Platypus Presale - who are the lucky new owners?

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

I love the Rivendell presale days. It’s fun to watch the bikes virtually fly off the shelves, and especially on Platypus presale days, since that bike is my uncontested favorite. Today will be extra thrilling, since this presale is happening in the wake of the New Yorker article hype. (Hoping this has brought lots of new customers to Rivendell.) I’ve personally had one woman track me down on Instagram and ask me about the Platypus after she read the article. Turns out, she’s also a nurse and only lives 45 minutes away from me! She may be one of the new Platypus owners today.

If you are getting ready to make one of Rivendell’s famous Platypuses your own, comment here and tell us the details! 

Leah

[Johnny Alien]

Normally I am anti-complete. I think they are usually spec'd fine enough but I like too many nicer parts to not want to swap half of it anyway. But these have such nice components that there's not much that even I would want to swap. Usually the biggest disappointment for me is wheels and the new wheels they have are built on my favorite of all affordable hubs and look to be fantastic. If they had thrown the Altus big pulley RD on there I would declare it totally perfect as-is. But for me only one component I am not fond of on a complete is a gigantic win.

Anyway I didn't contribute anything because I am not in the market for one but I gave my two cents anyway. People are going to love these and its two of the best colors.

[lucky...@gmail.com]

I want a yellow one so badly but it’s just not in the budget right now. If there’d been bare frames for sale I would have bought one. I want a dynamo on this bike and have many of the other parts on hand so it would have been more cost effective for me.

I am hopeful that when finances are available we will find a 55 yellow out there on the resale market.

I want to add, we had a 55 Cheviot and really disliked it, so I wasn’t sold on the Platypus but I went to Riv and rode a 55 Platypus and it’s a whole other ride. There’s definitely one in our future.

Liz in Sacramento 

On Sep 27, 2024, at 05:51, Johnny Alien <johnny....@gmail.com> wrote:

Normally I am anti-complete. I think they are usually spec'd fine enough but I like too many nicer parts to not want to swap half of it anyway. But these have such nice components that there's not much that even I would want to swap. Usually the biggest disappointment for me is wheels and the new wheels they have are built on my favorite of all affordable hubs and look to be fantastic. If they had thrown the Altus big pulley RD on there I would declare it totally perfect as-is. But for me only one component I am not fond of on a complete is a gigantic win.

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[Liz Tilton]

My fingers are poised to click “buy” on one of the 50”  Platypuses. If I don’t act quickly enough, I guess I’ll start combing the continent for another way to find one. :)

I’m 5’3”, 66-year-old woman who’s completely grateful for how fit commuting by bikes (in Cincinnati, OH)  has  kept me.

Currently, I own my first Rivendell—a 20ish-year old Atlantis on which I’ve ridden SO MANY miles, and a newer 52” Clem L. 

My hope is to eventually sell the Atlantis…but, seriously, that’s gonna be a hard one to let go. Time to make the changes, though. 

Liz Tilton

[Leah Peterson]

I hope you got one because as of right now, there are only 10 mermaid 55s left. All other colors, all other sizes are GONE as of 4 minutes into the presale!

On Sep 27, 2024, at 11:12 AM, Liz Tilton <meti...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Leah Peterson]

6 left, as of 6 min into the presale…

On Sep 27, 2024, at 11:12 AM, Liz Tilton <meti...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Liz Tilton]

I didn’t get it. In the time it took American Express to confirm that I really DID want to make this purchase, they sold out. Agggh. 

I’ll find one somewhere at some point, though. In the meantime I have two Rivendell beauties to ride and can look forward to the Platypus when it comes. 

Congratulations to all those winners who are thrilled right now!

Liz from Cincinnati

Sent with delight from my iPhone

On Sep 27, 2024, at 3:07 PM, Leah Peterson <jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Roberta]

Hey Johnny. This is absolutely a great contribution post. Even though I’ve had my platypus for four years and I’ve been a Riv owner for seven , I still know little about parts so I think if there’s somebody else out like me that’s contemplating this and wants a good information is very valuable

[Leah Peterson]

Go to the dealers, Liz. They will have one.

On Sep 27, 2024, at 3:20 PM, Liz Tilton <meti...@gmail.com> wrote:

I didn’t get it. In the time it took American Express to confirm that I really DID want to make this purchase, they sold out. Agggh. 

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[Liz Tilton]

I’ll do that. Thanks, Leah. Updates to follow, and thanks for cheering me on, y’all! 

Sent with delight from my iPhone

On Sep 27, 2024, at 3:21 PM, Leah Peterson <jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[P W]

Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s going to be the case.

There is a rumour that wholesale has been paused while they catch-up with the new increased demand.

Maybe a few dealers will have twisted Grant/Will’s arm. Or maybe they placed an order BEFORE the article came out that will still be honored, but I’m going to assume that it’s going to be pretty hard to buy a new Riv for the next few runs, unless you act quickly on pre-sale day, until all of this calms down, or until Grant and co are able to adjust their purchase orders to reflect this new reality.

I also saw mention that they’re adding a waiting list for a reorder on the Platy’s. So, Liz, might be best to contact them now and ask to be added?

All this publicity and demand sounds great for a “small” company. But the reality is it is so hard to strike while the iron is hot.

They could have stocked double and made double, I bet.

But how can a small business take that kind of risk?

They can’t.

P. W.

~

On Sep 27, 2024, at 12:21 PM, Leah Peterson <jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Liz Tilton]

I lucked out and this afternoon I bought a 50” Platypus frame…in purple. The shop will build it up for me and then ship it. 

Unlike Leah, I did not love My Little Pony as a youngster…I lean more toward cowboy hats and boots and six shooters and never in my life thought I’d fall for a purple bike, but now I have one and it’s gonna be spectacular and I already adore it. 

I’m glad I jumped on it today—otherwise I’m pretty sure I’d be waiting for a while, as P.W. cautioned. And I’m expecting some glitches along the way, but I’ve taken the first step and trusting whatever follows. 

Leah, I’m pretty sure your positive certainty blazed my path this afternoon. Thanks for the vibes. 

Liz in Cincinnati

Sent with delight from my iPad

On Sep 27, 2024, at 5:51 PM, P W <philip....@gmail.com> wrote:

Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s going to be the case.

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[Eric Marth]

Philip — Add to fluctuating demand that there's something like a one-year turnaround from the time they order frames to the time they receive them. I believe this timeline is somewhere in the ballpark of being correct, others who know better please let me know. 

Big surge during the peak-pandemic bike boom and now a new wave from the New Yorker on top of just general enthusiasm for a really great frame with a really nicely specified group of components makes it super hard to accurately gauge demand. 

I'm not getting one but if I did I'd swap out that front derailer for something that was svelte, vintage and around $25. And maybe take a page from Johnny and get a $25 big-wheel Altus out back.

[Leah Peterson]

Liz in Cincinnati: YAY! They saved you a purple Platypus! 

Purple wasn’t my color of choice and now I adore that purple paint job. It was a perfect color to accessorize with. Purple is easy. Forgiving. FUN. Deck it out and make it yours. 

I am shocked that these bikes flew off the shelves in less than an hour but I had suspicions. That article traveled far and wide and Grant is so winsome. There are not a lot of people responding to this thread saying they got a bike, which might mean these bikes went to new customers who aren’t on the List. I hope so! What to do with all this newfound success?! How soon can that next shipment arrive? I’m just so thrilled for Rivendell. 

And PM me your address so I can properly welcome you to the RivSister club. 😉

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 27, 2024, at 7:53 PM, Liz Tilton <meti...@gmail.com> wrote:

I lucked out and this afternoon I bought a 50” Platypus frame…in purple. The shop will build it up for me and then ship it. 

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/456062E6-9017-49AC-806D-9BB5CBC18A33%40gmail.com.

[Eric Marth]

Oh and the mustard frames with peanut-butter-brown sidewalls is just a gosh-darned slam dunk

[Patrick Moore]

I'm glad you snagged one. Please post the obligatory photos and ride report when it arrives.

I think it was Schwinn who used to make a 20" wheel Roy Rogers but for girls cruiser drop frame in a Palomino color with white saddle, grips, tassels, and pinstriping and faux-rubies inset into into fenders and perhaps rear edge of saddle. The slightly younger sister of a slightly older friend owned one and it always looked enviably exotic compared to my entry-level 24" wheel JC Higgins cruiser.

[Richard Rose]

Does anyone have a notion as to just how many bikes were sold?

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 27, 2024, at 9:14 PM, Patrick Moore <bert...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Feldspar Palimpsest]

As a 70 year old with a 25 year old Atlantis and a recent Clem with a Platypus on order… I like the way you think.

I’m keeping my Atlantis. A lot of great memories in that bike.

Mike 

[Liz Tilton]

MIKE! Honestly, this note made me tearful. I am dying to meet you. 

Liz in Cincinnati

Sent with delight from my iPad

On Sep 28, 2024, at 11:09 AM, Feldspar Palimpsest <michaelj...@gmail.com> wrote:

As a 70 year old with a 25 year old Atlantis and a recent Clem with a Platypus on order… I like the way you think.

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[Jeff McCartney]

Hi everyone!

I was lucky enough to snag a Mustard 60cm Platypus :)

I'm also new to the group, but have been lurking for a while obsessively consuming Platypus conversations, especially all the excellent posts from Leah! I am a long time fan of Rivendell and have built up several 80's MTB frames in a Riv style over the last 12 years. I finally got my first real Rivendell in the form of a used Clem L a few months ago. Immediately after riding that for the first time I decided to buy a new Platypus from the next batch to replace my Riv'ish '83 Stumpjumper shopping/utility bike build. There was just something extra magical about the Clem that I have not captured in any of my builds and I want more of that magic!

I'll be sure to update when I get my hands on the new Platypus, and thank you all for being an awesome group of people and an amazing resource!

Jeff