Leah’s Rivendell Raspberry Platypus

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

What a day. The shop called with an assortment of issues they are having in getting the polished look they imagined. Thankfully, none of those things will keep the bike in the shop. I picked it up today! There it was, amongst the full suspension mountain bikes and the bros who were working on them. But I did not need to feel sheepish - those guys raved about my unfortunately named Platypus. “We all watched when it got taken out of the box,” Adam said, “And we were so impressed.” I think for folks who never do dyno or rendering, they did a nice job. I broke them in with my Clem’s dyno this summer, and they remembered. I am glad the most intense parts of building my bikes are over for them; I know they put a lot of time into these jobs and there was a learning curve for them. 

Their issues were these:

1. Too much dyno wire. It is looped and tucked away by the kickstand plate for now, but one guy is comfortable cutting/soldering the wire and could do it in the future, by appointment.

2. The mechanic mashed the “head tube collar” (did I say it right?) with his rather old wrench and has ordered a new one to replace it, free of charge.

3. My NItto Big Rear Rack, size medium will NOT fit on this bike. I’ll call Rivendell and ask about the large. Such a shame; that was one of the parts I saved from my Betty Foy.

 

My issues are these:

1. My teal and rose anodized valve stems and caps are in transit from Analog, so I will need the shop to install them when they arrive. (My tires are tubeless, so the tape will be disturbed. I’m not attempting that myself!)

2. I forgot to explain about the Microshift thumbies. The shop set them up right and I wanted them set up wrong. If you don’t know what I mean, Rivendell switches the Microshift thumbies around for a completely ergonomic experience. I’d have never known about it but Lovely Bicycle discovered it on her black Clementine. So, I got home, noticed they are all wrong and therefore cannot set up my bars yet. No mirror, bell, iPhone mount, NOTHING. A real handicap.

3. There is an intermittent rattle coming from somewhere near the front wheel. I dread explaining it to them but I can’t live with it, so I hope they find it.

I bought the frame and parts from Rivendell and the wheelset, fenders, dyno lighting and pedals from Analog. Everyone did a lovely job. The build from Rivendell was pretty standard. I stayed with my favorite aluminum Bosco bars and got white Ergon grips for them. Analog did a lot of fun things with color for the bike; we decided on teal and rose for my raspberry frame. For wheels, we initially chose Velocity Quill rims with rose anodizing. Unfortunately, Velocity was so backordered that my September order would not arrive until middle of December. So, I went with polished silver. That took a big piece of our rose out of the frame, which was unfortunate. We still incorporated it in our Edelux light, bottle cage bolts and caps for the valve stems. We anodized the Spank Oozy pedals in teal (and don’t those wide pedals look like Platypus feet?), as well as the headset spacers. Spoke nipples and valve stems. We kept the hubs silver and I even splurged for the SON dyno hub. I ordered a Spurcycle bell, a custom color Randi Jo bag (not here yet) and a grey grid Banana Sax. I think that about covers it!

I took the bike for an 11 mile ride tonight, up and down Killer Hill. This bicycle is a completely different animal (ha! Platypus puns!). It’s nothing like my Clementine, even though it has the same 52 Bosco bars and Ergon grips. Mounting a Platypus is like climbing into your SUV when you’ve been used to your minivan. Those 700c wheels sit you up nice and tall, and the bike is shorter in length than the Clementine, more compact. I find the Platypus to be agile; I never try a sharp turn on my Clem; it would be akin to trying to turn a long boat sharply. 

After only 11 miles I can only offer my impressions, but I may not hold to them once I get more miles under my wheels.

The Platypus is just easy. It climbs really nicely, accelerates easily and is just the fanciest darn bike I’ve ever seen. But it isn’t a doily. You’ll be amused to know the first thing I did was kick the top tube with my boot heel in the parking lot. (The mark rubbed off.) After riding nearly 3,000 miles on a step through this year, that mixte tube is going to take getting used to. My husband said the bike is really fancy; the prettiest details he’s ever seen. But it’s not a retro show bike - it’s a bike that looks like it is actually going to be ridden. 

I have lots of adjustments ahead of me; I remember wishing I could just get my Clem figured out and then leave it alone. Adjustments or no, I can already tell this is a fantastic bike. Betty than the Betty. Different than the Clementine. I have 150 miles to make my 3,000 mile goal. I’m planning to hit that 3,000th mile on my Raspberry Riv.

I’ll attach more photos and a video in the post following this one.

Thanks so much for cheering us on,

Leah

[Leah Peterson]

Sent from my iPad

On Nov 27, 2020, at 8:14 PM, Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! <jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote:



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<6B8356C6-6B0A-4D84-8E77-DC9653BE0FB5.jpeg>

[Leah Peterson]

Video. Parts are shown here.

[Matthew Williams]

Fantastic job, Leah. It's beautiful. I love the fender-mounted taillight with the concealed wiring.

Could you explain the Microshift thumbies a bit more--setting them up "right" vs. set up "wrong" for a completely ergonomic experience? I've never heard of this and I'd like to know more!

Also, I think the group needs to start submitting "then-and-now" comparison/reenactment shots!

[Joe Bernard]

Have you ever seen such a lovely bicycle?? It's sooooo nice, Leah..and so photogenic! The camera LOVES those colors 👏👏👏

On Friday, November 27, 2020 at 8:22:47 PM UTC-8 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:

[Leah Peterson]

Matthew, this slays me. YES, we need a thread for this. Looking at my two photos, I’d say one thing the bikes have in common is the saddle height. 🤣 Oh, my 80s parents...

I’ll need to come up with white shoes and refuse to wear them with socks for an accurate reenactment... ok then!

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 27, 2020, at 8:55 PM, Joe Bernard <joer...@gmail.com> wrote:

Have you ever seen such a lovely bicycle?? It's sooooo nice, Leah..and so photogenic! The camera LOVES those colors 👏👏👏

On Friday, November 27, 2020 at 8:22:47 PM UTC-8 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:

Video. Parts are shown here.

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[Leah Peterson]

Matthew - sorry, I forgot the link to explain the shifters. Velouria does it best: http://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2016/06/brifter-bliss-for-swept-back-handlebars.html?m=1

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 27, 2020, at 9:16 PM, Leah Peterson <jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote:

Matthew, this slays me. YES, we need a thread for this. Looking at my two photos, I’d say one thing the bikes have in common is the saddle height. 🤣 Oh, my 80s parents...

[ascpgh]

Just fantastic Leah. I've particularly appreciated your move to the dark side and generator powered lamps, it lets you be your own light. Your riding and writing always projected that, now your night riding brings it home. 

Enjoy those next 150 miles. May they be dark!

Andy Cheatham

Pittsburgh

[Mark Roland]

No pusillanimous platitudes for this Platypus. Perfectly  patently pulchritudinous!

On Friday, November 27, 2020 at 11:14:32 PM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:

[Joe Bernard]

"May they be dark!"

...yet bright! For one thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.

Joe "wanted to say something profound and eloquent, too!" Bernard

[Patrick Moore]

It's shaping up nicely. Please post some high-resolution photos when it's all done (I'm sure you will!) You'll get it sorted, don't worry. I'm sorry you couldn't get the rose rims; I think that would have set off the frame very nicely.

FWIW, I've often spliced my lighting wires simply by twisting ends and covering with heat-shrink tubing; it looks fine. I've not yet learned how to solder wire. But if you can get someone to solder the ends, I daresay this will look even better.

And congratulations on the mileage!

[Patrick Moore]

Oh, and after you've put on a few more miles, tell us in endless, excruciating detail (I'm serious) how the ride of the Platypus differs from that of the Clementine and of the Betty (I forget what the Betty Foy is; mixte?)

--

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

[Patrick Moore]

And, one more question: What top-of-rear-fender light is that? Is it a dynamo light or battery? I might be interested in one that mounts top-center of fender; I dislike rear-of-fender lights because I'm always backing them into walls.

[James / Analog Cycles]

That light is a Schmidt fender tail light.  They're designed to be mounted higher than normal.  Very robust, well sealed light.  Dynamo powered.

-james / analog cycles

[Patrick Moore]

I just found one more thing to add to my shopping list. Thanks.

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[Joe Bernard]

Please allow me to take the opposing view on the rims, forthwith and heretofore, with background:

When I was planning the build on my custom with gray/red paint I was sure I wanted red hubs, too. As soon as I saw the frame live in color I realized there was already enough POP in the paint and adding two more big dollops of red would overwhelm it. That's how I feel about Leah's bike now that I've seen it all built up and on the road. There's SO MUCH happening with all that raspberry metallic in the frame; plus the teal and rose bits here and there; I think the rose on those big hoops would have messed up the balance. I love the polished SON hub and rims, I think it's utterly perfect just like that. 

Joe "in this reporter's opinion" Bernard 

[Leah Peterson]

I got another dozen miles under my wheels this morning. Here is my bike with NO filter. It’s really this ethereal. 

I love this bike already, but I admit I am a sucker for Rivendell mixtes and step-throughs. 

Patrick wants more details about the ride and high res photos. To which I say: Oh bother. I don’t know how to do high-res photos, and I’ve only got like 23 miles on the bike, so my impressions aren’t worth much yet. The bike is just easy. This may be because I’ve built the quads (a gift from the long, heavy Clementine) to handle these massive hills for 3,000 miles. In comparison, the Platypus is no work, it’s almost too easy. But, maybe that changes when I add the rear rack and the Randi Jo Bartender bag. 

Anyway, I really miss my bars being set up right, so don’t look at them now because they’re all wrong. The stem is a 90, but I wanted a 100. I can’t tell yet which stem reach would be better, but it’s possible I end up swapping. The bike is noticeably shorter - you all will think it’s normal unless you’ve been on a 2019 Clem L. It feels compact to me!

Sent from my iPad

On Nov 27, 2020, at 8:55 PM, Joe Bernard <joer...@gmail.com> wrote:

Have you ever seen such a lovely bicycle?? It's sooooo nice, Leah..and so photogenic! The camera LOVES those colors 👏👏👏

On Friday, November 27, 2020 at 8:22:47 PM UTC-8 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:

Video. Parts are shown here.

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[velomann]

Lovely, and I'm sure the evolution will be fun and rewarding.

3 comments:

 - Regarding tnose curious about the shifters on the inside as opposed to outside. Be aware that IF you go this route for the first time, you lose indexing. You need friction shifters, or at least the capability to switch to friction mode. If you want indexing (I like the option personally) you either need to keep the shifters topside, or set up your bike so that the rear shifts on the left and the front on the right, which most of us are probably unwilling to do. Also, I'm a huge fan of Microshift thumbies which have basically made the Paul Thumbie/Shimano bar-end cobo obsolete. Microshift thumbies can switch to friction. Sunrace thumbies do NOT have a friction mode, at least the 9-speed ones I've used, and the action is not as crisp and precise as the Microshift thumbies. 

 - You do NOT need to solder your shortened dyno wires. Go to an auto part store and get some of the insulated wire connectors they use for stereos and other low voltage installations. As long as you can strip the ends of the wires and crimp the connectors, that's all you need. And yes, get some heat-shrink tubing to seal the job once you have your wires trimmed and hooked back up.

Finally, when I was specing my custom Bantam  earlier this year (which has internal wiring for the rear light) I really wanted that SON rear light on my fender. But I always run a saddlebag. Always. And on this bike the SON sat high enough on the fender I was worried the bag would block it - also why I didn't go with a seatpost mounted rear light like many randos use. On the Platypus it looks like the longer wheelbase makes that a non-issue. My guess is you could run a fairly large saddlebag without blocking the light. I went with this Spanninga https://spanninga.com/product/pixeo/ which doesn't look as cool as the SON light but sits much lower on the fender.

Mike M

[dougP]

Leah:

That came out spectacularly!  Glad to hear it rides a nicely as it looks.  Couple of thoughts from your post:  1.  Forget about ever getting it to a point where there's nothing to change.  We are always tinkering / improving / learning.  My Atlantis will turn 18 in a few months & it's been thru many iterations as I age & my needs change.  That's one of the many beauties of a Rivendell.  They are so adaptable they age with you.  2.  There is an alternate solution to your rack problem if you can't find a large, with everything in short supply.  There exist (finding them may be another story) short little extenders, perhaps an inch long, that elevate the rack from the lower mounts.  I scored a rack like yours for a pittance, then found out it wouldn't fit on a 58 cm Atlantis with 45 mm tires.  Oh so close.  A buddy had a couple of these little extender things in his tool box.  Problem solved.  If you hit a wall & want to give that a try, let me know & I'll see if I've still got them.  I think that was 3 racks ago.  :)

Too bad about the shifters but I can see a shop doing that.  Probably the first time anyone has ever requested that.

dougP

On Friday, November 27, 2020 at 8:14:32 PM UTC-8 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:

[Patrick Moore]

I have low photo standards; as long as the file is big and the photo was taken in bright sunlight, it's probably better than mine. Wait until you've got the bike set up properly, then post some big daytime files.

Ditto ride impressions: let's have your 100 mile and 500 mile reports. The contrast with the Clem is interesting. One day, weigh both and let us know the difference. (FWIW, my bikes weight, ascending: 18, 26 (28 with aluminum shell AM hub!!), 29.5, and 31, but last 3 with bags and kit small or large, first without saddle wedge.)

Rack: Tubus makes these; I don't know if they will solve your problem, but perhaps they might work until you find a rack that fits properly.

https://www.campfirecycling.com/product/tubus-extension-adapter-p-1030.html

BTW, Campfire had stock and was prompt for questions and shipping when I dealt with them a few months ago.

Patrick "must trick out my Monocog to make it competitively pretty" Moore

On Sat, Nov 28, 2020 at 2:21 PM Leah Peterson <jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote:

...

Patrick wants more details about the ride and high res photos. To which I say: Oh bother. I don’t know how to do high-res photos, and I’ve only got like 23 miles on the bike, so my impressions aren’t worth much yet. The bike is just easy. This may be because I’ve built the quads (a gift from the long, heavy Clementine) to handle these massive hills for 3,000 miles. In comparison, the Platypus is no work, it’s almost too easy. But, maybe that changes when I add the rear rack and the Randi Jo Bartender bag. 

--

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

[Brian Campbell]

That. Is. A . Beautiful. Bicycle. 

[Mark Roland]

The shop didn't do that; Leah forgot to tell them she wanted the shifters Riv-ersed.

[Roberta]

Oh, so beautiful—raspberry in the sunlight, raspberry/cranberry  in the moonlight. 

[EricP]

Such a great story and bike. So happy that things are just as you hoped. Been fun following this on Instagram and Facebook. May you get tons of enjoyment out of the new bike.

Eric Platt

St. Paul, MN

[True Golden]

Marvelous,  simply marvelous !!!

Happy for you and look forward to future reports. 

Congrats on the 3000 mile goal...way to go Leah!

Paul in Dallas 

[Nathan F]

Beautiful bike Leah! Glad to hear you're enjoying it so far. My one aesthetic suggestion, from someone who owns the same high-polish rims--peel off the stickers! The font on them is so aggressive for some reason. If I remember correctly they come right off with minimal residue. Then they'll really shine (in every sense)!

nathan in pdx

[Leah Peterson]

But Nathan! This is a Racing Platypus, and if I don’t have aggressive rim stickers, how will everyone know?

Good call. I’m on it! And thanks!

Leah

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 29, 2020, at 9:10 AM, Nathan F <nathan...@gmail.com> wrote:

Beautiful bike Leah! Glad to hear you're enjoying it so far. My one aesthetic suggestion, from someone who owns the same high-polish rims--peel off the stickers! The font on them is so aggressive for some reason. If I remember correctly they come right off with minimal residue. Then they'll really shine (in every sense)!

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[Matthew Williams]

Oh wow, thank you, I had no idea "Riv-ersed Shifters" were A Thing! 

When I got my bike, the shifters were mounted at a right angle to the grips and I'd always thought, "Hm, interesting, never seen shifters mounted like that." I thought I was being clever when I later rotated them to the underside of the bars.

[Patrick Moore]

What and where is that outdoor tchotchke backgound in the second photo? It reminds me very closely of a similar outdoorsy, wooded, dirt road setup on one of my more northerly dirt road rides.

On Sun, Nov 29, 2020 at 3:06 PM Matthew Williams <matthewwil...@gmail.com> wrote:

Oh wow, thank you, I had no idea "Riv-ersed Shifters" were A Thing! 

When I got my bike, the shifters were mounted at a right angle to the grips and I'd always thought, "Hm, interesting, never seen shifters mounted like that." I thought I was being clever when I later rotated them to the underside of the bars.

On Friday, November 27, 2020 at 9:20:14 PM UTC-8 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:

Matthew - sorry, I forgot the link to explain the shifters. Velouria does it best: http://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2016/06/brifter-bliss-for-swept-back-handlebars.html?m=1

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 27, 2020, at 9:16 PM, Leah Peterson <jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote:

Matthew, this slays me. YES, we need a thread for this. Looking at my two photos, I’d say one thing the bikes have in common is the saddle height. 🤣 Oh, my 80s parents...

I’ll need to come up with white shoes and refuse to wear them with socks for an accurate reenactment... ok then!

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 27, 2020, at 8:55 PM, Joe Bernard <joer...@gmail.com> wrote:

Have you ever seen such a lovely bicycle?? It's sooooo nice, Leah..and so photogenic! The camera LOVES those colors 👏👏👏

[Matthew Williams]

On Nov 29, 2020, at 2:23 PM, Patrick Moore <bert...@gmail.com> wrote:

What and where is that outdoor tchotchke backgound in the second photo? 

They're birdhouses on the Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail, between Foye and Hawthorne:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/37%C2%B053'25.8%22N+122%C2%B006'23.9%22W/@37.8906745,-122.1071114,19z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d37.89051!4d-122.106644

On Nov 29, 2020, at 2:23 PM, Patrick Moore <bert...@gmail.com> wrote:

What and where is that outdoor tchotchke backgound in the second photo? It reminds me very closely of a similar outdoorsy, wooded, dirt road setup on one of my more northerly dirt road rides.

On Sun, Nov 29, 2020 at 3:06 PM Matthew Williams <matthewwil...@gmail.com> wrote:

Oh wow, thank you, I had no idea "Riv-ersed Shifters" were A Thing! 

When I got my bike, the shifters were mounted at a right angle to the grips and I'd always thought, "Hm, interesting, never seen shifters mounted like that." I thought I was being clever when I later rotated them to the underside of the bars.

<under.jpg>

On Friday, November 27, 2020 at 9:20:14 PM UTC-8 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:

Matthew - sorry, I forgot the link to explain the shifters. Velouria does it best: http://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2016/06/brifter-bliss-for-swept-back-handlebars.html?m=1

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 27, 2020, at 9:16 PM, Leah Peterson <jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote:

Matthew, this slays me. YES, we need a thread for this. Looking at my two photos, I’d say one thing the bikes have in common is the saddle height. 🤣 Oh, my 80s parents...

I’ll need to come up with white shoes and refuse to wear them with socks for an accurate reenactment... ok then!

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 27, 2020, at 8:55 PM, Joe Bernard <joer...@gmail.com> wrote:

Have you ever seen such a lovely bicycle?? It's sooooo nice, Leah..and so photogenic! The camera LOVES those colors 👏👏👏

--

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

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[Matthew Williams]

Hi Leah, 

I searched but didn't find anything--my apologies if you've already answered this:

What brand/model of fenders did you use? Are you happy with them?

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[Leah Peterson]

Hi Matthew! Those are Velo Orange fluted fenders for 700c wheels. 

Leah

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 29, 2020, at 2:53 PM, Matthew Williams <matthewwil...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[masmojo]

Leah, Sorry if I missed it, but I've seen a stack of parts and I see where you've identified or mentioned a few bits here & there, but do you have an actual component list?

Not critical, but I am curious about Rims and tires?

I guess you got the 55cm with the 700C wheels? How does the fit differ from your old Med. Clementine?

I have small & Medium Clementine's and honestly I am comfortable on either; I was just thinking a 55cm (especially considering the larger wheels) might feel too big!? I already barely have a fistful of seatpost on my Medium & honestly I prefer more than that. 

I was leaning towards the 55 because I already have a 700C bike that I built with all NOS parts that I really haven't ridden and I could easily just strip that frame down (it's nothing special) & swap everything over. Might take me a couple hours at the most. Sell the old frame and basically have an all new bike!! :=) 

If I go the next smaller size I am thinking it would be 650B(?), which would also be fine, because I still have 92% of the parts to do that (and the majority of my other bikes are 650B), but it would be a bit more work (I'd have to build new wheels). Bonus I am assuming the smaller frame would be less stretched? The less stretchier the better in my book!!

Your comments about Clem cornering on Instagram made me chuckle, I can definitely relate!

I sold my Ogre off a few days ago & I am hoping to sell a couple more, before the Platypus's come in in  January! I've been mentally preparing myself to settle for a blue or Green one, now that the grim reality of not getting one like yours has been made sadly apparent. :=(  

[Leah Peterson]

Hi Mas, 

I always neglect to post such details but I should figure folks will want to know. So, in answer to your first question, here are the build sheets from Analog and Rivendell.

I got the 55 cm Platypus and it’s just right. It is noticeably shorter than the yacht-like Clem, but both bikes feel right to me. I will say this: that Platypus is WAY lighter than the Clem. I know this because my bike path is interrupted and I have to hike the bike across 4 lanes of traffic and a median. When I lifted the Platypus it was NOTHING to me. It also makes tighter turns - maybe the Clem would, too, but it feels sketchy to me so I never do it.  As far as frame sizing, I’m 5’6” with an 81 PBH. I do NOT feel stretched out on the Platypus, but I definitely did before my stem swap on the Clementine. I wish the top tube was a bit lower on the Platypus; I think the big 700c wheels might make it taller than my Betty Foy’s top tube. I’ve been spoiled by the step-through of the Clementine; the first thing I did when I mounted my new Platypus was kick the top tube with my boot heel. 

The 50 takes 650b wheels.

Hope that helps! I vote for the mermaid color if you buy a Platypus!

Leah

Sent from my iPad

On Nov 29, 2020, at 9:52 PM, masmojo <mas...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

Leah, Sorry if I missed it, but I've seen a stack of parts and I see where you've identified or mentioned a few bits here & there, but do you have an actual component list?

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[Ben Mihovk]

Leah,

Just curious...are the Kool Stop brake pads back-ups or do you prefer them to the ones in the Shimano V-brakes? I have the same brakes/levers (LOVE THEM) on my Atlantis, so I just wanted to see if you know something I don't know! 

Thanks for sharing all your pictures, the process (even the frustrating parts), the excitement, etc... with all of us. It's a lot of fun...almost like we're all getting this bike with you.

Ben

[Leah Peterson]

Ben, thank you! I’m so glad to have people to share this experience with; it truly makes it richer.

I always swap out brake pads for the Kool Stops. They are fantastic, last forever and make the most satisfying sound when you brake. Whatever was on the bike prior to these was speckling my legs with black dots. These brake pads have never done that to me. I highly recommend them. Read Riv’s write up on the product - it will win you over.

Leah

Sent from my iPad

On Nov 30, 2020, at 6:24 AM, Ben Mihovk <bjmi...@gmail.com> wrote:

Leah,

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/d50b716f-b8c9-4c6d-9d06-79e3be563592n%40googlegroups.com.

[Ben Mihovk]

Ah...I see. On my previous bike that came with just garbage components (it was a $400 complete bike, so hey...not complaining), I switched out the pads for Kool Stops and noticed a total lack of residue on the rims. I read Grant's description on the website for the e-bike brakes, and I am definitely interested...I wonder if you can get the e-bike pads in salmon...

Ben

[Ben Mihovk]

I just answered my own question! Kool Stop's brake pad colors are specific to their compounds...the e-bike compound is different than the salmon and standard black compound. Good to know!

-Ben

[Leah Peterson]

Ben, like these?

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 30, 2020, at 7:59 AM, Ben Mihovk <bjmi...@gmail.com> wrote:

Ah...I see. On my previous bike that came with just garbage components (it was a $400 complete bike, so hey...not complaining), I switched out the pads for Kool Stops and noticed a total lack of residue on the rims. I read Grant's description on the website for the e-bike brakes, and I am definitely interested...I wonder if you can get the e-bike pads in salmon...

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/036f0002-973b-4e76-a2eb-e2c44bb03752n%40googlegroups.com.

[Ben Mihovk]

Close but not e-bike version...I wonder if the sound and experience that you love about your preferred brake pads has to do with that specific compound Kool Stop uses to make them...here's what I found on their website...

Black - Our standard compound which is great for all weather conditions, but designed for dry condition riding.

Salmon - Our most famous Salmon compound is also one of our most aggressive compounds for extreme all weather conditions especially in the wet, but still superb in the dry.

Electric- Our E-Electric compound is formulated specifically for the higher speeds and weights of electric bicycles.

To me...the Salmon not only looks the best, but I also like the idea of superior wet control...but if I use the most aggressive compound and only sometimes find myself riding in wet conditions, am I putting unneeded wear on my rims? Maybe a topic for another thread.

[Leah Peterson]

I picked up my bike (again) from the shop with newly “Riv-versed” (perfect term coined by Mark Roland) levers and shifters. We need one more adjustment to the left shifter (it’s not ergonomic; points to the ground, making it impossible to thumb) and it’s good.

Well...I’m anodizing a bunch of stuff from Analog again, so I suppose it’s only done for NOW. When I forewent the rose rims that took most of the rose out of my build, so I need to add some back in and tie it in with the teal. I thought I would be done and riding off into the sunset and not thinking on appearances anymore, but I’m finding it’s a process.

The rack situation is a strange one. I barely have a fistful of seat post and will likely need the large Nitto Rear Rack and am crossing my fingers it doesn’t come up too high. I don’t want to make my bike heavier, but it’s unnerving not being able to carry anything. I like the front without a rack; I’ve always wanted a bike set up that way,  it it was impractical. I have and like the light over the fork. So, I’ll most likely get the rear rack.

Tonight I got to set up my bars how I wanted them. I had bought and stowed a beautiful little Spurcycle bell and iPhone mount for this raspberry bike. My old mirror for my Betty Foy was installed, and finally, a string of Christmas lights. I don’t know that I’ll keep the Bananasax, I just can’t seem to work with it. I’ll keep trying. Clearly, the bike is not finished, but it’s PROGRESS.

Now, where is that Bill Lindsay guy - I want him to say APPROVE.

Leah 

[Joe Bernard]

Unfortunately I'm not Bill I'm just dumb-old Joe and you already know I'm entirely besotted with this bicycle and my approval is assumed, so we shall move on to works in progress. One thing you COULD do if there's a decent wheel builder in the pro bro mountain bike shop is buy those rose rims when they're available, ride your current ones for a year-or-so, then put the new ones on. Is that crazy? Not any crazier than most of the changes and upgrades we do around here, that's what I say! 

Joe "yes, she wore out these rims on Killer Hill in a year, it's time for new ones" Bernard 

[David Person]

I'm 'patiently' waiting for Velocity Quill rims to come back in stock so I can build another pair of wheels for my Hillborne.  Some took up baking or woodworking during the pandemic.  It learned wheelbuilding.  Will be going with the standard black rims as the polished silver versions add another $40 to the standard $140 price tag.  Custom anodizing adds another $40 to that, so $220 per rim is quite a bit. 

[Mark Roland]

Not completely clear on the Velocity website, but is it really cumulative? I don't think they need to polish the rim before anodizing. I would check. If not, the cost would be $170, for either polished or ano, not $220. 

MSRP: $140 | +$30.00 Polished | + $30.00 Custom Anodized

 If you do have to add both charges, $200 is definitely pricey,  but worth it if it's worth it. Especially if you enjoy looking at your bicycles. Which I do. But maybe not quite that much.

Lucky for me, I prefer the classic box profile with eyelets found on the CR-18 and the Rhyno Lite XL from Sun Ringle.  At less than $35 per rim (about $60 if you get the anodized colors offered in the Rhyno Lite XL) the price is right for me. They have a long, proven track record, and build up nice, too. The XLs are mostly in stock, but like many bike parts, the CR-18s are hard to find in stock anywhere.

[Dave S]

Last year I spoke with some of the folks at the Paul booth @ Philly Bike Expo about some pink ano bits for my lilac BMC Road+ and they talked me out of it.  They said that pink ano fades really quickly in comparison to other colors.  I've heard the same about turquoise.  So much for my Miami Vice themed build ;)

[Leah Peterson]

I was happier before your post, Dave. 

Sent from my iPad

On Dec 2, 2020, at 8:28 AM, Dave S <macnc...@gmail.com> wrote:

Last year I spoke with some of the folks at the Paul booth @ Philly Bike Expo about some pink ano bits for my lilac BMC Road+ and they talked me out of it.  They said that pink ano fades really quickly in comparison to other colors.  I've heard the same about turquoise.  So much for my Miami Vice themed build ;)

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[Patrick Moore]

Not only does anodizing fade or wear (nothing looks more bedraggled than anodized braking surfaces after a year of use), but after a year or so you'll have to put the anodized bits in storage until the colors become fashionable again. I should have saved my bright purple anodized Sun M14A rims from 1992, not to mention my blue Grafton pedals!

OTOH, for Leah's particular build, I think rose colored rims would be very nice, as long as the braking tracks were silver.

On Wed, Dec 2, 2020 at 9:28 AM Dave S <macnc...@gmail.com> wrote:

Last year I spoke with some of the folks at the Paul booth @ Philly Bike Expo about some pink ano bits for my lilac BMC Road+ and they talked me out of it.  They said that pink ano fades really quickly in comparison to other colors.  I've heard the same about turquoise.  So much for my Miami Vice themed build ;)

[Dave S]

Sorry, I didnt mean that to be discouraging, it was meant as a lucky break!  Smaller parts are less of an issue but on big expanses (like rims and stems and seat posts) the unevenness of the fade is not cool.

I once bought a bike from a guy who moved to NJ from Arizona and it was clear which direction he stored the bike in.  The stem, seatpost, spacers, cranks, and handlebars were silver on side and black on the other!  

[Brian Campbell]

Bikes, at the level they are considered and discussed in this group, are as much a means of self-expression as conveyance and utility.  It is the marriage of these things that makes it fun and its value is dependent upon the person. 

I like the fact that people go in so many different directions with their builds. I feel that I am participating vicariously and continually learning about things that I was often times unaware of previously.

I say "Bring on the anno!" in whatever form you like. Who cares if it is a temporary thing? All of these choices make me aware and for that, I am grateful.

Says the person who just installed purple cloth tape on his green Legolas...keep it weird, people!

[Joe Bernard]

I agree, Brian. I love ano stuff and at the rate they would fade on a nicely kept bike stored inside (see: Leah's Plat) you'd be looking at scratched and worn bits due for replacement anyway. Let your ano flag fly!

PS. The rose rims would have silver brake tracks. They look great. 

[masmojo]

I think the polishing on the rims is AFTER the anodizing, to clean up the braking surface, overall that doesn't sound unreasonable for the extra charge, it's the base rim charge which seems sorta steep, but I guess they can get it. Rim brake rims are getting harder to come by especially in 650B, tubeless 650B rim brake rims are even harder to find, especially in wider widths.  All in a Good Rim brake rim is gonna be 100 bucks a piece these days; by contrast I've gotten Carbon Fiber Disc Brake rims for that or very close to it. As time goes by these Retro builds are getting harder and more expensive to pull off. I've got a box with 20 threadless stems in it, but only 2 or 3 quill stems.

Yes Leah, I prefer a rear rack too, but as hard as it is to pop my wheel over an obstacle it's a lot easier on the cargo.  With a rear rack every time you hit the smallest bump the contents on the back go flying I've lost so many things that way.even with the bag zipped closed things will find their way out of the smallest opening.  I rode a rear rack for 20 years on the back of my XO-1; when I sold it to the new owner he expressed his desire to take it off and though he finally did, he confessed it was just about perfect on that bike. But a Portuer rack on the front IS rather nice and possibly a bit more versatile.  Great for basket mounting and a nice wide platform for carrying stuff.  The main draw back is getting over the aforementioned obstacles and front wheel flop, but Hey nothing is perfect!  I have the Rawland Demi-porter on my Rawland. (nice huh?) and a SOMA on my VO Polyvalent and they are both great. now, many people they basically use the rear rack as sort of a Seat bag support; OK understandable, especially if you put heavy stuff in there, but, you could easily go with a different style of rack entirely, especially if you are just putting light stuff in there. I think it's the Nitto R-10(?) that has adjustable side struts that I've seen people run to different (higher) mounts on the frame back, which is a good compromise. 

I've been riding anodized components for almost 40 years and true they can fade & do fade, but it's mostly a problem for bikes left outdoors in the sun & rain.  Wouldn't last long locked to a pole in NYC, but then your bike wouldn't be there long enough to worry about it.  If you are worried about it, I would suggest compensating, by going with a darker color. I have a bunch of HOT Pink Nipples (get your mind out of the gutter! (for spokes)) and I am sure with time they will fade to a nice rosey pink color! On a bike that's always stored indoors in a fairly temperature controlled environment it shouldn't be an issue really. 
 

[Leah Peterson]

I’m stepping away from the hand-wringing this thread has become and instead am posting a photo of my two Rivendells. I picked up the pair at the LBS yesterday and I felt the happiness brim over the edge of my heart when I saw them. It’s the first time they’ve been together, as they’ve both been in the shop opposite of each other until today. I brought the Platypus with me for one final adjustment (they had my left shifter pointing vertically at the ground and I had to let go of the bar and wrench the shifter into compliance; now it’s a proper thumbie as Riv intended) so I got to see the pair of them on my rack. 

Of course it’s much too windy to ride them today (biking in wind is a punishment, if you ask me), but I can look at them, and that’s not nothing.

Sent from my iPad

On Dec 2, 2020, at 12:08 PM, masmojo <mas...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

I think the polishing on the rims is AFTER the anodizing, to clean up the braking surface, overall that doesn't sound unreasonable for the extra charge, it's the base rim charge which seems sorta steep, but I guess they can get it. Rim brake rims are getting harder to come by especially in 650B, tubeless 650B rim brake rims are even harder to find, especially in wider widths.  All in a Good Rim brake rim is gonna be 100 bucks a piece these days; by contrast I've gotten Carbon Fiber Disc Brake rims for that or very close to it. As time goes by these Retro builds are getting harder and more expensive to pull off. I've got a box with 20 threadless stems in it, but only 2 or 3 quill stems.

Yes Leah, I prefer a rear rack too, but as hard as it is to pop my wheel over an obstacle it's a lot easier on the cargo.  With a rear rack every time you hit the smallest bump the contents on the back go flying I've lost so many things that way.even with the bag zipped closed things will find their way out of the smallest opening.  I rode a rear rack for 20 years on the back of my XO-1; when I sold it to the new owner he expressed his desire to take it off and though he finally did, he confessed it was just about perfect on that bike. But a Portuer rack on the front IS rather nice and possibly a bit more versatile.  Great for basket mounting and a nice wide platform for carrying stuff.  The main draw back is getting over the aforementioned obstacles and front wheel flop, but Hey nothing is perfect!  I have the Rawland Demi-porter on my Rawland. (nice huh?) and a SOMA on my VO Polyvalent and they are both great. now, many people they basically use the rear rack as sort of a Seat bag support; OK understandable, especially if you put heavy stuff in there, but, you could easily go with a different style of rack entirely, especially if you are just putting light stuff in there. I think it's the Nitto R-10(?) that has adjustable side struts that I've seen people run to different (higher) mounts on the frame back, which is a good compromise. 

I've been riding anodized components for almost 40 years and true they can fade & do fade, but it's mostly a problem for bikes left outdoors in the sun & rain.  Wouldn't last long locked to a pole in NYC, but then your bike wouldn't be there long enough to worry about it.  If you are worried about it, I would suggest compensating, by going with a darker color. I have a bunch of HOT Pink Nipples (get your mind out of the gutter! (for spokes)) and I am sure with time they will fade to a nice rosey pink color! On a bike that's always stored indoors in a fairly temperature controlled environment it shouldn't be an issue really. 
 

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[lconley]

Velocity offers anodizing with and without polishing. If you want both, the polishing is done first, then it is anodized over the polish, it is supposed to make the anodizing shinier (wet look) according to the website.

Velocity will do a lot of different stuff that is not on their website, if you are willing to wait. I wanted polished 48 spoke 650B Cliffhangers (website does not list any 48 spoke 650B Cliffhangers), so I e-mailed them. No problem, just had to wait for the next 650B Cliffhanger production run. It took a couple months, but I didn't have the frame yet, and they ended up on a different bike anyway. They are now on my Riv Cargo Bike.

Laing

[Joe Bernard]

Well those bikes are just gorgeous! 💗💙

(also not a fan of the big wind)

[Patrick Moore]

Congratulations again on the new bike, and please let us see full-profile, high-resolution photos; seriously, I think this is one of the top-10 prettiest Rivs ever posted on this list.

As to the rack/no rack conundrum, I suggest rack + nice panniers (Ely, formerly of this list?, makes very nice ones), and please, no Wald basket on this bike. Baskets have their place, but they should stick to it.

Will someone please create a "Prettiest Rivendell" archive?

Bicycling against strong winds builds character and instills humility.

Patrick Moore, who just rode home from downtown against a real but, in truth, relatively modest headwind (72" fixed gear, though).

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[lconley]

Pretty bikes.

As for the rack, I say:

1. Use the one you have.

2. Cut/grind off the tail light tab.

3. Then 

    a. twine and shellac the rear of the rack (similar to a kickstand) 

    or

    b. use your matching nail polish on the rear of the rack

    to hide the tab-ectomy.

Laing

[Joe Bernard]

I have a new thing to notice now that I think I've recovered from all the custom color touches and can pay attention to the bike as a new Riv model: I reeeeeally like the 700c wheels on the 55cm Platypus. I don't wish it enough to feel disappointment in my 54.3cm 650b custom low-stepper  - it's a spectacular bicycle I'll always love - but I kinda wish I had gone with the big wheels. They're huge and look really graceful on Leah's bike, Grant really nailed this one 👍

Joe Bernard 

On Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at 12:20:58 PM UTC-8 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:

[peec...@yahoo.com]

It's been said already a hundred times I know; but what a beautiful bike.  Just outstanding.  For your sake, please steel yourself to that inevitable first ding or scratch.  It will happen.  So ride lots and enjoy this beautiful and well designed bike.  Beausage baby!

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

Peech, oh, it’s inevitable that the scratches will come. I hope they come in noble ways and not from dumb things like Leah lifting it onto the van’s bike rack and scraping the length of tubing as the frame slides against the bar. (See my son’s little grilver Clem!) I think if I ever feel bad about the beausage, I will just pop over to Ana’s (PurpleRiv on Instagram) page. She is a model for the rest of us! Grant has praised her for taking  her custom everywhere - like it’s a jalopy and not a fussy custom!

[Lester Lammers]

Wow, HarLeah Davidson got a swell new bike.

On Friday, November 27, 2020 at 11:50:09 PM UTC-5 Matthew Williams wrote:

Fantastic job, Leah. It's beautiful. I love the fender-mounted taillight with the concealed wiring.

Could you explain the Microshift thumbies a bit more--setting them up "right" vs. set up "wrong" for a completely ergonomic experience? I've never heard of this and I'd like to know more!

Also, I think the group needs to start submitting "then-and-now" comparison/reenactment shots!

On Friday, November 27, 2020 at 8:22:47 PM UTC-8 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:

Video. Parts are shown here.

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

Lol, Lester. It is just absolutely dreamy. I took it for another 11 miles this morning and it gets better and better. I love it. I used to think the Betty Foy was made for me (before the Clems ruined it for me with their comfy long wheelbases) - the Platypus is superior! Riv’s new LWB philosophy + mixte frame = Leah’s dream bike.

[David Person]

Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! - Really glad to hear how much you enjoy riding it.

[James / Analog Cycles]

I'm late to the party with this, but here's something I wrote about pink, rose, and such, in 2012.  It's about bikes, sorta.  It's about embracing color, which is to borrow an over used phrase, is a spice of life.  Classic bikes look nice, for sure, but there's a reason that folks collect 90's mtn bikes, and a reason modernist furniture has never gone away, a reason why people don't just wear white T shirts or natural undyed jeans.  Sure, they won't fade... but no one except painters in early 90's sitcoms wear off white jeans.  Everything that exists is by nature temporary, from haircuts to trees to paintings to anodized parts.  How many here have a vast collection of CDs, or had the same of tapes?  A temporary medium.  Shoulda stuck with records.  Empires fade, cities crumble.  Nothing lasts forever, even time itself.  

Ok, if that hasn't got ya too riled up, read on:

On Pink

Pink, rose, rosa, pienk, vaaleanpunainen, pinc.   America’s pink is for girls and golden age non-existent princesses, the pink flush and blush at your first school dance, pink for breast cancer awareness, pink as a marketing ploy by clothing companies, written across the seat of sweat pants in frosted coral letterman jacket font, pink as the opposite of manliness, pinko commies are the anti-Americans, the haters of freedom, pink walls in a jail cell to calm the nerves of those wrongfully imprisoned, dull pink cotton socks washed with a new red sweater, Elvis’s pink Caddy, the symbol of all that is right and wrong with American culture, memorialized in Springsteen’s song ‘Pink Cadillac’.  Bruce’s double entendre was lost on FM radio culture and Mary Kay, who had her car painted ‘Mountain Laurel Blush’ to match a color of makeup she had in her purse.  Top Mary Kay sales personnel still channel the Boss and the King to this day, driving a cultural burden with the aplomb of a color blind man sporting red and green socks.

French Rosé is for pink macaroons, which, let’s face it, are just crispy whoopie pies with a beret, French rosé clay for spa facials and skin restoration, the mildest of all the clays, debutante pink, also know as La France pink, is a moderate rosé that “is yellower and darker than arbutus pink and bluer and deeper than hydrangea pink.”  But what of course, is hydrangea pink?  

And the most prog  of Pinks, that of Floyd, the pink in Pink Floyd coming from Pink Anderson, who in turn hailed from South Carolina, where the roads are lined with Eastern Rosebud trees, rubicund pedals dancing in the flames of the southern sun.  Pink’s guitar pacing echoing the sanguine musical sunset that wraps your ears in Pink Floyd’s San Tropez.  

Let us not forget the Pink Panther, a series of slapstick detective movies featuring (and only watchable because of his presence) Peter Sellers, in a roll he came to despise so completely that his last movies as Inspector Clouseau are memorable more for his unrestrained loathing than any semblance of plot line.  In the psychedelic opening of the series, the seemingly flawless diamond has a tiny imperfection at its core: a tiny leaping pink panther.

This was 1964, so the tiny panther needed be animated and have a top hat and a Henry Mancini song to dance to.  Spanish rosado, Italian rosato, regional names for a style of wine popularized in the late 70’s, a time of growing taste for wine redolent of Hi-C.  Fittingly the wine is often created through Saignée, French for ‘bleeding’, where the pink juice is left over from the creation of real red wine.  The name ‘Blush’ was coined, and became synonymous with cut rate California table wine.

Rosa is the pink of Italians.  Parma’s Baptistery, an strangely proportioned octagonal Medieval folly, constructed in the sunset of Romanesque architecture, is clad in Verona pink marble and houses a beautiful series of fraudulent frescoes, which modern science has been forced to restore using state of the art technology.  Historians armed with syringes and spatulas add to the culture of God, graft and craft that created the building.  Parma Ham, aka prosciutto crudo, thin sliced translucent meat, quinacridone pink, is cured on huge curved hooks.  Parma hosted the Giro d’Italia in 2011.  The regions other famous food caustically commemorated by BikesnobNYC: “…one rider became three, and three became eight, and soon a breakaway was thrumming along like an eight-cylinder engine—until it sort of threw a rod in the form of a Katusha rider, who touched wheels with the rider in front of him, careened out of the break, and did his best Parmesan cheese imitation on the abrasive road surface.”  The raw salmon color of the La Galletia Della Sport newspaper gives the pink hue to the winner’s jersey of the Giro.  The winner has worn the pink Maglia Rosa since 1931, a tradition as venerated as the yellow jersey of the Tour de France.

The 1946 bid for the Maglia Rosa: interrupted by pinko communists throwing sticks and stones and eventually bullets. Idealists and Allied forces dragging a finished conflict into a dim post-war spot light; the broken flesh of riders and spectators,  the violent pink of azaleas in the spring, the wounds of a war that have left Italy in a state of perpetual confusion and conflict.

Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali, suffering and cycling, the spring air pregnant with sudor, oil and dirt. The woolen jersey saturated in salt, the pink hermosa of the fabric wrapped in webs of brine and strada. Riots in the port of Trieste at the news of the gunfire and violence. Unstable times, the pink carnation of the winner’s shirt an unwavering beacon, the rally point of a quivering nation.  Gino won, the last time the pink wool would grace his shoulders.

The Indian city of Jaipur, the ‘Pink City’, with its wide boulevards and stately grid, was painted a rich perylene crimson. The planned city’s liquified terracotta finish honored the 1876 visit of Prince Albert, who is know mainly remembered for having a beard that did not meet his mustache, but rather hovered under his chin like a shade loving azalea.  The Teej Festival of Jaipur is a women’s fasting festival, resplendent in poppy and pink hermosa dresses decorated with gold filigree.

Japanese cherry trees, blossoming in the aftermath of winter, pink flowers symbolizing the fallen warriors of the homeland.  A culture converse to the Euro-centric view that pink is feminine, the Japanese associate it with muscles, heroism, and valiant death in defense of valiant ideals. A different spectrum of light is shed on the gift of the cherry trees on the National Mall.

Think local, come home. The spring farm fields burgeoning with tiny vermilion shoots and thick terra cotta, applied with the heavy hand of Clyfford Still, rolling bands of earthen corduroy, plowed ridges fringed in follicles of pink, the dry brushed ground in nature’s painting.    100 liters of ox blood skimmed to 30 liters of serum after a week standing in a cold barn, add clove oil to prevent spoiling, slaked lime and iron oxide.  Linseed oil for the medium.  Paint applied 100 years ago to oak boards faded to the color of raspberry sherbet, the barn sagging under the weight of a lichen laced slate roof, the protector becoming the oppressor, slate slowly returning to the earth as its adiposity bends the barn wood earthward.

An alizarin sun sets behind the Taconic mountains, back-lit and Prussian blue against the sky, fields full and darkly silent, the air ripe with the low yowling of farm machinery. The sky spreads wide, a welcoming cloak of coming dusk, the sky thickens: Robbins egg blue melts into a burnt rose hue, clouds hovering like lost airships. Tail lights flick on in the ride group, raspberry eyes floating in the coming void of night. Tires whisk along the pavement, the earlier chatter giving way to contemplation and internal conversation. Dying rays pierce a water bottle, the last drops of liquid the color of a pink seashell at a tawdry tourist shop on a sandy road in some forgotten ocean town, swallowed by time like Hollywood Cerise swallows Scottish Heather.

A climber attacks a hill, with the whole body, a salmon swimming upstream for the last time, its pink underbelly flashing against the sun like a beacon of suffering and commitment. The mask of pain, the twisted lips of the climber, pale mauve with corners drawn into tight points of puce, veins on the forehead like a roiling post-flood brook, blood pounding beneath quivering dermis, lifelines the chroma of winter blackberry.  The climb snakes into the woods, the top hidden by thick foliage dotted with momo-iro.  

-James Johnson / 2012

[Paul Clifton]

I finally took a minute to look at these photos on a big screen, and heck yes, Leah, that bike is so nice! I agree with Joe, the 700c wheels somehow give it something extra, elegance, I don't know, aesthetic perfection. It's beautiful. And the color makes me really miss my sparkly burgandy Trek 720. I'm glad you finally got your red Riv mixte!

Bravo, James! Can I start a thread to disagree with you about CDs and agree with you about color?

Paul in AR

[James / Analog Cycles]

Sure Paul!  All I know is that almost all of my CD's from the 1990's are shot, but I am still listening the Bach on an Vox LP from the 1950s that sounds great.  

Leah's bike represents a Riv that looks fun to ride, and I think that's great.  A good looking tool, like a hand plane with scroll work on the handles, or a guitar with nice inlays.  

-james

[Kainalu V. -Brooklyn NY]

A nice essay on pink by bicycle riding David Byrne-

https://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/11/byrne.php

-Kai

[Leah Peterson]

There is something about pink, which is why I think I like my Platypus color better than red. This raspberry is thrilling every time I look at it. I love seeing my blue bike next to it; I really believe I have the two best colors possible.

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 4, 2020, at 2:26 PM, Kainalu V. -Brooklyn NY <kaivi...@gmail.com> wrote:

A nice essay on pink by bicycle riding David Byrne-

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[True Golden]

Thats a great pic in front of the house decorated for Christmas!

Glad your enjoying the new bike!

Its fun to read of other's enthusiasm for their bikes.

I think its contagious. 

Leah, how about starting a thread leading off with that pic...something like this...

Pics of your Riv or fave bike in front of house, business or place all decorated for Christmas?

Perhaps that will spread some joy and Christmas spirit. 

Paul in Dallas 

[Matthew Williams]

On Saturday, December 5, 2020 at 6:18:19 AM UTC-8 Paul in Dallas wrote:

Pics of your Riv or fave bike in front of house, business or place all decorated for Christmas?

 

[velomann]

On the subjects of anodizing and pink:

I'm a sucker for matchy-matchy anodizing, and as some of you have seen I went all-out on the gold/orange bits for the new dark gold Sam (more info/ride report soon but whoo-whee what a fantastic bike. Especially downhill on rough gravel and trails, soooo smoooth!) https://www.flickr.com/photos/8199310@N04/albums/72157716865339992

I kitted out my Bantam AdventureBike (#jimitheadventurebike) with purple ano, and asked Bob K to have his painter do a medium gray "the color of the garbage cans in Portland) as a neutral background for the purple. It worked well IMHO https://www.flickr.com/photos/8199310@N04/albums/72157713311957033

And don't quote me on this, but mid-December I'm going to take delivery of h Last New Bike I'll Ever Buy. At least, it's the only bike I don't have that I've wanted for several years and missed out on version 1.0 and 2.0. If I could choose I'd hold off a bit, but like the Riv Sams, or other models in the current marketplace, you need to jump when the model is available because it might be a couple years before you get the chance again. That's the deal with the new Black Mountain Cycles Road Plus. I have one of Mike Varley's road bikes, and it's currently the only 700c bike I own and I have no interest in another pure road bike, ever. It's perfect. I put a deposit down for one of the Road+ in what some would say is a pink-ish "Rubystone Red." https://blackmtncycles.com/shop/frames/road-v1-3-frameset/

I know there's some cross-pollination between Rivendell owners, BOB's, and Black Mountain Cycles (also based in the Bay Area at Point Reyes), and those who are familiar with them know Mike's kind of obsessive about colors, and leans towards classic sports car hues. The Rubystone Red was a classic Porsche color, highly desirable by collectors https://www.reddit.com/r/Porsche/comments/fots36/rubystone_red_porsche_964_rs/

Mike M

[Joe Bernard]

WOW. That is a very nice..what I would call a companion color to Leah's Raspberry Metallic. Red/Pink bikes, it's a trend! 

Joe "Trendy" Bernard

[Leah Peterson]

Mike, I love the anodizing you did for your Golden Sam. It just makes a bike so personalized, and adds little delights all over the place. Yours all ties in together so very well; I’m aiming for a more cohesive look in the parts I’ve got coming from Analog. I’m also happy to see all the sparkle in the paint - Riv is going heavy on the metallic and I’m a fan. 

You’re getting a ruby/raspberry bike, too? Yes, this is a great trend. I love to look at my raspberry paint. I always think, “Pretty as a posy.” And I’ve started calling it Posy. Easier to say than Platypus. That doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, you know? I suppose it’s in keeping with the humble nature of Riv; make a fantastic, beautiful bike, but name it something dumpy like Platypus. But I’m not disappointed! The head badge and decals are great. I just dread checking it into a bike shop for service though. There’s some kind of rub happening on that thing and I cannot figure it out. Nobody wants to tell the mechanic, “There’s something rubbing on my Platypus.”

Leah

Sent from my iPad

On Dec 5, 2020, at 11:45 AM, velomann <velo...@gmail.com> wrote:

On the subjects of anodizing and pink:

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[Mark Roland]

velomann wrote:

On the subjects of anodizing and pink:

Okay, I don't suppose I've overposted the pink Kooka crankset on my Susie yet. And matching grips.

[Leah Peterson]

Blue Susies are like Blue Clems and we like those, so you can post. Also, we like pink. So, free reign.

Sent from my iPad

On Dec 5, 2020, at 1:57 PM, Mark Roland <absolut...@gmail.com> wrote:



velomann wrote:

On the subjects of anodizing and pink:

Okay, I don't suppose I've overposted the pink Kooka crankset on my Susie yet. And matching grips.

<IMG_20201023_080324647(1).jpg>

<IMG_20201023_080222814.jpg>

On Saturday, December 5, 2020 at 2:45:19 PM UTC-5 velomann wrote:

On the subjects of anodizing and pink:

I'm a sucker for matchy-matchy anodizing, and as some of you have seen I went all-out on the gold/orange bits for the new dark gold Sam (more info/ride report soon but whoo-whee what a fantastic bike. Especially downhill on rough gravel and trails, soooo smoooth!) https://www.flickr.com/photos/8199310@N04/albums/72157716865339992

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<IMG_20201023_080324647(1).jpg>

<IMG_20201023_080222814.jpg>

[Patrick Moore]

Great photo! One of the year's best for this list!

On Sat, Dec 5, 2020 at 11:19 AM Matthew Williams <matthewwil...@gmail.com> wrote:

...

[Andy Williams]

Most excellent, Matthew!

[Yankeebird]

Excuse me if I missed this somewhere, Leah, but do you find that the cockpit was stretched forward in the Platypus like we seem to have found it in last year's Clem L'? What's the stem length compared with the two bikes? 

To refresh your memory, I have a Cheviot 60cm that is PERFECT with 11mm stem and a 59 Clem L that I struggled to get an upright position on and it turns out the Clem cockpit got stretched forward and now I use a short stem on it. 

My wife's Homer isn't working out as hoped (she really really misses 700 wheels and does not like the 650b's) and I'm thinking of swapping her into a Platypus, but not if she has to reach like you and I did on the '19 Clems. She has some shoulder and neck issues, so upright is key. 

Going to W.C. would be the best knowledge gathering, but this might have to be a roll of the dice maneuver which makes me uncomfortable, but my wife's comfort outweighs the risk for me. Thank you for your insight!

[Leah Peterson]

Yankeebird, hi!

Your wife will be RIGHT AT HOME on this Platypus with its 700c wheels and absence of pointless top tube (look at me, making bold and controversial statements at 9am!). The cockpit is NOT stretched out like the Clem. This mixte feels far more compact than the Clem. The Clem is like sitting down and into the bike, like a minivan; the Platypus is like sitting up tall in an SUV. I ended up with an 80 stem on my Clem and a 90 on my Platypus. (I had a 50 on the Clem but got wrist pain when climbing, so swapped.)

The wheels are a big change, and a welcome one for her. My 44s seem huge! She will love the Platypus. 

Lastly, if you ask which bike I’d part with the answer is neither. They both feel like home. 

Leah

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 14, 2020, at 9:32 AM, Yankeebird <frees...@gmail.com> wrote:

Excuse me if I missed this somewhere, Leah, but do you find that the cockpit was stretched forward in the Platypus like we seem to have found it in last year's Clem L'? What's the stem length compared with the two bikes? 

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[Patrick Moore]

Just a little, tiny interjection into this thread: I'm curious why your wife doesn't like 650B and prefers 700C? If she prefers thinner tires -- for example -- couldn't you replace the tires with thinner ones instead of replacing the whole bike?

Patrick Moore, "running" 24.8" 29 mm tires, 25.6" 41 mm tires, 29.6" 61 mm tires, and 30.5" 70 mm tires, in confusing ABQ, NM

On Mon, Dec 14, 2020 at 10:32 AM Yankeebird <frees...@gmail.com> wrote:

.... My wife's Homer isn't working out as hoped (she really really misses 700 wheels and does not like the 650b's) 

[Yankeebird]

Thank you very much Leah, great reply! That's very reassuring. My Cheviot is the dream bike I have been waiting for my entire adult life. I am glad the Platypus didn't get too much of a work-over. (now if they would only bring back that Orange or bronze/green color... I have the Riv blue color but I am one of the few that doesn't like it. Not bold enough and too sophisticated for me, but I had no choice at the time). I love your color, just pump it out loud!

Patrick: She doesn't like them. All her other bikes are 700 and she jumped on the 650b and it was one of the first complaint's out of her mouth after our first long ride, and she is not in any way a tech weenie. She knows nothing about bikes and has a hard time articulating anything about how she feels or could feel better in an engineering kind of way. So when she said she didn't like the feel of the wheels, and that she felt too low to the ground, and so on, it was a targeted, precise criticism that I'm not going to ignore or discount. She's had the bike for almost two years now, it's just not working also in fit, she is stretched out too much, even with lots of different handlebars and stems. Lots lots. Something just ain't right, we can't nail it. 

She's always been very weird to fit a bike, I don't know what she has going on that makes it so difficult. She has a mid-80's Trek 400 that fits her awesome, it's her favorite bike, but neck and shoulder issues are forcing a more upright position now and the headset is so short I hesitate to put a taller stem on it. (we are not meeting min depth as it is). Also, no fenders/etc.

 I put her on my 60cm Chev and squashed everything down, and even though the bike was too big for her, she immediately looked better and more importantly, felt better on it. I think/have thought the Chev in a smaller size is the ticket for her for rando/commuting. I've been holding off since RBW told me the next mixte would be 700 across more sizes as opposed the largest... and here we are. 

[Leah Peterson]

Yankeebird,

Thank you for not discounting or ignoring your wife’s criticisms of her Homer/650b wheels. Like, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU.

Signed,

Leah, who was told on Instagram - and I quote - “That bag [a beautiful new BananaSax in gray grid] needs to go under the saddle and a bar bag of your choice put in its place” after posting a photo of my new Platypus.

Sent from my iPad

On Dec 14, 2020, at 10:58 AM, Yankeebird <frees...@gmail.com> wrote:

Thank you very much Leah, great reply! That's very reassuring. My Cheviot is the dream bike I have been waiting for my entire adult life. I am glad the Platypus didn't get too much of a work-over. (now if they would only bring back that Orange or bronze/green color... I have the Riv blue color but I am one of the few that doesn't like it. Not bold enough and too sophisticated for me, but I had no choice at the time). I love your color, just pump it out loud!

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[Joe Bernard]

Bag: Aside from how weird that unsolicited "opinion" was in general, it didn't even make sense in light of the fact it's a Grant product which Grant always puts on the bars. I don't think I've ever seen a pic of a Banana Sax on the saddle of a Grantbike. 

Wheels: Yes, 650B and 700C feel markedly different. I'm currently a smidge smitten by the look of the huge hoops on the new Platypus but don't have much of a preference between the two ridewise; I can see how someone else would. If someone wants the big wheels they should get what they want!