2021–2022 Riese & Müller Homage

[Tregurtha]

I find it impossible to ride out of the saddle because of the variable torque assistance in each peddle revolution but this capability is not actually needed even on very steep ascents. A frustration in the UK are styles or other obstacles (easily negotiated on foot or with a light bike) designed to fence in livestock which are not signposted at the start or on maps and located in the middle (or end!) of an otherwise excellent cycling route.

 

[Alaskan]

I give this bike ***** for comfort, safety, design, low maintenance, efficiency & engineering quality in exchange for the price of a small ICE car! The dropper post & integration with Bosch & Rholoff is superb. Roadside repairs are challenging & the GX pedals occasionally scrape the ground on corners because of their width, so extra care required. I have already proved that this is not a mountain bike and I am not a mountain biker.

Congratulations on your new bike. It sounds like you made a near perfect selection for your use case.

I am 70, retired with some considerable health challenges. In the past four years my wife and I have gone throughs several ebikes, including two Homages. I ride an average of 500-600 miles per month, we are now down to one shared hybrid car. I also live in a quite hilly, area. I have used less and less assist for my rides to the point where now I am riding mostly in Eco, still at good speed. I even turn off the motor at times but, as you have observed, these are heavy bikes. So I recently bought an acoustic, 8.6 kg gravel bike to keep improving fitness.


To avoid or reduce pedal strikes, consider the following:

FIrst and foremost, avoid pedaling through sharp turns. Develop the habit of pushing down the outside pedal and hold it down through the curve, resuming when the bike returns to a sufficiently upright position. You are not in a race. This is the safest way to go through turns anyway. If you do this none of the following will be needed.

These are a few things you can do to raise the pedals and get a bit more clearance to reduce pedal strikes.

1. Install a wider tire, if your frame and fenders will accommodate it.
2. increase the air pressure in your front and rear shock. It should be adjusted to have sag of no more than 20% of the shock length. There are good youtube videos that address proper shock inflation. Rule of thumb front shock PSI should be 50% of your weight in pounds, rear shock 100% - realize you are in a metric country but this rule only works with imperial measurements.
3. Install shorter cranks - taking 5mm off the crank length can make a big difference. It will also help speed up cadence but also reduce leverage on the cranks slightly.

Enjoy your new steed. May it give you many many miles and even more smiles.

 

[webcurl]

Although I no longer own a Homage, I do have SQ Labs grips with inner bar ends on my Trek Allant 9.9S.

They are definitely a step up from the Ergon GP's in terms of comfort, cushion and hand position. The broad part of the grip where the heel of the hand lives has more flex, with just the right amount of firmness, making them considerably more compliant/impact absorbing.

The inner bar ends provide a useful alternative hand and wrist position the helps resolve tingling and numbness on longer rides, while still being able to activate the brakes. Shifting the Sram AXS wireless shifter does require returning the right hand to the grip.

I did have to drill out the left grip in order to inset the Busch & Muller 701 mirror, which I consider to be the best made, most useful bike mirror by far.

View attachment 102657

I detect/see a cheap chinese top bar bag there! "Wheel Up", does this not detract from the value of the bike? Shame on you

 

[Alaskan]

If it adds to the function and the form is harmonious. The answer is a resounding NO.

What's your real agenda here, just more s#! + stirring?

 

[JimAndArrow]

I'm pretty sure @webcurl was joking @Alaskan. (Besides, this is a web forum, isn't s### stirring all we do here? )

 

[webcurl]

If it adds to the function and the form is harmonious. The answer is a resounding NO.

What's your real agenda here, just more s#! + stirring?

Ahh, life without humor, calm down please i was only joking!

 

[webcurl]

No agenda, not personal.

 

[mikesh]

First time post - new UK Homage GX rholoff dual battery and electric car driver.

I live in SE England, largely rural by the sea near several long distance cycle routes (off road & quiet country lanes). Being retired I’ve been able to do 1,300 miles in the first 9 weeks. 75 hilly miles in a day is no problem even without good fitness. Many years ago I used to ride a road bike 40 miles a week for cardio exercise.

I am getting 100 mile range in “Tour” mode (Kiox) on mixed tarmac, concrete & gravel routes . My locks, tool kit etc bring the bike weight up to 40kg (130kg total)! I navigate using Komoot / power bank / Quad Lock and I use “SQlab Innerbarends” so my bars are full but ergonomic. I use hexlox for extra security

My dealer is 70 miles away so I have to use a hoist to get the bike up onto a work stand. The Homage is too long & heavy to use safely on any Euro “bike rack” mountable on a vehicle tow bar. The body colour has to be compensated for with high viz accessories.

I give this bike ***** for comfort, safety, design, low maintenance, efficiency & engineering quality in exchange for the price of a small ICE car! The dropper post & integration with Bosch & Rholoff is superb. Roadside repairs are challenging & the GX pedals occasionally scrape the ground on corners because of their width, so extra care required. I have already proved that this is not a mountain bike and I am not a mountain biker.

Excellent value, as I get to see places that walkers & drivers don’t, while getting my heart rate up (optional, even on the steepest ascents)

Good to hear that you are enjoying the bike. I have the 49cm frame Homage and transport it with the batteries removed on a Thule towbar rack (capacity 2 x 30kg). The 54cm frame has a 2cm longer wheelbase but would, I believe, still fit.

 

[Alaskan]

Ahh, life without humor, calm down please i was only joking!

Those who know me know I have a robust sense of humor. I live my life with lots of humor, have many jovial friends and enjoy good natured "busting of chops" both giving and receiving.

Perhaps it is just the lack of body language, facial expression etc, in a digital forum like this, that makes sarcasm fall flat, at best, or even give offense where none was intended. I just think some forms of humor don't translate well without face to face, in person cues and nuance and are best left for in-person interaction. in those circumstances the giver can get cues back from the receiver as to whether they are amused or offended and quickly defuse the situation when they sense the latter.

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Rule of thumb front shock PSI should be 50% of your weight in pounds, rear shock 100% – realize you are in a metric country but this rule only works with imperial measurements.

Maybe, try this as an easily-remembered guide:

• subtract one-third of your weight for the front shock's pressure;
• add one-third of your weight for the rear shock's pressure.

Front	Rider	Rear
4 bars	60 kg	8 bars
5 bars	75 kg	10 bars
6 bars	90 kg	12 bars

Personally, I've set my Homages' shocks to at least 1 bar higher than these figures.

 

[Tregurtha]

Congratulations on your new bike. It sounds like you made a near perfect selection for your use case.

I am 70, retired with some considerable health challenges. In the past four years my wife and I have gone throughs several ebikes, including two Homages. I ride an average of 500-600 miles per month, we are now down to one shared hybrid car. I also live in a quite hilly, area. I have used less and less assist for my rides to the point where now I am riding mostly in Eco, still at good speed. I even turn off the motor at times but, as you have observed, these are heavy bikes. So I recently bought an acoustic, 8.6 kg gravel bike to keep improving fitness.


To avoid or reduce pedal strikes, consider the following:

FIrst and foremost, avoid pedaling through sharp turns. Develop the habit of pushing down the outside pedal and hold it down through the curve, resuming when the bike returns to a sufficiently upright position. You are not in a race. This is the safest way to go through turns anyway. If you do this none of the following will be needed.

These are a few things you can do to raise the pedals and get a bit more clearance to reduce pedal strikes.

1. Install a wider tire, if your frame and fenders will accommodate it.
2. increase the air pressure in your front and rear shock. It should be adjusted to have sag of no more than 20% of the shock length. There are good youtube videos that address proper shock inflation. Rule of thumb front shock PSI should be 50% of your weight in pounds, rear shock 100% - realize you are in a metric country but this rule only works with imperial measurements.
3. Install shorter cranks - taking 5mm off the crank length can make a big difference. It will also help speed up cadence but also reduce leverage on the cranks slightly.

Enjoy your new steed. May it give you many many miles and even more smiles.

Thanks for the encouragement Alaskan.

I did my first 100 mile trip yesterday - 9hrs in the saddle, 20 mins off it. In order to conserve battery, I used ECO mode for 35 miles (first use). It seems to me that dropping a couple of cogs requires the same effort as TOUR but with a significant drop in average speed - important when the last couple of hours are then in the dark. A forced 10 mile diversion only 6 miles from home resulted in my range displayed as 2 miles with 4 miles to go (7% battery remaining at the end)!. Moral of the story - great saddle, weak left knee and don't rely on TURBO at the end if range looks OK but assume the range display is conservative.

Shorter cranks seems a good idea to reduce peddle strike if 5mm is enough! I need to raise raise the saddle by 25mm anyway but not sure how this will affect the dropper post mechanism.

 

[Lumos]

A frustration in the UK are styles or other obstacles (easily negotiated on foot or with a light bike) designed to fence in livestock which are not signposted at the start or on maps and located in the middle (or end!) of an otherwise excellent cycling route.

I believe that they are in fact signposted, they are signposted as 'Public Footpath'. We are not supposed to be riding on public footpaths at all only Bridleways. Bridleways do not have stiles at all but use gates. It may even be that the use of stiles is to stop horses and bikes.

 

[Tregurtha]

I believe that they are in fact signposted, they are signposted as 'Public Footpath'. We are not supposed to be riding on public footpaths at all only Bridleways. Bridleways do not have stiles at all but use gates. It may even be that the use of stiles is to stop horses and bikes.

 

[Tregurtha]

Lumos - I have no intention to cycle on a footpath which the landowner wishes to reserve for walkers or livestock. I just wish that in that case they would signpost me in advance before I reach a barrier which only stops large / heavy e-bikes. It is not a criminal offence in the UK to cycle on a footpath but if I trespass AND cause damage I would commit a civil offence which could result in a financial restitution penalty.

 

[Apparatschik]

As I promised, I could take some photographs on last friday (5.11.2021) during my trip into the office using my Fuji X-E1 with the 27mm lens. On the first picture you can see a bow of the Isar (the big river through Munich), on the second a bridge (steel/wood construction) over the Isar for bikers and pedestrians (nice autumn impression, isn't it?), on the third the weir of Oberföhring (also nice...the Isar reflects a mirror image) and on the fourth the "Chinese Tower" in the Englisch Garden of Munich with a famous Beergarden around (kind of social open air restaurant in Bavaria, where you can fetch your own food, e. g. "Obatzta" , a typical bavarian dish made of camembert, onions, butter and cream. Only the beer has to be purchased.) On the last picture a Japanese tea house is displayed, which also can be found in the Englisch Garden. (Now the question is: Why is it called Englisch Garden, when there are all these eastern sightseeings? )

 

[Apparatschik]

I’ve been using the Homage as a commuter now almost two months (around 100km a week). So, I think it is time for a first review.

Since I am a perfectionist I’m always looking for improvements. I mention this explicitly, to avoid the impression, that I don’t appreciate this bike. The opposite is true. It’s a great bike. It’s rock solid like a tank. It has got first class components which means there never arises the feeling of a compromise. It’s very dynamic and it’s very versatile with MTB genes. Riding moderate trails is not a problem and makes fun. Last but not least it’s very comfortable. Due to my investigations it’s one of two available electric fullies provided with a deep entry. And the other one (Conway) hasn’t got the Rohloff option.

Now to the details:

From a certain point of view the Rohloff gear hub is overkill. I only use the gears 5 to 10 since I’m riding this bike. Most of the time (at high speed) I use the 9th gear (I prefer pedalling with a high cadence). Hence, I think 7 or 8 gears are sufficient for such a bike. Unfortunately, Rohloff has got only one gear hub model in its product portfolio. In comparison Pinion has got a special gear hub for e-bikes.

Bike-fitting is complicated, when you want to rise position of the handle bar. Normal riser bars do not fit due to the very broad stem link (9,5cm). R&M offered a higher stem (2cm). Unfortunately, this part is currently not available due to production problems at Sartori (a Taiwanese company, which is producing bike parts for many bike manufacturers, especially stems). The stem has got an angle adjustment, but if you use this mechanism for rising the handle bar, the view angle onto the display of the bike computer is deteriorating. If you unlink the display/beam-holder from the stem (which is possible), then you can optimise the view angle but on the other hand, the holder is no more stabilised by the stem which means, that you often must readjust the holder. Alas I arrived at a compromise. I sacrificed my preferred handle bar height by lowering it by one step so I could put back the display holder into the stem whereas the view angle is now acceptable (but not perfect).

I’ve been describing all the other bike fitting measures (Brooks B17 imperial saddle, SQLab grips, SQLab inner bar-ends, brake clamp holder for he high beam button, …) in my previous posts. Finally, I added the Airzound horn although it’s illegal in Germany. But for me a horn is a serious safety feature. It’s the only way to attract attention from car drivers in dangerous situations. (And regarding the regulations…I never experienced a bike control by the local police since I’m riding bikes.)

Answering Tregurtha regarding the scratch issue: When I started to ride this bike, I scratched my pedals several times. I think to a certain degree it’s a matter of biking experience. I’ve been using a recumbent bike the last twenty years, which hasn’t got the pedal scratching problem. Additionally, I also increased the air pressure of the fork and the rear suspension, which hopefully will help.

You've been talking about humor. I know, Germans don't have humor. But anyway...here is one of my last joke creations (I hope it works also in English).

 

[Jay Kay]

I actually love the Homage - my wife’s not mine which is the SD Mountain. Depending on rider weight and topography, the Rohloff is either overkill or essential. Good observation on the impact of changing stem angle on the display. My one utopian desire for a future Homage is, now that the 2021 model has ticked most the boxes, a Fox upgrade option.

 

[Deleted member 18083]

My one utopian desire for a future Homage is, now that the 2021 model has ticked most the boxes, a Fox upgrade option.

Add to your wish list:

• increased pedal ground clearance,
• availability in a smaller size – current 49 cm frame is 'just right' for me.

My understanding is that R&M have canvassed their dealers regarding a smaller Homage.

 

[Apparatschik]

This weekend I checked the pressure of the suspension elements. It was too low at the fork and also at the rear suspension element. At the primary service after 400km I asked the dealer to check the pressure. The employee found the fork pressure ok and filled in some air into the rear suspension. Obviously, he did a bad job. Honestly, I expect the dealer to check all these parameters (pressure, height of saddle and handlebar, ...) with scrutiny before they hand over the bike to the customer. In reality I did it all by myself. Since I have got sufficient technical skills, this is not a problem for me. But there are other customers who do not want to maintain their bikes on their own and expect instead a proper service by their bike-dealer. Alas, some scratches at the pedals were the price for the insufficient pressure.

Also mentionable: I wrote to R&M because of the stem adustment problems. They wrote me back, that they had decided not to add a display adjustment mechanism independent from the stem adjustment, because due to their opinion the view angle onto the display is also okay when the stem is adjusted into a more upward position. For me this behavior is symptomatic for the arrogance of a premium manufacturer. R&M refuses to accept, that their product has got a design weakness regarding this aspect. Hence, they define this shortcoming as a deliberate design decision. This reminds me at a saying in the software-programmer community when there occurs an error the programmer doesn't want to bother with: "It's not a bug, it's a feature!"

Alas the size issue. My wife is also thinking about leasing a Homage, because her employer is also offering the bike leasing model. But the so called S Size is possibly too big for her, since her height is about 166 cm. Due to the frame size the Homage is a little bit weird. A "ladies bike" only for very big persons.

 

[Apparatschik]

Again the size issue: I think the Size declarations of the Homage are a little bit missleading. Instead of S,M,L Riese & Müller should use M, L, XL.

If you look for a similair bike, which fits better for smaller persons, there is just one alternative due to my opinion. The Conway Cairon SUV FS. Unfortunately in 2022 Conway reduced the line up of this type to two models. And even if you choose the better one (5.7) there are some bitter pills, you have to swallow:

• Brakes: Tektro...probably weaker than Magura at the Homage, since this brake got 2 pistons also at the front wheel (Magura 4 pistons front, 2 pistons rear). Also spare parts could be a problem.
• Suspension: My first impression was "Yeah, Fox!" But if you read the specs you will find out the built in fork and spring element are of the entry level category. No match e. g. with the Marzocchi fork at my homage. And also the Aion should be better.
• Gear shift: Shimano Deore, but not XT, just the cheaper "poser" variant.
• Light: Contec? ... never heard before, but wait, if you look into the Impressum Conway and Contec belong both to Hermann Hartje KG, hence it's the same (German) company . But let's look at the components in more detail. Front light, the weaker 80 lux model (there is also a 120 lux model), no high beam, overall not better than my BUMM at my recumbent without motor. Positive, the backlight has got an brake indicator, although for me it's not clear how it works (directly/indirectly..I don't see a cable at the Tektro brakes). For an e-bike the front light is absolute entry level , given that Conway is a serious bike producer (let's put aside the offer you can find e. g. at a hardware store).
• ...

I didn't check every component, but now you can better understand, what I meant with "there never arises the feeling of a compromise" at the Homage. And that also explains the pricing difference. You get what you pay.

For me the Cairon FS wouldn't be a serious option. Front light not acceptable. No Rohloff/belt drive option. Entry level suspension. But a rider, who doesn't use the bike so often as I do (also at night), maybe has got another view onto the weaknesses of that bike. And Conway offers a wider size range for that bike (4 variants). What's difficult to estimate (at least for me), is the robustness and effectiveness of the rear suspension frame construction, which is more complicated than at the Homage.