It was an ideal weekend for each highway:
And path:
And so I toggled between each on the Roaduno:
At one level I even ducked into the forbidding Trails Behind The Mall for a bit:
Sure, it’s Roaduno, but when there occurs to be some singletrack between one highway and one other it’ll do what it has to do.
In two-speed mode the bike actually does have a toggle swap too. Presently, I’m utilizing the 38/26 chainrings it got here with, and a 17-tooth rear cog, which is one tooth greater than the inventory 16. On this configuration, on a typical mixed-terrain ramble round these elements, I virtually by no means really feel the absence of any further gear combos. The large ring’s good for the whole lot from the flats to brief and/or gradual inclines, and the little ring takes care of just about the whole lot else–it’s in regards to the equal of the low gear on a highway bike with a typical crank, so it’s worthwhile to get out of the saddle on a steep highway climb, however it’ll nonetheless get you over just about something.
I might definitely see sooner or later including a 3rd ring as type of an “overdrive” for lengthy stretches of flat highway or the kinds of descents that aren’t fairly steep sufficient for gravity to fully take over, and little doubt I’ll ultimately, however I’m in no explicit rush to do it since I’m so happy with the gearing as it’s and I’m not precisely driving in pacelines lately, plus I just like the simplicity.
So are wide-range front-shifted two- or three-speeds poised to be the brand new 1×12?
I dunno, however they’re definitely the precise reverse, which naturally appeals to the contrarian in me. In truth, awhile again a reader supplied to ship me a quad:
If ever there was a motorcycle that may profit from a quadruple chainring it’s the Roaduno. For that matter, possibly I ought to simply go quintuple:
As a lot as I like the Roaduno, even I’ve to confess that after you’re bolting a five-ring crank to it as an alternative of simply driving a motorcycle with a rear derailleur you’re actually simply being obstinate. Even so, the location specifies that the quintuple is “solely really helpful for a bicycle with an extended chainline” like a recumbent, trike or tandem, and I can’t assist questioning if these trademark Rivendell chainstays would qualify.
Gearing apart, the match is sumptuously snug, and I’m more than happy with the drop bars:
Clearly the bike is completely satisfied to be arrange as a real singlespeed, however in toggle swap mode it actually does handle to mix the enjoyable and ease of a singlespeed with the comfort of a geared bike, and it realizes what I used to be attempting to perform with the erstwhile Artisanal Singlespeed after I’d gear it up and alter the tires for longer rides:
All of which culminated within the bike’s eventual dingle-ization:
Looking back I suppose I used to be merely getting too previous for a singlespeed mountain bike and clearly what I actually wanted to maintain the flame of irreverence alive was a two-speed fat-tired highway bike–although trying on the Artisanal Singlespeed once more does make me miss it.
Talking of highway bikes with fats tires, folks name them “gravel bikes” now, and so they’re in every single place. Even after I don’t see them I do know they’ve been right here. That’s as a result of I’m a tracker, like Leonard Smalls:
Simply by trying on the path I do know a small group of individuals have ridden via right here on Gravel Kings:
It’s additionally clear from the tracks that they hand handlebar baggage and MAAP clothes and rode up from Brooklyn.
Simply name it a hunch.
