Same here; no previous message rec'd. If only those spam filters worked as well on the junk mail.
dougP -----Original Message----- From: rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com [mailto:rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Dustin Sharp Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 9:57 AM To: rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com Subject: [RBW] Re: Get Your Email Update Here Thanks for forwarding this on, John. I couldn't find the original in my in-box, or junk mail folder. Maybe it was waylaid by bandits of the ether en route? Dustin Sharp > From: John at Rivendell <j...@rivbike.com> > Reply-To: <rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com> > Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:00:32 -0800 (PST) > To: RBW Owners Bunch <rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com> > Subject: [RBW] Get Your Email Update Here > > > Dear Fellow Forum Readers, > > We sent out an email update yesterday. It was written late last week, > and one or two things have probably changed, in terms of available > stock (58 Atlantis frames, for example), but I am passing it along, in > case you missed it. > > Spam filters have a way of interfering with mass mailings of this > kind. Usually, we don't mind that, except when it's *our* mass > mailing. > > (Hopefully, the formating won't change, and make the cut and pasted > message below look like poetry from one of those 70's college literary > publications.) > > Cheers, > > John > > =====+=====+===== > > Rivendell Bicycle Works > Email Update - February, 2009 > New year, new everything, time for an email update. > It may be long. > > THE TOPICS, IN THIS ORDER: > > How we did last year > Some internal changes > Some ideas for 2009 > Grant's internal attitude shifts & wishes/hopes > Observations on bikes, the bike industry, and the outdoor industry in > general > About our suppliers > Current brands news > Imminent bikes > Future bikes > New Stuff > Old Stuff > > HOW WE DID LAST YEAR > > We were hurt badly, and I mean ferociously, by the strong Yen, weak > Dollar. > It is horrible. The Japanese frames and parts are really good. As good > as > good gets, as great as great gets, as expensive as all get-out. We > hold > prices too long and raise them too little & late, always with extreme > discomfort and fear. > > Our Japanese prices are on the low side. It's not ideal in the big > picture. > Our business model is buying direct, selling direct, and that saves > the day > for us, but it makes life harder for other retailers who also sell the > same > Nitto parts, for instance. > > It's the cause of much concern here, lots of internal debate (in my > head, > anyway). On one hand, we don't want to be low-ballers. On the other > end, we > are 100 percent committed to Nitto, offer virtually no other options > so far, > so don't feel compelled to match prices with dealers for whom Nitto is > fringe.if that makes sense. > > Our 2008 sales were fine, but our profit is off. Our end of year taxes > will > wallop us, because our inventory counts as cash. We get walloped every > year; > but this year we'll end our fiscal year earlier, which may help. That > way we > can have more inventory by Christmastime without fearing the higher > taxes on > it. > > SOME INTERNAL CHANGES > > We hired Dave and Jay full-time, and Aaron and Harry for Saturdays. > They > were all customers before, with plenty of skills, the right > personality, > good work ethics, and they're totally familiar with our bikes. Now > we're > going to settle in, and see how much we can do with this final staff. > Payroll is higher than ever, but nobody wants a pay cut, and nobody is > lighting Roi-Tans with five dollar bills, either. > > SOME IDEAS FOR 2009 > > Trying to get RR41 out in February, and then, believe it or not, three > more > Readers out this year. Trying. They'll be the OLD size, and 32 to > 40pp. And > we're going to shoot for smaller and more frequent catalogues, too. > > In addition to the Flickr Rivendell gallery, we're going to have one > on our > site, too.is the plan. Many of the gorgeous bikes we assemble never go > Internet public, but we'll try to have them on our site. > > For five months we've been working on a new US-made line of saddlebags > that > will sport a new look and have some new and some old features, and the > brand > is Sackville. Made by a small staff of experienced stitchers headed up > by > two ex-chieftains from Coach and Dooney & Bourke. > > The first two models have been thoroughly tested and refined, and will > be > harshly slick and highly functional, and you can expect them in > February. > Cost will be about $200-which is the place things end up when zero > corners > are cut and they aren't made in China. (Some more expensive saddlebags > are > made in China, now. So..) > > I still think of saddlebags as costing $65. There's about $20 in > leather on > each of the SaddleSack seat bags, and that much in fabric. Only the > best and > most expensive hardware, and labor rates that keep the manufacturers > in > business in America. Labor is always the highest cost of our bags. We > absorb > the development cost (always) and the cost of cutting dies and > prototypes. > There will be a Large and a Medium before February. The large will be > priced > where it has to be-and if it had the same markup as a women's handbag, > it > would be $420. > > ANYWAY, THEY WILL BE GOOD. > > The big thing is bikes. The Toyo-built bikes are so beautiful and so > expensive, so we have to cut back. We order them mostly to help Toyo, > but if > the ¥ keeps getting stronger, that's going to stop it. > > GRANT'S INTERNAL ATTITUDE SHIFTS & WISHES/HOPES > > I'm less snobby than I used to be, because over the years I've seen > too many > things & too much bikefinery exhibited and oohed and ahhed over and > either > not ridden, or maybe meticulously crafted but poorly designed, at > least > according to my values-which I admit may not be universal. > > The look I like in a bike is skinny tubes, chubby tires, high bars, > fenderable, and fenders in the Winter at least, and rackable, with at > least > one rack, and a bag or two. Good clearance, simple decals, easy to > read and > properly placed. Useful gears, leather saddles (still snobby there), > and I > still like the lugs and crowns. I'm going more and more to heavier and > fatter tires, because in most cases the weight gives you something you > can't > get without it-either a longer-wearing tread, or a tougher sidewall > that can > take many more months of sun, or both. I'm deep in to visibility these > days, > and I have come to really like the look of the triangles, and spoke > reflectors (the light kind we have, or simply reflective tape folded > over > spokes). I don't mind filthy bikes, but I hate squeaky chains. Filthy > chains > are OK, and recent experiments with non-Boeshield chain lubes have > left mine > filthy. > > OBSERVATIONS ON BIKES, THE BIKE INDUSTRY, AND THE OUTDOOR INDUSTRY IN > GENERAL > > I'm convinced that it's everybody's plan to start a new company groovy > and > green, establish prices based on US labor, then expand the product > offering > way too much, sell out to buyers who take the line to China. It > happens all > the time. > > This happens with the old brands in Europe, some not-so-old brands in > the > U.S. Try to buy a thermos bottle that's not made in China. China may, > in > fact, make the best thermos bottles in the world, who knows? But > they're all > made there, except one. > > When brands go to China, the price doesn't go down. The price has been > established, and now there are public shareholders, so the price can't > go > down. You can tell a shoe that's made in China. It is a composite of > leather, mesh, nylon, reflectorization, with all kinds of unnecessary > stitching and features-a massive complication of details consolidated > into a > pair of size 6 1/2s, all for $39 to $89 retail, with enough left over > to > ____ > > Another carbon fork recall. There have been so many now, and there > will be > many more. Any material can break, but it takes carbon to break > shockingly > suddenly, way out of proportion to its cost and theoretical strength. > > ABOUT OUR SUPPLIERS > > We try to buy American-made products first, but not when they're > substandard, and they sometimes are. But still-that's always the first > choice. Last choice are things made in China, and nothing we sell > except, > well, one thing, is made there. We bought some cheap tape measures > from a > company with American flags all over its web site, and "U.S." in the > name. > Ordinarily we verify the country of origin, but with the flags and > that > name, dove in head first and ordered them. When we're out, we won't > reorder. > > WHENEVER POSSIBLE, AND IT'S OFTEN POSSIBLE, WE BUY FROM: > > . Small makers; not because big is bad, but only because we're small > ourselves, and it feels right to support other small businesses. > . Traditional makers who've been making the product in question for > many > years, or things just like it, for many years > . Makers to whom our business matters. Sometimes it's because they're > small > and have no big accounts, but many times it's just because we hit it > off, > and they're proud to have us sell their widget. > . Makers who are intimate with what they're doing, who refer to the > widget > by its name, who know exactly how it will be mounted (if it gets > mounted) > and exactly how it will be used. This may seem obvious, but it is not > the > norm these days. > > This is a high-hassle and sometimes costly way to buy things. It's a > hassle > because often the makers are little-known and hard to find. If they > make > something that's almost but not quite right for us, the minor change > can > drag on for half a year or more. Often they're struggling themselves, > and > we've even lent money to our makers to help them make payroll and pay > their > material suppliers. > > We sell really well-made goods that tend to be expensive, and your > purchase > is your way of supporting this way. Since it is the only way we get > things > made, since it is the way almost everything we sell is made, we're > deeeeeeeeeeeeeeply grateful to you for supporting us and these special > manufacturers. > > CURRENT BRANDS NEWS > > Got a call today from a lawyer representing the firm that owns the > rights to > the middle-earth names in the Movie, and we can keep Rivendell (we > predate > the movie by far, and there are numerous companies with Rivendell in > the > name); but they have a prob with Legolas, and might squawk some about > Bombadil and Quickbeam (but they weren't in the Movie, so maybe not); > and > Baggins won't fly for sure--. So we may have to rename the Bombadil > and > Quickbeam. This is a much more pleasant call to get than, "Your carbon > fork > snapped, and my client's family..." The lawyer was-seemed-sincerely > normal > and friendly, and it's not like BIG news here, just a little things we > have > to deal with. If our names came before the Movie, we may be off the > hook. > Legal things, we'll play according to the law and the right standards, > but > I'll be bummed if "Bombadil" has to go. How does "Yves Gomez" sound > for a > mountain bike? > > IMMINENT BIKES > > In March: Sam Hillborne, Betty Foy & Quickbeam. The Sam will be sold > out by > the time it arrives; the Quickbeam will be about 65 percent sold out. > > FUTURE BIKES > > We're continuing the A.Homer HIlsen forever. I think it is the best > "production" bike of all time. It is understandable how it might be > that I'd > think that, but it is perfect in every way, I sincerely believe. We > have > decent stock and are getting in more. It is the functional equivalent > of the > Sam, but with U.S. or Japanese labor and more detailed details. > > The Bombadil and Atlantis are staying, too, and they both continue to > do > well. The Atlantis now stops at 61cm, and above that, we say just get > a > Bomba. We can't afford to stock all those sizes. > > We'll do one last run of Toyo-made mixte frames. The Betty Foy will > replace > them in time. The Foy is a great value, but if an extra thousand won't > kill > you and you want the nicest mixte ever, the Glorius (for women) and > Wilbury > (guys) are still it. > > -Grant > > GREAT NEW STUFF IN STOCK > See 'em at http://www.rivbike.com > > Brooks B-17 Imperial Saddle > Men's: 11-074, Women's: 11-075 $175 > > Green Unipocketee > S: 22-938, M: 22-939, L: 22-940, XL: 22-941 XXL: 22-942 $52 > > Rainy Peak Cycling Cap > 22-137 $30 > > Frames in Stock - Ready to Build/Ship > > Atlantis > 47, 51, 53, 56, 58, 68 > > A. Homer Hilsen > 47, 50, 52, 54, 56 (650B) > 55, 57, 59, 61, 63, 65, 67 (700c) > > Call - 925 933 7304 > > Old Stuff Lying Around - Last Chance for These > See 'em at http://www.rivbike.com > > CycoActive Map Cases > 20-058 $12 > > Shimano 105 rear/front hubs > 32 Hole Rear: 18-159 $60 > 36 Hole Rear: 18-152 $60 > 32 Hole Front: 18-243 $39 > 36 Hole Front: 18-244 $39 > > Woolistic Jerseys Grey/Orange $100 > S: 22-587, L: 22-589, XL: 22-590, XXL: 22-591 > > Tioga Spyder Pedals $115 > 14-054 Black > 14-059 Silver > > Tioga Surefoot 8 Pedal $115 > 14-055 Silver > 14-056 Black > > 50cm Rambouillet Demo Bike, no saddle, no pedals, as is > 50-327 $2000 > > 52cm Rambouillet Demo Bike, no saddle/pedals, as is > 50-328 $2000 > > 56cm Saluki Demo Bike, silver paint, no saddle/pedals, as is > 50-330 $2550 > > 56cm Bombadil, complete, black powdercoat > 50-337 $3273 > > 58cm A. Homer Hilsen, complete, orange paint, w/fenders > 50-339 $3200 > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
