new sweaters/vests

[Seth Vidal]

http://www.rivbike.com/blogs/news_post/324

For the rivhq gang - does anyone know the type of sheep the wool comes
from? Inquiring minds (like my knitting significant other) want to
know.

I'm curious where they're being made.

Love the ben franklin sweater. Will probably buy 2 of them just for me.

-sv

[Esteban]

Those sweaters look fantastic. I love a big scratchy sweater. I have
one from Abercrombie & Fitch, from back when it was a men's store and
not a dark disco full of photos of half-naked teenagers like it is
now.

Can't wait to see more of these.

Esteban
San Diego, Calif.

[JoelMatthews]

Not sure, but you see these Swaledale sheep everywhere in the UK:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Swaledale_sheep.jpg&imgrefurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Swaledale_sheep.jpg&h=684&w=1024&sz=383&tbnid=yOBJNb3yJ6IahM:&tbnh=100&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dswaledale%2Bsheep&zoom=1&q=swaledale+sheep&usg=__pg6_eB0fJvueDJP3SozpJUwY5AI=&sa=X&ei=w0pNTcD-BoXagAeJlOg5&ved=0CCkQ9QEwAg

The earlier version of the sweater was made by a small outfit in
England.

[Mitch Browne]

I can vouch for Wooly Warm functionality.

I picked up a vest and pull over at the Riv garage sale this year.
They were strictly impulse buys.

Turns out the vest has become a regular part of my bike / work wear.
It's just a loose enough weave that it makes a great ventilating /
insulating layer between my nylon vest and t-shirt on my 6am 40-55
degree commutes to campus. I have a sleeveless wool riv pull over but
it's too warm.

Wooly Warm "Slay the Shivers". The ticket.

- Mitch - San Luis Obispo, CA

On Feb 5, 5:06 am, JoelMatthews <joelmatth...@mac.com> wrote:
> Not sure, but you see these Swaledale sheep everywhere in the UK:
>

> http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikip...

[Frank]

Seems like there was some sort of description about the wool and the
sheep in an older print catalogue, but I can't swear to it. I think
they were made in Scotland.

I wear the vest and a button-collar long-sleeve version all the time
in Seattle; they're three season garments. They look great, wear
well, and fit sensibly. I had a cardigan, but was told to send it
back for a replacement due to a batch with very crooked "plackets".
Mine was crooked, I sent it back, they didn't reorder, and I ended up
(disappointed) with a credit.

I'll buy a cardigan certainly, and perhaps another vest. My vest has
one pocket in back, and I never put jank in it as all my bikes have
bags somewhere. The long-sleeve has three pockets, but I like the idea
that these v2 units sound as if they'll be pocket free. I'm just
thrilled that they'll be ready. In time. For summer. Perhaps they'll
accept pre-orders, as it might be difficult to actually pull the
trigger in June or July.

[Pondero]

"Your fashion-conscious teenager wouldn't be caught dead in this, and
would rather not be seen with you when you’re wearing it. That’s how
good it looks."

I'm sold.

[grant]

There are some bluish strands of wool, so I'd say at least some of the
wool is from Swaledales that are kin to the one show below. Made in
England, same guys making them, and I'll get the skinny on the rest of
the wool. It is "far from merino." Some kind of wirey, wolf-proof
sheep, I'm sure.

G

On Feb 5, 5:06 am, JoelMatthews <joelmatth...@mac.com> wrote:

> Not sure, but you see these Swaledale sheep everywhere in the UK:
>

> http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikip...

[Jim Cloud]

I guess my view will be considered contrarian, but I've had more than
enough scratchy wool sweaters in my lifetime. In the last couple of
years I've purchased several merino wool garments. Some of them
cycling specific, but quite wearable off the bike, especially a Sugoi
Wallaroo 290 long sleeve jersey. It's a comfy (non-scratchy!) jersey
that I've been wearing a great deal during the unseasonably cold
winter we're experiencing in Southeast Arizona. Here's a link to the
Sugoi site that shows the jersey:
http://www.sugoi.com/usa/eng/Products/Bike/Men/Details/1447-68301U-Wallaroo-290-L-S-Jersey

I think the vest that Rivendell is planning to source, however, is a
garment that would be quite useful over a jersey for additional
warmth.

Jim Cloud
Tucson, AZ

[PATRICK MOORE]

June???? I want a vest *now* -- if they get rid of the shoulder wings.

I lucked into a high-neck, button front pullover from Riv's original wool product portfolio (good bus-speak buzzword, that) that is very nice for cycling, but for everyday wear a vest suits me better.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.

--
Patrick Moore
Albuquerque, NM
For professional resumes, contact
Patrick Moore, ACRW at resumesp...@gmail.com

[Glenn Ammons]

On Sat, Feb 5, 2011 at 12:32 AM, Seth Vidal <skv...@gmail.com> wrote:
> http://www.rivbike.com/blogs/news_post/324

I like the rear pockets on my old button-up, which is in need of some
serious darning. Will any of the new sweaters have rear pockets?

--glenn

[Anne Paulson]

On Fri, Feb 4, 2011 at 9:32 PM, Seth Vidal <skv...@gmail.com> wrote:
> http://www.rivbike.com/blogs/news_post/324
>

I love the commando sweater. This wool has thicker fibers than merino,
which makes it scratchy but also should make it wear longer. As soon
as they're available, I'm buying a commando sweater for my son, who is
always wearing a sweater, usually with holes in the elbows because he
wears them out.

--
-- Anne Paulson

My hovercraft is full of eels

[Doug Van Cleve]

Howdy folks.

 

I was always sorry I didn't get one of the original vests, so this is good news :^)  However, that vest looks like a sweater with the arms cut off and the holes hemmed.  It doesn't appear to fit at all in the shoulders.  Also, I would have liked to see the pockets.  They are handly for a wallet or keys, even if the bike has a bag of some sort.  It isn't like having a/pocket(s) makes it hideous off the bike.  Being a cyclist, I don't mind if my stuff looks a bit "bikey".

 

Regards, Doug

[Doug Van Cleve]

Ah, should have replied to this one ;^)

 

I second the pockets request.  I always wondered why the old sweater had 3 but the vest only had one (3 is better).  Also, could the placket go a bit lower and have a couple more buttons?

 

Doug

[Anne Paulson]

On Sat, Feb 5, 2011 at 5:06 AM, JoelMatthews <joelma...@mac.com> wrote:
> Not sure, but you see these Swaledale sheep everywhere in the UK:

Swaledales are white. The sweaters are dark gray.

Maybe a Balwen sheep, or a Hebridean sheep? Those are both black long
wool sheep from Scotland.

[Jim Cloud]

I agree that pockets at the back of the vest would increase its
utility. Here's some photos from Lesli Larson's Flickr Archival
Clothing photostream that show the earlier version of the Rivendell
vest: http://www.flickr.com/photos/archivalclothing/3251797465/in/photostream/
Lesli's Flickr site, by the way, is a treasure trove of traditional
and very classy apparel.

Jim Cloud
Tucson, AZ

On Feb 5, 10:41 am, Doug Van Cleve <dvancl...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Ah, should have replied to this one ;^)
>
> I second the pockets request.  I always wondered why the old sweater had 3
> but the vest only had one (3 is better).  Also, could the placket go a bit
> lower and have a couple more buttons?
>
> Doug
>

> On Sat, Feb 5, 2011 at 10:21 AM, Glenn Ammons <glenn.amm...@gmail.com>wrote:

[PATRICK MOORE]

Add one more for rear pockets; and, for that matter, for chest pockets.

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.

[Anne Paulson]

On Sat, Feb 5, 2011 at 9:56 AM, Jim Cloud <Clou...@aol.com> wrote:
> I agree that pockets at the back of the vest would increase its
> utility.  Here's some photos from Lesli Larson's Flickr Archival
> Clothing photostream that show the earlier version of the Rivendell
> vest:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/archivalclothing/3251797465/in/photostream/

On the one hand, useful. On the other hand, really ugly. Really really
ugly-- that narrow patch pocket is awful.

So it's a balance: do you want a sweater that's useful on the bike,
but looks ridiculous when you're not riding?

The armholes on the earlier version of the vest are way better. For
the newer version, it looks like the sweater designer had never
designed a vest-- vests need a different armhole, deeper and curved.
You can see in the pictures that the armhole is too high, so it
wrinkles. I'd cut the shoulders in too; I think it looks better.

[Seth Vidal]

On Sat, Feb 5, 2011 at 1:17 PM, Anne Paulson <anne.p...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On the one hand, useful. On the other hand, really ugly. Really really
> ugly-- that narrow patch pocket is awful.
>
> So it's a balance: do you want a sweater that's useful on the bike,
> but looks ridiculous when you're not riding?
>
> The armholes on the earlier version of the vest are way better. For
> the newer version, it looks like the sweater designer had never
> designed a vest-- vests need a different armhole, deeper and curved.
> You can see in the pictures that the armhole is too high, so it
> wrinkles. I'd cut the shoulders in too; I think it looks better.

I agree about the vest shoulders/armholes.

the pocket in the rear doesn't matter much to me one way or the other.

The patch pockets on the front of the cardigan look fine w/me. If they
want to rotate the pocket opening 90degrees so you can put your hands
it from behind, that'd be just fine, too.

-sv

[Seth Vidal]

On Sat, Feb 5, 2011 at 11:26 AM, grant <gran...@gmail.com> wrote:
> There are some bluish strands of wool, so I'd say at least some of the
> wool is from Swaledales that are kin to the one show below. Made in
> England, same guys making them, and I'll get the skinny on the rest of
> the wool. It is "far from merino." Some kind of wirey, wolf-proof
> sheep, I'm sure.
>

Grant,
thanks for looking into it. There's a knitter in this house who will
be happy to know more about the variety of sheep.

Oh and the knitter also told me to tell you thank you for not having
them made from merino wool.

By doing so you're encouraging more of polyculture in sheep which is
beneficial to the genetic health of sheep.

Also since the sheep seem to come from the yorkshires we're referring
to it as James Herriot Wool. :)

-sv

[newenglandbike]

-1 for pockets on the back, but then again I prefer either my pants
pockets or my bike for carrying things, in handlebar bag, basket or
saddlebag or whatever.

[Thomas Lynn Skean]

Well, these look fantastic. I love them all and especially the
cardigan. I missed any earlier round(s) of this kind of sweater. So I
don't have the slightest idea how much these things might cost. But if
there's an appropriate size for me (XXL as in the t-shirts/sweatshirt,
not XXL as in wool tops), I will definitely get at least one.

Yours,
Thomas Lynn Skean

On Feb 5, 12:31 pm, Seth Vidal <skvi...@gmail.com> wrote:

[William Pustow]

Jim,

You're not the only one. Before I purchased my first Rivendell i was warned about the Grant Petersen cult and this just proves that it is real:
Grant; "We have this really scratchy sweater to sell you."
Cult members: "Oh thank you, Grant! We wouldn't want to wear something comfortable."

Don't get me wrong, I have 3 Riv's and love them. Now the Rivendell sweatshirt - Oh thank you Grant!

Bill
Louisville, Ky

Bill
Louisville, Ky

[Seth Vidal]

On Sat, Feb 5, 2011 at 3:32 PM, William Pustow <BPu...@aol.com> wrote:
> Jim,
>
>
>  You're not the only one. Before I purchased my first Rivendell i was warned about the Grant Petersen cult and this just proves that it is real:
> Grant; "We have this really scratchy sweater to sell you."
> Cult members: "Oh thank you, Grant! We wouldn't want to wear something comfortable."
>
>   Don't get me wrong, I have 3 Riv's and love them. Now the Rivendell sweatshirt - Oh thank you Grant!
>
>

Something worth mentioning. A lot of scratchy wool is also REALLY
wear-resistant.

After wearing through the elbows in 2 soft-wool cardigans in 2 yrs I'd
rather go with scratchy. I'm wearing a longsleeve shirt when I'm
wearing a cardigan anyway.

add to that the good look of a tweedy wool and you've got a winner, imo.

-sv

[William]

The myth of the Grant cult cuts both (perhaps several) ways. For
every one of us that seems to buy one of every oddball thing that Riv
offers (like me with the nutwinks and the latest visor and the
splats), there's at least one other who dutifully waits for the next
new product to come out, and immediately lists the one or two critical
flaws that make it incontrovertibly unbuyable. "Oh Grant, if you
offered that mix of wool MINUS the whitish threads. How long to get
one without whitish threads?" or "How can Riv possibly expect me to
buy a sweater without an internal breast pocket with tagua button
closure? Sign me up for one if you make them like that."

Then there's the type that posts "I'm 6'3-3/4" and weigh 206lbs 3oz.
As soon as one of you with identical body dimensions to me buys one,
will you please wash it twice in gentle cycle with Kookubura, then air
dry, wear it and take photographs and write a 'ride report'. Then I
might consider one"
Furthermore, there are those of us who won't buy, and then when
they're gone, wail "If only I could get my hands on the last
generation thing. Those were the good ones"

We're a loony bin.

[Tim McNamara]

On Feb 5, 2011, at 2:58 PM, William wrote:

<snipped humorously acute observations>

> We're a loony bin.

LOL! That made me laugh!

And kudos to Grant & Co. for looking for the gaps in the cyclers' market to try to supply stuff we might like and can't find at most LBS's and/or Nashbar. Rivendell has added appreciably to the diversity of bike products out there, and has given us a choice between high-tech wunderbikes and old bikes.

[Dionysos Maskaleris]

I purchased one button wool vest at the last Rivendell Garage Sale and it has become my favorite article of clothing. I like it even more then the Rivendell wool sleeveless shirts. I run hot so I wear sleeveless shirt on top alone - bicycling at 5AM in the coldest parts of Bay Area winters. But when I sit for awhile in the winter the button wool vest over my sleeveless Riv shirt keeps my core warm.  And I wear vest over sleeveless on Sundays at my caretaker job at a church so I don't look like Marlon Brando in 'A Street Car Named Desire' - just wearing a tank top [Brando and agnostic me at church?]. 

Grant, in the Rivendell tradition I want to purchase two more button wool vests before they become unavailable [don't open the door to my camping equipment and bicycle parts and accessories storage room as all will fall out like at the ship's cabin in the Mark Brothers 'A Night at the Opera' - smile].

-Dion
--

www.youtube.com/user/mdionysos

[CycloFiend]

on 2/4/11 9:32 PM, Seth Vidal at skv...@gmail.com wrote:

> http://www.rivbike.com/blogs/news_post/324

Just a quick reminder that if you did have feature/sizing preferences, you
should email RBW directly. Although the RBW denizens do skim here
periodically, it is not the best way to contact them.

- Jim / list admin

--
Jim Edgar
Cyclo...@earthlink.net

Cyclofiend Bicycle Photo Galleries - http://www.cyclofiend.com
Current Classics - Cross Bikes
Singlespeed - Working Bikes

"You must be the change you want to see in the world."
Mahatma Gandhi

[JoelMatthews]

>   You're not the only one. Before I purchased my first Rivendell i was warned about the Grant Petersen cult and this just proves that it is real:
> Grant; "We have this really scratchy sweater to sell you."
> Cult members: "Oh thank you, Grant! We wouldn't want to wear something comfortable."

Respectfully, I think you and Jim are missing the point of these
garments.

I like soft wool products as much as anyone. In fact, I even have a
Loro Piana Vicuna Sweater I wear on cold weather rides (one plus to no
significant other or kids is you can be extravagant every now and then
- plus Loro Piana gets all its Vicuna wool from native americans who
release the wild Vicunas after giving them a crew cut).

I also have one of the original Wooly Warm cardigans (and intend to
get another). It is a great sweater. I keep my thermostat here in
Chicago at 57. From Late November until MidMarch (what a great
book!) I wear the cardigan over a long sleeved tee shirt nearly every
evening. It especially comes in handy when I am working on my bikes.
The cardigan shows its age a little. But it has held up
wonderfully.

The commando sweater looks like it would be great for hiking, sledding
and other rough and tumble outdoor activity. It will definitely last
much longer than soft wool garments. Unlike fleece, it will not build
up odor after spirited uses to the point you finally have to recycle
it.

[JoelMatthews]

> Made in England, same guys making them,

That is good to know. From the RR piece on them a few years back they
came across as the kind of wonderfully eccentric crafts people that
you can still meet every now and then in rural UK. I was afraid they
had retired or gone out of business or something.

[Lesli]

Great to see these back in circulation. Hoping the arm holes on the
vest are trimmed. Original pattern was perfect.

For the record--I never use the rear pocket on my tweed vest.

Hoping Riv considers running a few in XS for women/children and slim,
rangy gents. I wear one of the XXS vests that I think was made up for
a small child. Love it. I'd take a vest and a cardigan. Not wild
about the commando patches. They only hit right on size medium gents
and the original fit model. I ordered a size small cardigan a few
years back and it fit me like a grandpa's XXL.

LL

[EricP]

Think I just missed out on these last time. Right before finding out
about Rivendell, etc. Am already planning to buy two, the cardigan
and the Columbia.

And I'm with Miesha - keep the patches. Good for keeping abrasion/
wear to a minimum.

Now know where my rebate is going.

Eric Platt
St. Paul, MN

> > > > > -sv- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Beth H]

Just saw the pix.

1. Glad I got my vest when I did, even though it has holes in it now.
I think the super-wide shoulder thing doesn't work, especially for
smaller people.

2. Pullover looks nice but I still would prefer the older-style button-
placket, which apparently isn't coming back (I would've bought one but
couldn't afford both the vest and the pullover at the time). I think
the neck -- rolldown or otherwise -- might get in my way at some
point.

3. I'm sure the military look of the wear patches will appeal to some
on the list, but I can find something remarkably similar at my local
army surplus store, for considerably less than Rivendell will sell
these for. This style doesn't feel necessary for me.

I am sure that the reasons for these changes have to do with the new
manufacturer, availability and perhaps personal taste of the
designer(s). In any event, I'll keep looking for an older WoolyWarm
pullover, and won't lose sleep if one never comes my way.

Beth

[dean899]

Good to see them make a return. I've been trying to get the vest and
long sleeve sweater off the list here and now have one of each(yeah).
My only gripe is the fact the the old last version was knit off
center! The pockets were not centered and the cardigan was a mess
with the buttons centered on my chest at the top but the bottom of the
sweater had the buttons at my right hip. Hope there is quality
control on this batch!

[Thomas Lynn Skean]

+1 for patches.

Be like Yehuda!

Yours,
Thomas Lynn Skean

> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

[NME]

I'm curious -- to those who have owned the previous incarnations of
these tweedy sweaters, is there something special about them beyond
the fact that they're made from rustic British wool (of which I am a
great fan)? As in, are they knit at a very tight gauge to be slightly
more windproof for cycling? I am a pretty experienced hand knitter
and machine knitter, but I'm not a terribly big fan of knit garments
for providing warmth for cycling: the wind always cuts through and
chills my bones, so I prefer to wear wool under a woven jacket. Maybe
that's just because most of my riding is <5 miles commuting, so I'm
not building up a proper sweat.

What have your experiences been?

[robert zeidler]

-1 on the cardigan, but love everything else. The sleeveless could be
tapered back a bit, though.

[JoelMatthews]

> As in, are they knit at a very tight gauge to be slightly more windproof for cycling?

These are based on classic designs and definitely not designed in the
line of what most people consider cycling clothes. The cardigan at
least would not be all that wind proof. The wool is fairly heavy and
warm. But you do feel a breeze through them. If you are looking for
'performance' wool, you probably ought to check out Ibex or similar.

[PATRICK MOORE]

My only like is that the crew-neck, button placket, rear-pocketed pullover is just so great as a second layer over a thinner, and less itchey, merino base layer.

IME, layers of relatively thin wool are excellent for riding, wind notwithstanding, since they (1) keep you warm in a surprisingly wide range of temps and (2) breath so that you don't sweat as with an impermeable windbreaker. If the wind is harsh, just add another thin, knit layer. My own personal experience.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.

[Kelly Sleeper]

I just ordred one of those windbreaker fronts from RIV for those
windy days when a full wind proof jacket is too much. Actually I am
thinking a jacket made out of the same stuff the MuSA pants are made
out of with removable sleeves might be nice. :)

Kelly

[JoelMatthews]

> IME, layers of relatively thin wool are excellent for riding, wind
> notwithstanding, since they (1) keep you warm in a surprisingly wide range
> of temps and (2) breath so that you don't sweat as with an impermeable
> windbreaker. If the wind is harsh, just add another thin, knit layer. My own
> personal experience.

Pretty much my approach this winter as well (and we have seen our
share of cold, wet and windy days here in Chicago). I wear a very
thin wool base layer, a sweater, then a middle weight wool jacket with
a full zipper and hood. The sweater in the middle is the variable.
If it is fairly warm, I wear a very light weight sweater. Middle
weight most days. On the real cold days, I have a rather warm mostly
cashmere sweater.

As it happens, even on the coldest day so far - right around 0 - after
a 15 minutes or so I had to unzip the jacket part of the way. Wool
and other hair fibers work very well.

> Patrick Moore, ACRW at resumespecialt...@gmail.com

[Peter Pesce]

I've gotta think there's more than a little blind faith in action
here. A vest is not a shirt with the arms chopped off, as a post above
noted. Properly designing a piece of clothing requires real skill and
experience. No less than properly designing a bicycle frame. And
nothing says that doing one well qualifies you at all for doing the
other well.
My only experience with Riv clothing is pair of Musa shorts, and the
quality of design and construction of those was Old Navy caliber, at
best. I think Riv makes some of the best bike stuff in the world for
it's intended purpose. I think they are at their weakest in their
efforts to expand Rivendell into a "lifestyle" brand.

[Tony]

Me three, Mitch and Dion. Very easy to put on/take off/put on for my
bike/train/bike bay area commute. Something that a second base layer
cannot offer.
My wife says it looks like I'm wearing a costume. The 16th St./
Valencia hipsters think it's tweedy-cool (I think).

Tony


On Feb 5, 5:29 am, Mitch Browne <mitch.bro...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I can vouch for Wooly Warm functionality.
>
> I picked up a vest ... at the Riv garage sale this year.
>
> Turns out the vest has become a regular part of my bike / work wear.

[JoelMatthews]

> I've gotta think there's more than a little blind faith in action
> here.

Somewhat difficult to follow your point.

These sweaters are are not some new Rov bike design. Rather, they are
traditional English sweater designs made with traditional wool
varietals. It is not uncommon to see people in the UK and Ireland
wearing very similar garments.

> I think they are at their weakest in their efforts to expand Rivendell into a "lifestyle" brand.

Don't follow this either. GP frequently makes the point that bicycle
specific clothing go astray the point of enjoying a bicycle. He is
also an advocate of small crafts businesses where possible. Quality
comfortable made by a family owned company seem very consistent with
the philosophy and not a craven effort to expand a brand.

[Rick]

Sí. I mean oui.

[Beth H]

I think there are all sorts of ways to interpret "lifestyle" brands.
If bicycling regularly is part of the lfiestyle, then clothes that are
comfy while riding make sense. Clothes that are equally comfy on and
off the bike are even better.

I like my WoolyWarm vest and wear it often. My bike is not always in
the same room when I do.
Beth

[Seth Vidal]

On Sun, Feb 6, 2011 at 10:12 PM, JoelMatthews <joelma...@mac.com> wrote:
>> I've gotta think there's more than a little blind faith in action
>> here.
>

> Somewhat difficult to follow your point.
>
> These sweaters are are not some new Rov bike design.  Rather, they are
> traditional English sweater designs made with traditional wool
> varietals.  It is not uncommon to see people in the UK and Ireland
> wearing very similar garments.
>
>> I think they are at their weakest in their  efforts to expand Rivendell into a "lifestyle" brand.
>
> Don't follow this either.  GP frequently makes the point that bicycle
> specific clothing go astray the point of enjoying a bicycle.  He is
> also an advocate of small crafts businesses where possible.  Quality
> comfortable made by a family owned company seem very consistent with
> the philosophy and not a craven effort to expand a brand.
>

Hear Hear.

-sv

[grant]

Same sweater maker--but our contact guy is new. The other guy died in
a car accident last summer. The vest pattern is identical as it was
before---he has the patterns. It wasn't a good fit on Miesha, but rest
assured there will be no extended shoulders on the vest. We may open
the armholes some. This may create an instant demand for the "original
snug armhole" version of the WoolyWarm Vest, but I think it will be an
improvement. I'm talking about an inch.

The sleeves on the cardigan will be less baggy than they were, and
maybe we'll dicker with the hem some, even making it ribbed so it
doesn't sit so much like a big-mouthed fish hanging from its tail.

We have a simple patchless crewneck sample that's not bad. I found it
in the box after shooting the other pix. At some point too much
selection is nobody's favor, so I don't know.

There are always less costly versions of modern-made with modern labor
goods, but we will keep the price of these as reasonable as possible.
I'm not planning to run a high-priced clothing boutique, but sometimes
good stuff costs a lot, and in this case, traditional sweater makers
are suffering big-time because nobody wears wool anymore (slight
exagerration, but it is now the minority sweater fabric). There's the
wool supplier in the picture, too. It's neat to hear his story.

Anyway, we'll bike the arrowhead and make the minimum order quantity
and see how they go!

G

[Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery]

I wear Old Navy stuff sometimes. It's durable/comfortable enough, usually looks halfway stylish, and of course, it's really inexpensive. To say that MUSA shorts are on par with Old Navy quality might not be untrue, or the insult it is intended/interpreted to be - except that MUSA shorts cost a lot more. They're worth it though. I have two pairs of MUSA shorts and live in them 8-9 months a year on and off the bike. I've ridden many 100+ mile rides in MUSA shorts (and many in Old Navy swim trunks for that matter).

[Ginz]

It is a cold, snowy winter in PA. Send a vest here, please!!

[Adam]

Has anyone received their vest yet? I’m looking forward to it!

[Kieran J]

Sad thing to be reminded of.

RIP Seth .. :-(

KJ

[Robert Gardner]

Yes. It is glorious. 

For those that haven't gotten theirs and the inevitable second run comes -- on sizing: I am 6'2, 215, 34 inch waist (44 long sport coat) and the Large fits very well. It is stretchy, but if I was going to wear it over a few layers, I might have sized up. However, it fits so so well. It is SUPER itchy, but it's fantastic and I'm going to wear it A LOT come fall.

- rg in dc

On Wed, Aug 12, 2020 at 11:28 PM Adam <ocea...@gmail.com> wrote:

Has anyone received their vest yet? I’m looking forward to it!

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/e1f7b32b-9d7f-4db9-8242-973fcd2c5bc3o%40googlegroups.com.

[Dorothy C]

I got one of each, and my vest arrived last week. It is itchy but I find it fine over a T shirt, and with a silk square round my neck, as the neckline is a bit higher than the sweater version. As someone who grew up in Wales, the smell is very nostalgic - smells like a sheep farm.