I'm now OFFICIALLY a riv owner!

[Rex Kerr]

After a nearly unbearable wait I'm finally a riv owner!!!   I drove down on Saturday and picked up my 67cm AHH frame!  It's a work of art!  I went with a custom color, and after many hours of second guessing my decision I finally got to see it!  I have to admit that it came out a lot lighter than I expected from the paint chip, and I was a little bit upset when I first saw it, but once I started hanging shiny bits on it I started to realize that it's probably a lot nicer than what I'd originally asked for, and it's really growing on me -- I think now that it's a really nice color!  [The big reveal coming once the shiny bits are properly hung :-) ]. 

So, speaking of shiny bits... there's one rather important one that I haven't decided on yet!  Wheels!  I really like the classic polished hubs, and this bike is beautiful and really deserves some nice looking hubs, but a set of Rivy hubs approach the the amount that I was hoping to spend on the entire wheelset!  I considered the VO Grand Cru hubs, which are a bit cheaper, but they don't have the 32 spoke hubs that I wanted (I like the look of 32 spoke hubs, and I'm a lightweight rider for my height, I have a touring bike for the heavy loaded stuff).  I like freewheels, and 7 speeds is perfect [prefer it over 9], but am probably leaning more toward a cassette just because quality freewheels are getting harder to find.  The problem that I'm having is that it's harder to find 135 mm hubs that meet these requirements than 130 mm hubs, as 135 mm stuff is usually MTB oriented and more colorful (usually anodized).  So, I'm starting to think about maybe getting a set of road hubs and buying a new axle and respacing it... anybody ever done that?  Is it hard to find proper axles?  It looks like Harris sells all the parts that I need... 

Thanks!
-Rex

[charlie]

I'd just get some of those VO 36 spoke hubs.....what do four spokes
weigh? More spokes= stronger wheel. I rode 36'ers when I weighed 168
pounds as did millions. The VO hubs look pretty nice and shiny plus
they are easily disassembled. The Velo Orange dudes are really into
all the shiny, chrome, vintage look, anyway....I'll bet you would be
happy with them. Just sayin......

[CycloFiend]

Congrats! Can't wait to see the images!

Regarding the wheel question:

I respaced a 130 wheel to use on my Hilsen. Didn't even replace the axle.
It just sits a little inside the dropouts with plenty o' meat left over (and
if you poke around Sheldon's bikes, he talks about using a QR setup with an
axle flush to the nut, so he could achieve some minor tensioning corrections
on a singlespeed/vertical dropout setup).

You really just need 5 mm total of washers (mine was done with two x 2 mm
and I figured that was close enough.)

Hope that helps,

- Jim

--
Jim Edgar
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[Calm54]

Congratulations! You will love the Riv Ride.

On Jun 27, 10:54 am, Rex Kerr <rexk...@gmail.com> wrote:

[islaysteve]

Rex, Congratulations from another recent-new-Riv owner! You're going to love your bike even more when you ride it.  I agree with Jim about the hubs:  I mounted VO wheels (105 hubs, 130mm) in a Bleriot frame which also takes 135mm.  There were no issues whatsoever.  I just installed the wheel and tightened the skewers.  In my case these are VO anti-theft skewers, so you screw them tight.  So far, they work great, YMMV.  I felt the same as you regarding the shiny hubs/wheels.  The VO wheels, 650b in my case, look great and ride great.  Of course we want to see pictures, especially of that color.  Good riding, Steve  

[Benedikt]

Yeah, all you need is a 135 mm axle and some spacers. I moved a 7
speed from a 130mm bike to a 135mm Riv too. You will need to redish
the wheel a little unless you are starting from scratch. Easy.

On Jun 27, 10:54 am, Rex Kerr <rexk...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Montclair BobbyB]

Congrats, Rex. A fine ride like a Hilsen deserves a fine set of
wheels... That makes all the difference (in my opinion)... I splurged
a bit on a 7-speed freewheel Phil Wood hub on my Bomba (not too
pricey) and am so glad I did.
I say beg, borrow or steal whatever you need to get the wheels YOU
want... no compromise. You'll thank yourself ....

And pics, please!!! Good luck.
BB

[Scotty]

Congrats to you on your new ride. I learned today that my frame is in transit from Waterford to Riv right now and the end to my nearly unbearable wait is near. I am so excited I can barely stand it.

Make sure to get some pictures posted of yours.

[Bill]

I was faced with the same issue when building my Sam. I went with the
Phils, 36s, and a 7-speed DuraAce FW with absolutely no regrets. When
you amortize the extra $$$ over the life of the bike it amounts to
chump change. You have to decide whether a year from now you'll be
saying "I should have done the Phils." or "I wish I would have done
the Phils".

Bill


On Jun 28, 7:59 pm, Montclair BobbyB <montclairbob...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[hobie]

Rex.

 

 Phil hubs are the best money can buy. I tried a set of budget wheels when I was first indroduced to the Riv ride. My first Riv a 650b Saluki w. a budget wheelset. Although the ride was very impressive it didn't take off till a year later when I had a 8 speed Phil wheelset built. I really noticed a difference in how the bike handled and rolled. Wheels are a very important decision. Why not go w. the best. I didn't have the money originally for the Phil set. In the long run you will save and Phil has a better resale value if you decide to sell.

 

Regards Hobie

[SteveF]

Congrats!  Re-spacing 130mm Shimano hubs to fit 135 frames is pretty easy--my local shop switched axles for me for under $20.

But if you want a set of MUSA shiny cassette hubs, get a set of White Industry's.  Nice hubs and one of the less expensive domestically produced boutique hubsets out there.  I have a set for my upcoming 650b custom and they look great.

[Geoff]

Hi Rex,

Congratulations on your new AHH!  Beautiful bike.  I'm a first time new Riv owner, too, with my 54cm Hunqapillar.  These Rivendells are amazing bikes, and any one of them would be wonderful to own.  My wife owns both a Betty Foy mixte and a Quick Beam single speed(predecessor to the new SimpleOne model), and she loves them.

I got my Hunqapillar spec'd with Rich-built Velocity Synergy 36h with Shimano LX hubs, and they roll very nicely.  The Hunqapillar, as built, was plenty expensive, so higher end hubs were out of the question.  Perhaps, a year or two down the road, I may eventually get a nice wheelset with Phil "Rivy" hubs...those hubs are gorgeous and roll like no other...but, who knows.

Good luck with your hub decision!