Tomorrow’s the day! New Mixte Day!

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

Yesterday, I got the email I’ve been waiting for since...well, forever. Or since 2018, which is the same thing. Tomorrow around 2 or 3 pm, that UPS truck will pull up, and the friendly guy in the brown uniform will be lugging a (hopefully intact) box from Rivendell. Inside will be the glittery raspberry mixte that I have been pining for for YEARS. The first Platypus, the only one of its kind, and I am dangerously close to imploding with happiness.

Years ago, maybe 2013, I saw a lipstick pink Rivendell custom mixte on Flickr. It belonged to a woman who loved it fiercely and still does, to this day (she has posted it on social media as recently as April 2020). I thought I would want her exact bike, if I could choose whatever bike and color I wanted. Some time later, I saw a red Glorius (Cyclofiend’s wife’s bike) and I liked that even better. I changed my mind and said if I ever got a chance to choose, I’d choose a metallic red Rivendell. Then I made the famous PurpleRiv’s acquaintance, and I saw her beautiful custom mixte with the sexy swoops in the back and I thought, “Actually, I’d like a bike like hers, but in metallic cranberry.” When rumors of the Anniversary Mixte swirled on the Blahg, I hoped for that bike to be the One Bike to Rule Them All. Maybe the AM could be the right mixte in the right color. But that bike was never made.

But tomorrow something will arrive that has exceeded all my previous ideals. I will get a Rivendell mixte with the sexy swoops like PurpleRiv’s in a color that you’d imagine if you combined cranberry red and lipstick pink.

A Raspberry Metallic Rivendell Mixte.

I did not sleep last night and I doubt I will sleep tonight. This will make sense to no one (except maybe my #RivSisters) but I have spent the last couple of hours getting ready for my bike to arrive tomorrow. I cleaned my house. Washed my floors. I went up to my room and gave myself the spa treatment. Clarifying masks. Pumice stones. I gave myself a manicure and pedicure and all my nails are painted raspberry with a shiny, clear topcoat. I can’t explain why this had to be done but it feels like a natural part of the process to me. I chose my outfit and have planned my day. I love my RBW Blue Clementine, but I’m ready to park a Rivendell mixte next to it. 

I will try to get good photos tomorrow, but I might also just tip over. This is a bolus of joy in an otherwise difficult year. I have imagined this bike for so long and now it will finally be real.

I can’t wait for tomorrow! Thanks for celebrating with me here. It is good to be among friends.

Leah

[Jason Fuller]

I'll definitely be awaiting the photos!  So is it complete from Riv or is it a frameset and some parts that still need assembly?  Sounds like the former!  I am excited for you, and sympathetic towards your Clem. 

[Leah Peterson]

Hi Jason! New Bike Week for us both!

My bike is a ‘mostly complete.’ I bought everything from Rivendell except the wheels, pedals and dyno. Those bits are being anodized and prepped at Analog Cycles and will arrive later than the bike, unfortunately. I won’t complain because in this shortage, I feel fortunate to have gotten parts at all.

Analog is doing a fun and unexpected color scheme. I’m doing tubeless again, and this time I got the SON dyno. 🤩 

Don’t worry about my Clementine - I’ll still love it and ride it all the time. ❤️ 

Hold me to this.

Leah

Sent from my iPhone

On Oct 27, 2020, at 8:16 PM, Jason Fuller <jtf.f...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'll definitely be awaiting the photos!  So is it complete from Riv or is it a frameset and some parts that still need assembly?  Sounds like the former!  I am excited for you, and sympathetic towards your Clem. 

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[Joe Bernard]

It's tomorrow! Sheesh, you've been talking about this since...I got a whole custom ordered and brazed and painted and shipped and built up in that time! I've been waiting so long my clothes are going out of style!! TOMORROW!!! 

[dougP]

Sounds like you were getting ready for the prom.  I'll bet the bike will be a fun date.

dougP

[Ed Fausto]

Wow!

The preparation you did for the Platypus frame arrival really made me smile with envy.

I have to stop reading your Platypus post otherwise I will also be queing for the preorder.

Edgar

On Oct 28, 2020, at 10:08 AM, Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! <jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Patrick Moore]

Clearcoat on nails? That's new to me. Your nails probably have better paint than my 2 powdercoated Matthewses. 

Speaking of nails, my daughter when little would use me as a faut de mieux canvas for her nail polish experiments; usually several colors at one sitting. Since, when I took her to Walgreen's to buy (cheap) nail polish, I always chose weird colors for a laugh, I would end up with 7 or 8 or even 10 fingers in multiple shades of olive green, bright yellow, orange, ugly blues, as well as the statutory red. Now I can't afford her nail polishes. Good thing she never asked to experiment on my hair (ponytail back then).

I can't say I'd want a Platypus, but the color is certainly nice, and I'll look forward to seeing it built up in all its glory.

Patrick Moore, who just coated his new-to-him Monocog 29er in brown (mud).

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Patrick Moore

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

[Fullylugged]

Very happy for you Leah!  I just built up a new Hilsen for a local lady and am familiar with the excitement you feel. Looking forward to seeing your always on fleek cycling ensemble. As Mom used to say, "ride it in good health!"

[Ben Mihovk]

So exciting! I got my first Rivendell at the end of September after wanting one for YEARS...so I think I have felt recently about 1/10th of the excitement you must be feeling. Getting the shipping notice pert near brought a tear to my eye!

Congrats!

-Ben

[jeffrey kane]

I know that excitement - and I know the sleeplessness - or restless sleep it produces. The all-night-in-your-head conversations regarding that one precious object. It's an odd sensation to balance when we all know the ups and downs of contemporary life. The constant dance of need to balance the bigger things ... the "really" important stuff: family, health, etc. And yes, sometimes I do feel guilt over the covet ... but oh man (!) what it does for the soul to search and find (!) I truly hope everyone can experience that one small personal inner joy over something, sometime in their lives that Leah just perfectly encapsulated.

[JAS]

Oh Leah, I’m so excited for you! The ever-anticipated date is upon you and what else can be done but spruce up the house and prepare for your new “date” in style? Can’t wait to see all the matchy-matchy you’re planning...bike-nails-helmet-outfit-shoes, etc. Are you going so far as raspberry eye-shadow or just stopping at lipstick?

Congratulations! Live it up!
—Joyce

[Leah Peterson]

Joe - yes, I remember the excitement of your custom. So fun! And yes, my clothes have gone out of style waiting for this bike. On that note, I made myself wear jeans instead of leggings or sweats yesterday. It was like, wow, what’s the occasion - I’m so dressed up. Months of a pandemic will do this to you. Hard pants. That’s what jeans are now. I was wearing my hard pants.

DougP - the prom. I laughed out loud. It is exactly like that.

Edgar - order the Platypus and join me in the frivolity.

Patrick - Well, I can’t say I’d want a brown Monocog, so we’re even.

Fullylugged - thanks! I’m flattered you think I’m on fleek, especially since I seem to have left the Bicycle Belle look and fallen headlong into Lone Wolf Leah. 🤣 Congrats to your friend - she will love that Hilsen.

Ben - WHAT did you get? You can’t tell us you got your first Riv and then say nothing else about it! I feel excited right along with you.

Jeff - I have had all your same thoughts. And I didn’t sleep much last night - I admit to checking the tracking at least twice in the middle of the night. That bike is here in Las Vegas! We’ll allow each other a little frivolity and then get our heads back on our shoulders and care about the important stuff. Just a small revelry in the look of new paint and a shudder of joy at the feel of a new frame.

Joyce - My #RivSister! We will celebrate just as hard when you get your Caribbean blue Platypus. Your make-up color choices may be a little harder to work with - I mean, blue lipstick might be a big much, but we can make it work. I will stop at raspberry nails and some sort of berry lip, no raspberry eyeshadow I think. Planning our lipstick on New Bike Day - this is such a #RivSister thing. I hope the Riv guys aren’t too horrified.

UPS comes early afternoon around here. If I’m conscious, I’ll report back! If not, just know I died of happiness.

Leah

Sent from my iPad

> On Oct 28, 2020, at 7:29 AM, JAS <swanso...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Oh Leah, I’m so excited for you! The ever-anticipated date is upon you and what else can be done but spruce up the house and prepare for your new “date” in style? Can’t wait to see all the matchy-matchy you’re planning...bike-nails-helmet-outfit-shoes, etc. Are you going so far as raspberry eye-shadow or just stopping at lipstick?

>
> Congratulations! Live it up!
> —Joyce
>

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[George Schick]

Well, if nothing else I've learned two new (to me, anyway) words from these post threads: "bolus" and "fleek".  In the spirit of the raspberry-red color of the new bike, here's a pic of the red maple in my back yard that just started to turn a few days ago.  Reds, reddish-orange, yellow-orange, residual light green - it's never been this full of color before.

[Leah Peterson]

Beautiful tree, George! 

I’m in the final hour or two of waiting.

I woke up several times last night and refreshed the tracking. Did I need to know what was happening with my boxes at 3 am? I guess so. When I finally did get up it was 6ish, and I sprung out of bed like I’d had a great night’s sleep. I flounced down the stairs to the coffee machine and had 2 cups. Then, I decided I’d take my Clementine out. I came home after 10.7 miles and thought, “You know...I think I’ll go running!” I came home and found my sons on break from Zooming their lessons. I tasked them with a list of cleaning and then went upstairs to attack the laundry. 

“You know that cleaning the house doesn’t have any correlation to getting a new bike, right, Mom?” trailed my son’s voice behind me.

Ignoring him, I made my way upstairs. A light bulb went off and I realized that I should clean out all the dressers and closets. Seize the day! With those all done and the clothes now donated, I decided I’d shower and get ready. I can’t tell you the last time I’ve spent any time on my hair. Blow drying? Waste of time. But today I got after it. I looked in the mirror and thought, “My hair is huge. Texas. I have Texas hair.” I moved on to makeup and finished it off with a raspberry shade of lipstick.

All this nervous energy and anticipation is being put to good use. I’m running out of things to clean. Does anyone want me to come over? Just leave me a list...

I’m ready! Where is my bike?

Leah

Sent from my iPad

On Oct 28, 2020, at 9:26 AM, George Schick <Bhi...@gmail.com> wrote:

Well, if nothing else I've learned two new (to me, anyway) words from these post threads: "bolus" and "fleek".  In the spirit of the raspberry-red color of the new bike, here's a pic of the red maple in my back yard that just started to turn a few days ago.  Reds, reddish-orange, yellow-orange, residual light green - it's never been this full of color before.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/cabfba77-accf-4954-a02b-eeb9498a0e82n%40googlegroups.com.

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[Matthew Williams]

At the bare minimum, we're going to need videos of the arrival and the unboxing.

Can't wait to see your new ride! Congratulations, Leah!

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[Roberta]

Oh, I'm so excited for you!!!!

This day has been taking FOREVER and it's like your true love is finally coming to take you off to the land of never ending bike rides on the most wonderful and loved bike in the world.  I'm so looking forward to seeing you, all decked out in raspberry, holding (hugging) your new love.

I hope your husband won't get too jealous.

Roberta

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[Jason Fuller]

At this hour, I'm just going to get increasingly anxious until we get the good news!  I hope the delay is due to totally excessive amounts of documentation and production value. 

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[Leah Peterson]

Friends! It’s here and it’s every bit as lovely as rumored and I am RIGHT NOW making an unboxing video for you all. I have part one finished, and I’m starting part 2. I will start a new thread and post the videos there. But sneak peak....

Sent from my iPad

On Oct 28, 2020, at 5:20 PM, Jason Fuller <jtf.f...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[dougP]

Don't forget:  photos of the artwork on the box that Rivendell is famous for.

dougP

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[Joe Bernard]

Oh my gosh I can tell the Leah's Raspberry is going to be spectacular. IT'S HEEEEERE!!!

[Roberta]

I thought I was the only one checking in every 30 minutes.

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[Joe Bernard]

Roberta, I thought the video would never drop. It’s so beautiful!!!