Rivendell Bicycle Works 2001 Road Standard

Price Paid:  $2300.00 at Imladris

Favorite Ride:
Doup's Point to the east

Bike Setup:
Light blue paint; Chris King threaded headset; Hugi 32-hole w/Mavic Open Pros (Joe Young) with Avocet Fasgrip Criteriums & WTB skewers; Ultegra cassette 9sp 12-28(I think); TA triple; Phil Wood ss bb; Egg Beaters; Sachs PC89R chain; Proshift rear & Simplex front ders.; Brooks Swift; Nitto post, lugged stem & Noodle bars (shellacked); Shimano RB600 brakes (Kool Stop Eagle 2 salmon pads) & aero levers; Campagnolo dt shifters; Nitto bottle cages; Esge fenders; reflective bar plugs; Blackburn pump; various Baggins bags; Cateye Cordless 2.

Summary:
As fine a frame as was ever brazed: custom fit, superb build & finish, unmatched ride. Like a tailored suit, except Grant P. is the best tailor in the world. Fast, nimble, rock-steady, comfy all day, gorgeous, versatile, durable. My 54cm weighs 23.2lbs with triple, full fenders & computer. Can handle trails.

Strengths:
As good as anything ever built, and better than 99%. Fantastic ride, will last forever, built by Elves (OK, by master torch Curt Goodrich ;-) Unmatched workmanship this side of a Richard Sachs. Industry-best Joe Bell paint, beautiful & VERY durable.

Weaknesses:
Renders other bikes redundant. Some think it's too pretty to ride often. Others think it's too wonderful not to ride all the time. Sorta like Lays potato chips, too: one's not enough!

Similar Products Used:
Schwinn Voyageur 11.8, Allegro Special, Team Miyata, Cilo, Falcon, Peugeot, Gitane, Morgul-Bismark, KHS, Torpado

Price Paid:  $2400.00 at Rivendell

Favorite Ride:
bay area skyline down to canada road

Bike Setup:
Custom Rivendell Frame/fork.
Nitto moustache handlebar.
Phil hubs, Bontrager rims.
Brooks Saddle.

Summary:
A great all around bike. Full custom for my demands. Grant calls it a "relaxed road bike". A versatile bike for comfortable commuting, but can handle a century and longer rides, and can take 1.9" tires for off road and mountain biking. Aesthetically, the most beautiful bike I own. Made to last a lifetime.

Strengths:
Versatility. The beauty of lugs. The comfort of the frame geometry. The durability and strength of thicker wall tubes. Joe Bell's paint job is a work of art. The most ingenious handlebar, the moustache bar. Perfect for my all-terrain demand. The comfortable and classic leather Brooks Saddle.

Weaknesses:
Weight, but not really an issue when I put on my panniers and bags.

Similar Products Used:
Custom Sycip Road Bike. Custom Jericho Mtn Bike.

Price Paid:  $1100.00 at direct

Favorite Ride:
Rivendell

Bike Setup:
campy record & chorus

Summary:
I was one of the first people to buy a bike from Rivendell. I think I was the first guy to get one with twotone paint. When I bought this bike I went to the Waterford factory and was measured at no cost. I love this thing ! I built is up with full Campy stuff. One of the nicest looking bikes ever

Strengths:
comfort, speed, looks, different. Love a good steel frame

Weaknesses:
kind of heavy

Similar Products Used:
Cannondale, Bridgestone

Price Paid:  $1150.00 at Rivendell Bicycle Works

Favorite Ride:
West Hills to Rocky Point

Bike Setup:
Sachs New Success 8spd/Phil Wood Hubs/Ritchey Wheelset/Camp. Record Brakes

Summary:
I would never sell this bike. My other bikes come and go (though the Serotta is fantastic), but this is the most distinctive and versatile bike I've owned. When I don't ride it I forget how good it is, because at its weight and geometry it shouldn't seem so special, but it only takes about five minutes to remember why I like it so well. It's a very special bike -- as I said above, it made some classic Italian bikes seem totally superfluous.

Strengths:
Aesthetics (Joe Bell paint and superb build quality), handling, stability, comfort. The bike feels quick when you need it to, but is very steady and very, very comfortable over distance.

Weaknesses:
Maybe slightly overbuilt. Current price ($2200 frame/fork) is high for a lugged steel custom, even for a bike this good. On mine, the seat bolt collar design is slightly faulty - it breaks the bolt under minor overtightening, and the bolts are non-standard.

Similar Products Used:
Cinelli Supercorsa, Basso Loto, Serotta CRL, Gunnar Crosshairs. The Riv. made the Italian bikes expendable.

CrossHairs.