Say Hello to the Future - Rivendell's Betty Foy!

Velo Orange sells Nitto bars, “north Road” alloy style for $20, and 50 dollars for the high rise Nitto stem, too. I like Velo Orange’s Rubber/cork grips, mostly because they are black as is my bike. Basically, Vello Orange sells nitto parts cheap. Velo Orange saddle, model 8, brown leather? $85.00

Oh, Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires?

Do they make them in that size? Because they tend to not get punctured as much as some other brands/models/styles. Nice ride, too.

Other than that, carry on. I hope you love it, as I am rather envious….

I suppose I could recycle a Peugeot 18, cheap, as is my wont.

Go with the 58 for sure – I’m a torsosaurus like you, and I always am happier with the larger-than recommended size. Plus it looks better. For shifters either will work just fine, and I’d start with the thumbies since it’s cheaper at first. You can switch to bar-ends later if you get adventurous.

For tires in 650B I always first think Grand Bois Hetre in red, but I doubt it would fit the Betty with fenders. I have some Grand Bois Cypres that roll super fast and look great. The rest of your components seem just fine, and I’m sure whatever you do, you’ll be able to ride the wheels off this bike. Smart choice.

I followed Rivendell’s sizing instructions. My height is 5’6 and a
half, pubic bone height (kinda like inseam) is 80 cm, saddle height
(from top of saddle to middle of crank) is 71. Rivendell says:
“PBH between 70&81 and saddle height between 60 and 72, get a Betty
Foy 52. Probably 98 percent women between 5ft 3 and 5ft 6 will ride a
52 Betty Foy. PBH between 80 and 92 and saddle height between 70 and
82, get a 58. Ninety-eight percent of women between 5ft 6 and 5ft 10
will fit a 58.” – So I am right in the overlap.

Sounds like you should get the larger bike.

As for bike fit, keep in mind the reach. With the Albatross bars, you typically need a longer stem to push them forward. So if you get the larger frame, which will have the longer reach, you can always get a shorter stem if you are too stretched out. I don’t think a fit session at a bike shop will help, because Rivs are typically a different geometry, and fits are geared towards the lycra/carbon crowd.

I have used both bar cons and now thumb shifters on Albatross bars. I much prefer the bar cons because you can shift without taking your hands off of the grips. I also have bar cons on two other bikes with drop bars, so I’m used to them.

An alternative to the hammered Honjos that intrigues me are the Velo Orange fluted or Zeppilin fenders. They come in 650B and are awesome.

Finally, I think you really have to be self assured and confident to ride a bike with pink dots painted on it. Well done!

Congrats on your decision to purchase Betty. I’m both jealous and excited for you.

I think the axiom of buy large is probably right, you might wanna bounce the long torso idea off of the Rivendell fit mister, just to get their idea of how that plays out in the scenario.

I have bar end silver shifters and I love them. There’s an elegance in the way they feel, natural and direct. I’d recommend having Rivendell install them so you won’t have to redo the cork grips to accommodate the new shifters. (They do such nice things with twine and shellac) The one thing about the bar end shifters is that the cabling may interfere with a front basket installation. Again, something to ask the riv guru.

I’m looking forward to seeing pictures of your new bike.

If it wasn’t a mixte, I would say the smaller, but the way it is, the larger just looks much better, will give you more room, etc. I have used both thumb and bar-end shifters, I like them both. I would say the thumbs are a little easier, and I was always able to shift while my palms were on top of the grips, but the bar-ends have a certain panache’…

Good move, D. I got my Rivendell (Romulus) a few years ago, after being tortured regularly by a “racing bike” that was much too small for me. All my aches and pains disappeared on the first ride–and never returned. Many thousands of miles later, I still enjoy the bike a lot and it (if not me) still turns heads.

I’m with you on the sex appeal of hammered chrome fenders, but in the end I stayed with plain black plastic, so as not to overwhelm my Rivendell.

Thanks, everyone!

I’ve decided to get the larger, 58 cm, size. I still don’t know whether I should get thumb or bar-end shifters. I should find out how much more expensive the latter are.

Adrienne, I wouldn’t want drop bars on my mixte, either, but I suppose if people like drops, there’s no reason not to do it. Anyone out there have this set up?

Nico, 650 B are not the norm in the US – most bikes have either 26 inch or 700C. I’ve heard lots of good about 650 B and here’s what Grant Peterson says: “The wheels are 650B. Five years ago, were rare in the U.S., but no more. It’s well-supported in this country–it’s even trendy–and has a secure future.” I’ll carry an extra for long rides.

God. That is a beautiful bicycle. Congrats!!!

So did you go for the BarCons or the thumb shifters?

I personally have had better shifting with the barcons than with friction thumb shifters. I have noticed that I will use my whole hand when moving the shift lever for friction shifting. The friction thumb shifters I had required me to let go of the hand grip to be able to turn the shifter. (I must admit that was on a borrowed bike whose owner may not have been as meticulous about maintenance as I am.) With the barcons I can slide my hands back and use the heel of my hands for shifting.

Something else I like about the barcon compared to the thumb shifters is that the barcon don’t clutter up my handle bars. I have enough other stuff with speedometer, lights, bells, etc. That may not be an issue with the Albatross bars.

One problem that I have had with barcons was knee shifting. Mind you, that was with drop bars. That is, my knees would hit the levers and cause a shift to occur. Nothing more fun than an unexpected shift when mashing the pedals. (I’ve also had that happen with stem mount shift levers (remember those?).

I think one of the biggest strikes against barcons is that they get in the way of putting tassels in the end of the handle bars.

I probably should have told you this days ago but based on my experience with stem-mounted thumb friction shifters, a bar-end mount definitely seems like it would be more convenient.