Making Converts

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

The weather has turned, and I’ve got 100.1 mi to go to hit my goal. I made a new bike friend, and she is coming over in 30 min to do a ride in this awful wind and to try out my Rivs. 

Outside of my extended family, I think I have made 2 Rivendell converts in my real life. It’s so hard to explain the wonder of a Rivendell, and especially if someone has a traditional road bike/racing history. 

Anyway, this gal, A, is an interesting character. She has a road bike history and has an Orbea, but she has not ridden in years after being hit by a car (that never stopped) and left for dead. Rescued by a fisherman who pulled his truck and trailer around to block the road until help could arrive, she was spared being run over by traffic that certainly would not have seen her in time. 

When we met she asked me about my hobbies and I told her I loved adventure biking, and suddenly I got a text from her askiing if I wanted to do a ride. She is the type of person who will just try anything. She pulled her 30 year old Mongoose out of the garage and rode the Barry Roubaix route days after we talked. She went alone and made friends on the ride. She has attended 2 more alt biking type rides with me - 1 dirt and 1 gravel - and she is actually pretty fast! I think she comes from a racing background because she calls rides “races.” She is looking to update her bikes. She got 30 mm tires on her Orbea, but has left her Mongoose stock. I offered to let her try my Rivs and I wonder if this is going to go over well. I’m going to have to explain friction shifting. Will she think my bikes are heavy? Well, they aren’t compared to her Mongoose. What will she think about upright bars? 

I’ll let you know how it goes. This whole thing is making me nervous, and why should it? It just feels SO BIG to try and explain the ethos and get people to believe it’s ok not to emulate racers. I used to be enthusiastic about it, but now I feel like it’s too hard to explain and people rarely get it. We’ll see. I should probably give her Charlie, huh? The Platys might be too much in the wind and all… 

Who has made real-life converts? Who has stories about trying? I’m listening.

Leah

[Garth]

Just be yourself Leah and enjoy the ride. You know all the times I thought I was doing good by selling other peoples ideas, it didn't go well and feels awful. If you're "selling" anything, it's "just be yourself,", and isn't that supposed to be the true meaning of "just riding" ? That you don't have to be like this, that, or the other ? That you're wonderful just the way you are ? 

I think there is too much emphasis on what one wears and rides, as if one is "good" and the other "bad". Even Grant and co. do this, consciously or unconsciously doesn't matter. I see it. In trying to "not be like them", one ends up being just like them in different clothing and bike ! Just ride , merry and mirthful ! 

[Patrick Moore]

I'll be very interested how your new friend takes -- or does not take -- to Rivendells.

I have a riding friend who rides 7500 miles per year very slowly, much if not most of it transportation riding: 8 am gym workout, 9 am doctor's appointment across town, 8 pm dinner in the Foothills, evening gala ceremony for something or another downtown, all her shopping except 1x per month when she drives her 2006 Corolla for big box purchases. She has 3 Bianchis, one a cf road bike, the second an aluminum road bike, and the third a cyclocross bike. None have tires wider than 28 mm, none have fenders, none have racks or luggage (she uses a backpack) and she uses clip-on lights (but good ones).

She even rode sans fenders throughout the rainiest-ever week in ABQ history a few weeks ago (I don't know if it really was the rainiest ever, but it rained continuously for 3 days straight and also rained on 2 other days, and some parts of the city got 2", IIRC -- this is Albuquerque. I've offered to install fenders but she doesn't want them.

Retired UNM sports doctor (she took care of all the sports teams for 30 years), ex long distance runner who took of "fast" cycling with her former husband, now can't be bothered to ride fast.

IMO, she's the perfect candidate for JBARA* but beyond suggesting fenders I don't want to push anything on her. At at least a couple of years older than I, I expect she's permanently set in her ways. But it would warm my heart to see her on a more practical bike, even a  Roadini or Homer, let alone a Sam or one with upright bar.

*Bike Snob: Just Buy A Rivendell Already.

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Patrick Moore

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

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When thou didst not, savage, know thine own meaning,

But wouldst gabble like a thing most brutish,

I endowed thy purposes with words that made them known.

[Joe Bernard]

Leah, 

I think the trick to this is just tell her why you like the bike she's trying, knowing it's ok if it's not for her. No stress for you, you'll have a nice ride!*

As I'm sending this late in the day the deed is probably already done.  I look forward to hearing how the day went. 

Joe Bernard 

who just rode his Clem and a guy asked me about it. 

[Leah Peterson]

Well, there was no pressure because she decided we should just hit the road and she didn’t want to take my bike if she didn’t know she’d love it. So she rode her old Mongoose and she did great on it. She has complimented my bikes on their classic look, which makes me think it might not be her thing. 

She’s been choosing that Mongoose over her road bike and I asked her why and she says because it can handle anything - she’s distrustful of that road bike. Well, handling anything, that’s how I feel about MY bikes. Honestly, she can ride whatever she wants. I just want her to love it and feel safe, and that’s what Rivendell gives *me.* I still think about that guy from our club who crashed this summer and is now home but a quadriplegic. I wonder if he had my position and my tires and my bars if it would have spared him that degree of injury. We can’t know.  

But if she’s in the market for a new bike (she is) then I at least want her to know she has THIS option. 

Leah

On Nov 8, 2026, at 5:27 PM, Joe Bernard <joer...@gmail.com> wrote:

Leah, 

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[Michael Cinibulk]

To the question of making converts, I have not been successful in making a Riv convert completely; but, I have gotten two to move to steel bikes. One decided on a semi-custom Waterford about 10 y ago (our LBS was a Waterford dealer for many years), so I consider that a huge success, especially since my Waterford 1250 is the nicest riding bike ever, even nicer than my Sam Hillborne, I just wish it took wider tires (currently running 28 mm GP 5000, but I think I can squeeze in 30 or even 32's, next time!). He was riding an aluminum Trek.
The other was a young buck who was looking for his first real bike and wanted a touring frameset, but couldn't afford a Rivendell, so settled on a Surly LHT.

-Mike Cinibulk

Bellbrook OH

[Doug H.]

I attempted to convince a friend to try a Roadini but he brushed off the offer, nicely. His biggest hang-up with the bike was the quill stem which he said he did not like. Another issue was that it had a steel fork instead of carbon. He's not all about carbon frames though as he owns a titanium Lynskey, a steel Ritchey and a carbon something or another. 

Doug

[Charles Staunton]

I have a friend who is a rather large dude. He want’s to get into a riv like bike but on a budget. He lives in SF and want’s to be able to get up hills and take it to a bar without worrying too much about it getting stolen. I assume he is thinking riv for the aesthetic and tire clearance. Does anyone have a suggestion for a vintage frame that is affordable and would run 700c x 38 ish or more?

Thank you

-Charlie 

Virgil Normal

4157 Normal Ave.

Los Angeles, Ca 90029

(323)741-8489

he...@virgilnormal.com

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[Will Boericke]

90s mtb.  Can be had for peanuts (as long as you're not competing with the xbikers for Specialized) and accommodate big tires.  Revamp the cockpit to whatever extent your wallet will bear.

[Peter Adler]

Or almost any 70s road frame. 

About 15 years ago, my best friend (6'3", about 320 lb at the time) wanted a bar bike. We're also in the Bay Area (East Bay), so some gearing range was necessary for hills. I built him him up something from scrounged eBay and community bike shop bits: A nicely rattlecanned Raleigh Grand Prix* frame, generic sealed bearing  BB/headset, double-pull front brake, a pre-built rear wheel with a Sturmey-Archer drum hub, cheap rack, wide freewheel, cheap crankset/derailleurs/flatbar cockpit. A sturdy wide-range 1x5. Tires were 622x38, but I recall I still had some clearance in back; the replacement fork wouldn't clear more. I've got a slightly later photo, from after we installed those wire fold-up baskets on the rack, to hold grocery bags.

I have a Bertin from the early 70s that will fit a 40mm; I ran a 1971 Raleigh International for 15 years with 700x35, and I could have run wider if I hadn't kept deluding myself about installing fenders.

For general reliability, almost any of the (IMHO) Raleigh International-inspired 1970s-1980s Japanese sport touring frames will take wide tires, without catching any special attention from bike snatchers. Common brands: Fuji, Takara, Shogun, Nishiki, Centurion, Miyata, Soma (not the same as the later US company; Japanese Somas have elaborate headbadges), Bridgestone.

*the lowest tier of Raleigh frames made at the Carlton works, so they use standard British threaded bottom brackets/headsets, instead of Raleigh's in-house threadings. Better for long term maintenance, if they ever need to be replaced

Peter "Japanese stuff is definitely not my specialty" Adler

Berkeley, California

[Charles Staunton]

Thank you for the recs. I built a fuji America touring bike but was only able to fit 35’s which wasn’t bad..  but I’ll look out for Raleigh fuji’s and the soma sounds super cool.

Thank you

-Charlie 

Virgil Normal

4157 Normal Ave.

Los Angeles, Ca 90029

(323)741-8489

he...@virgilnormal.com

On Nov 9, 2026, at 1:10 PM, Peter Adler <divis...@gmail.com> wrote:

Or almost any 70s road frame. 

About 15 years ago, my best friend (6'3", about 320 lb at the time) wanted a bar bike. We're also in the Bay Area (East Bay), so some gearing range was necessary for hills. I built him him up something from scrounged eBay and community bike shop bits: A nicely rattlecanned Raleigh Grand Prix* frame, generic sealed bearing  BB/headset, double-pull front brake, a pre-built rear wheel with a Sturmey-Archer drum hub, cheap rack, wide freewheel, cheap crankset/derailleurs/flatbar cockpit. A sturdy wide-range 1x5. Tires were 622x38, but I recall I still had some clearance in back; the replacement fork wouldn't clear more. I've got a slightly later photo, from after we installed those wire fold-up baskets on the rack, to hold grocery bags.

<driveside.jpeg><rear_hub.jpeg>

I have a Bertin from the early 70s that will fit a 40mm; I ran a 1971 Raleigh International for 15 years with 700x35, and I could have run wider if I hadn't kept deluding myself about installing fenders.

For general reliability, almost any of the (IMHO) Raleigh International-inspired 1970s-1980s Japanese sport touring frames will take wide tires, without catching any special attention from bike snatchers. Common brands: Fuji, Takara, Shogun, Nishiki, Centurion, Miyata, Soma (not the same as the later US company; Japanese Somas have elaborate headbadges), Bridgestone.

*the lowest tier of Raleigh frames made at the Carlton works, so they use standard British threaded bottom brackets/headsets, instead of Raleigh's in-house threadings. Better for long term maintenance, if they ever need to be replaced

Peter "Japanese stuff is definitely not my specialty" Adler

Berkeley, California

On Monday, November 9, 2026 at 11:20:03 AM UTC-8 Will Boericke wrote:

90s mtb.  Can be had for peanuts (as long as you're not competing with the xbikers for Specialized) and accommodate big tires.  Revamp the cockpit to whatever extent your wallet will bear.

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<driveside.jpeg><rear_hub.jpeg>

[Patrick Moore]

+1. I remember a lovely 1991 Specialized Stumpjumper Team, tout Prestige, with Tioga T-bone upjutter stem holding 42 cm Giro d'Italia bar and road cassette with (?) 48/38/26 triple and Tioga City Slicker tires + rack. Wonderful commuter. And there have been others.

[John Ahearne]

The Schwinn Le Tours frames should be able to handle a wider 38 tire. Schwinn bullet proof steel frames can be widened to accommodate a 135 rear hub. Maybe even other types like the 3 and 5 speed models can handle wider tire. Check out the Speedsters, Breeze, Continentals and Suburbans. I run Schwalbe 35-37s and tear up the Streets and Hills of San Francisco.
Taking it to a bar and not worry about it getting stolen. No worries, it will get stolen. It's easier to stomach losing a $200 bike vs a $3000 bike. 

John in SF

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[ascpgh]

I chose my Rivendell, having had several Bridgestones, after a conversation with Grant about my needs and a "new" production model, the Rambouillet, that really suited my needs. It was perfect for me and prescient in the industry. I was a bit self-conscious when riding it at first because it was overtly about what it wasn't: not a low, stretched-out riding position, not twitchy steering, not multifunction brifters, not physically limited to the skinniest tires with near-to-nothing clearances, not streamlined of connection points with three bottle cages and plenty of eyelets for rack and fenders. In its own way, my Ram elicited compliments in any group of bikes, and I had to get comfortable with that after getting out of the bike business and not "selling" anything. The way it fits and does for me what it is supposed to must be the attraction. 

What I tell folks about Rivendell is (and has been) about their riding and what they need, not what they should be doing on a bike and what they should be riding. No one has to ride for forty years to achieve clarity of cycling's purpose in their life; a couple of months will usually do fine. After that, it is important not to let marketing erode your confidence. Not in a magazine, pop-up ad, LBS, or other bike riders. 

I sought Grant's input and was looking toward a custom when he talked up the Rambouillet for my use. It was 10/10 for decades until some changes made a few more things, that it wasn't, important to my riding. So after twenty years of cautious list-making and deferral by modifications (Paul Racers + Honjos, Stampede Pass ELs) I sought something that was again 10/10 for me. A RIv custom was a super tight situation at the time and distant, so I opted to engage a builder I met at the Philadelphia Bike Expo. He knew the Rambouillet and the particular details I liked, but also heard my short list of things I needed to add to it. It is steel; it has a steel fork, it has integrated lighting, integrated load capacity, and fixtures supporting what I do (not the Walter Mitty version). A person who I interacted with made it of steel, with lugs, fillet brazing, and braze-ons. This bike also elicits many compliments in the same way my Rambouillet did twenty years ago. 

 I had to get comfortable drawing these interactions all over again, and realize much of it has to do with riding a bike that is visually so obviously what I use it for that folks notice. I guess that's what it's always been about. 

Andy Cheatham

Pittsburgh