Any experience with Rivendell?

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

"JP" wrote ...
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 wrote:

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.

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 wrote:

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/

"mark" wrote in message
k.net...

"JP" wrote ...
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



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" wrote in message
...
JP wrote:

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.

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.


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.



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?

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In article ,
Fx199 wrote:
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?

_ 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" wrote in message
...
Matt O'Toole wrote:

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/

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 wrote:



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 wrote:

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.