Original Platy: Makeover Edition

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

The year was ‘20 and the only good thing that happened was a 55 cm raspberry metallic Rivendell Platypus. I had been waiting forever for this - 2 years at least. Riv was doing an anniversary mixte, then scrapped the idea. Instead, a “fancified Cheviot” but then covid hit and the project was tabled. Talks resumed, a mixte model named the Charlene Winthrop emerged, and we all feared the worst. Thankfully, they did NOT make us ride a bike called the Charlene Winthrop but revealed that instead we’d be riding Platypuses. I think we would have revolted except even “platypus” seemed better than Charlene.

Anyway! I was in the beginning stages of knowing anything about bikes and I chose most of my build, which was thrilling to me. Six years have passed and my bike life has evolved. I moved across the country. I started club riding and then took up touring and camping. It was high time for a refresh.

Pics and captions in the next post.

[Ron Mc]

OK, we're waiting............  (>;

BTW, my '20 project was bench-building surf and bait-finesse reels from old Ambassadeurs.  

[Leah Peterson]

The bike arrived late ‘20. This frame is the most beautiful frame Grant ever designed, in my opinion. Even he seems to think so, judging by this photo. 

I chose Bosco bars and thumbies. Silver 2s must not have been available to me yet. The mechanics set them up the non-Riv way, and that was addressed later. The shop had never done dyno and few if any fenders, so we all learned together. The wheels were my first set of Velocity Quills; they were to have pink ano rims, but covid made supply scarce and I was lucky to get this pair of silver rims. I’m pretty sure the dyno wheel is installed backwards in this photo.

I ordered an RBW 51 to support an BagBoy. Randi Jo made a bag to match my aesthetic. Analog Cycles was doing exciting things with color and I ordered ano levers, chain guard, and bolts from them. Teal and rose was the theme. The wheel is still backwards.

At some point, I swapped Boscos for Billie Bars. The Platy became a club bike. I put a pretty white Rivet on it to go with the grips. I wore out the WTB tires and switched to Ultradynamicos, set up tubeless. We got the wheel on right!

The ano faded spectacularly on the pink stuff. I ended up custom anodizing Paul brakes and levers in a rich rose. Ano fades, but some pinks fade worse than others.

Finally, when Riv got Brooks to re-release their B68, I affixed a lovely honey saddle and stamped honey leather grips from Rivet to match.

This year I decided I wanted:

1. Higher gearing. I love what is on Charlie, 42/28, 11-36. Goodbye to the 28/24, 12-36.

2. Choco Bars. There was more real estate for my many accoutrements and they look awesome. I do wish they came back 1 more inch…

3. Silver2 shifters: The Microshift worked great, but this bike needs to be as much Rivendell as it can be. 

4. Silver OM-1: Now that Riv has a derailler on the market, let’s put that on, too.

5. Silver 3 crankset: These are much more svelte and look better on a roadish bike. Ashley, the celebrated anodizer out of Colorado got a hold of them and…you’ll see.

6. Anodized rims. I’ve done several wheel sets with Velocity now, and I knew they’d come up with the perfect rims. I had intended to get Quills again, but Jill talked me into Cliffhangers. “For your camping bike?” she said, “If it was mine, I’d go with Cliffs.” If Jill Martindale says it, you best listen. We set them up tubeless with my pink Gravel King tires.

Final reveal, next post.

Leah

On Jun 27, 2026, at 8:31 AM, Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! <jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote:

The year was ‘20 and the only good thing that happened was a 55 cm raspberry metallic Rivendell Platypus. I had been waiting forever for this - 2 years at least. Riv was doing an anniversary mixte, then scrapped the idea. Instead, a “fancified Cheviot” but then covid hit and the project was tabled. Talks resumed, a mixte model named the Charlene Winthrop emerged, and we all feared the worst. Thankfully, they did NOT make us ride a bike called the Charlene Winthrop but revealed that instead we’d be riding Platypuses. I think we would have revolted except even “platypus” seemed better than Charlene.

Anyway! I was in the beginning stages of knowing anything about bikes and I chose most of my build, which was thrilling to me. Six years have passed and my bike life has evolved. I moved across the country. I started club riding and then took up touring and camping. It was high time for a refresh.

Pics and captions in the next post.

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[Leah Peterson]



My Platypus is the perfect marriage of form and function. I’ve carefully curated it over the last 6 years, culminating in its current iteration, which also features a new theme. I’ve got a rainbow My Little Platy, a Woodland Fairy Platy, a Northern Lights Charlie, and now this Platypus can join them.

It’s a bike that can be ridden around town, but it really shines as an adventure bike. I began touring and camping with it last summer and have fully caught the bug. I have an upcoming bike camping trip with the famous Pam Murray and a few other characters (that will be a very fun post!) and this bike will do anything we ask of it. 

I’ve made friends with so many good people in the bike world; this cannot be overstated. When I ordered my parts, I sent the aluminum things to the celebrated anodizer, Ashley Anodized It, out of Colorado. I told her what I was thinking but she messaged me back and said, “So, I was looking at the pics of your bike and I was thinking…”

And just like that, we had a rosy theme. How she accomplished the roses is somewhat of a mystery; all of this is anodized. It is exquisite. 

Meanwhile, David at Velocity was figuring out his piece. He would be doing my Cliffhanger rims, and he wanted to try some new techniques. It’s always a gamble when you involve 2 anodizers, but it you can be chill about it and decide to love the outcome, whatever it may be, then you can dive headlong into this madness. David wanted to toss in some thorns. “Remember, the great philosopher Bret Michaels once said that every rose has its thorns.” He looked at Ashley’s background colors and sent his best. 

When the shop brought me my bike, I shrieked. I made a SCENE. Customers were chuckling under their breaths, but I could not contain myself. My mechanics did not bring me a Platypus; they brought me a rolling FIREWORK. The camera will not capture it, David and I have tried. The colors are a shimmery subtlety that draw the eye and delight the soul. You have to see us to believe us. 

Here is the IG video I made to document the transition. When I get my pink Waxwing camping bags on there the public will swoon. You’ll have to brace yourself when we roll by. I must carry smelling salts for the public. 

This is, without a doubt, the most beautiful Platypus in the world. Brought to you by the good people of the bike world, who made it happen.

Leah

On Jun 27, 2026, at 9:12 AM, Leah Peterson <jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote:



The bike arrived late ‘20. This frame is the most beautiful frame Grant ever designed, in my opinion. Even he seems to think so, judging by this photo. 

<image0.jpeg>

I chose Bosco bars and thumbies. Silver 2s must not have been available to me yet. The mechanics set them up the non-Riv way, and that was addressed later. The shop had never done dyno and few if any fenders, so we all learned together. The wheels were my first set of Velocity Quills; they were to have pink ano rims, but covid made supply scarce and I was lucky to get this pair of silver rims. I’m pretty sure the dyno wheel is installed backwards in this photo.

<image1.jpeg>

I ordered an RBW 51 to support an BagBoy. Randi Jo made a bag to match my aesthetic. Analog Cycles was doing exciting things with color and I ordered ano levers, chain guard, and bolts from them. Teal and rose was the theme. The wheel is still backwards.

<image3.jpeg>

At some point, I swapped Boscos for Billie Bars. The Platy became a club bike. I put a pretty white Rivet on it to go with the grips. I wore out the WTB tires and switched to Ultradynamicos, set up tubeless. We got the wheel on right!

<image4.jpeg>

The ano faded spectacularly on the pink stuff. I ended up custom anodizing Paul brakes and levers in a rich rose. Ano fades, but some pinks fade worse than others.

<image0.jpeg>

Finally, when Riv got Brooks to re-release their B68, I affixed a lovely honey saddle and stamped honey leather grips from Rivet to match.

<image2.jpeg>

This year I decided I wanted:

1. Higher gearing. I love what is on Charlie, 42/28, 11-36. Goodbye to the 28/24, 12-36.

2. Choco Bars. There was more real estate for my many accoutrements and they look awesome. I do wish they came back 1 more inch…

3. Silver2 shifters: The Microshift worked great, but this bike needs to be as much Rivendell as it can be. 

4. Silver OM-1: Now that Riv has a derailler on the market, let’s put that on, too.

5. Silver 3 crankset: These are much more svelte and look better on a roadish bike. Ashley, the celebrated anodizer out of Colorado got a hold of them and…you’ll see.

6. Anodized rims. I’ve done several wheel sets with Velocity now, and I knew they’d come up with the perfect rims. I had intended to get Quills again, but Jill talked me into Cliffhangers. “For your camping bike?” she said, “If it was mine, I’d go with Cliffs.” If Jill Martindale says it, you best listen. We set them up tubeless with my pink Gravel King tires.

Final reveal, next post.

Leah

[Ron Mc]

looking good.  

My thought about Silver II, is they're short on leverage for modern derailleur throw - you'll probably like the longer shifters better.  

My Silver II L/S (and my 3x1 RoadUno) worked out best with '88 Shimano FD6401 and it takes the full sweep of the short shifter to cover the 3 rings.  

But when I tried Alpina FD here, the whole FD travel was in half of the shifter sweep - it was more work and less accurate to shift, and harder to correct without over-correcting.  

        

[Johnny Alien]

Here is my suggestion for anyone that is a Riv employee or knows someone that is a Riv employee. When frames/bikes come in there is always a Will or Grant build package. I want a Leah build package option from now on. She goes through and picks all of the stuff and then its offered up with the employee options. I think we all need this to happen

[Leah Peterson]

This is the best thing anyone has ever said to me, Johnny. ❤️

On Jun 27, 2026, at 10:37 AM, Johnny Alien <johnny....@gmail.com> wrote:

Here is my suggestion for anyone that is a Riv employee or knows someone that is a Riv employee. When frames/bikes come in there is always a Will or Grant build package. I want a Leah build package option from now on. She goes through and picks all of the stuff and then its offered up with the employee options. I think we all need this to happen

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/5a929684-b3d5-4b9d-8389-3e965c6024f5n%40googlegroups.com.

[Leah Peterson]

Ooh, Ron, I’m liking what you do with color here!

On Jun 27, 2026, at 10:21 AM, Ron Mc <bulld...@gmail.com> wrote:

looking good.  

My thought about Silver II, is they're short on leverage for modern derailleur throw - you'll probably like the longer shifters better.  

My Silver II L/S (and my 3x1 RoadUno) worked out best with '88 Shimano FD6401 and it takes the full sweep of the short shifter to cover the 3 rings.  

But when I tried Alpina FD here, the whole FD travel was in half of the shifter sweep - it was more work and less accurate to shift, and harder to correct without over-correcting.  

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To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/9cc226b2-1da2-4541-9e8b-11711b646bb4n%40googlegroups.com.

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[Ron Mc]

Thanks Leah, 

When I had to drill-out a galled stainless seatpost bolt, I went to titanium fasteners across the board - they're 40% lighter than stainless steel, but more importantly, yield strength is 2-1/2-times greater, making them gall-proof.  

They're offered inexpensly from Wanyifabolt, and plasma-coated with beautiful anodize in a range of colors - unfortunately, red is not one of them, but the purple-green rainbow picks up nicely on red.   

  

When you're doing something like a long M10 saddle-clamp bolt for a kickstand without a bottom plate, the 40% weight savings matters.  

[Ron Mc]

and a ps - when I swapped Paul colored tension nuts on my Racer brakes, I also swapped-in rainbow titanium M6 and M5 bolts.  

[Ron Mc]

and pss to show how far you can take this beyond the fastidious line:  

from left - rainbow titanium valve cap; rainbow titanium kickstand bolt and washer; shift cable bolt; FD adjustment bolts; band clamp bolt; bottle cage and bolt.  

Even Shimano 600 TriColor emblem catches the accent colors.  

[Joe Bernard]

You really outdid yourself this time, Leah. The OG Raspberry Platy looks like a completely different bike! STUNNER 🙌

[Glenn Mackin]

I would absolutely go for something like that! Seriously, this is the most stylish bike since the My Little Platy. I only wish I had that sort of eye for bike aesthetics.