First Post - A (Fixed!) Atlantis
Jaden Salama
Hi y’all! You may recognize me from some of the many for sale posts I’ve responded to/things I’ve purchased from this list! This is my first post, though.
Up until about a year ago, I didn’t actually own a Rivendell - I did set up a few ‘90’s mtb’s with albatross bars, but albatross bars does not a Rivendell make.
I had my heart set on an Atlantis, but never had the budget to make it happen. A few came and went on this list, and eBay, but none ended up working out for me. Then, I test rode an early Toyo Atlantis at Golden Pliers in Portland, OR in 2021, but the tire clearance was just not enough for me. Fast forward to almost 3 years later, August 2023 - I’m scrolling on instagram, I see a post from Golden Pliers. A 2018 Atlantis frameset. In my size. Someone had bought it and never built up, and was selling it through the shop.
I didn’t even wait a day - the next morning, I called and paid for it over the phone.
I fretted a for a while about the long chain stays and their aesthetics, and then just decided to get over it.
It’s taken me about 6 stem swaps, 3 bars, some months (almost a year, as I look at the calendar) to get it where I want it, and it’s still not perfectly there! (I’m sure many people from the “Your Riv’s Next Upgrades/Parts Swaps” thread can relate).
Jaden, in Monsoon season in az
Jaden Salama
I used to race track bikes ages ago, and really enjoy the feeling of riding a fixed gear around town - however when I first rode smooth, wide tires at low pressure (26x2.3 Bontrager Big Hanks anyone???), I swore off riding tires <50mm wide - it was just too perfect, puffy, and cloudlike… I’ve tried riding bikes with skinnier tires but I’m just ruined, sadly. With this oath, I excluded myself from MOST fixed gear bikes…
I missed riding fixed a bunch, so I HAD to build up 650b Eno Hub rear wheel for the Atlantis - riding 44/18 is juuuuuust about perfect around town, and I scored a trials 20t white industries freewheel that I flip the wheel over to when I go play in the mountains. (That gearing is still way too steep though, I think I want to drop down to a 42 or 40 in the front). Riding fixed with 2.3’s is just how I imagined it would be - it’s like riding on an energetic cloud that never wants to slow down.
Eventually I am planning on building a wheelset with the Sim Works Standalone rims, a Son hub in front and some nice hub, maybe a Bitex, in the rear.
Jaden Salama
I’ve got a few bar setups - dirt drop, wiiiide Doom Bar swept back flat bar, and an albatross. I probably prefer the albatross, but it’s a bit narrow - I’m hoping to eventually switch to the “Moth Bar” by Magic Components. The whole fixed gear thing makes it really really easy to swap out cockpits - just unslot the cables from the brake levers, and pop them in the new cockpit! I can probably change cockpits in <2 minutes, which goes a long way for convenience.
A blue Sackville BagBoy SaddleSack sitting on a Marks Rack, and a Nitto 32r front rack with a small Wald basket on it, do my cargo duties. I wanted to have a little rack/basket on the front so I’m not tempted to overload the front - I wanted to get a sense of the handling first. I do also plan to sew a small frame bag for the gap in the rear triangle.
Those are the main highlights of the build. I’ve taken it on some fun rides, nothing too crazy, I’d like to go for a loooong ride/tour one of these days.
Thanks everyone for this list - I have definitely got hours of enjoyment from reading posts on here!
Kim H.
A. D. M.
I love the fact that this is fixed. Looks perfect and I bet it rides as nice as you describe.
