drlogan

Howdy. I'm in the market for a classic looking touring/commuting/anything bike and I've been leaning towards one of these makers. I really like the Atlantis by Rivendell, and their website is much more involved. They also seem to have a really good relationship with thier customers. This is a huge purchase for me, so any info on either maker would be helpful. Or if you know of an alternative, that would be good too. I don't want to buy vintage, as they aren't generally good touring bikes.

drlogan

I've also considered the surly LHT, as it is less expensive, steel, and can be built up to look pretty classic. But I'm a sucker for pretty lugs.

roadfix

Depending on size, are you looking at the 26" or the 700c Atlantis, where I believe Kogswell frames are all 700c regardless of size, since they're not available in anything smaller than a 54.
I've considered Kogswell P frame for myself but I have no idea how they perform as a loaded tourer.

Daily Commute

I rode an Atlantis at the Rivendell shop. It felt really, really good. But for the money, I'd rather get a custom from another quality shop. The Rivendell folks clearly loved cycling, but the demand for their product is so high, the price and waiting periods embarrass them.

If I had a ton of money and a stable full of bikes, I'd get a Rivendell. But if I had $2500 to drop on a bike now, I'd get a custom steel.

Did I say the Atlantis felt really, really good?

halfspeed

I don't believe the Kogswell is really specced for loaded touring. Kogs is a member here and sometimes posts so you can talk to him and read his posting history to see if he's someone you want to do business with.

The Atlantis is a very nice frame at $900. At $1400, it's kinda spendy for a production frame. Look in to custom Mercian or Bob Jackson frames if you don't mind ordering from the UK. My road bike is a Mercian, my tourer is an old Trek.

Blackberry

Detalis about that Mercian, please. Did you have it built for you? Any pix? They seem like great bikes from the few I saw in the UK.

drlogan

frankly, i've ridden both tire sizes and don't have a preference.

halfspeed

https://www.stockdell.org/biking/bikes
Just click on the links that start with "merc". I've never taken the time organize the pictures of my bikes like I have with the rest of my site.

I had it built for me to spec last spring. It took about four months, but that's the busy season. The wait is probably closer to two to three months right now. Even with the crappy exchange rates and shipping, it came in well under a thousand dollars for the frame and fork. You can get the cost up in the Atlantis range by ordering lots of braze-ons and upgrading to 853. Still, it's a custom frame and you get to pick everything including the paint.

They are very easy to work with, even across continents. It helps if you know what you want, and it is critical that you get your measurements right. Another poster suggested a Serotta fitting which isn't a bad idea.

Blackberry

Great looking bike. Thanks!

Kogswell

The Kogswell Model P is much more a Rambouillet and not an Atlantis.

Sports/touring, light touring.

If you're looking for a bike that's heavier and capable of carrying a load, then we'd have you look at our replica of the '50s French porteur bike:

https://kogswell.com/images/sneak.jpg
https://kogswell.com/images/sneak10.jpg

It was designed by Jan Heine, publisher of the Vintage Bicyce Quarterly. He spec'd it for 650B wheels.

If you don't know about porteur bikes, have a look at Joel Metz's web pages:

https://blackbirdsf.org/courierracing/velos.html

And if you're interested in what Kogswell owner's think of their bikes, check with them:

https://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/KOG/