Any experience with Rivendell?

"JP" wrote ...

Quoted message said:

I've been staring at their website trying to choose.
I've got a MB that I love but where I live (Long Island)
the trails are driving distance and sometimes there's
just not enough time to drive somewhere.
So I jump on my bike and go but the fat-tired FS
beauty that sails on trails is ponderous on the road.

The look and the ruggedness are very appealing.
Seems like a bike that could sail down the driveway
and comfortably handle just about any surface it might
encounter. And so Rivendell claims.

Does anyone have firsthand experience, realtime hands-on
ass-in-the-saddle type experience?

JP

They are good looking, and they are well made. My own Riv is built for
loaded touring and dirt roads, and for the most part it handles commuting,
dirt roads, and easy single track quite easily. On extremely demanding
trails, though, the lower standover height and more upright seating position
of a mountain bike make for a higher level of control with or without
suspension. Get the Riv, but there will probably still be times when you
want your MTB.
--
mark

JP said:

I've been staring at their website trying to choose.
I've got a MB that I love but where I live (Long Island)
the trails are driving distance and sometimes there's
just not enough time to drive somewhere.
So I jump on my bike and go but the fat-tired FS
beauty that sails on trails is ponderous on the road.

What kind of tires are on your MTB? Semi-slicks are much faster than knobbies.
You can even use full slicks if your trails are hardpacked. A MTB with good
slicks gives up very litte to a road bike, especially if you don't average more
than 18 MPH.

Quoted message said:

The look and the ruggedness are very appealing.
Seems like a bike that could sail down the driveway
and comfortably handle just about any surface it might
encounter. And so Rivendell claims.

Does anyone have firsthand experience, realtime hands-on
ass-in-the-saddle type experience?

Rivendell makes beautiful, high quality, and versatile bikes, but no bike is a
magic bullet. They're all compromised in one way or another. The trick is to
find the compromise that works for you.

If your trails are not too rugged or twisty, or full of sharp ups and downs, a
road-oriented bike like a Rivendell may be a good compromise.

Matt O.

Matt O'Toole said:

If your trails are not too rugged or twisty, or full of sharp ups and downs, a
road-oriented bike like a Rivendell may be a good compromise.

Although a Rivendell with some hefty tires would work well on and
off trail, buying a Rivendell for this purpose is a pretty expensive
choice. Consider a cross bike as more appropriate and economical.

http://www.lemondbikes.com/2004_bikes/poprad.shtml
http://www.trekbikes.com/bikes/2005/specialty/xo1.jsp
http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/05/cusa/model-5XR8.html

--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

Quoted message said:

They are good looking, and they are well made. My own Riv is built for
loaded touring and dirt roads, and for the most part it handles commuting,
dirt roads, and easy single track quite easily. On extremely demanding
trails, though, the lower standover height and more upright seating position
of a mountain bike make for a higher level of control with or without
suspension. Get the Riv, but there will probably still be times when you
want your MTB.
--
mark

*snicker* How do you build a bike for dirt roads...seriously besides tires?

"mark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"JP" wrote ...

Quoted message said:

I've been staring at their website trying to choose.
I've got a MB that I love but where I live (Long Island)
the trails are driving distance and sometimes there's
just not enough time to drive somewhere.
So I jump on my bike and go but the fat-tired FS
beauty that sails on trails is ponderous on the road.

The look and the ruggedness are very appealing.
Seems like a bike that could sail down the driveway
and comfortably handle just about any surface it might
encounter. And so Rivendell claims.

Does anyone have firsthand experience, realtime hands-on
ass-in-the-saddle type experience?

JP

They are good looking, and they are well made. My own Riv is built for
loaded touring and dirt roads, and for the most part it handles commuting,
dirt roads, and easy single track quite easily. On extremely demanding
trails, though, the lower standover height and more upright seating

position

Quoted message said:

of a mountain bike make for a higher level of control with or without
suspension. Get the Riv, but there will probably still be times when you
want your MTB.
--
mark

I'm not planning to give up the MTB, a Hollowpoint, I'm still nowhere near
its
capabilities yet it swallows my mistakes and is in total harmony with dirt.

What I want is its road counterpart, something in harmony with paved
surfaces
.......even less than ideal paved surfaces, something that will work on my
daily
1-3 hour rides (when I can't get to a trail) and handle those long rides
that take
longer, like with a group on a Saturday or Sunday. Something rugged,
forgiving,
with enough quality and capability that I won't be looking to replace it in
a year or two.

May I ask what Riv you have?
I'm not willing to wait for a full custom so I'm considering the Atlantis or
the Rambouillet.
The MTB was the first bike I bought myself, my first bike since I got my
driver's license in '68.
I have no roadbike experience so I'm looking for feedback.
Seems like Riv's are well made, well conceived, attractive, bikes that
are fun to ride
grow more beloved over time. That's the claim. True or False?

JP

"Matt O'Toole" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

JP said:

I've been staring at their website trying to choose.
I've got a MB that I love but where I live (Long Island)
the trails are driving distance and sometimes there's
just not enough time to drive somewhere.
So I jump on my bike and go but the fat-tired FS
beauty that sails on trails is ponderous on the road.

What kind of tires are on your MTB? Semi-slicks are much faster than

knobbies.

Quoted message said:

You can even use full slicks if your trails are hardpacked. A MTB with

good

Quoted message said:

slicks gives up very litte to a road bike, especially if you don't average

more

Quoted message said:

than 18 MPH.

Maxxis Hansventure, 26 X 2.35, front and rear. I run them at about
47psi on the trails. I was thinking of getting a matching wheelset and
setting them up with nice fat urban assault tires and switching when I
ride the street but the bike is 37lbs with tools and powerbars and on the
road there is noticeable bob on hills and sometimes acceleration. Not to
say
there isn't any on dirt but I've never noticed it on dirt. My wife and kids
want
me to get a new bike for Xmas (order it anyway) and the pricing isn't a
concern.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The look and the ruggedness are very appealing.
Seems like a bike that could sail down the driveway
and comfortably handle just about any surface it might
encounter. And so Rivendell claims.

Does anyone have firsthand experience, realtime hands-on
ass-in-the-saddle type experience?

Rivendell makes beautiful, high quality, and versatile bikes, but no bike

is a

Quoted message said:

magic bullet. They're all compromised in one way or another. The trick

is to

Quoted message said:

find the compromise that works for you.

If your trails are not too rugged or twisty, or full of sharp ups and

downs, a

Quoted message said:

road-oriented bike like a Rivendell may be a good compromise.

Matt O.

Sorry I didn't make myself clear in my first post.
I'm loving my hollowpoint and not looking to replace it. the only trails I
envision
riding with the new bike would be ones I might discover inadvertantly on a
road
trip. I do want a road oriented bike to complement the MTB. Something that
can handle the real roads, crappy cracked seamed roads that separate the
smooth stretches, something I can ride for hours enjoyably, and for years
without wishing I'd bought a "better" bike. Is that a Riv?

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

In article <[email hidden]>,

Fx199 said:

Quoted message said:

They are good looking, and they are well made. My own Riv is built for
loaded touring and dirt roads, and for the most part it handles commuting,
dirt roads, and easy single track quite easily. On extremely demanding
trails, though, the lower standover height and more upright seating position
of a mountain bike make for a higher level of control with or without
suspension. Get the Riv, but there will probably still be times when you
want your MTB.
--
mark

Quoted message said:

*snicker* How do you build a bike for dirt roads...seriously besides tires?

_ Well that's the whole point really. 25mm tires aren't really
optimized for dirt roads. Being able to put full fenders on is
also pretty useful in preserving components. Pretty much any
touring bike makes a fine dirt road bike.

_ Booker C. Bense

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"Terry Morse" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Matt O'Toole said:

If your trails are not too rugged or twisty, or full of sharp ups and

downs, a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

road-oriented bike like a Rivendell may be a good compromise.

Although a Rivendell with some hefty tires would work well on and
off trail, buying a Rivendell for this purpose is a pretty expensive
choice. Consider a cross bike as more appropriate and economical.

http://www.lemondbikes.com/2004_bikes/poprad.shtml
http://www.trekbikes.com/bikes/2005/specialty/xo1.jsp
http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/05/cusa/model-5XR8.html

--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

Ahh Terry, I wish I were cross material but too many years of trail running
and martial arts have taken their toll. I looked at your web page and our
geographical situation is somewhat different. I don't have the integration
of
road and dirt that you do. We've got maybe a dozen trails here. Some are
really great but they are driving distance, I wouldn't be pedaling there.
And while my middle-aged body may be a-hurtin', my middle-aged wallet
is not (thankfully) so economy and practicality play less of a role in my
life
than they used to. Will a Riv live up to the company's stated aim?
Will I keep on lovin' it as I pedal into my sunset years?

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

In article <DS_vd.4228$P14.2429@trndny05>,

JP said:

Quoted message said:

Sorry I didn't make myself clear in my first post.
I'm loving my hollowpoint and not looking to replace it. the only trails I
envision
riding with the new bike would be ones I might discover inadvertantly on a
road
trip. I do want a road oriented bike to complement the MTB. Something that
can handle the real roads, crappy cracked seamed roads that separate the
smooth stretches, something I can ride for hours enjoyably, and for years
without wishing I'd bought a "better" bike. Is that a Riv?

_ That's certainly what a Rivendell WANTS to be. Everybody I talk
with that has one loves it for exactly those reasons. IMHO, the
key to all that is relatively fat tires and a bike that fits
you. You can accomplish all that cheaper than the Rivendell,
but you sound like an ideal Rivendell customer to me...

_ IMHO, the only reasons not to get a Rivendell are the price
and the threaded headset.

_ Booker C. Bense

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JP said:

Sorry I didn't make myself clear in my first post.
I'm loving my hollowpoint and not looking to replace it. the only
trails I envision
riding with the new bike would be ones I might discover inadvertantly
on a road
trip. I do want a road oriented bike to complement the MTB.
Something that can handle the real roads, crappy cracked seamed
roads that separate the smooth stretches, something I can ride for
hours enjoyably, and for years without wishing I'd bought a "better"
bike. Is that a Riv?

Then a road-oriented bike is probably for you. A Rivendell would be great, as
would a cyclocross bike, or any other bike with clearance for fatter tires and
maybe fenders. Check out SOMA, Surly, Heron, Waterford, etc. The differences
are mainly aesthetic, weight, and price.

Matt O.

JP said:

"Matt O'Toole" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What kind of tires are on your MTB? Semi-slicks are much faster than

knobbies.

Quoted message said:

You can even use full slicks if your trails are hardpacked. A MTB with

good

Quoted message said:

slicks gives up very litte to a road bike, especially if you don't average

more

Quoted message said:

than 18 MPH.

I basically disagree with this. For a hardtail with a rigid fork, you
still give up something to a road bike, in terms of weight, geometry,
body position, and gearing. Suspension is a more serious detriment on
the road. All of that adds up to the radical concept that road bikes
(racing or touring varieties) are better when riding on roads.

IMO a rigid-fork mountain bike with slicks is perfect for short commuting,
but not for longer road rides.

Quoted message said:

Maxxis Hansventure, 26 X 2.35, front and rear. I run them at

about

Quoted message said:

47psi on the trails. I was thinking of getting a matching wheelset and
setting them up with nice fat urban assault tires and switching when I
ride the street but the bike is 37lbs with tools and powerbars and on
the road there is noticeable bob on hills and sometimes acceleration.

Both the suspension and the weight are going to be felt, even getting
slicks.

Quoted message said:

Not to say
there isn't any on dirt but I've never noticed it on dirt. My wife and
kids want
me to get a new bike for Xmas (order it anyway) and the pricing isn't a
concern.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The look and the ruggedness are very appealing. Seems like a bike
that could sail down the driveway and comfortably handle just about
any surface it might encounter. And so Rivendell claims.

Rivendell tends to be a bit over the top in terms of their claims. Lugged
steel frames are not, despite what they say, magic. There are lots of
good road bikes out there, both racing styles and touring bikes.
Rivendale bikes are nice, and do look good. They are expensive, though.
Whether or not you have enough in your budget, still getting value for
your money is a consideration.

Quoted message said:

Sorry I didn't make myself clear in my first post. I'm loving my
hollowpoint and not looking to replace it. the only trails I envision
riding with the new bike would be ones I might discover inadvertantly on
a road
trip. I do want a road oriented bike to complement the MTB. Something
that can handle the real roads, crappy cracked seamed roads that
separate the smooth stretches, something I can ride for hours
enjoyably, and for years without wishing I'd bought a "better" bike. Is
that a Riv?

Don't buy based on recommendations here. Check out the options, and
there are many. Are you planning long, unsupported tours? Have an itch
to ride across the country? Then look for a touring-specific bike. If
you just want to take day rides, with maybe someday a tour, then a good
road bike might suit you.

More important than the brand, or frame material, is the fit. If you are
new to road riding, you will find that road bike fit is a more complicated
question than mountain bike fit. You are on the thing for longer
stretches, so comfort is a big deal.

Durability seems to matter to you, so you should avoid the real
stupid-light stuff. This would mean avoiding wheels with very few spokes,
ultra-high-zoot frames made of materials you never heard of, and things
like that.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a
_`\(,_ | conclusion. -- George Bernard Shaw
(_)/ (_) |

JP said:

Will a Riv live up to the company's stated aim?
Will I keep on lovin' it as I pedal into my sunset years?

I was in my middle fifties when I bought my first (and so far, only)
Rivendell, an Atlantis. I bought a frame and built the bike to suit
my tastes. I'm still lovin' it as I enter my sixties. I currently own
half-a-dozen other bikes, all of which get ridden at least occasionally.
But my Atlantis is far and away my favorite.

YMMV, of course.

Luck,
Pann
--
geek by nature, Linux by choice L I N U X .~.
The Choice /V\
http://www.ourmanpann.com/linux/ of a GNU /( )\
Generation ^^-^^

"JP" wrote

Quoted message said:

May I ask what Riv you have?
I'm not willing to wait for a full custom so I'm considering the Atlantis

or

Quoted message said:

the Rambouillet.
The MTB was the first bike I bought myself, my first bike since I got my
driver's license in '68.
I have no roadbike experience so I'm looking for feedback.
Seems like Riv's are well made, well conceived, attractive, bikes that
are fun to ride
grow more beloved over time. That's the claim. True or False?

JP

Mine is custom, I asked for a dirt road / loaded touring machine. It's a 58
cm frame w/ 26" wheels, about as big a frame as you would want with that
size wheels. I run 26x1.75" tires with fenders and I could run 26x1.9
without. The 26" wheels let me run big fat tires and fenders and have room
for a 28oz waterbottle under the downtube as well as one on top of the
downtube and one on the seat tube. No big deal for most day rides, but nice
for touring where you might want to carry as much water as possible to your
campsite, or riding in desert country where you can get dehydrated pretty
quickly. The 26" tires also mean the bike can have a fairly steep headtube
angle w/o my toes hitting the front wheel, even with fat tires and fenders.

The other nice thing about the 26" wheels is that when a rim sidewall split
open on me in Oban, Scotland, the local bike shop was able to sell me a
replacement wheel. A 700C rim would have been harder to find in a town that
size.

The long wheelbase smooths things out on crappy roads, and the bike has been
quite stable on 50mph+ descents, even with camping gear aboard. The long
chainstays mean that I can slide a set of panniers all the way forward on
the rear rack w/o my heels hitting the panniers as I pedal, and the panniers
are forward of the rear axle for more stable bike handling.

The Atlantis is built for 26" wheels up to a 56cm seat tube, bigger frames
are built for 700C rims. If everything I've described sounds appealing to
you, an Atlantis might be a good choice. If you don't see yourself hauling
camping gear around the countryside on all kinds of roads and trails, just
want to do long day rides or maybe some credit card tours, the Rambouillet
might be a better choice.
HTH,
--
mark