2009 Taiwan Series
"Four Models/Four Sizes"

A Maxway Promo Video

Newest RBW Updates, Spy Photos & Intel - Starts Here

There will be more additions (I have a few more things to scan and add to each page), but the Atlantis and Romulus/Redwood pages are up:

Atlantis - http://www.cyclofiend.com/rbw/atlantis

Rom/Red - http://www.cyclofiend.com/rbw/romulus

I've also reworked the files into separate directories, so that you can get to the individual models by just adding "/rbw/modelname" to cyclofiend.com. And even though the AHH uses "hilsen", you can still use "ahomerhilsen" and get to the same place.

If you have old links to the original model pages which ended in ".html", those will simply redirect to the new pages, so yo don't need to worry about changing your links or bookmarks.

So, we now have:

http://www.cyclofiend.com/rbw/atlantis

http://www.cyclofiend.com/rbw/bleriot

http://www.cyclofiend.com/rbw/bombadil

http://www.cyclofiend.com/rbw/hilsen

http://www.cyclofiend.com/rbw/quickbeam

http://www.cyclofiend.com/rbw/rambouillet

http://www.cyclofiend.com/rbw/romulus

which have pulled together flyers, tidbits and scans, as well as aggregate all the Gallery listings for those models.

Forbes B-B over at Cycloculture.com just posted an interview he did with Grant Peterson. Always interesting to read what GP is thinking about, and if you haven't been following Forbes' stuff, he's had a succession interviews with interesting folks as of late - you can see the GP Interview here.

Specific Link: cycloculture.blogspot.com/2008/08/grant-petersen.html

The announcement that the Bleriot was going away provoked a number of responses, and Grant emailed me a couple of updates regarding the newer models - both of these appear in the RBW List at Google groups, and I'd encourage you to follow through all of the discussion which followed. But, I have found myself quoting the original posts so many times, I thought it would make sense to put them somewhere easy to find:

GP Notes on the Bleriot, new & current models and a Quickbeam run

Bleriot etc:
I got tired of too many dealers de-dignifying it as a loss leader, and so I'm just pulling the plug on the whole Bleriot program. That means that after about late June, no dealer who doesn't have them will be able to get them. We'll then be obligated to buy up QBP's stock, which will give us enough 'riots for a few months, maybe even through winter. They will not go on sale; still $750.

The QBP partnership was pleasant, I have only the best things to say about QBP, but it was about a dozen and a half dealers that sealed the Bleriot's fate.

We could, I suppose, continue to get them ourselves. But the original deal was created with the help of QBP's trading company, and it wouldn't be fair for us to tie up its time with business that no longer involves QBP. So rather than put them in the position of "handing off" the Bleriot deal to a competitor trading company--after they'd worked so hard on the details--I'm just going to kill the fine bike and start fresh with another trading company and a few more bikes, which--if all goes well which it hardly ever does--will be ready in about January, March, May, and July of 2009.

The concepts are: Cheap Quickbeam, cheap A. Homer/Saluki, cheap Atlantis, and cheap Mixte. The plan is four sizes each: 48-52-56-60, all with 6-deg upsloping top tubes (like Bombadil), so each size will fit a wider rage of leglengths/riders.

I say "cheap," but the quality will be the same as the Bleriot. Made in Taiwan. Our lugs, crowns, bb shells, tube pick, 'ame & 'phics, all that. Probably they'll be one-color (no cream head tube), and m-m-may retail for $700 or a hair less (not $699.99!).

Our minimums per bike are 150. So, four sizes is about 37 each, which will give us good depth and stock for a while.

Meanwhile, we are getting in a last run of real Quickbeams---70 of them late this summer, in Silver with blue graphics.

Toyo's production is low and slow on the normal bikes, so we're supplementing it with Wford A. Homers and then some Atlantis frames. Toyo sort of expects to catch up in about 9 months, but I'm not optimistic, and that's why we're relying on Wford to fix the slack.

Customs:
Curt's on his own now, and we're training a new builder (new to us). I know this guy, have for 25 years, he's done repairs for us for 3 years, he does NOT have his own brand and says he wants nothing to do with it, and I actually believe him. First he'll build 30 protovelos for us--or however many it takes for him to get his groove and get really comfortable with the particulars of our bikes.

I'm tired of frustrations, but overall things are really good. We have a new (second) full-time shipper; Miesha's back and here with her baby (Freddy) and doing well. The site is getting better. We'll soon have instructional youtube videos for various things we get asked about all the time (twine, shellac, mounting racks, and then just fundamentals like fixing flats).

GP on upcoming rivbike fits, sloping top tubes, trail, flex, rolling resistance

New RIV bike geos and fits:
The 48 will fit like a horizontal top tube (htt) of a 51 or to to 56 or so. The 52, like a 53 to 60; the 56, like a 57 to 63 or so, and the 60, like a 62 to about-how-we-say-a 66. The explanation is simple, and it is: The top tube slopes UP from the seat lug, NOT down from the head tube. So front-end height is easily had. If you're on the small end of a new bike size, you'll probably sink the stem in deep---an odd thing for most Rivvies (I think that's a Beth Hamon term, not sure), but with the SU (sloping UP) top tubes (TT), it makes sense. Saddle height is never a problem, not with today's 500mm seat posts.

So...the new sizes will fit a gigantic range of riders, all with four sizes.

I know the SUTT's don't have that Stradivarius look, but the goal of these new bikes is to make solid, fantastic, versatile, comfortable, lugged steel bicycles affordable to more people; to make it easier to buy (for instance) an Atlantis-style bike (touring) even if you can't justify a $3,000 real one because you aren't a full-time wealthy vagabond. Our bikes have a certain look, and these will too. But the function and the sense of the SUTT seems appropriate for the new bikes, and I think it's good to apply a different Aesthetic Yardstick to a $700 frame than to one that costs twice or more of that.

The Bleriot has "that Rivendell look," true, but we could never afford to buy enough of them by ourselves (without QBP's help) to be able to stock sizes deep enough to ensure good supply, and that matters.

The SUTT is only 6-degrees, or about four more degrees than our current bikes. It is the same as the BOMBADIL, which you can see on our site. So: I'm a fan of these bikes even before they're here. Of course, on one hand I have to be. But on the other hand, we're the force behind them---they aren't being forced on us, and now we gotta defend them. Not at all. I'm really excited about them.

These days, to me, a nicely detailed bike that forces on you a low bar and skinny tires. I look at bar height-ability and tire-ability...and lugs, somewhere along the line.

TRAIL:
I'm GETTING tired of this topic, and have only this to say, for now: You can get used to anything and learn to love it. The power of suggestion is strong, especially in Matters of Subtle Differences and Subjectivity. All that said, Trail is a stabilizing force, which means to some extent is can make a bike safer to ride, less easily jostled-to-crash than a bike with too little of it.

I'm not one to quake at the thought of going against the conventional wisdom when I think it's off, but in this case I don't think it's off. If it were off, then the tens of millions of happy bikes and riders in the last half century and before wouldn't have been so happy and content. I understand that THAT logic can't be applied as successfully to all matters in and out of bike design, but I think it can apply to trail. There may be certain circumstances that benefit from a little more or a little less (with the extremes of riding out there, it would have to be that way), but for day-in/day-out riding, trail figures in the high fifties to low sixties work great.

Here's an odd fact that is troubling me some: The current 52 Bombadil, the one so many people have ridden (including Chico Gino, who reported on it in his blog), rides great by All Accounts. I have never ridden a bike that rode an iota better, more pleasantly, easy flowing, easy to control, slippery and grippy in all the right places. I have ridden it on several S240s with weights ranging from 27 to 55 pounds, and no problem, it feels like a bike. Unloaded, it feels like a road bike (too much like one, for my taste). The troubling part is: 68mm of trail. It is troubling because "trailists" will see that figure (or figure it out from other numbers) and doubt the bike they'll never even ride. Trail theory says it should suc* going uphills slow, yet it doesn't. So right now and over the next week or so I have to decide between sticking with something that I know works, or "designing to theory." If I do that, I'll dig into my bank of experience or whatever it is and make a conservative shot, but if I do that, I'll feel like I'm caving in. A slight loss of self-respect, but fewer future headaches?

FLEX:
A certain amount is fine, too much is not, and it's not a significant source of "energy/speed loss." If you believe that a bike can't be too rigid, then you'll naturally like rigid bikes better, and equate them with goodness and speed. If you believe a little flex feels good and doesn't slow you down, might even help the way a flexy dance floor or gym floor helps the jumps, then you'll enjoy the slight, nearly but not quite imperceptable flex in a moderate frame. Too much flex is a problem when it causes "ghost shifting," which is real shifting caused by the fame flexing enough to move the rear hub away from the upper pulley, resulting in the chain being de-railed to the next hardest cog. If you're too much guy for a particular frame, you may find this happening on steep climbs; but check your shift lever tightness first, and make sure there's no excess friction in the system. Other opinions abound, and seek 'em out!

Rolling resistance varies tremendously with the surface and tire pressure. The prevailing opinion, which I go along with, says that rougher roads need softer tires that roll over and absorb the bumps, rather than hitting them and bouncing skyward. One example of "conventional tire wisdom" that I doubt-to-don't-believe, is the idea that a supple sidewall makes a whopping difference. Sidewall suppleness is most obvious when there's no air in the tire, and even MORE MOST obvious when the tire isn't even on a rim. Once you mount and inflate two tires, one with a supple sidewall (SS) and one with a firmer sidewall (FS), then the differences are insignificant. If both tires inflate to 75psi feel different, then they will behave differently, too. To make the FS feel like the SS, you may have to reduce its psi by 5, and there are no drawbacks to doing that.

But here again, it's kind of a case of magnifying amoebas, since (1) compared to wind resistsance, rolling resistance is insignificant, and matters only in races won or lost by wheel-widths; and (2) for anybody who doesn't race at that supremely high level, it is a mistake (I'd say) to even give it a second thought. You want a comfortable, reliable bike; a certain amount of fitness; a friend to ride with, and a safe place to ride. If the weather's good and the scenery is decent, that's all you need. That's not to say you shouldn't enjoy discussions about bicycle theoretics, but in the end, don't forget to re-size their importance...is all.

BUILDER:
New builder is not anybodyanybody knows, I am sure. Builders come with various degrees of fame and reputation, but no builder imbues a frame with magical love that flows from his fingertips. It's a romantic notion, and I'd be the first to acknowledge that the range of skills, especially in custom builders, varies far more than the prices they charge. In a custom Riv builder, I am looking for a guy who loves bicycles and is at home with metal and tools, and has personal metal- making standards that are higher than my own, and won't take short cuts. I also look for, and have found somebody with decades (more than three) of experience building some of his own frames (including a custom for me way back) and repairing hundreds of the finest frames in the world. I know it is impossible to stop the speculation, so speculate away, but in the end, it will be a RIvendell frame, not a _______ _________ frame, because it is our design, our lugs, our concept, our choice of everything. Frames from him are still months&months away, and when they finally start to flow, they will flow glacial-like!

Best, Grant

Links to original posts on the RBW list:

GP Notes on the Bleriot, new & current models and a Quickbeam run

GP on upcoming rivbike fits, sloping top tubes, trail, flex, rolling resistance

Hot off the mojo wire - rumours of the cessation of Bleriot production have been confirmed:

From John @ Rivbike -

"Some news from here. Nothing etched in stone. Details forthcoming. The Bleriot, made in conjuction with QBP, is going away at the end of June.

It's been a great frame, at a great price. QBP was great to work with, and there are no bad feelings on either side.

If everything goes according to plan, we will have new frames, also made in Taiwan, also attractively priced, available next Spring to our own retail customers and to our dealers. It will be a Riv-only thing. We will still sell Japanese and American frames. This will just be an additional tier. The quality will be commensurate with the price. Better, in fact. They will be good, strong, attractive bikes.

Expect a Mixte, a Hilsen-like, and an Atlantis-type. That's all we know for now. Pricing, geometry, colors, details, and sizes to be determined. Have a good weekend, everyone."

Sad to see such a fine model come to an end, but... holy-moley! Three new models at a lower price point! Can't wait for more info there...

There's been a post on the RBW site announcing a Garage Sale which will "take place at 8:30 and not a minute earlier" on Saturday, July 19th at the RBWHQ&L. This is good for me, as I am committed for the entire day elsewhere, and really shouldn't be spending extra money for the goodies I'd expect to find there.

I'm more bummed about missing the 10:30 am ride which was also announced. as I don't get over that way too frequently, and the topography is pretty wonderful - Mt Diablo roads and trails are well worth it. I certainly enjoyed myself at last year's Rivendell Weekend.

So, you should go and share photos and stories - mark your calendar Saturday, July 19th!

Rivendell's first posted video. In which Mark at RBW carefully layers on the base coat of shellac on a near-finished Glorius. Enjoy!

In a secret testing facility somewhere in Northern California America. Not by me. Doggonit!

UPDATE 5/08 - Gino's BombaBlog Report can be enjoyed here

Looks like the fine folks over at Toyo have delivered another prototype of the Bombadil 650B/584 mountainbike. This one features a twin top tube, reminescent of the early days of Klunkerz on the mountain. GP has mentioned that he wants to make this bike "bombproof" and has been rethinking additional bracing, such as a curved forward tube. (Toyoblog translation supplied by Google).

Russ Fitzgerald wrote about the Lyotard "Berthet" Model 23 pedal back in 2002 (Rivendell Reader #25). This article got some attention recently in an iBob thread, so I'm reprinting it here for reference. Scans are hi-rez - click on the page image below.

If the hi-rez images are too big, I've got some scanned at 72 dpi - page 26 - page 27

Matt forwarded this to the iBob list:

"Thought I'd forward this article I wrote for a regional magazine in Walnut Creek called Diablo, a glossy for the upper crust in the area. This was a long time coming, years actually, from when I first began talking to Grant about this.

Anyway, I'm pasting the link: http://www.diablomag.com/home/show_story/863/

Keep in mind this is was written for an audience who largely knows nothing about bikes. Enjoy."

"Enjoy" indeed - does this look like a man who's enjoying himself?

Click to View Article online

CityCycling UK decides they are partial to the Saluki in butterscotch -

http://www.citycycling.co.uk/issue27/issue27page4.html

FixedGearGallery runs a page of PBP fixed gear bikes, capturing a nice photo of Eric "Campy Only" Norris's Quickbeam (you'll need to scroll a bit to see it at photo #6) -

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/articles/p-b-p/0xa12a94c.htm

And, finally, another tremor in the 650B-on-the-Trails movement, to which a certain GP responds (again, you'll need to scroll down a bit to the comments section)

http://bikebizbabe.blogspot.com/2007/09/650b-experiment.html

These are two of several paint prep and process photos which were shared over on the Framebuilders list by Keith Anderson. Since there seem to be some Rivendell frames in the bunch, I thought I'd get linky wid it here. These are the "bookends" in the series - there are a few more in between. Check 'em out!

I was skimming through some of Rob Hawks' photos from the 2007 Paris-Brest-Paris and noticed one fellow who had a singularly nice rig - waving the Riv Colors while atop what I'm guessing was a Rambouillet - came in under the 90 hour (for 1200 km!) time limit. A fine ride in significantly adverse conditions.

So - who is that mystery man?

STOP THE CLOCK! - Within 15 minutes of this post, I received an email ID'ing this as Larry Powers.

Rob's PBP Album

One of the things which does not now reside in the new Rivendell website is the selection of frame geometry charts (other than the A. Homer Hilsen).

So, I pulled the old charts off of the Internet Wayback Machine's archive from mid-2007, and have landed them here in aggregated form. It's a little quick & dirty, but other projects on in the fire this week.

Rivendell Production Frame Geometry charts

A bit of free press slung the way of Rivendell - cover story on the newest Momentum Magazine. I was not aware of the publication, but it was a nice article focusing on S24O's, interviewing Grant. It seems to be issue #29, so as usual, I'm reasonably off the back.

Nice to see a sparkly blue A. Homer Hilsen hanging out there as well.

Thanks to RBW list-member Allen who spotted this.

If you want a version to read other than in front of your monitor, there's a downloadable pdf version on the site.

Seeing the reasonably established publication made me wonder what else I'd missed recently, prompting me to poke around the web a bit while waiting for the coffee to brew, and I came across some recent Rivendell-centric mentiions in a few blogs and some other things. In no particular order (and in some cases, things I've seen before, but couldn't find an easy link to) -

- everything2.com
- gordon the bikeguy (more a b-stone ref)
- historian on two wheels (which devolves into a bit of a stereotypical argument in the comments section)
- an article in biztactics which is reasonably light (and incorrect) on factual content
- did'ja know there was a GP wikipedia entry? and of course, there's one for RBW
- january 2007 mp3 GP interview link via bikescape
- rich l's "Hands On Wheels" page

There was a bit of suprise when I ID'd the frames over on the Toyo blog by the existence of a kickstand plate. Before I could even pose the actual question to the folks in Walnut Creek, GP forwarded over some detail photos of the kickstand plate, as well as a description - I've stashed it over on the A. Homer Hilsen page.

Sharp-eyed RBW Group Member Ed Felker tips the list to these photos which appeared on the Toyo Blog - If your Japanese language skills are anywhere near mine, you'll need the Google (Beta) translated version. But, the photos show raw A. Homer Hilsen frames brazed up and getting ready for painting. Click the photo to jump to the Google (Beta) translated version of the page.

The origianal blog post is here

This was the third thing that I'd been wanting to archive for wider distribution - the Rivendell "Women Only" Survey which appeared in Rivendell Reader #37.

There has been some interesting discussion regarding the need for high quality, classic bicycles which will work for women riders. I'm not sure if this survey will help (and it's already past the cancel date for the Riven-dollars), but perhaps some people will be spurred to send it to RWHQ&L - maybe with a letter adding any other concerns which weren't asked about here.

One of the scariest things in marketing or product development is a bunch of men sitting around trying to figure out "what women want." So, maybe this can continue to be a valid reference for Rivendell.

I happen to think that the care with which the RBW folks approach fit - as well as their core beliefs on the subject - go a long way to getting a wider variety of people comfortably set up on bicycles. But, then again, I'm male, and relatively average in terms of fit issues. Maybe they need a specific "women's set-up package" for the Bleriot - a shorter stem, different saddle, etc. - or there might be enough demand for a specific frame option with a shorter top tube. I reckon it'll take folks asking for it before it happens.

	click for hi-rez	click for hi-rez

Someone on the RBW Owner's Bunch list made reference to the 603 wheel size, and based on some follow-up comments, it appears that some folks were unaware of the idea or the project. It's one of those topics which verges dangerously close to core beliefs and seems to invite polemics. My hope is that by including the entire article from Rivendell Reader #35, the points can be taken within their context.

So, rather than seeing this as an argument for another wheel size, and beginning a discussion as to whether that may or may not be needed, perhaps it's best approached as food for thought, and a way to make limited-use bicycles into useful, contributing members of bicycle society. Or you could just get a Hilsen, which solves clearance issues quite nicely, IMO... ;^)

Click on the image to get a pretty reasonable sized scan, and the "click for hi-rez" to get a high resolution version of the same page.

click for hi-rez	click for hi-rez	click for hi-rez
click for hi-rez	click for hi-rez

I'd been meaning to get the A. Homer Hilsen announcement from RR#38 scanned onto the Hilsen page. Finally sat down and had a little scanning marathon to get some pertinent pages into the archives.

Here's step one - the A. Homer Hilsen:

All sorts of cool developments on the Jack Brown Tire front... Just got a few photos of the new Jack Brown "Blue" version - like a Ruffy Tuffy in that it has a stronger casing, an extra .5mm (to 2mm) tread thickness, and a kevlar belt. More info...

Big tip o' the mouse to Joe B., who forwarded this info from the CR List:

"Back in 1999 Rivendell Bicycle Works published a 24 month (2000-2001) calendar showing beautiful photographs of a variety of lugs. This was something you just don't throw away at the end of the year. I emailed Grant Petersen to ask if these photos would ever be published on the Rivendell website, but he said it wasn't going to happen in the near future. When a question came up on the CR list regarding the identity of an unknown bottom bracket, a couple of the responses led me to look at that old calendar again. Anyway, I emailed Grant again, asking if it would be okay if I scanned the calendar and posted it on Wooljersey. He thought it was a good idea, to go ahead.

So here it is: http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/v/Oldyellr/lugs/

- John B"

Those Portlanders have all the fun!

This actually seems to have taken place on the 10th (and there may be another scheduled for the future), but someone with a working tongue and cheek orchestrated a ride with this description up in Stumptown...

"Calling cyclists of Bridgestone, Rivendell, and similar lugged-steel steeds with a taste for tweed, shellac, cork, and francophile tires... the Grant Petersen ride will be a rolling bike show with plenty of interesting discussion. Good natured curmudgeons gladly suffered. Grouchy know-it-alls will be dropped. No lycra."

And thank goodness, someone was there to snap some photos:

There are more to see if you click the photo above - click here to jump to the slideshow version

Big thanks to Ron L. for sharing this over to the RBW List - a gorgeous photo of an orange Canti-Ram* in the wilds of Japan

As my Japanese language skills are reasonably non-existant, I've relied once again on the translation function of Google (Beta Japanese to English) to wrangle the text - you can see the results here. I'd recommend visiting the site, as there are some interesting photos of country-rambles, along with more photos of this (and other) bicycles.

*Canti-Ram = Rivendell Rambouillet with cantilever brakes.

It seems that the lower tabs on the Nitto Rear Rack can be a problem for easy rear wheel removal. Original post, other experiences and more on the Quickbeam page.

The first of what will be a semi-regular update on the state of the Rivendell Bicycle Works Owners Bunch list - posted to the list on Google Groups or viewable here.

This interview which originally appeared in November of 2006 popped up again in a search I did last evening, and although I think it has been mentioned from time to time, it bears a little reminder -

Interview with Grant Peterson on PushButtonFor.org by Gino Zahnd

There were also a couple of podcast'd interviews -

Sheldon Brown's Podcast I-view at the 2006 Interbike Trade Show

Bikescape's Podcast from January, 2007

And appropos of utterly nothing, did you know that Rush wrote a song called Rivendell?

Quick & dirty page of photos from the 3rd Annual Rivendell Weekend, May 19-20 up on Mt. Diablo. More stuff to come, but I'm tired tonight...

Of course, it goes without saying that if you were there, and got some good photos, send me the link!

Update #1 -
Some edited photos have migrated to a Flickr set. Plus, John @ Riv sent over the o-fish-all group photo and rumors of a patch:

Update #2 -
The rest of the photos have migrated over to Flickr - they are now gathered into an RBW Weekend #3 Collection

Other Photo Sets from the Rivendell Weekend #3:

TandemHearts Gallery

Sue's Photos

Gino's Photoset on Flickr

Cesare's Photo Album on Picasa

Another nice panorama of trails in the Mt. Diablo region. This photo in response to an RBW Owners Bunch question about the suitability of mixte designs for the trail. Here Tetsu from Toyo swoops through a stretch of singletrack.

click for full-size

Just to editorialize for a moment...looks pretty danged trail-worthy to me!

Grant passes along some more feedback:

"The mixtes are strong enough for just about any trail riding (short of things you're supposed to hike over), and have been ridden a lot on the local trails. They're not mountain bikes, but a semi-skillful rider can do a lot with them. Here's a picture of Tetsu Ishigaki of Toyo on a recent ride, on a 56 Wilbury. He lead up most of the hills and all of the descents, riding Col de la Vie tires (about 36mm). On Fatty Rumpkins he'd do even better. The clearances allow up to about a 44mm tire. The latest Schwalbe fits, but not by a lot (like a 700x25 in a carbon road fork!).

"A month ago a reporter from Dirt Rag came by, and we went for