Drop Everything! – Bike Snob NYC

It’s been a little bit over two weeks since I took supply of the Roaduno, and as of final week I used to be in an excellent place with it:

I’d modified the tires, I’d put a little bit tape on the bars, I’d gotten the two-speed drivetrain working, and I’d even added a flowery new seatpost and leather-based ass-pedestal. It was cozy, visually interesting, and working easily, and so I figured now I’d lastly cease tinkering with it.

However.

I’d gotten a field of goodies from Rivendell together with the Roaduno, together with this:

The Roaduno comes with the Choco bar–it’s the identical bar that was on my Homer after I first obtained it:

I just like the Choco very a lot. It’s obtained a pleasant upright hand place behind the brake lever, it’s obtained a pleasant sporty place forward of the brake lever, and it’s obtained a pleasant climbing-out-of-the-saddle place up entrance the place the bar curves and makes its means by way of the stem. I might simply journey the Choco bar fortunately ever after…but invariably on a road-ish sort bike I appear to revert to drop bars:

Moreover one being designed to be used as a singlespeed (or two- or three-speed) and one being designed to be used with a traditional geared drivetrain, the Roaduno and the Homer are very related–so related that you just is perhaps questioning why somebody would need each a Roaduno and a Homer. Look, what can I let you know? We’re speaking about bikes right here, there’s no room for logic. Why do some folks need dinner after which dessert? Why do some folks need each a canine and a cat? Why do some folks desire a townhouse and a rustic home? BECAUSE WE WANT TO LIVE, DAMN IT! As a result of we wish to palp each final little bit of nectar from the flower of existence! As a result of we wish to go balls-deep within the Jell-O! (Phrase to the sensible: don’t eat the Jell-O.) As a result of some souls burn dimly, while others burn brightly–bonfires of inspiration that illuminate the world for these too timid to stoke their very own flame!

Additionally I just like the mustard shade.

Anyway, the rationale I point out they’re very related is that after I first obtained the Roaduno I figured I’d maintain the Choco bar on there to additional distinguish the 2 bikes. Additionally, I actually preferred it. However I saved fascinated by the drops, and so yesterday as I used to be heading out for a journey I discovered myself doubling again and swiftly beheading the bike:

Be aware that I’ve saved all the things collectively in order that I can swiftly reattach it if the temper strikes me.

Blood was spewing geyser-like from the steerer tube, so I rapidly stopped the bleeding by inserting a brand new stem:

That’s an outsized stem (or what’s now thought-about only a normal-sized stem), and the bar is normal highway diameter (or what’s now thought-about undersized within the constantly-swelling world of bicycles, go determine, somebody please give the bike world an antihistamine), so I made up the distinction with the shims Rivendell had thoughtfully offered:

Subsequent I added the levers:

And earlier than I knew it I had myself a cockpit:

That was the simple half. The half I used to be nervous about was taping the bars. See, I nonetheless had some Newbaum’s left from my pathetic and ill-fated try at clothes up the Homer:

I needed to make use of the remainder of the roll, and this time I used to be decided to succeed, however I used to be nonetheless traumatized from the final time, after I’d made each mistake attainable and was fortunate to get out of it with out getting Newbaum’s in my hair or by accident mummifying the cat:

[Nobody did Newbaum’s like the ancient Egyptians.]

So I went very slowly, and all was going nicely. I obtained one aspect achieved and it got here out fairly good. However then I started to expertise a extremely Rivendellian type of nervousness when midway up the second aspect of the bar it began to seem like I would run out of fabric tape. With trepidation I rounded the bend, like a defenseless senior in a darkish alley, sure that every time across the bar could be my final:

Fortunately, just like the tiny little bit of oil that miraculously lit the menorah for eight days, so did my dwindling provide of tape wrap everything of the bar. So shut was I to working out that after I reached the top of the bar there was nothing even left to chop. I then completed all the things in electrical tape, since if I can hardly handle a roll of Newbaum’s there’s no means I might deal with twine:

I’m positive I might have achieved a greater job, nevertheless it’s going to get so dirty in every week or two it’s not gonna matter anyway:

And no, I’m not shellacking it–for the cat’s sake:

[Who hasn’t accidentally shellacked a cat at least once?]

Setting out for a journey, I used to be instantly happy:

Not solely do drops go well with the bike completely, nevertheless it seems the form of this specific bar–the Nitto 177 or so-called “Noodle”–looks like possibly it’s all the things it’s cracked as much as be:

This extremely favorable impression was under no circumstances diminished after I headed onto the path:

Whereas the Choco provides you that cozy upright place and that pleasant backsweep, if you end up spending quite a lot of time together with your arms forward of the levers within the “sporty” place then you definitely don’t all the time have prepared entry to the brakes with out altering your grip. With drops it’s just about the alternative, and the brakes are all the time roughly at your fingertips–except you’re holding onto the tops, although usually you’re solely doing that whenever you’re tootling alongside and don’t want fast brake entry anyway (and for those who do you’ll be able to all the time get these top-mount levers that have been in fashion for like three minutes):

Between the width and the consolation I think that for many individuals the Choco could be the perfect bar for a motorbike like this–particularly for those who by no means end up within the drops, which lots of people by no means do: