I was typing this before Ray's response above. Ray said briefly what I was going to say in a long-winded way. My too-long-didn't-read version is pasted below:
Generally speaking, I think of the participants on this Google Group to be somewhat on the older end of the age spectrum, somewhat on the "more years riding" end of the cycling experience spectrum, and tend extremely to 'affection for and loyalty to Rivendell as a company'. If we narrow this group of 'participants' to just 'posters' then that narrows us down to 'big screen' users (Personal Computers, not phones)
Now, if you were Rivendell and were losing a website because of back end issues, and needed to build a new one, I think it's totally reasonable that you could go for "exactly the same" or "something different". They decided on something different. In doing something different, I think it makes sense for them to try to target younger riders, less experienced riders, and people who are new to Rivendell not already devoted converts. Also, it makes sense to try to target 'small screen' users.
If that's the goal, then annoying the older, loyal, knowledgeable big screen users sounds to me like success. :) Hopefully Rivendell gets some of the new customers they want. If the formerly loyal old-timers stop shopping at Rivendell out of protest over the website, then maybe they weren't really all that loyal. Other former Riv customers have left in a huff over politics, double top tubes, and long chainstays. The door is always open and it can always be used as an entrance or an exit. :)
Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the new site, but I know I'm not the target. I'm older, more experienced, more knowledgeable and more fiercely loyal than the customers Rivendell needs to attract in order to stay healthy. I spend plenty at Riv, and will continue to do so. Rivendell was never going to convince me to spend more with their website. If Rivendell wanted me to spend more, Grant or Will would call me and ask me to spend more. :) My favorite interface for purchasing is in-person, and my second favorite is the telephone. A few years back,
rivbike.com was on my regular daily rotation of sites I would visit, and it isn't anymore. The old
rivbike.com served almost as a social media site in that way, or as a blog, at least to some of us. Observing the changes of
rivbike.com was like observing the operations of the business itself. Now it's less of a knot-hole through which I can peer into inner-Rivendell. Now it's more of a display case.
Bill Lindsay
El Cerrito, CA