Hear Hear, I recently bought a Soma Grand Randonneur to replace my bombadil and have to say I am very happy with the frame (haven't built it yet). Tight welds, nice thick paint, nice alloy headbadge, threading for fenders, lowrider mounts, double eyelets on the dropouts, etc. Its a great frame, retails around 500 I think but I got mine for 375 and am really happy. It keeps me riding until I see how this Clem thing shakes out and maybe it will become my everyday bike, I like that Mike Kone was in on the design too!
On Thu, Oct 23, 2014 at 11:36 AM, Beth H <[email protected]> wrote: > Andy and others who bemoan the "selling out" of the Rivendell ideal -- > have you ever owned a bike shop and been responsible for the care and > feeding of your workers? Just curious. I used to co-own a shop, and had to > make payroll twice a month. In the end high ideals won't put food on your > employees' tables or clothes on their backs. Say what you like about Surly > and the companies that wish they were more like Surly, but their bikes are > far more affordable and they sell, logo font and quasi-sexist vibe be > damned. And when fly out the door and customers are happy, your workers > won't starve. Making payroll because your shop is selling and servicing > decent bikes and making people happy is a lot better than the alternative. > > For awhile, I bemoaned how other companies had begun to copy Rivendell's > ideas -- steel bikes with comfortable, non-racing geometry, wool tops, et > al. Getting bicyclists with less disposable income on board by making > cheaper copies of the cool stuff simply encourages them to ape the rich, > right? > Sure. Fine. Whatever. In the end, all the copying/flattery has gotten a > crap ton more people outside and on bicycles -- enough more that I don't > really care anymore how they got there. > > Riv started something really beautiful, and it comes as no surprise that > other companies have taken up the mantle and are spreading good, sensible > ideas. So what if my wool jersey says "Surly" (or "Pearl Izumi" or > "Novara") on it? Better yet, so what if I scored my last lot of wool tops > from Goodwill? and they fit a little loose or lumpy? It's all good. Hey, > I'm outside riding my bike in nearly all kinds of weather. I'm happy. > > I doubt I will ever be in a position to ever buy another Rivendell > bicycle. That's cool. I know what makes a bike sensible and comfortable and > I can replicate an awful lot of both the geometry and aesthetic on almost > any cheaper steel bike available to me. > So in the end, honestly, I think Rivendell has won. > > Cheers and happy riding -- > Beth Hamon, getting ready to go ride in the rain. Again. > Portland, OR > http://www.beth-hamon-music.com > > On Thursday, October 23, 2014 6:12:55 AM UTC-7, ascpgh wrote: >> >> >>> I commute on an LHT that most sufficiently met my set of needs and wants >> when I bought it from a shop that hasn't transacted its soul for a >> corporate brand floor plan. Had I given up and picked one of the big >> brands' scant offerings in that vein, I'd be a corporate handmaiden of >> marketing beyond downtube foolery on my benign ride to and from work. They >> cannot grasp the idea of selling a bike, not a rolling billboard of >> graphics and shapes. Each part need not be marked, logo-laiden or utmost. >> > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
