FS: Droptube Rivendell Custom 54cm

[Joe Bernard]

Divorce from reality forces sale, I've convinced myself I want a motorcycle again. Details and geometry in Craigslist ad, I need to take new pics with current drivetrain, will post that album soon. 

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/bik/d/clearlake-park-rivendell-custom-54cm/7744497816.html

Joe Bernard 

joeremi62 gmail com

[Joe Bernard]

$5k + shipping 

[Ryan]

Oh Joe...you waited so long for that bike. I do hope you don't regret selling it. I'm sure it'll make someone happy. ...hmm might be a good bike for Leah...54 cm MIGHT work for her

[Michael Morrissey]

What motorcycle are you going to buy?

[Doug H.]

I consider Joe's custom Rivendell to be the original drop tube Rivendell bicycle. Joe set the standard with that one. The custom paint job is so good too. 

Doug

[Joe Bernard]

Motorcycle: I don't know. I think it's going to take a while to sell my Riv at a price I can live with so I'm not real focused on the next step yet. 

[RichS]

What a surprise Joe. Never thought I would see you turn this one loose. Good luck with the sale.

Best,

Rich in ATL

[Brewster Fong]

Hey Joe, why not get an e-bike?  I'm old and still ride regular bikes, but a lot of my friends, especially those in their 70s, have all gone to e-bikes. Specialized has arguably the best right now with its second battery and 100-120 mile range.

Good Luck!

[Joe Bernard]

Ebike:

I've owned/built a few but they don't fit what I'm looking to do now. I still have my motorcycle endorsement and just took the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course again with a friend to refresh my skills and see if it was a thing I wanted to get back into (before I'm too old!). Motorcycles are a culture up here in Lake County and I have a bunch of folks I can ride with so I'm interested. 

Joe "will still have a lovely Riv even after selling one" Bernard 

[J J]

Wow, this is a surprise, Joe. Letting go of prized possessions can be incredibly hard. I admire the resolve. Congratulations on the decision. 

Good luck with the sale. Whoever nabs that custom will be lucky to have it! 

[Joe Bernard]

"Letting go of prized possessions can be incredibly hard." 

Tbh it's not difficult for me. At this latter stage of my life (just turned 62) I find myself at a place where it's the people and experiences I treasure; it's the part I can enjoy in the moment, hold in my heart, and keep as a lasting memory. Which is all very philosophical of me but this is the Joe Bernard I am right now! 🙋‍♂️

[J J]

Inspiring attitude and approach, thank you. 

[Ian A]

Michael wrote: "What motorcycle are you going to buy?"

Actually the correct question is "What motorcycles are you going to buy?". 

'Cause you need a mile-eater, a fire-roader and a scooter. 

IanA (earnestly sticking to bicycles at the moment) in Kitimat BC

On Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at 4:55:23 AM UTC-7 Michael Morrissey wrote:

[Bill Lindsay]

What are the chances you'll leave it out there, change your mind and sell the Clem instead?  That's the outcome I'm rooting for.  A Rivendell custom is Grant creating a one-of-a-kind bike just for you.  A Clem is fungible.  

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[Joe Bernard]

Bill, 

I'm not convinced the custom will sell at a price I can live with so there's every possibility it shall remain with me. Selling the Clem would be a possibility but there's not much money in it, I'm not sure it would be worth the trouble. Also I just really like the Clem, I love the color and its utilitarian non-precious vibe. The truth is if I had known in 2018 what my riding preferences and mileage would be at 62-years-old I would heve just kept the Clem.L I had then and been happy. Who knew?? 🤷

Joe Bernard 

[Mathias Steiner]

If you sell it, you'll kick yourself later, I'm sure. And we'll have to listen to it ;)

When you ride it, it's a custom.
To anyone else, it's a well-made used bicycle.

Save up for the motor bike, and watch for deals.
Unlike a motorcycle, your bicycle doesn't cost anything just sitting there.

cheers -mathias

[Doug H.]

If the Clem satisfies your needs I understand why you'd sell the custom. Life throws curve balls at times and forces us to make hard decisions. So, no second guessing here from me. Just be careful riding a motorcycle! I love two wheels but not at 60+ mph. :)

Doug

[Valerie Yates]

Hi Joe! I am as surprised as everyone  and also impressed how you are constantly assessing what works for you and where you want to be. I would love to see more pics, including the current drivetrain, the handlebar stem area, and the seatpost with height measurement without a bag on it. I love the idea of a fatter tired road-oriented drop tube bike. Is the tubing like Roadini or more like Sam (more stout)? Is the length like Roadini or is it one of the longer models? From the pic, it looks possibly similar in shape to the new Gallop but the tubing and length look more traditional (apart from, the snazzy drop tube and high-viz handlebars). What does it feel like to ride compared to your other Rivs? At my lower weight than yours, I wonder if this would be a good gravel/climbing bike (slot currently filled by a 53 Atlantis, old style). 

[Joe Bernard]

Hi Valerie! I'm posting the geometry/tubing mockup Riv sent me which hopefully will answer some questions, I still need to get a current photo set put together this weekend. 

The tubing is on the lighter side, I would say somewhere between Roadeo and Roadini; I've never ridden a Sam so can't compare to that one. 

It's long and feels it. At my weight (175 now, closer to 200 for most of the time I've owned it) it has a slight suspension-like ride which is amazingly comfortable. 

Saddle height in pics is 69cm. I'll get more information and pics for you soon. 

[Joe Bernard]

[Joe Bernard]

Hey, I found pics with the 7-spd stuff! 

[Brian Turner]

To me, this bike looks very, very similar to the last production run of the Roscoe Bubbe, but with fancier lugs and a slightly longer wheelbase. What if you were to find one of those in your size, sell both the custom and the Clem, then you’d perhaps have a Riv that combines the elements of both?

Brian
Lex KY

[Joe Bernard]

Brian, 

Those bikes were designed around the same time as my frame (Platypus, too) so similarities wouldn't surprise me. A main difference would be less drop in the toptube, I wasn't going for a true mixte. 

Joe Bernard 

[iamkeith]

First:  I'm surprised to see this, and hope you don't regret it.

Second:  It appears to me that buying motorcycles has become a chore and a waiting game itself.  Almost like the industry never recovered from the Pandemic supply chain disruptions.  So I'd suggest figuring out what you want and getting on a wait list with a dealer, ASAP.

The Honda CT125, for instance, might take a year to get, with very little chance of finding a used one.  (I sold a couple of vintage CT110s a couple of years ago because I was tired of the maintenance and, at 6'2", they were just too small for my son and I.  Great bikes for everything but highways, and as close to a Riv-like equivalent as you can get.  I'm still in some chat groups though, and have been watching others recieve new ones. )  Similarly, Ducatis are almost all pre-sold before the season's imports even arrive in the states.(I kid myself that I want a Desert Sled now.)

[Drew Fitchette]

Good luck with the sale Joe! 

If something isn't serving you, let it go. Glad you love your Clem L so much, and looking forward to hearing what Motorcycle you get.

[rlti...@gmail.com]

Sorry to see the custom up for sale! My circa 2000 custom is a wall hanger right now since my needs then don’t match my current needs.

I picked up a motorcycle, my first, three years ago and I’m still trying to find time to practice. Lots of work plus caring for my wife’s mother takes up all of my time these days.

So my motorcycle gets parked by my Riv custom in the garage waiting for me to use them. As of now all of my riding is utilitarian so anything recreational gets pushed off.

I grabbed a KTM 890 Adventure R at the beginning of the pandemic since I felt getting anything later would be a major pain. I wanted something that would be decent on road as well as off with the plan to be able to do camping trips off the beaten path.

Robert Tilley

San Diego, CA

Sent from my iPhone

On May 8, 2024, at 5:23 AM, Joe Bernard <joer...@gmail.com> wrote:

Motorcycle: I don't know. I think it's going to take a while to sell my Riv at a price I can live with so I'm not real focused on the next step yet. 

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[Mark R.]

Motorcycles are addicting. I’ve been riding street since 1989 to get around town, it was safer to commute at night than

my bicycle.  My opinion is to buy a used smaller bike, see how it feels, before you sink money into it

I got rid of one bike because it was too slow and loud. The next because it was too tall and I had trouble reaching the

ground at lights. Then I found the Perfect fit for me and put 40k miles on that Moto.

As it stands , I hardly ever use my car (about 2k miles since 2019) . I put 22k one bike and 2k on another till last year.

This year I’m on track to 10k, this bike is new and fresh with all the latest safety features. 

Mark R

SDCA 

[Joe Bernard]

Just so's y'all know, I rode the motorbikes for decades. I got a refresher course and decided to give it another whirl. It will be a used bike, maybe a Harley Sportster, this is HOG country up here. The point of the thread is to sell a bicycle! 😁

[Patrick Moore]

List master willing, I'd love to hear more about Rivendell listers' motorcycles. I've toyed with the idea of getting one but always decided that for the price of a decent secondary-road motorbike I could buy a Clem or buy a new (used) car.

The only "motor-cycle" I ever rode was a 50 cc (? -- I'm guessing; it wasn't powerful*) Vespa circa 1973, belonging to a girl in my class -- she commuted to school on it; she on back giggling while I flubbed the twist-shifts. 

* The road to our school was a ~1 mile prepared dirt road ending in a very, very steep, curving 1/4-mile long hill. I'd always gag myself honking up it on my bike in the lowest gear after a fast ride to school. I recall the Vespa with 2 passengers (friend was not exactly svelte) almost stalling as I frantically tried to find 1st; I did manage to do so and thus avoided falling over.

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Patrick Moore

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

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[Valerie Yates]

Joe - Thanks for the additional pictures and info.  It is a lovely and interesting bike that sounds like a fun ride. I wonder how it compares to the upcoming Gallop. I am curious but it is out of my price range at present. 

[Johnny Alien]

Main ways it differs (geometry aside because that is above my pay grade), this one has canti studs for V, mini-v, or canti brakes. This one is 135 spaced in the rear I cant remember if the production gallop is 130 or 135. The Gallop top tube hits the seat stay a touch higher and uses a lug there vs the filet braze. This custom one appears to have downtube shifter bosses (nice). Probably slighty lighter tubes but who knows. Thats about all I could tell from the photos.

[Keith Weaver]

I'll add some bicycle content by saying I think it's great if one is able to change up what bikes you have, based on your current riding desires and ability. I hope someone steps up and buys Joe's beautiful bike!

A bit more off-topic motorcycle content: I recently sold my V-Strom 650 as I didn't find myself riding it anymore. The biggest excitement of the sale was the additional space in my garage! I find I want to spend my free time on my bicycle(s) more than on a moto. Also, all my moto friends sold theirs, so it became a more solitary pursuit. I have been thinking about a Yamaha XT 250, but that may remain a distant "want" for a while longer.

Cheers,

Keith

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[Joe Bernard]

Frameset with headset, BB and Nitto post, $3k plus shipping. 

I can use the fancy wheels on my Clem and part out some stuff, plus a frame is much easier to pack than a complete bike with Boscos. Would rather not! 

Joe Bernard 

Clearlake CA 

[Ryan]

Sounds like a smarter idea...then buyer can configure the frame as desired and parting out can maybe recover more of your costs...good luck with the sale!

[Joe Bernard]

Smarter, yes. Will it work? Doubtful. I think I need more cash to let it go than folks are willing to spend. This whole project looks to be winding down soon and I'm ok with it 🤷

[Joe Bernard]

Ok let's try offers on complete or frameset or some combination thereof.