It seems to me that 9 out of 10 people I see riding never use the drops, don't ride that far, and aren't going that fast. It doesn't really make sense for these regular people to be on racing bikes. Also, cyclists are increasingly being pushed off the roads, due to increased number of cars, distracted drivers, higher traffic speeds, and the disappearance of wide shoulders to ride on. I think this has pushed Rivendell to more of a do everything kind of bike.
The current aesthetic it seems to me is sort of an updated modern version of the pre war bikes like my grandfather rode. There were a lot fewer paved roads then. In a way, that makes a lot of sense for today's conditions.
I enjoy my 'starter' Rivendell. It's great for cruising old dirt roads and fire trails, or for when I just want to go out for a pleasant ride and not worry about racing anyone. It puts me in a mindset to, well, just ride.
Originally Posted by
HTupolev
Using super-long chainstays on a bike made for unpaved riding is a dangerous game. It makes some amount of sense if you're going for a beach cruiser fit, because the center-of-mass gets pushed way back. But what happens when the road turns steep skyward? If you keep the weight back, you'll have to muscle up with your torso just to stay on the saddle, and you'll excessively unweight the front wheel; handling will get nervous, and you might start doing unintentional wheelies. If you pull the weight forward (which in a beach-cruiser fit would require getting out of the saddle and not just sitting forward on the saddle), the rear wheel ends up way behind the center of mass, and it's hard to keep it planted and keep traction on your power transfer.
Hmm, I've found the opposite to be true. Long chainstays really help keep the front end from hopping on steep inclines offroad or otherwise. The long wheelbase makes the bike very stable and pleasant to ride over rough terrain. My Clem Smith certainly isn't as suited to super rough single track as a modern full suspension MTB, or trials, or anything like that, but it's perfect for my uses.
