Quote Originally Posted by divingbiker View Post
Lisa, I have a couple of questions about the Rambouillet for you.
On the Rivendell web site at http://www.rivbike.com/bikes/rambouillet it says "The Rambouillet’s stock gearing is 48×36×26 in front, and 11×32 in back."
On the Harris Cyclery web site at http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/rambouillet.html it says "The Rambouillet comes stock with a 12x27 9-speed cassette..."
I assume the Rivendell folks are right, since they should know what they build. Can you confirm? (My 50 year old overweight legs really need more low gears than I've got, so if I'm going to dream about a new bike I might as well make it one that will take me up hills more easily.)
I never saw what came on my Ramb, neither did my husband see what came "stock" on his. We both opted for different gears than what might have come, so when we picked our rambs up at Harris they had already bee swapped out.
There IS a limit to the numbe rof low gears you can put on any bike. I think we put the limit on mine, because I was a new rider trying to keep up with my DH and we live surrounded by lots of hills and we want to do touring in VT and NH, etc. Anyway...on mine we put a 24t 74bcd ring on one of the 3 rings up front, and we put a different cassette on the back: 9speed 13-34 Cyclotouriste. This was the lowest gearing we could put on without having to make chain/derailleur changes. It is working GREAT for me. The highest gear is wonderful on level, and most steep hills I can pull up in my next-to-lowest gear combo. (the first 4 months of riding I had to always go into my very lowest gear for steep hills, before I got a few leg muscles!) I get up some really steep hills on these gears, any steeper and I think "most" people would walk.

Also, what do you think of the bar end shifters? I think I fall into the camp of people mentioned on the Rivendell web site who shift too often because the STI shifters are just too handy.
I shift pretty often. I think it's a combination of my ENJOYING shifting and my being not as experienced a rider as some others. I was willing to give the bar ends a try because as a new rider I was not too deeply entrenched in any particuler type of shifter yet. Both Harris' and my wise DH suggested I might like them. I did not find them too difficult to learn and I like them very much now. If they are smoothly adjusted, it doesn't take much effort or motion at all to slip a hand down and shift quickly. Also, if you start rding in the drops alot, you can actually shift with your pinkies without moving your hands at all! (I'm working on this skill now)


And can you get the Rambouillet in any of their colors? I've decided I'm never going to have another bike that isn't red.
I got the blue because they had one in my size right there in stock at Harris', and I didn't object to the bright blue for myself. The orange color is older now and usually only obtainable used, and now they have stopped making them blue and are only making them in a metallic darkish green. If you pay and extra $200 or so and are willing to wait an extra month or two, you can order a frame from Riv in CA painted one of their custom colors (their Legolas red is lovely) and then after they paint it they can either finish the bike too for you or send the painted frame to your builder along with some parts (in my DH's case Harris cyclery) to build up. MY DH's new bike is a custom green. It took a little longer than it probably should have for various reasons.
Hope this answers your questions?