Like a 90s MTB...But Better! (Rivendell Susie Longbolts)
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- Опубліковано 14 сер 2022
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Review of the Rivendell Susie Longbolts, a self-proclaimed "hilliebike." How does it ride?
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I just got a Susie! My first ride on it was a group ride. It got dark and I realized I forgot lights! We descended a gravel trail that was rutted out from rain, had debris and big rocks everywhere. I sailed down it in total darkness with the only light being from other peoples bikes. It was that stable. Like riding a La-z-boy recliner. 10/10 would recommend.
“If you wanted to do an event and kinda sandbag it”. That’s my entire riding style.
For the average rider, this bike makes a lot more sense than modern gravel bikes with dropbars.
Shape of frame, steel, long and springy, it just looks comfy on the gravel.
Thanks for sharing it.
Except for the price point lol
@@lucasmikejackson It's a bargain compared to basically every modern mountain bike and "gravel" bike.
Yeah sure…
@@lucasmikejackson This is the kind of thinking that keeps America's garages stuffed with never-ridden but reasonably priced bikes.
Lol, I’m not from the states. I own two vintage bikes, a Bridgestone mb1 and a miyata 1000. No need to spend 4 grand on a bike to enjoy riding and having practical stuff.
Yeah for sure you guys are the most consumerist country.
Thanks to Rivendell for being one of the few companies that consider fit and comfort for us taller riders.
I found a girls MTB from the late 80s. I set it up with a 1X7, swallow tail bars, 26x1.95 urban tires. It is almost exactly the same geometry. Rides like a dream. Thanks for all you do.
Cool. Does it hv a freewheel?
@@rahuldasmajumder5121 mtb so id assume so. Also it has gears so it has to freewheel, no?
@@0xsergy there's a difference between a freewheel and a cassette. Modern Cassette equipped bikes can 'coast' like a freewheel but they don't use a freewheel. The cogs slide onto the cassette body on splines.
The 'freewheel mechanism' , (usually 'pawls) is contained inside the 'cassette body', (not in the freewheel) part of a 'freehub'. Its all part of the hub. This allows for a stronger axle and more bearings supporting the load. Therefore less chance of a broken axle. Freehubs came into existence in the mid '80s, when MTBs became popular and riders started pushing the strength limits of various parts.
do i bike check on your creation please
Having loved my Jones for years, this (or the slightly burlier Gus Boots Willsen) makes so much sense as a go-anywhere, do-anything chill adventure machine. Thanks for continuing to review these kinds of bikes.
I've been waiting for this review; thanks Russ! This bike is fits the whole RivBike esthetic: drooptube up top, slack, looong chainstays ("The W-Factor is strong with this one"), upright position, friction shifting, etc. I've been riding my Gus (Susie's big brother) for two years and it's my favorite bike. If you like partypace riding, this bike will definitely do it. PS, love my new bandanas 👍🏻
Love the simplicity of the V-brakes. 🔥
This bike is great. I have the Clem Smith Jr which has similarish qualities and I love to ride it in the sorts of conditions you mentioned (fire roads, etc.). It’s veeeeeery comfortable and stable. Rim brakes are fine. If you don’t need to win a race, and want to enjoy your ride, a Rivendell is the way to go.
I have a Clem Smith Jr. "L", too. I recently bought it used. I am truly enjoying it as well. Very solid and stable over rough terrain. After owning 14 other bikes in my life, I have come to arrive in riding upright with the greatest comfortable in my senior years on a Rivendell.
Love the Rapid rise! I was thinking of mounting my friction shifters reversed. Glad to know it works.
There is a bike for everyone. My guess is lot's of folks will love this bike. I don't foresee anyone in a full kit riding this, but the idea is cool anyway.
Its not aero.
@@0xsergy And aero bikes don't make great off road bikes. Nor do they make great commuter or leisure bikes for the vast majority of people. Buy the right tool for the job you want doing, or at least the job you do most often. Don't expect a hammer to do the job of a screwdriver or vice versa.
I really really like that bike concept. Love the long rear end and the slack head tube combined with the straight sitting position.
We've advanced from Country-Biking to Hilly-Biking! What a time to be alive!
I guess all that super long tubing will provide a bit of flex and compliance?
Now, this bike is understatement at its best! Doesn't look like much but does it all. Nice!
Thanks for the review! I can attest that the Susie is great on green trails. Nice flattish bars at or just behind the steering axis works really well too.
Love the sloping toptube. Just built up an old Nishiki mixte. Chillest ride in my stable.
I enjoy your out of the box reviews. Keep ‘em coming. I have to say this bike looks a lot like my mom’s Schwinn. Love a step-through.
"Dirt Surfer" - now that's a brand slogan I can get behind! Great stuff, really makes me want to swing by Riv and test ride.
Would make a good sticker run...
Looks amazing! Love the retro look. 😀🤙🚲
Love the ATB reviews!
Bought an old 90s mtn bike, for nostalgia sake. Couldn't keep the thing under me on the trail. Props to old school mtn bikers!
I’d ride that bike in a heartbeat. A friend just got one. She said exactly the same thing about the ride quality. Looking forward to seeing it in person.
Nice balanced review, thank you!
Thanks for this review. So glad to hear that it works about like I figured it would. The 26.8mm seat post is because the ST is under a bending load, so needs to be thicker. 26.8 suggests an 0.035” straight gauge 4130 ST.
I need somewhat different geometry. Shorter TT for dropped bars and I can have a lower BB since I ride 153mm cranks. So I’m going to try to build my 1st frame since I quit building in 2007. I finally found long enough chain stays to build something similar. My 2 favorite bikes have longer than normal chainstays, 47.5 and 48.5 cm, so I’m pretty sure I’ll be happy on it. Mark Stonich
Beautiful bikes from Rivendell. Thanks for sharing
Nice job as always. The Gus (Susie's cousin for stockier riders) is my favorite upright bike on any surface. I think beyond the geo is the way the tubes bend and are sized: there's a way all of that comes together when riding off road that the bike designer's intent comes through.
On the riding position, the Billies go waaay back so that would not be my preferred bar either for a Susie and off road riding. (I prefer the wide Toscos for this bike.) To get more hand position options around the levers, I move the shifters either onto the stem or much closer to the stem. That helps with finding places to grab onto when shifting fore/aft on the saddle or when the grade varies since the shifters are out of the way.
It’s a thing of beauty, is what it is!
I just replaced the bars on my mountain bike with some slightly forward w bars and am amazed at the difference in the muscle arc that I get to my legs! All it needs now is a low rise frame like this one...
"Adult cruiser of the Apocalypse" .... love it! I really like this bike especially the looks! Also, I think you need to come up with a "Dirt Surfer" sticker and patch!
Fun bike! Waiting to see a review on the Crust Romanceur Canti! I purchased a frame back in May and finally had it built by Analog Cycles in Sept. By far my favorite bike in the stable!
Back to the ATV s. Very interesting bike. Bravo from Greece for this....
Brilliant as always Russ! This looks like enormous fun. Love the long wheelbase. Its also the anti modern, but modern bike. Looks perfect for gravel touring or woods rambling. The lugs are just delicious.
Drool! Definitely a dream bike for me! 😍
I feel like I just watched a review of my Clem Smith Jr. Could not love it more.
Just built up a Gus Boots Willsen based on this video. My bars have never seen such heights. I’ve been having a lot of neck problems and I think I’ll get another 10 years of riding with this setup. I certainly got a lot of strange looks today while out on my shakedown ride.
Having experimented with more upright positions and different bars, I feel that one disadvantage of unweighting the hands people need to be aware of is that it sometimes can require more skill to do hard braking. As you brake your weight naturally shifts to your hands, and this is a bigger change if you're riding in an upright position. That can destabilize steering or even cause an OTB accident if you're not prepared for it. A moderately hard stop can be kind of like a panic stop on a drop bar bike -- you have to move your weight behind the saddle. This isn't a problem for Dutch style bikes because those tend to have rather weak brakes, but it is potentially a problem on V brakes. Hard braking is something you need to try out on a new bike if it puts you in a new position; it's a complicated situation that is affected by other aspects of bike geometry and riding conditions. In my case found switching from a north road bar to a slightly swept flat bars greatly mitigated the problem.
We all adapt quickly to our equipment and being upright means learning to shift our weight around when diving into corners for traction.
I already have to shift my weight backwards when pedaling down a steep grade on my drop bar trail bike. Good points all around!
It's not really an issue. Everyone learns to modulate their brakes and figure out how braking affects the bike and their balance. Being leaned forward on drops actually increases the chances of going over the bars, as your weight is already over the pivot point of the front wheel. Changing to another braking system is more likely to cause problems. My very first time going from old style centre pull/caliper brakes to Cantis (not V-brakes) was something of a shock, resulting in an unexpected lifted rear wheel and almost a trip over the bars.
That’s beautiful. Like an old British bike. Like my Triumph ( video on my channel plug plug )
I’d fit porteur bars to it and embrace the upright position.
Nice 360 camera work too 👍
Man that is the bike for me, pros and cons included:)! Your cons are actually pros for me haha, a dutch bike for MTB trail;)! Thanks for the great review, as always:).
Awesome! I have been eyeing the Cliffhangers for my Atlantis.
Reminds me of my first ...'85 Shogun. Long wheelbase, 2.25 tires, quill slingshot stem, 3x5 Suntour....that bike was a blast.
Sadly ruined the frame racing it at Mt Snow in '90...Norba was fun then.
I really like your reviews.
I love it. Looks like a more elegant and old-timey Jones and screams fun.
I love those bars!
This bike HAD to be inspired from the kids book Wherever You Go. Absolutely lovely bike
Sick bike dude. Just built up an Atlantis with some 2.4” tread. Yee haw!
This really typifies the term "path less pedaled," as Rivendell has its own style and rationales. I'm sure I'd love this bike. Maybe one day I can afford it.
If you are looking to check our weirdo bikes with really long chainstays you need to check out a Rans Fusion (Rans recently changed their name the Phoenix Bike Wrx) It's a crank-forward bike. I have never ridden something so comfortable. 44/32/22 in the front and 11-34 in the back with a Low-Normal RD and thumb shifter set for friction. The seat is a big tray like a tractor. It glides through the countryside. NO hand fatigue and you can grip the bars and bear down with your legs when you want to accelerate dramatically. This is the first bike since my childhood where I am inspired to make a "NYEEEEERRRR" noise when I go around a curve. You might be able to find a NOS one in a shop or if you come to Victoria BC you can try mine! All the best, Russ and Laura. Thanks for all that you do.
I love the bike and appreciate the way it is set up but some rando drop bars would look great on that bike.
I want to hear more about that derailleur please!
Cool bike and great review. It would make an awesome urban bomber with some fat slicks. I’d love to build one up as sort of a modernized, relatively lightweight Dutch bike for the city. If only they offered it in a black and cream motif. 😊
Also, plenty of room between that seat tube and rear wheel to rig up a bottle or cargo cage. Even some sort of frame bag if you can keep it off the tire. I slapped together a Anything Cage with a B-Rad and some TwoFish velcro bottle cage mounts, and it fits fine; seems solid.
LOVE this bike
This thing is goooofy looking lol, but as a mechanic I am happy to see how easily serviced everything is
Love your channel;) I wonder if this long chain stays have reached the limit of a regular chain length. Thanks for the wonderful work
One chain isn't enough, these hillibikes require two chains, cut down to about one and a half depending on your drivetrain setup.
my dream bike
Off-road cruiser! Like it!
I prefer the quill stem. Unlike the clamp on, it's adjustable.
Not everyone is the exact same height.
I wasn't bored by the numbers. I was challenged by trying to convert the numbers into American measurement on the fly.
I'm going over to Riv now to check out their selection.
I was able to get one of the Clem Ls in the RBW Blue. The 45cms came with 650b wheels this time. The bike is splendid on and off road. I think it’s more ATB than the Susie.
every time i see a video frame of the hardtack i can't help but audibly go: yoooooooooooo
and this video isn't even about it haha
what a lovely bike
Other than the major lack of water bottle mounts this looks, to me, like it would make a pretty great relaxed touring bike. Id love to buy one exactly as you've demo'd!
Très joli vélo- would love to get this to commute but hard to get in the UK!👍🏻
Such a beautiful bike, so happy you got to review another Rivendell! Do you still have your? Or are you all-in on your new bike?
It's a beauty!
Picked up a Gus this year and gotta say, it's amazing. Coming from drop bar road/gravel, it definitely took some getting used to. I find myself putting my hands forward like you described on the climbs as well. I was surprised by how close to parallel with the saddle I had to drop the bars. I assumed an "upright" bike like this would have the bars more above the saddle but I found that with the bars too high my tail bone would get sore and that lowering them, while putting more weight on my hands, rotated my hips enough to alleviate that pain.
I'd love to see a comparison of the Susie and the Gus at some point in the future. Two bikes with seemingly identical geometry, where one is a 29er and the other is a 650B would be interesting, if maybe a bit nuanced, to see compared. I've always wondered if the Susie would be a little more spritely with the smaller wheels. It's interested to notice that the Susie also seems to have a clearance issue with the v-brakes. You said it could fit bigger tires but I'll be honest, I've got 29x2.6" tires on my Gus and the clearance to the top of the v-brake is very small and easily gums up with mud.
This is a frameset I would love to own! But I would also love to have a Hardtack... Decisions, decisions!
Too many bikes to choose from....
That thing's cool.
Those chain stays! 😲
There is a limit to those super long chain stay lengths. My Atlantis would routinely throw the chain into the tire, then jam into the chain stay, when running a 1x drivetrain. I finally had to go back to running a 2x crankset, with the long cage, MTB style front derailleur acting as a chain guide. It fixed the problem.
I love it! I didn't know mountain bikes could come with swept back handlebars. It's like a mountain omafiets haha
My current bike is an opafiets style city bike, with 622-35 (700c?) tyres and it's great, but it does not like sand, ant I once took it through some gravel trails on the way home and it did not like it. And the hub brakes sounded like angry geese 😅
As set up, it would make an excellent porteur. I’d love to see it set up for aggressive riding though just for fun.
Some of the Ron's ortho back bar vlogs on YT feature the Susie on rougher terrain...
Love em
That bike is Grant Petersen’s version of a Red Bull Rampage.
Oh my that looks like a lovely casual ride.
I notice the rando bag from the review on the bars. Still holding up well?
Beautiful bike and super cool look! If you’re like me and grumbling on the price of this one, maybe check out the Larkspur by Marin for about half the price if you want to dabble in this genre. Im pretty sure Russ reviewed one a while back.
I think this is a beautiful bike
That long rear just about begs for a cargo-bike-style rack and pannier treatment. This could be a great errand/cargo bike.
Really interesting bike. Appreciate the review. I wouldn't be able to fit that in the lift at work. So long...! I can only ride short bikes to work. It wouldnt fit on my (wheel on) thule roof rack also.
Hi ! Love your Channel! Just wondering what the cost of that bike is as reviewed? Is there a long wait time?
I think If I was going to ride around the world, you just sold me on this bike.
Do some reviews with luggage. 40+ pounds.
I would love to see a list of bikes that are super stable with no shimmy with lots of luggage.
One thing you didn't mention: this is not an inexpensive bike. Even with the no frills components it comes with you're probably looking at North of $2,500. & probably ~$3K.
I've been riding Grant's bikes for 30 years, but I got a full titanium bike for only a little more than that.
This is a beautiful bike, that's reason enough to buy it, (if you've got the money) but the price is going to be a painful threshold for many people.
This is what I wanted to say for a long while about quite a lot of the bikes and components Russ reviews. While I totally support the "enough with the aero carbon ultraspecialized bike" and the "enough with the obsession with ultimate performance" approach of this channel, I cannot possibly comprehend why one would pay so much money for tehnically inferior and significantly less complex components and bikes. Friction/thumb shifters that cost as much as STI/ergopower levers, 8-10 speed groupsets that cost as much as or more than mechanical 2x11 ones, mass-produced (as in not custom built nor even custom painted) 4130 CrMo frames that cost as much as carbon or titanium ones, quill stems and threaded forks on framesets that cost way more than 400-500$... and the list goes on.
I totally get why some people prefer such bikes, components and setups. I really do. I also encourage Russ to keep producing content that discusses all the things that the "let's regurgitate some marketing brochure excerpts" bike channels avoid. But I have a hard time finding a good reason to pay so much money on these components and bikes given that they are based on such simple, yet so obsolete technologies, components and manufacturing techniques.
@@11robotics
A good, mid-line, steel gravel bike by Trek was close to $2000 in the mid 90's (adjusted for inflation). Once the bigger bike companies went away from steel it became more expensive for those who want it. Less supply=higher prices. Russ should discuss prices more, the economics of the bike biz is interesting, I have no idea why he avoids it.
EDIT: I just read a reply where he said he stopped talking about price because it just became a launching pad for complaints, makes sense to me.
@@scottyh1509 not sure your example is the best, as Trek is known to be one of the most overpriced brands - albeit I don't know if it was also the same in the 90s, before Armstrong turned it into the wet-carbon-fiber-dream machine selling business it is today.
However, more to the point, an obvious example comes to mind. A pair of microSHIFT SL-T10 10 speed shifters cost, in Europe, 120€, while a pair of Tiagra 4700 STI 10 speed levers cost, in the same exact online store, 170€, and a pair of Tiagra 4700 MTB-style flatbar shifters cost under 95€. Even with the lower demand for thumb shifters, their pricing makes no sense whatsoever. They are far easier to manufacture, use far less materials, have only one moving part and yet they cost 70% of the price of a pair of quite decent STI levers and, worse, more than the equivalent pair of Rapidfire flatbar shifters. And don't forget that the price of brake levers comes on top of that. Sure, those microSHIFT thumb shifters will last a lifetime, will probably never break down, but why would other than a handful of people find acceptable to pay more money for a product based on an obsolete technology? I can see some use cases where the added robustness is worth the extra cost (i.e.: long-distance touring to remote areas). And had they been manufactured by Paul Components, the price would have made some sense, yet microSHIFT components are as mass-produced as they can get and not really as refined as Shimano for what it's worth. That being said, I think they should cost at most half of what they do.
@@11robotics Hey, calm down bro! I hear what you're saying, but it's an apples and oranges comparison. The basic premise of Rivendell is that the latest and greatest isn't really either. And while I tend to agree, I don't automatically eschew anything new as sub-par or newfangled gimmickry. STI/Rapid-fire shifters are crap! Always have been, always will be, but my old 7 speed STI shifters were a dream. Yes, these bike don't reflect "the cutting edge", but that's precisely the point; a Rivendell will last you forever, that carbon fiber bike likely will not. My titanium bike will last for a millenia as long as I don't drop it off a cliff or get hit by a car. I owned a Bridgestone XO-1, a Toyo Atlantis, a Roscoe Bubbe & 2 Clementines. A Rivendell is a bike designed for you to form a emotional attachment with, but it's clearly aimed at a certain type person. For most of them the money is not a tripping point and they tend not to be people riding to get rad or work out. Just people who enjoy riding.
For me personally I am relatively in tune with the concept, there are things I don't care for; 1" steer tube, quill stems, longer chain stays, friction shifting, but my main thing is I embrace new things if they are better or relatively the same.
The main reason I brought up the price, was because I think it should be mentioned. You can't buy one of these right now even if you wanted to anywayz.
Liking Rivendell is one of those things where you've just got to not rationalize it, there's an extreme amount of contradiction that goes on and it's part of the charm. Buy a $2,500 bike and make grips out of scrap bar tape, pieces of felt and twine. 🤪 Don't think about it too much or you'll hurt your brain.
@@watchchimp3102 you see, I am an engineer, and I am also a very pragmatic person in general. In my view, a product that costs less to manufacture (in terms of labour, materials, R&D, tooling and whatnot) should not be more expensive than a product that is more expensive to manufacture. Moreover, for a product that offers less functionality, the increased lifespan and robustness is hardly enough of a justification for the extra cost - even in the use cases where the extra lifespan and robustness are crucial and the reduced functionality and ease of use are irrelevant.
But I guess this is another case where the battle between capitalist as well as marketing principles and the engineering perspective is won by the former before it starts. Selling such framesets and components at relatively high costs and low volumes will probably maximize the profit margins of their manufacturers, yet their market share will never be more than marginal, as most users will favour the products offering better value (relative to their respective needs) for the same or less money - and also the products that are more aggressively marketed.
I think I would be great if when talking about bike geometry you show some drawings or diagrams from one of the websites that lets you enter measurements and compare frames. It would help us understand what the comparisons you describe mean.
I think I like it, or at least the idea of it. I'm not so sure about those bars but I'd give it a go
after years of proclaiming the importance of short - is - best for efficiency, I now evangelise how sweet long in the rear can be
This would be the perfect ATB commuter style bike.
Straight top tube and 26 inch wheels and I'm buying it.
It looks like an old cruiser bike, but with sneaky MTB geo in there.
Like a 90s Mountain... but better! Should be Rivendell's slogan!
Grant Petersen is a fucking genius.
While this type of bike is not my preference, I did learn some useful info from the review. One curious thing is that with the tires mounted, and the brakes used, this does not look to have clearances for fenders. A bit surprising for a Rivendell.
Great if you want an off-road shopping bike.
What goes around, comes around. Take something that was popular several decades ago, make it again with a modicum of modernity, market it as something new and Bob's your uncle... people "discover" that those old fashioned, simple bikes from a time long gone, actually made sense. 😁
Dirt Surfer IF surfing on a longboi.
Shorter boards are a different kinda fun.
I want this bike so bad... one day
Such a beautiful bike, and one I would very much like to own and ride........and I rarely if ever cycle without lycra coming from more of a "roadie" background. The design just makes so much sense!
Really great that you're providing a platform where people can get an honest and informed view of more alternative bikes.
You mention that the more upright position means you have less weight on the handlebars, which in turn means you don't get so much vibration through your hands.
However, that must mean you're placing more weight on the saddle, so does this not just transfer the vibrations to your backside instead, or do the super long chainstays help to cancel this out?
Genuine question, as like I say, I'd love to own one of these......or maybe a Platypus!
Keep doing what you're doing Rus, your channel is compulsory viewing for me!
I setup a bike similarly to this one, more upright and comfortable for urban or even 2-3 hour road rides. Unweighting the front end is more comfortable, that's for sure. Unlike a road bike, the rider is moving around a lot more, more like a mountain bike than a more fixed riding position of a drop bar bike, so the increase weight transfer on the back and seat isn't going to be an issue. If you want front end traction, you'll lean forward and weight the handlebars. There is a balance, however and even an "upright" position by roadie standards may be still more similar to XC mountain bike racing back angles, while still being really comfortable.
Nice review on a bike that some will feel is puzzling for the reasons you outlined. Personally, I love it. Right down to it’s 2x drivetrain. It's a 27.5/650b?
Yes, the large and xl version is 29er wheels though
Just wondered whether there was any chance you could get your hands on a Unno Dash for a review..... haven't got a clue why I am asking.... just felt I had to like I had been hypnotised or something.
I like it
Velo Orange has some very nice water bottle clamps. Will they work on this bike?
It’s a beautiful bike. Not for me, but definitely appreciate it.
What's the weight? Do you know how the length compares to the Jones bike and your Timberjack?
I would ride that bike with the Surly corner bar and covert the drivetrain to 1x11 or 1x12 speed.