wonderful places to ride, Andy -- any Adventure cyclist's dream come true!

Sorry to hear you the spill, but so long as you -- and the bike! -- are both okay, it simply adds to the day's adventures.

Terrific photos, Andy, and a real pleasure to see the bike out and about. I'm wondering...could this be your new, definitive all-'rounder? I realize it still has the Novelty of New about it, but I'm ticking the boxes as you update:
• Fastish on the roads, and comfortable with your familiar drop handlebars
• Low-maintenance Rohloff drivetrain
• A competent (and then some!) carrier of loads and frozen foods
• A reasonable off-roader/Jeep trail-er

Hmm. Sounds like an All-'Rounder to me!

Best,

Dan. (...who thinks it looks wonderful and is begging for a proper name to call it by)

[Andybg]

A few pictures from todays ride: