New lugged Roadini

[Drew Fitchette]

Hey all,

Just jumped on the Riv site to order a few accessories and saw this on the bike model section: Lugged Roadini

I like the look of them! 

- Drew

[John Dewey]

Good looking bike. Not many lugged production units these days. You can bet these will all be spoken-for in time measured by minutes and not hours. 

Better jump on now, think about it later. Just make sure you hit the proper size button—you’ll be glad you did. 

Good luck, and kudos to GP. 

Jock

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[Ryan]

Agreed Jock...glad they went back to lugged roadinis and I bet they'll go fast. But for those who miss out, they are coming back in the summer(August) in periwinkle and dark gold.

[Johnny Alien]

They look beautiful but it saddens me a bit to see them continue to move away from some more affordable frames. 

[Joe Bernard]

Yeah I thought the Roadini was supposed to be the Clem-priced road bike. Now Roadini, Homer and Gallop are all the same price. 

[Oliver Moss]

Is their intention to switch to the lugged version going forward? 

[Jason Fuller]

I too find it curious that they're moving away from TIG frames for everything but the Clem, though it sort of makes sense to me too - the Clem is the practical everything bike, so anything else can be a premium bike. My guess is that with all the cost contributors added up, TIG vs. lugged is such a small % price increase now it is hard to justify dropping the lugged joints that, in part, define Rivendell. The price jump probably stayed about the same, but with everything else costing a lot more now, that jump is small by comparison. 

The lugged Roadini indeed looks great. I doubt the TIG version will return. 

[Richard Rose]

Might all be moot if tariffs jack up the prices by 20-25%. That could be a sad day.

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 10, 2024, at 7:34 PM, Jason Fuller <jtf.f...@gmail.com> wrote:

I too find it curious that they're moving away from TIG frames for everything but the Clem, though it sort of makes sense to me too - the Clem is the practical everything bike, so anything else can be a premium bike. My guess is that with all the cost contributors added up, TIG vs. lugged is such a small % price increase now it is hard to justify dropping the lugged joints that, in part, define Rivendell. The price jump probably stayed about the same, but with everything else costing a lot more now, that jump is small by comparison. 

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[Brian Turner]

Richard, them dogs always seem to be curiously catching those cars these days, huh? Popcorn munching over here.

On Nov 10, 2024, at 7:50 PM, Richard Rose <rmro...@gmail.com> wrote:

Might all be moot if tariffs jack up the prices by 20-25%. That could be a sad day.

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[Mathias Steiner]

Rivendell makes a serious effort to offer made-in-USA products in everything but bicycles.

I"ve always found Riv's offerings strangely inconsistent. At a time when Waterford offered TIG'd bikes under the Gunnar brand, with frames for $900 [forks cost extra], Riv was selling made-in-Taiwan frames that cost $1500 and upwards, because they had to have lugs + wet paint + paint accent + special lugs etc.   These are all cool things but drive the price up. I'd rather have a MUSA TIG bike with a powercoat, but now Waterford is no more.

But I expect that the only way to do that would be to start a factory, because I doubt there are shops with extra capacity for frame building in the U.S. Just because Waterford could augment their high-end bikes with a simpler series doesn't mean they could have made a few hundred frames for Rivendell every year.

The fixation on lugs is a little strange to me. For my Sunday or Rando bike, sure, I like me a pretty bicycle.

But I'll happily take my commuters welded. It's not like they'll break, or ride any worse.

cheers -m

[Drew Fitchette]

Can’t speak much to why the move towards all lugged frames, outside of mentions on the blue lug video/riv blogs about “loving lugs” and “lugs being beautiful”. Grant’s quote in the New Yorker article about someone finding a riv frame in a dump 100 years from now speaks to this too. I figure they might just want their line up to be more consistent outside of purpose/application. 

Curious to see if a fully Lugged “Clem L” is next… I’d love to see it 🫠

[Ryan]

Be interesting to know how well tigged Roadinis sold compared to their other models. They do seem to surface quite often in for-sale posts. Maybe it's a lugged road bike choice at a lower price than the 2800 MN Roadeo...and they are doing another  run in August in dark gold and periwinkle. 

Maybe Leah will get road-bike curious again...although she seems more than happy with the trio of Platypi

Totally idle speculation with no basis in facts that I'm aware of, of course

[Doug H.]

Rivendell and lugs go hand in hand. When I think of lugs I think of Rivendell. It was nice to have a lower-priced option for a road bike but I understand the switch to lugs for the Roadini. It will be a beautiful bicycle! The Clem Smith Jr. remains the budget minded model and I doubt that will change as it has sold so well. And, we wouldn't want The Blue Lug to change to The Blue Tig. haha

Doug

[J-D Bamford]

I mostly appreciate the Roadini design (and am tempted), including the steep-enough head angle that hopefully won’t flop too much if using a randonneur-style front bag on a tombstone-style rack. Heartburn with the head tube (thus stack) - really not high enough given Riv’s upright posture philosophy. For those of us with long inseams/PBH, who must run a high saddle, a modest stack like this forces us to extend the quill stem really high (an aesthetic that leaves me cold). The Roadini’s stack isn’t really any more than a mainstream gravel bike like my Jamis Renegade. It’s a funny thing that after shrugging off Riv’s upright approach for 20+ years, I’m finally warming up to it… but my road/rando bias (i.e. not into ‘hillibike’) really limits which of their frames I can shop.

Roman told me the AHH has the same tubing as Roadini. Homer’s stack is 30mm higher so really encourages a tall cockpit, and that’s great. But not a fan of its Atlantis-like floppy front end geometry (given my front rando bag love). Not sure if there’s an AHH restock planned for late 2024 or any time 2025(?).

Homer stated suitable for 30 lb. luggage for credit card touring, but neither AHH nor Roadini have mid-fork bosses to accommodate a front lowrider rack (Riv’s standard fork boss is high, only intended for Mark’s-type racks). Although light touring would only be my 2% use case, being forced (by lack of proper mid-fork bosses) to do it mainly on a rear rack is underwhelming. I’m a skinny lightweight who doesn’t need stout full touring frame just to get mid-fork bosses. I feel like my full custom frame days are behind me, but hesitating to pull trigger on Riv stock models.

[Jason Fuller]

Have you ridden the AHH?  The trail between the two bikes is with 2mm or so, so the "floppiness" should be indistinguishable between the two - Riv pays close attention to mechanical trail, increasing fork offset when the HTA is slackened.  Good to know they're the same tubing!  Kind of surprising.  I know Grant would roll his eyes but I would love to see accurate frame weights for each, just out of curiosity. 

[Jason Fuller]

Sorry that sounded a bit rude and I'm not questioning you're experience if you found it to not feel how you wish it to. Of course even with the same trail number, different head tube angles will have a different feel - but technically, the AHH has similar wheel flop. 

[Joe Bernard]

Also technically, Rivs aren't designed for front loads even though they sell stuff to front-load them with. That's low-trail territory ably served up by other brands. 

Joe Bernard 

[DJC]

Joe raises a valid point regarding front loading Rivendells -- front loads are best left to the low trail bunch. I have a Crust Lightning Bolt & Romanceur, plus a Cycles Toussaint for front loading and it's a perfect match. I was running a basket on my Atlantis and it worked fine, but it was definitely a bit "floppy" and I prefer the bike with just a rear load configuration. At the moment I have front rack + Sackville Trunk Bag on a Hillborne and I don't notice the wheel flop; granted, I keep the loads under 5lbs.

[Nick A.]

Pre-ordered one today. Beyond excited.

Nick in VA

[Wyatt]

Genuinely relieved to see the Lime Olive is already sold out in my size. Has been extremely tempting even though I already own a creamsicle Rambouillet. 

[Kim H.]

@Richard,

I fear that the prices of all of the Rivendell bicycles will increase with the new Republican administration with the increase of cost of new tariffs.

Kim Hetzel.

[J-D Bamford]

@wyatt I'm happy to have been of assistance :-)

[Doug H.]

For those who've ordered one, which handlebar setup are you planning? I see Rivendell offers two options or you can build your own as you wish. The Rivendell options include Vince's pick with Albatross bars and Mark's pick with Nitto Noodle bars.

Doug

[J-D Bamford]

I’m stripping the full kit off my (drop bar, 2x10) randonneur frame and putting it on the ‘ini. Quill stem and sidepull calipers are the only changes predicated by how the frame is built. Will see how the light hoops and 32mm RH tires fare on a Riv frame designed for higher volume rubber. 

[Piaw Na]

On Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at 10:33:05 PM UTC-8 krhe...@gmail.com wrote:

@Richard,

I fear that the prices of all of the Rivendell bicycles will increase with the new Republican administration with the increase of cost of new tariffs.

There's a limit to this, which is the point at which a Rivendell production bike costs more than a custom domestic steel frame. 

[Richard Rose]

Me too!

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 14, 2024, at 1:33 AM, Kim H. <krhe...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[BrettG]

Given the 57s sold quickly and all other sizes still available I hope in the next run they will perhaps order more 57s in anticipation of demand for that size.  I've been waiting for a lugged Roadini but the color I really want (Periwinkle) isn't until the next run.  As others have stated, my fear is the price might increase significantly by next August but we'll see.  Congrats to those who got one they wanted and looking forward to pics.

[Doug Van Cleve]

Howdy folks.

I’m not really in the market, but to me the lugged Roadini is the bike Grant would’ve built in the mid 90s if you really could do a bike like that then. I don’t think he ever really cared about Waterford or whoever building Rivendell’s, they are just the only ones he could get to do it back then.  Has there been any suggestion that the lugged version is replacing the TIG’ed one?  As far as the fancy details go, Grant has done that since day 1 (although my ‘99 Riv Road Std. is single color burnt orange).  In regard to RBW pricing approaching lower end US customs, it is very much apples to oranges.  You know what you’re going to get with the Rivendell product, but your lower end custom is a bit of a crapshoot and you may not be happy with it in the end.  Ask me how I know that ;^)

Doug

[J-D Bamford]

It's not that I'm a randonneur (just a busy working parent who rec rides on weekends)... but having enjoyed front midsized rando bag for 17 years, I've been so far into that kool-aid. Since I defeated my rando bike's steering stability by raising the handlebars (+30mm) a smidge higher than the seat (I have long legs, so everything gets taller)... I should probably just let go of the front loading concept and try a Riv... because the Roadini seems to suit all my other needs including designed for higher cockpit/comfort. And a couple more cm wheelbase than a randonneur should also help with general stability, particularly if I'm descending paved rocky mtn/foothill roads where speed and tracking are non-trivial.

I'm so let down, deflated, by the randonneur (a custom frame) getting wonky with a raised stem. Stumbled across a blog post and commenters confirming it's not just me, but a built-in design tradeoff that's not often discussed. So... shopping a taller stack, upsloped TT sport'ish touring'ish all'round road bike at stock (non-custom) price point, which welcomes a tall quill stem... all roads point to Riv (or elsewhere?).

I shouldn't be embarrassed (in this crowd) throwing money at a Roadini frame when I haven't even been on a Riv (except for 10 mins on an Atlantis 20 years ago), but admittedly that's what I'm doing. A bit of a hail mary pass towards something truly long term sensible.

On Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at 7:37:39 AM UTC-5 DJC wrote:

[Max S]

It may sound a bit perverse, but try loading a bit more weight onto the front bag to get the handling feel back t