"Wow you go really fast on that thing"

[Allan in Portland]

Literally heard that last night in regards to my still-new-to-me AHH. Look, I know the tires are a little shabby, and the saddle doesn't fit the aesthetic (but it does fit me), but really, "that thing?"

:-) OK, as it was coming from a young 20-something on a crabon looking Scattante bike with skinny tires and not much else, I figured it was a compliment.

I should start a blog of unprompted comments Rivendells bring. So far, in less than 2 months I've had the usual "how old is it" on two different occasions. Some guy who looks like he doesn't ride bikes asked if I could go over 40 mph on it (was happy to show him the computer's max speed was currently recorded as 39.55). And not quite a comment, but the train rider in the seat next to me very conspicuously doing a web search on "A. Homer Hilsen" Not that I can blame any of them, (OK, I do hold it against the "how old is?" guys), it _is_ a great looking bike. In fact, as I often thing to myself, much better looking than it should considering it's built up almost entirely from second-hand accumulation.

And finally, something (IMO) so cliched (no offense intended) I thought I'd _never_ do, before, well..., getting my own put together, the flickr photo set.

Best regards & hats off to Grant P,
-Allan

[EastBayGuy]

last week while riding up to Mt Diablo on my usual half way up via roads and then down via trails on my Atlantis w/Medium Saddle Bag & 60 big apples, I had a Crabon gentleman ask at the Ranger station.

"You Really Rode that Thing up here?"

All I could say is "Yep and its time to take the trails back down" He looked at me like I was from another planet.

Dustin G

WC Ca

[William]

The most common ones I get are for my chubby 650B tires "You really like to roll fatties, don't you?"

or my handlebar bag "You got a picnic in that thing?"

[islaysteve]

Beautiful bike!  The know-nothings probably see the chrome fenders and think it's an English 3-speed.  Glad to see another member of the "Rivs with Brifters" group (although I dislike that term).  Cheers, Steve  

[cyclot...@gmail.com]

Yep, just got the "nice old bike" thing last week riding around town.
It was a compliment coming from a rider on a steel Bianchi!

And it's true: 10 years old and still holding together!

> set <http://www.flickr.com/photos/47116230@N00/sets/72157627777685182/>.

[Tim McNamara]

On Sep 30, 2011, at 11:54 AM, William wrote:

> The most common ones I get are for my chubby 650B tires "You really like to roll fatties, don't you?"

Being of the Cheech & Chong generation, my initial interpretation of that question would have nothing to do with bike tires...

> or my handlebar bag "You got a picnic in that thing?"

Hmm, that would be consistent with my interpretation of the first question. ;-)

[Allan in Portland]

Yeah, after he said it, it took me awhile to register what about it would make him think it might not be fast. He didn't get a good look at it, we were moving at 25-35 going down a hill then a long run out. He passed me in the run out, got caught by a light, I passed him later in on a smaller hill, he passed me on the run out of it, which was when he made his comment. It occurred to me the fenders had to be what he was keying off of.

So no, not an English 3 speed, it's an American 18. :-)

[William]

The Cheech and Chong connection was precisely my intention.  There's a t-shirt or a bumpersticker there somewhere:

"Randonneurs have more fun because they roll fatties"

"I ride a Rivendell because I like to roll fatties"

"Roll a fatty (or two) on a Rivendell"

[Allingham II, Thomas J]

Too long.

 

Stick with "Riv Riders Roll Fatties".  Short. Sweet.

---

From: rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com [mailto:rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of William
Sent: Friday, September 30, 2011 3:48 PM
To: rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [RBW] Re: "Wow you go really fast on that thing"

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[Rick]

Around town, I frequently get the "how old is that bike?" thing.
Usually at stop lights.

If I'm feeling chatty, I use it as an opening to unapologetically
discuss the merits of a Riv-based approach to a cycling-centric
lifestyle.

About three out of ten seem to appreciate it, six do a spandex-clad "o-
kay" as they retreat on their carbon stallions, and the tenth gets
hostile.

When not feeling chatty, I say: "'09."

[Rex Kerr]

On Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 1:31 PM, Rick <richard...@yahoo.com> wrote:

Around town, I frequently get the "how old is that bike?" thing.
Usually at stop lights.

My AHH has only been on the road about 2.5 months, but I've only heard the old comment once, and it went something like:

"Wow, that's really old-----school"  

I think he was going to stop with old, then realized that it was practically brand new. :-)

[soapscum]

I get this kind of thing once in a while on my Hillborne, but the most
classic comment was:

"I had one of those when I was a kid."

Uh... ok.

On Sep 30, 1:50 pm, Rex Kerr <rexk...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Robert F. Harrison]

Mostly I get very nice comments about my Quickbeam. There was one fellow I met while I headed out on a camping trip who said to his friends derisively, "oh, that's just an expensive copy of an old frame." Then he walked away not giving it a second glance. Everyone else in his group thought it was a great bike and asked a lot of questions.

:-)

Aloha, 

Bob

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statrix.com

[Rex Kerr]

On Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 2:11 PM, Robert F. Harrison <rfhar...@gmail.com> wrote:

There was one fellow I met while I headed out on a camping trip who said to his friends derisively, "oh, that's just an expensive copy of an old frame." Then he walked away not giving it a second glance.

I wonder if it's the same guy who posted this (censored) comment in response to my flickr photo:

Hey I saw a bike like that on craigslist. It was a little lacking in [slur] and was missing a zero on the end of the price, but overall maybe a nice adjunct if you're looking to buy another worthless piece of [profane]? You'll still get to go through that same process of explaining that you really wanted to get a CrMo frame (not because you're a legit, fit rider who's riding a heavy frame for monetary or safety reasons, mind you...just because $2000 seemed reasonable for not having to buy an "authentic" looking bike second hand).

I just got linked to this page from the Rivendell site because I was horrified that someone (locally! In the 925!) makes money from selling bikes that would raise eyebrows if someone was trying to sell it second-hand for over $300. I'm never given to vandalism, but I would definitely wait by your bike if I ever saw it until I could castigate you for willfully wasting money on nothing. It's not a classic. It's not a whit more functional or safe than the sub-$300 ex-touring steel bikes on Craigslist. It's not even the good kind of ostentatious, like a Ferrari that can get you laid. It's just aggressively meaningless. If I found that you weren't rich enough to go to the atm, withdraw 2K, and light it on fire, I think I would call you pretentious. If you were, but weren't so darkly nihilistic so as to taunt the good folk of your community collecting to save the stick figures in Africa by repeatedly incinerating potential aid dollars in front of them, I'd call you an idiot.

What if that's just you though? Respekt, you're a cold mofo and we should go ride and do some recreational arson at this orphanage I know.

Wow... somebody's got issues.  I wonder if his car costs more than a few thousand... you know, you can buy an old 50 MPG Geo for something like $1000...  I responded with something like "Thanks for the compliments, glad you liked my bike."  :-)

[rw1911]

Wow. A lot of anger in the 925.


On Sep 30, 5:28 pm, Rex Kerr <rexk...@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 2:11 PM, Robert F. Harrison <rfharri...@gmail.com>wrote:
>
> > There was one fellow I met while I headed out on a camping trip who said to
> > his friends derisively, "oh, that's just an expensive copy of an old frame."
> > Then he walked away not giving it a second glance.
>
> I wonder if it's the same guy who posted this (censored) comment in response
> to my flickr photo:
>

> Hey I saw a bike like that on craigslist. It was a little lacking in [*slur*]

> and was missing a zero on the end of the price, but overall maybe a nice

> adjunct if you're looking to buy another worthless piece of [*profane*]?

[Robert F. Harrison]

Yes, wow is about all I can say. At the fellow I ran into just dismissed the whole thing and left the rest of us alone. I wonder if he's ever dropped by Riv given it's in the 925.

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[David Faller]

I usually get compliments on how "pretty" my Ram is, probably because it's green and not black or white like the ubiquitous Specialized/Giant/Etc. bikes around here.  I recently was approached by a pair of women who were power walking and came up to me while I was resting.  They admired the bike for quite a while and said they hadn't seen anything like it, and had never heard of the "brand" (nor could they pronounce "Rambouillet").  They admittedly didn't know much about bikes, and one of them then went on to ask me, "Is the seat made of wood?" (it's a Brooks B-17 Champion Special - large oxidized copper rivets...)

Dave

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[Steve D.]

Yeah... A friend of mine has a brand-spanking-new La Pierre carbon
bike. This first one he had to replace because the frame cracked going
over a bump on the Burke-Gilman trail. That was before he told me my
Atlantis was too heavy. But I always keep Grant's piece of advice in
mind: "Compliment other people's bikes, especially if they're new."

-Steve
Seattle

On Sep 30, 8:58 am, Allan in Portland <allan_f...@aracnet.com> wrote:

> set <http://www.flickr.com/photos/47116230@N00/sets/72157627777685182/>.

[PATRICK MOORE]

I get nothing but " that's a really nice bike" or "that's beautiful"
or "that's classic" comments about my Rivs, tho' mine are set up more
racier than many, I guess. Or maybe ABQ, which is a riders' haven, is
just more mellow. I did have someone do a double take when he saw my
'03 Riv (with hammered Honjos and saddlebag) and asked, "That's nice;
how old is it?" and I screwed up my face in concentration (honestly)
and thought a moment and answered, "2003."

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--
Patrick Moore
Albuquerque, NM
For professional resumes, contact
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[Zaelia]

I've had my AHH for about 18 months. The bike gets tonnes of
compliments and comments. And no doubt, I say, she's a beautiful
bike!

"That's a beautiful bike!" - "Beautiful bike!" - "Nice bike!"

"How old is your bike?"

An Older gentleman said something like “that’s an old one”, and
continued with “I haven’t seen one of these in decades.”

"I had one of those when I was a kid" (60-70-ish year-old-man)

"Rando's represent!"

A cool looking man decked out and on a fixie went by one day and said
“Nice Riv. Outstanding!”

and my personal favourite, "You must be in great shape, because you're
basically pulling a house!"

Zaelia

[Michael Hechmer]

I just read through these posting and it brought two stories back to mind.  The first, cica 2003, when I got my Rambouillet.  The first ride was to the top of the Appalachian Gap in Vt.  It's about 40 miles from my home, uphill all the way, which gradually gets steeper and steeper until the last 1500 meters which is 22%.  When I got to the top I was greeted by a group of French Canadian tourist who complimented me on my classic bike.  They were astounded to discover that it was brand new!

The second story begins in 1983 when I bought my adolescent son his first racing bike, a lugged steel Bianchi.  Over time we replaced all the components with Campy NR, and when he out grew the frame (he moved on to a hand-me-down Marinoni frame and I got a new one, which I still have) his younger sister got the bike.   She rode it for quite a while, and when she was ready to go to college we spray painted the frame an awful shade of  green, did a deliberately botched tapeing job, installed a ripped saddle, but left the good Campy parts on it and sent her off.   She rode the bike through four years of college and at least another five in DC without it looking like an object of desire,  before it was stolen.  Later, my 115 lb daughter, came across the bike, confronted the thief and rode home on the bike.  She still uses it, although she now has a newer SOMA, and an even newer son to occupy her attention.

blessings,

michael

take care of Self; it's one of a kind and irreplaceable

41 degrees and raining today

[Peter Pesce]

I did a large (3000+ riders) metric century earlier in the summer and got a number of comments.
The first, as expected, was from a passing roadie to his buddies,  "Man, it's gonna be a long day on THAT thing," referring to my Sam.
Happily, it got better after that. I got passed by probably several hundred people over the course of the day (I'm slow) and all of the dozen or so comments I got from other riders were positive, mostly "nice bike" or "cool bike." One guy who spent 20 minutes or so on my wheel (I'm slow, but I punch a HUGE hole in the air!) had a lot of time to study my bike and we had a nice chat when he finally went by. He asked how old it was, and commented on the old-school centerpulls and lots of shiny silver bits.

-Pete

[Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery]

I forget the exact wording, but the Bike Snob NYC book described "roadies" as not really enjoying cycling, always trying to minimize effort, minimize riding time, etc. I've also noticed that the stereotypical roadies are the least imaginative cyclists, who consider a road bike with 105 parts to be a completely different machine than a road bike with an Ultegra group, or 25 mm tires to be excessively plush. Your Hillborne is simply outside their limited realm, even though to most of us here, it is entirely normal. I had a three-wheeled rickshaw, which was very clearly a pedal-powered pickup truck. One time I was hauling a chest of drawers across town. Three different roadies asked "what's that thing for?" On other occasions I was asked how much it weighs!

[PATRICK MOORE]

Cut 'em dead answers:

"It's for time trialing."

"12 lb without pedals."

But to be fair to roadies, most I meet here in cycling city, ABQ, NM
are friendly and positive.

On Mon, Oct 3, 2011 at 9:11 AM, Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery
<thil...@gmail.com> wrote:
I had a three-wheeled rickshaw, which was very clearly a pedal-powered
pickup truck. One time I was hauling a chest of drawers across town.
Three different roadies asked "what's that thing for?" On other
occasions I was asked how much it weighs!
>

--

[kps]

I got my own "is that a ten-speed?" and "how old is it" question today about my Roadeo. My bike was "parked" in my shop. The guy was really nice, but he just thought my bike had to be older...I ended up telling him about Rivendell. :-) - k

[dpco]

I get teased from some of my fellow club members. Out of town, especially in the Bay Area or Sonoma Co., I always get compliments. Many folks think it is an old bike, but many will ask questions and when I tell them about Rivendell, they are very complimentary. My 59cm Roadeo is the best bike I have ever purchased,period. At 59, I have come to realize that there's no time clock and I want a bike that is 1) great handling on downhills 2) springy steel ride3) beautiful to the eye, and, 4) tougher than nails. The Roadeo is all that and more. I have a lot of bikes and I always ride my Roadeo on the hard and long rides. Mr. Petersen knows bikes.
Don C.

[cyclotourist]

On Mon, Oct 3, 2011 at 7:01 AM, Peter Pesce <pete...@gmail.com> wrote:

I got passed by probably several hundred people over the course of the day

To put in perspective, that means you didn't get passed by the other 2,800!!!!!!  :-)

[Way Rebb]

My favorite comment was "..wow; look at those welds!".

-Ray

[RoadieRyan]

Allan based on your flickr set there is absolutely zero that is
"second hand" about your AHH - a really beauty