Mini Riv Reunion Kzoo

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

I can’t speak for everyone, but when I meet someone from RivWorld  it’s just all green flags for me. We both love this niche brand of cycling? Green flag. You say you are on the Google Group? Green flag. We both love Grant Petersen and are in possession of at least one of his elven treasures? GREEN FLAGS. Oh, we’re gonna hug it out. Plan a ride together. Something. This is the fellowship. A fellowship of Rivendells. We are just out here, on our journeys, astride these delightful bikes and we are KIN. 

So, the aptly-named Tom Goodmann came to town for a conference. I know Tom firstly from the internet and secondly from meeting in person at the Philly Bike Expo. He is warm and engaging - exactly the person you’d enjoy riding with.  He was able to squirrel away some time and I planned a ride around the lake, about 12 miles. He brought his Curt Goodrich, and I brought Charlie. We ended in the South Bay with fried chicken sandwiches and ice cream. It was a lovely, companionable ride, just exactly the flavor I have come to expect on Riv Rides, and we were tempted to do a second loop. But there was that pesky conference…

We met a second time, today, at the downtown Kalamazoo Bike Show. The Lone Wolf, as I predicted, was in attendance, so I introduced them. TLW had his Yves Gomez along. Also present was Paul Rehkopf, known to most by “Doc” who left his Appaloosa at home today. But there we were four Riv people in tiny Kalamazoo and I was impressed. So I asked them to submit to a photo, which they graciously did - even TLW. I’ll include these in the second post. 

If you find yourselves in The Shire I’m happy to plan a ride with you! Brace yourselves for Midwest hugging and assumed familiarity. It’s only meant in the best of ways.

Leah

[Leah Peterson]

On May 10, 2025, at 5:19 PM, Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! <jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote:

I can’t speak for everyone, but when I meet someone from RivWorld  it’s just all green flags for me. We both love this niche brand of cycling? Green flag. You say you are on the Google Group? Green flag. We both love Grant Petersen and are in possession of at least one of his elven treasures? GREEN FLAGS. Oh, we’re gonna hug it out. Plan a ride together. Something. This is the fellowship. A fellowship of Rivendells. We are just out here, on our journeys, astride these delightful bikes and we are KIN. 

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[Jay]

I like the blurb and photos!

Before I discovered RivWorld I wasn't aware this magical world existed.  It's like in Rapunzel where the tower is hidden behind the trees/bushes, you step into the space and are in awe.  And of course, when Frodo and the gang first see Rivendell.  I get my 'input' from real life and the internet/youtube.  In real life, I've never seen a Riv or anything like it around where I live and ride.  I see a lot of road bikes, aggressive-geo gravel bikes, and mountain bikes.  I've spent time mountain biking and that crowed is adjacent to us, I believe.  Online though, I see more and more of this world, it is growing.  I spend more time watching and re-watching youtube videos that have the vibe I'm looking for, than anything else (and I love watching bike racing, but find myself being drawn to a bunch of people casually riding bikes around parks/forests/cities lately).

[Tom Goodmann]

What a pleasure to meet up with Leah on my return* to Kalamazoo!  We shared a morning ride around nearby Gull Lake, and I think we both wished we had doubled the miles on what emerged from early clouds as a perfect spring day.  Chicken sandwiches and ice cream by the lake; meeting Doc and the Lone Wolf--all of it excellent. it's a great thing to meet Rivfolk as we go along, eh?

Thank you, Leah!

Tom

(*I've been coming here off and on for an annual conference in medieval studies since I was a student in 1982, and have a lot of affection for the town where Gibson guitars were first made).  

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

Jay, I so understand. Until I lived in Michigan, no one seemed to know what I was riding. Here I was, on a moving art piece that I had so carefully curated to my riding, only to be congratulated on owning such a nice beach cruiser. 

This is why it is so good to have a community here. We are all understood.

L

On Saturday, May 10, 2025 at 5:47:00 PM UTC-4 Jay wrote:

[Dorothy C]

None of mine are as fancy as your lovely bikes, Leah, but I think of Grant’s “rideable works of art” phrase a lot when I ride my bikes, too. 

[ascpgh]

We knew.

Andy Cheatham

Pittsburgh

[Ted Durant]

On Sunday, May 11, 2025 at 5:48:13 AM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:

 Here I was, on a moving art piece that I had so carefully curated to my riding, only to be congratulated on owning such a nice beach cruiser. 

Well, if you should happen to take it cruising at a beach, it would be such a nice beach cruiser.

Along with any other use to which you might put it.

:-)

Ted Durant

Milwaukee, WI USA

[Tyler Ryan]

Not a Riv owner but a fan... I fell in love with bikes in Kalamazoo getting between Western Michigan University's campus and my work and such. I ended up meeting my wife there. We live in the Seattle area now but I have a soft spot for Kzoo. I've ridden around Gull Lake many times!