I just misunderstood Charlie H. Gallop.

Hi, it’s Tani from Kamiuma store.

We’ve got a completely brand new model from Rivendell, and it’s called “Charlie H. Gallop”.

Available in “Dark Gold” and,

their iconic “RBW Blue”. Now you can check the both at any of our stores.

 

There has been the name of “Charlie H. Gallop” in their blog and mail magazine for a couple of these years. But they haven’t released it for a long time and we don’t know much about it.

Then, what kind of bike is it? I’m gonna unravel mysteries of this bike.

・・・

It was in 2023, please check this video from 44:22. It was the first time for us to have a look of “Charlie H. Gallop” when we visited HQ of Rivendell. The manager Will told us about the bike.

“Step-over road bike”, Will said. I can’t help being excited when I heard the word “Step-thru styled Roadini”.

(Since it’s got a top tube in a bit higher area compared to “Step-thru”, it’s called “Step-over”.)
It is actually the Rivendell’s road bike which rides smoothly on the paved road with around 40mm tires.

(The lime olive one in the video is only for the prototype.)

 

I had a try and it’s lightish and smooth. I got hooked at the first ride.

To be honest, I didn’t feel it’s like Roadini, but I feel it’s more like “A. Homer Hilsen” which I always ride.

I was like “Is this A. Homer Hilsen with more angled head tube?”.
At that time, I was looking for the lightish Rivendell bike which is suitable for a drop bar (I mean “Noodle Bar”.), and I’ve already begun choosing parts for Roadini. I had been always riding Rivendell bikes with big tires on trails, so I think I just wanted something for paved road.

 

I even started to imagine a day off with it, “I’m gonna build it specialized in a carry-on to a train without a rack and fenders, and get on the train from Kyodo station, then ride on country roads and paved wood paths to go up to the pass and smoke…

But, my “Drop bar Rivendell” is probably not this one?
The impression at this time and the looking of this prototype burned into my memory.

But, I misunderstanding Charlie H. Gallop!

・・・

From now, I’m gonna unravel the truth with the words from Rivendell.

Firstly, they announced the build pack (the proposal of a build). Of course, you don’t have to build like this, but this is the display bike which Rivendell prepared for a test ride.
Umm, that’s not Noodle bar.

(Yellow one is built with the parts which Grant chose.)

I found these descriptions in their mail magazine.

-By ditching drop bar specific design, we were able to lengthen the front center (the distance from the crank axle to the front wheel axle) which makes room for bars that sweep back, improves the handling of the bike, and stretches out the wheelbase for a smoother ride.

-In general, longer front centers do good things for bicycles, and those benefits extend to drop bar set-ups too, but you’ll have to use a shorty stem: a 5 to 7cm extension should do the trick.

and,

I found this in the release news written by Will.

-Back then, the working title was “the Rachel bike”, and the concept was for riders like Rachel, my then-girlfriend now-wife, who like light, roadish bikes but have little to zero interest in using drop bars. The Charlies have longer top tubes and slacker headtube angles than basically all other road bikes out there, which make it ideal for swept back bars, but we kept it on the bleeding edge of drop bar-able, so it’ll work with our entire bar line-up. 

well, now I see.

I’ve noticed that I misunderstood it.

I completely thought it’s “a step-thru version of Rivendell road bike like Roadini.”

However,

it is actually “a road bike originally designed for swept-back handlebars, but still you can ride with a drop bar.”

Umm, I misunderstood.

I think the prototypes which I rode at their HQ are probably for testing the combination of “short stem and a drop bar”.

・・・

I was a bit disappointed since it’s not what I imagined, but “the Rachel Bike” totally makes sense for me and I was even impressed.

“A road bike for those who doesn’t need a drop bar.”

There’s the word “flat-bar road bike” which is common among cyclists and it’s certainly needed, but the manufacturers don’t make them much.

In the concrete jangle, we ride on paved road for 99% and I’m wondering if there’s ever been “a road bike designed for people little interested in a drop bar and a racing. Here in Tokyo, it’s a genre which has been always replaced with “cross bike” and “city riding MTB”. Have we always forced people like “Rachel” to ride such bikes?

A non-drop lightish fast bike with a basket and a kickstand, isn’t it the best, is it?

ーーー

From here, let’s move on to the frame details with Grant’s descriptions.

(The head badge is galloping horse legs.)

-Like all Rivendells, it fits racks, too, but it’s not a touring bike. YES you can tour on it, but we designed it for road riding with minimal loads—say, up to ten pounds. Easily fendered, so you can ride it all year long.

 

I see, it seems to be not a camping bike with racks and panniers.

(The footprints on the downtube, horseshoe graphics different from the ones on Joe Appaloosa mean galloping?)

-It’s not a trail bike, hillibike, touring-camping bike. It’s a super versatile road bike or Country Bike. Of course you can carry light loads with it, but if your plan is to put the biggest racks and panniers and loads wherever the bike seems to allow it, then get a  Clem, Atlantis, or Appaloosa. Maybe a Sam.

 

Product descriptions always tend to be too much sales talk, but they’re so honest with their models.

(Is this horse on the chainstay “Charlie”?)

-45mm with fender, so a hair bigger without fenders. BUT it’s still a road bike, so don’t put fat knobbies on it and thrash it on trails. It’s a practical, fun, all around, commuting, shopping, group-riding, road bike for upright handlebars.

 

-130mm. Again, to emphasize that it’s a road bike.
-If you weigh over 207 pounds, get a Roadini, Sam, or Homer. They’re plenty zippy, too. It’s doubtful that a 240 pounder would break the Charlie, but it’s just not the right bike.

-A notch lighter than Sam tubes, a lot like Homer’s. But the 49cm and 53cm have an inch-and-an-eighth (28.6mm) downtubes. The 57cm and 61cm downtubes are our standard inch-and-a-quarter (31.8mm).

-Minimum 32mm, and that skinny only if you’re on them now and know they work for you. But an all-aroundy bike like the Charlie is at its most versatile with tires 40mm and up. You might think, what’s the point in getting a light bike, then adding bigger tires? But the Charlie rides light with any tire, so unless you’re hauling it up stairs and concerned about ounces, we recommend 40mm+.

Did you get the point of their brand new model, Charlie H. Gallop?

It’s suitable for those who wanna ride Rivendell bike, but for a paved road and not for trail riding. And someone who prefers lightish bikes to heavy ones.

・・・・

I can’t help building up my own while I’m writing this blog in the nights and here’s the one. It’s just an excuse, but I’ve already told Will I’m going to buy it.

My Charlie. It rides smoothly on a paved road. It might be a bit misleading for Rivendell, but it’s certainly light.

I picked up the smaller one (49) from the two which fit on me.
You might think “oh, Tani didn’t get a swept-back bar on it!”, but I’ll tell you more about the sizing and details in the next blog.

 

Here’s the size range as usual.
-49cm: 74～83cm PBH
-53cm: 78〜87cm PBH
-57cm: 82～91cm PBH
-61cm: 86〜96.5cm PBH

As always, we choose the size with your PBH (inseam), not your height.

(You can check how to measure it from here. It’s really useful to remember your PBH.)

We can measure your PBH for free at anytime, so please feel free to visit us for it. Don’t forget to take a note on your phone.

 

The pictured one is Grant’s Charlie.

Lightish build with no racks. Fendered all-weather bike. He seems to choose 61 even though his PBH is 85cm. I’m going to write about the trick of this step-over in the next blog.

 

<Build Notes>

49 takes a 650b wheel.

from 53 and larger take a 700c wheel.

 

26.8mm seatpost included. (of course you can replace it with NITTO.)
130mm rear spacing.

・・・・・

Rivendell’s road bike for “a paved road”. It’s a brand new model with full of “Grant’s latest ideas”.

Please come and check the details of the frame.

 

Thank you so much for reading till the end!

Bye.