I had the opportunity, fortunate timing, and reckless spending habit to purchase my size from the V1 prototype samples of the upcoming road-ish bike with ‘swoop tube’ technology from Rivendell dubbed the Charlie H Gallop. Each size was painted a different colour, and the 54cm that fit me best happened to be silver, which was exactly the colour I wanted.
The bike came as a complete for $1800 with a mix of parts that largely aligned with what I wanted to set it up with, and the differences were easily accommodated with help from my parts bin.
The reason I wanted this bike, and the reason I wanted silver too, was to build a low-key everyday bike that was suited to my 16km each way commute as well as keeping up with quick friends on around-town rides to parks, breweries, and the like.
To this end, the sporty tubing (I use that term in the context of Rivendells..) combined with the long, comfortable geometry seemed optimal for the swift-but-supremely-comfortable bike I wanted. I went on the larger size for my stature because I knew the extra top tube length would be needed for me to comfortably run sweepy bars. I haven’t checked too carefully, but I believe this frame has about a 580mm ETT and 500mm chainstays. I believe the HT/ST angles are 71 / 71.5, and the BB drop is a generous 80mm.
Let’s get this out of the way now: this prototype has canti studs, but the production plan is to run side-pull caliper brakes. I seem to be far from alone in thinking this is a mistake, and it’s partially why I had to jump at the chance to buy this prototype. This is my all-weather, year-round commuter and Vancouver is pretty well known for its rain! Perhaps it’s not too late to petition Rivendell to go with canti-stud brakes.
Enough about why I bought it, time to talk about whether my hopes for this bike played out!
I first rode it as it came as a baseline, though I was fully aware the reach with the 46cm Noodles it came stock with would be a bit too much for me. I would be insincere if I gave much feedback about how it rode with drops, because I only rode about 8km like this. As a placeholder, I installed my Nitto Wavie bar with a 9cm Technomic stem so I could outfit the bike with the black Paul Motolites and Love Levers I had set aside for the build. It rode nice enough. Then I put an Albatross bar on it with 11cm Tallux stem, and suddenly the bike came alive – the bike just feels right with this bar for me.
So this bike is expected to be a few things: comfortable, safe, but also zippy and road-ish in its manners. It’s clearly the progression of Grant’s idea of what a road bike could be if we avoid the influence of competitive cycling.
Rivendell is carrying the torch of modern-made but timeless-inspired steel bikes, with almost 30 years of geometry progression that has occurred with almost no influence from popular trends. It’s one person’s evolved belief in what the bicycle should be after over decades of focus based on personal experience rather than market projections. It’s a bit like observing a species of animal that evolved in completely different conditions than what we typically observe.
I’m totally smitten by this evolution as is already clear, just as many other are. That said, Grant is one individual, not some deity, and the fact he’s making bikes the way he wants instead of the way the market dictates shouldn’t be as rare as it is – but welcome to capitalism, I suppose.
Okay, so – is it comfortable? Yes, of course it is, how could a bike with 50cm chainstays not be. Interestingly, I don’t find it quite as smooth riding as my Hillborne (with paltry 455mm chainstays), but I chalk this up to the tires. The Charlie has Soma Shikoro 700x42mm tires, while the Hillborne has Rene Herse Babyshoe standards – the latter are notably more comfortable. The latter are also more susceptible to flats, but I haven’t had many flats on any tire.
What surprised me about the Charlie is that despite fairly stout tubing (ranging from 1.1 to 0.8mm thickness throughout the frame, as far as I know), it has quite a lot of flex! I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised given the length of the frame and the standard diameter top tube (albeit squished to 22.2 x 28.6 oval). It has a subtle but enjoyable spring while pedaling, but if you put some weight both front and rear (ie, when I have one pannier with my work laptop and stuff on the rear rack, and a couple 4-packs of beer in the front basket), the frame flex becomes very pronounced. It is almost as if there is a flexible joint between the front and rear halves of the frame. In a way it’s kind of fun, but it’s not optimal. This bike is not made to carry more than a light load and it shows. The single pannier on the rear causes an imbalance side to side that a stiff aluminum frame wouldn’t notice, but the Charlie H Gallop notices. Don’t buy the Charlie H Gallop for touring. It will ride like a wet noodle in that scenario.
The handling is very typical Rivendell these days: the steering feel is light, but yet the bike tracks straight very easily and is totally stable at any speed. They tend to carve turns. Grant pays attention to ensuring a consistent trail across his bikes and each size within so that this steering feel is always there.
So it’s comfortable and stable. Is it quick? Well, it’s not a sprinting bike. The geometry is pretty relaxed, as is the fit. The bike puts your weight squarely between the wheels, which provides the comfort and stability Rivendells are known for. The built-in flex feels good for a certain level of output; beyond that and you probably want something “higher performance”. That said, it glides up to speed quite effortlessly. The bike feels like its working with you when you push a bit harder on the pedals.
My first 700km has been on a variety of surfaces, but mostly paved and hardpack trails. I would say the limitation is going to be the tires, not the frameset, when it comes to what the bike can tackle. The Charlie will ride sure-footed on just about anything outside of steep technical descents.
Okay, let’s get negative for a change. What would I change if I could? To be honest, not a lot, but I do wish it was 650B in my size. If it were up to me, the largest sizes would be 700c but the middle sizes would be 650B. The smallest size or two might even be 26″. I find the 700x42mm tires to be a little too yacht-like for me, and will try a lighter set of 700×38 once I wear these out. The rotating interia of a 650×42-48 tire just feels right, in my opinion, and would give this bike a bit more of a sporty personality. Also, if I didn’t have canti studs, I’d be mad about it. I know it’s a road-ish bike, but let’s separate it a little bit from the Roadini and allow cantilever brakes or mini-V’s, both of which work with typical road levers and therefore should be a non-issue.
The Charlie H Gallop is marketed as a road bike, which appears to be an evolution from the Roadini. Its longer chainstays, more ample tire clearance, and swoopy top tube are all indicative of where Rivendell is headed, breaking barriers between sporty and stable. Despite this, what I see it as is a lightweight alternative to the Clem for those who want an everyday bike that don’t need to carry a lot. This is what I bought it for, and it’s why I think my size should be 650B, and they should keep the canti studs. Maybe this isn’t what was envisioned for the Charlie H Gallop, and maybe I’m just projecting based on what I want to see out of Rivendell (an every-person’s bike that’s more sporty than the Clem Smith, but still immensely versatile), but it’s what the bike is to me.