First RBW visit

[Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery]

After about 9 years of being a Riv fan/rider/dealer, I made my first visit to Riv today. I walked into the showroom, and there is Grant sitting at a table in the middle of the room having an intense discussion with a Frenchish sorta man who I presume to be Yves Gomez. Unfortunately Grant wasn't available to chitchat, but Mark and Brian invited me in for coffee and to talk shop. What a great bunch!

Brian gave me some instruction about where to camp in the Diablo foothills nearby. Surely I bungled his directions, but I think I found a pretty good spot on the top of a big hill. The view is nice, but the sun just set, and it's getting chilly. I guess I'll set up my tent.

Happy new year everybody!

[Robert Barr]

Happy New Year Jim, I am enjoying your travel narrative and pictures. Thank you for sharing. Bob (Indianapolis)

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[Bill Gibson]

It is fun following your adventures in the west! Amazing how technology is making this possible, so enjoy and Happy New Year! ( see you on Facebook, too!)

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Bill Gibson
Tempe, Arizona, USA

[allenmichael]

Yes. Absolutely love the pre-get out of the cold and into the tent posts from the Bay Area wildness. Looking forward to meeting you tomorrow.

Michael Allen

[grant]

JIM! You left about two minutes before I was ready for you. Shoot---I had a mtg and was looking forward to ....aaarrrghhhhh. I'm out of the area tomorrow for 8 days. You're going riding with Manny? Good luck. He delights in underestimating the gruel factor. He talks the whole time. Shoots great pictures. I wish I were going. Did you ride the Appa?

On Monday, December 31, 2012 5:35:53 PM UTC-8, Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery wrote:

[Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery]

Grant, it's cool. I'll just have to visit again sometime! I'm camped just around the corner from RBW now.

I'm having a great trip. Manny is great, as are some new friends I met through him.

Turns out a lady I've known since kindergarten lives here, in Danville. Her last name was Thomas back then, so we always sat next to each other in school. I'm going to have breakfast with her in the morning. Hopefully she's not too shocked at how stinky I've become in the two decades since we've seen each other! Then a bit later I meet up with another semi-local character I know through the Internet. That means I won't be on the official Diablo ride at 9:30, but I have some faith that I'll intersect with that group at some point during the day's meanderings.

[Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery]

PS, Yves emailed me to confirm that it was him talking to Grant today. He seems like a good-natured character.

[Shaun Meehan]

Grant, you have to understand that Jim is a free spirit that cannot be tethered. Happy New Year to both of you and to all of the folks at RBW. As well as to all of my friends on this list. I hope 2013 is fantastic for all of you!

Shaun Meehan

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[Michael]

Where are the pics?

[Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery]

Of Yves?

[Forrest]

Happy New Year, Jim! Will try to stop by your shop next time I am in Mpls. Cheers, -- Forrest (Iowa City)

[Michael]

@ Jim:

I thought you had a site with trip pics. 

Robert Barr's post above mentioned following your trip thru pics.

 

Happy New Year Jim! Sounds like you are having a blast!! 

[Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery]

I have been posting pics to Facebook. Everybody is welcome to add me as a facebook friend to see the pics. I will post more to Flickr and to my blog after I get home.

[BrianMcG]

Pics or it didn't happen.

[Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery]

I didn't take any pics at Riv, since I've already seen pics of pretty much everything I saw there. I did take a quick spin on one of the Appaloosa bikes, though this one had a Riv head badge, not an Appaloosa head badge. The one I tried had 650B wheels. It was a stately, regal experience to ride such a stable, upright, luxurious feeling bike. That said, it probably isn't my cup of tea. Or maybe it is.

Come to think of it, I have at least one photo of the employee bike rack to post to Facebook. And I think I already posted a photo of a super-long reach caliper brake that was lying around. Makes a person wonder.