The ride truly is all that you riders rave about. It is very planted (no pun intended) with terrific vibration absorption. For ride quality, it competes with the best of carbon, steel and ti frames – and a Sachs, Moots, Serotta and Calfee are my context. I found myself intentionally riding over road imperfections just for fun! I am looking forward to many more much longer rides! I truly treasure the bike and have had great fun over the last few weeks explaining that I am building a wood bike. My husband in particular is fascinated by it and I catch him just staring at in the basement. Thanks for the terrific service and best of luck building some of the world’s most beautiful bikes! Patricia Davidson
I just returned from a week of riding my new R4 in the high mountains of Colorado at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. Crossed the Continental Divide four times, including a 14-mile dirt road climb to Cottonwood Pass, over 12,100 feet of elevation, not to mention plenty of hot descents up to 48 mph top speed. Saturday, I rode up Trail Ridge Rd. in Rocky Mt. Nat'l Park & along the ridgeline at 12,000+ feet for several miles. Also crossed Independence Pass & down into Aspen, plus Hossier Pass south of Breckenridge.
The bike performed like a champ in all respects and was the center of attention everywhere it went. I was most pleased at how solid it feels going downhill at those high speeds. Didn't know what to expect on that score, so that was a pleasant surprise. You've got to be pretty confident of your machine to let it go when you're descending at 45+ mph. David Wolf, Orbea Carbon
The bike performed like a champ in all respects and was the center of attention everywhere it went. I was most pleased at how solid it feels going downhill at those high speeds. Didn't know what to expect on that score, so that was a pleasant surprise. You've got to be pretty confident of your machine to let it go when you're descending at 45+ mph. David Wolf, Orbea Carbon
Earlier in the week, I didn't want to ride, because my (new R4) bike is too beautiful to ride on the roads which had sand and salt left over from the massive snow we had in February… Today the roads were much clearer and I couldn't stand it any longer, so I took my first ride and I wasn't disappointed. The ride was smooth as silk and quiet. I was only going out for a short time, but I enjoyed it so much that I doubled the ride. It was a beautiful day, and I had the feeling of a little kid who was supposed to be home for dinner, but wasn't, because he was having too much fun. Thanks for making my dream bike. Great Job!! Previous bike a Trek Madone 5.9 Project One.Part 2: My Renovo R4 was so beautiful that I was reluctant to ride it. I had ridden it only one time before, and on that ride I found the bike to be smooth and quiet, but today I was going to find out if it could perform. I was tired, jet lagged and fatigued because I had a late flight home from the west coast, and I was dragging as I rode the R4 to the Sunday morning group ride. When I stopped at a traffic light, a fellow rider pulled up in his car and he rolled down his window and asked about my new bike. I told him about it, and by the time I arrived, the word had spread about the stunning bike. Everyone was staring, commenting and inquiring about the R4 and this continued the whole ride.It was the first really nice day for biking in Washington DC after the “Snowmageddon” winter of 2010, and the group was huge. It appeared that everyone was itching for a ride having been sequestered for the winter, and now, finally, warmer temperatures and clear roads.I usually get strength from any group ride and that day was no exception. As the ride started I began to feel better and stronger. Even though the R4 is a couple of pounds heavier than my carbon fiber, I easily climbed the first set of hills. The bikes response to the initial hills was reassuring, but the real test was quickly approaching. The Massachusetts Avenue Hill which is considered the benchmark by many, and where the ride really starts heating up, was now in my sights. I was eagerly awaiting to see how the R4 would respond.The peloton hit the hill like a pack of wild dogs, and I could feel the collective testosterone from a group of riders who had been caged up for the winter. The strongest riders took off and I didn’t hesitate. I powered the R4 and it responded as the stiff frame transferred my power directly to the rear wheel, and instead of struggling to stay with the B riders, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself hanging onto the back of the A group.My friends took notice and I realized that this was not just a novelty bike, but a performance machine. Everyone regrouped and I continued to ride ahead of, or with riders who I usually trail, and I positioned myself for the next test, the “neighborhood”, followed by the sprint.The “neighborhood” has a shorter but steeper hill than Massachusetts Avenue, followed by a long gradual decline. As the group climbs, it stretches out and subgroups form and then after the hill, each faction has their own sprint. I stayed in the first half of the pack while climbing, and then emerged from the neighborhood with 6 other riders. I sat in, feeling good and then I realized I still had some legs as we approached the finish. I waited for the perfect moment, and then with all I had, hammered, and the R4 popped out for the win. This was a first for me, and I was surprised and wondered if the other riders could hear the stealthy quiet R4 as I attacked. The R4 was stiff, responsive, quiet, fast, and so smooth that I extended my ride for an extra 20 miles. I finished the 50 mile ride and I gathered with my friends in the parking lot and the buzz continued. As they admired the style and beauty of the R4 they realized that this was not a just a wood bike, but a performance bike that deserves respect. JD
I received my Renovo R4 build 3 weeks ago, and have had some time to ride her on the mountain roads of northern New Mexico. This bike is actually an engagement gift for my soon-to-be fiance, and we ride identically sized frames. This gives us the opportunity to switch bikes during our rides, which is a fantastic way to compare frames, equipment, etc. We've taken the Renovo out along with a few other bikes, and done some extensive back-to-back comparison. (the engagement gift is not a surprise to her; she's been eagerly awaiting delivery as have I).In summary, the Renovo has been jaw-dropping impressive with its stunning ability to absorb bumps and provide a smooth ride while also remaining stiff and nearly flex-free when standing on the pedals. I've been riding a very long time on some very good frames. When young, my father purchased the first Reynolds double-butted 501 alumnium frame, a 1973 Raleigh International with a 2x5 Campagnolo Record groupo. I still have that bike (with the sales receipt for $376!). I rode some of the first carbon frames, and I've had lovely Colnago steel bikes, to this point, some of the best riding frames I've owned. Currently, my main ride is a Specialized Roubaix SL3 with full Shimano Di2 while my fiance rides a Trek Pilot 5.0. This was my first electrically shifted bike, and once you've ridden Di2, it can be really hard to go back to mechanical. I was so impressed with the Di2, I specced the Renovo for the same drivetrain. I did the build on the Renovo myself, and in addition to the full Di2 drivetrain, I added full Ritchey WCS carbon forks, seatpost, and bars, and choose Mavic Kysrium ES Speciales for the rims. A note on the drivetrain. Lots of steep hills here in New Mexico. I use compact cranks (50/34) and have lately been using extended range rear cassettes. SRAM makes a great 11-32 10-speed cassette, and it works fine with the Di2 rear derailleur. I had no problems getting this setup with the Renovo frame. This gives you a gearing range greater and lower than a triple, with the weight advantages of a standard double. The build went super-easy, not a single problem, as the Renovo guys are perfectionists regarding all the frame geometry issues. While not something you think about right away, it's non-trivial to get all the mounting points for derailleurs, seatposts, brakes, bottom brackets, and headsets correct on a wooden bike. Renovo does it to perfection, and the payoff is an easy build that takes standard components and fits perfectly the first time you mount them. Kudos and well done. My build, including pedals and cages, weighed in a bit over 19# when finished. Not bad at all. I've posted pics of the build earlier here; the end result is stunning. Aesthetically, this is finest bike I've owned or built, and that's saying something. For my build woods, I choose Wenge, Red Padouk, and flamed Maple. We decided to try something different on the Maple, and I sent samples of a favorite guitar I owned, which Renovo was able to match in staining the inner flaming. The end result is jaw-dropping in person. And yes, it is quite a match to my guitar! For a test-ride, I use a favorite loop on forest roads near my hometown of Los Alamos. The backgate route to Bandelier National Monument is a great, 25 mile ride that has a long, slight descent of 6 miles over an older road with plenty of snakes and cracks. This road is almost unridable on aluminum bikes, as you do about 30 mph while your teeth get shaken out from the regular imperfections. The best carbon bikes I've ridden on this road are the Roubaix and the Colnago CLX 2.0. Steel-framed bikes do well here, but still transmit a bit of high-freqency vibration. Once I began the descent on the Renovo, I was shocked. You still feel the bumps, but they are extremely damped. And there is almost no high-frequency vibration at all! The wood frame just soaks up this road, and gives a ride like some kind of magic, natural shock absorbers. Back-to-back riding on this with the Roubaix clearly shows that the Renovo has a smoother ride. Of course, the price you pay on this ride to Bandelier is a steep, 3000' climb back out of Ancho Canyon. Here, low gears and plenty of sweat are in order. I found the Renovo amazingly stiff on the climbs. The SL3 and Colnagos are just a tad (barely) stiffer in this respect, and the Renovo was stiffer than most of my older carbon and steel frames. As a side note, I've mounted auxiliary Di2 climbing shifters for both the SL3 and Renovo; these are wonderful. You keep your hands on top of the bar, and a quick thumb-press provides a gear change. This ability to shift Di2 from alternate points is a great feature, and underutilized. Expect to see some innovation in shifting control as electrical shifting becomes more mainstream. Design of any bicycle frame requires a set of compromises among weight, stiffness, compliance, and shock absorption. Race and climbing frames put a premium on weight and stiffness. Touring frames favor ride quality. There is no perfect frame, geometry, or construction method which provides class-leading abilities across all these requirements; everything is a compromise. With that said, I honestly believe the Renovo wooden frames cover a wider spectrum of this diverse design space than any other frame I've ridden. Ride quality is clearly class-leading, just stunningly smooth and compliant. It soaks up the larger shocks, and dampens the high frequency vibration better than any other frame material I've ridden, even Italian steel. Yet, this frame is still surprisingly stiff, certainly rigid enough for anything I might need. The 19# build is plenty light, you pay less than a 2# penalty over the lightest, dedicated climbing frames. And of course, the aesthetics. I can't imagine a more unique or beautiful frame. Overall, the Renovo is simply a stunning, class-altering bicycle. The wait can be long. As a small, boutique builder with a growing reputation, I'm afraid that wait is only going to get longer as others discover the magnificent capabilities of well-crafted wooden frames. Joe Martz