What is the Poor Man's Rivendell?
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I just made a major (visually speaking) change to my bike, moving more toward being Riv-like.
In imitation of Andy's "Kool-Aid" list above:
Made in the U.S.A. Cro-Moly frame
Clearance for at least 41mm tires (running fat 38's)
Stable front-end geometry
Lower bottom bracket (relative to mountain bikes....more in line with a road bike)
Threaded headset with quill stem
Albatross handlebar
Friction shifters (if I stay with the Alba's I'll mount bar-ends)
42/34/24 crankset
This is as close as I'll ever get to a Hunqapillar.
In imitation of Andy's "Kool-Aid" list above:
Made in the U.S.A. Cro-Moly frame
Clearance for at least 41mm tires (running fat 38's)
Stable front-end geometry
Lower bottom bracket (relative to mountain bikes....more in line with a road bike)
Threaded headset with quill stem
Albatross handlebar
Friction shifters (if I stay with the Alba's I'll mount bar-ends)
42/34/24 crankset
This is as close as I'll ever get to a Hunqapillar.
Last edited by corwin1968; 04-25-12 at 05:52 PM.
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That is a very nice Schwinn!! In my opinion, nothing looks better than a dropbar bicyle with a Brooks saddle and the proportions of yours are just right.
I would like to try drops but I don't think I can get them high enough and I think they would be too narrow for me. I was riding 65cm wide riser mountain bars and just switched to the 55cm Albatross. I really think the Alba's are going to be too narrow for my broad shoulders despite Grant seemingly feeling a need on the website to try to convince people to go with a bar that wide. Given that the 55cm Albas feel too narrow ad Rivendell's 48cm Noodle seems to be considered a wide bar, drops may never be in my future.
I would like to try drops but I don't think I can get them high enough and I think they would be too narrow for me. I was riding 65cm wide riser mountain bars and just switched to the 55cm Albatross. I really think the Alba's are going to be too narrow for my broad shoulders despite Grant seemingly feeling a need on the website to try to convince people to go with a bar that wide. Given that the 55cm Albas feel too narrow ad Rivendell's 48cm Noodle seems to be considered a wide bar, drops may never be in my future.
#207
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BigDaddyPete, tell me about your saddle bag. I've been looking for something vintage looking, in canvas, about that size.
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Here is one in the Flavor of the old XO's that I picked up over the weekend.
1984 Trek 890 for "the Urban Canyon" The bike came on 26x1.5 RADIAL Panasonic tires. One year only bike from Trek. Its street biased Geometry.
Plan to go with a Mustache or Dirt drops, LX Derailleurs and 28/36/48 LX crank. 9 speed bar end shift with a real deal "Baggins bag" on a Nitto rack on the front I picked up a couple weeks ago.
Catalog picture https://www.vintage-trek.com/TrekBroc...Terrain.htm#27
1984 Trek 890 for "the Urban Canyon" The bike came on 26x1.5 RADIAL Panasonic tires. One year only bike from Trek. Its street biased Geometry.
Plan to go with a Mustache or Dirt drops, LX Derailleurs and 28/36/48 LX crank. 9 speed bar end shift with a real deal "Baggins bag" on a Nitto rack on the front I picked up a couple weeks ago.
Catalog picture https://www.vintage-trek.com/TrekBroc...Terrain.htm#27
To top it off a I ran across a Rivendell "Baggins Bag" with a Nitto rack on CL a while back and this seemed to be the perfect home for it. Will likely throw a set of hammered fenders on it soon. I have a brand new set of tan side wall 26x1.5 Pasella TG's in the shop but the Kendas are like brand new and the cheap skate in me has me wanting to wear them out first. Feel a bit lethargic though. I need to find a seat post. I'm about 4cm short of what I like. That said I'm very pleased with the ride.
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I would like to try drops but I don't think I can get them high enough and I think they would be too narrow for me. I was riding 65cm wide riser mountain bars and just switched to the 55cm Albatross. I really think the Alba's are going to be too narrow for my broad shoulders despite Grant seemingly feeling a need on the website to try to convince people to go with a bar that wide. Given that the 55cm Albas feel too narrow ad Rivendell's 48cm Noodle seems to be considered a wide bar, drops may never be in my future.
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Trek 730
Don't think a Trek 730 can be put in the same class as the Japan built sport touring frames of the 80's. Hybrids just don't measure up especially in a tall frame: top tube too short, bottom bracket too high, heavy welded frame, poor geometry...
I have ridden just about everything including the Trek 730. Best tall steel frames are those from Bridgestone, Miyata, Nishiki, Sekai, Univega etc...
I have ridden just about everything including the Trek 730. Best tall steel frames are those from Bridgestone, Miyata, Nishiki, Sekai, Univega etc...
#211
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Don't think a Trek 730 can be put in the same class as the Japan built sport touring frames of the 80's. Hybrids just don't measure up especially in a tall frame: top tube too short, bottom bracket too high, heavy welded frame, poor geometry...
I have ridden just about everything including the Trek 730. Best tall steel frames are those from Bridgestone, Miyata, Nishiki, Sekai, Univega etc...
I have ridden just about everything including the Trek 730. Best tall steel frames are those from Bridgestone, Miyata, Nishiki, Sekai, Univega etc...
#213
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I love Rivendell, I love their philosophy, their products, their logo and most of all their bikes. I'm not sure I can drop over 2 grand on a bike though. I've looked for a production or brand bike that is similar to a Sam Hillborne or Atlantis or Hilson. What I mean is comfy country bike style, decorative lugs, steel, not brown or black, ready to go with fenders and rack. gears. Drop bars or moustache handlebars. So anyone know of anything?
Raleigh Clubman & Jamis Aurora are best I've been able to find and they don't seem close. Anyone with deeper knowledge on this topic willing to help this poor man find a cheap version of Rivendell?
Raleigh Clubman & Jamis Aurora are best I've been able to find and they don't seem close. Anyone with deeper knowledge on this topic willing to help this poor man find a cheap version of Rivendell?
#214
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OT, but isn't this at Winslow Park campground? Nice.
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While it's not a poor man's Rivendell per se, in terms of geometry Soma's Stanyan is pretty tight & sexy copy of the B'Stone RB-2, albeit made with a tad better steel and a 1 1/8" threadless HT. I'd love to test-ride one sometime; if it's anything like my Smoothie it'll be quite nice. Smmooth, even.
Come to think of it, I'm surprised no one's mentioned Handsome's Devil or XOXO, which is a reverent recreation of the XO-1, right down to the pumpkin-orange paint; Reynolds 631 and they cost only a little more than an LHT.
Come to think of it, I'm surprised no one's mentioned Handsome's Devil or XOXO, which is a reverent recreation of the XO-1, right down to the pumpkin-orange paint; Reynolds 631 and they cost only a little more than an LHT.
Last edited by DIMcyclist; 05-16-12 at 02:34 PM. Reason: Just an addendum; more to te point.
#217
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This is my "country bike". A 1988 Raleigh Technium "The Chill". Fat franks, Freddy Hardcore's, an inverted riser bar. Not exactly Rivendell, but it rides purty nice. Soon to have a spankin new UN-73. Then I'll get those 165mm cranks I've been scouring ebay for. Anyone know why older MTB's seem to have been universally equipped with 175mm cranks? It's like they thought no matter the frame size a tall person would be riding it.
#218
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This is my "country bike". A 1988 Raleigh Technium "The Chill". Fat franks, Freddy Hardcore's, an inverted riser bar. Not exactly Rivendell, but it rides purty nice. Soon to have a spankin new UN-73. Then I'll get those 165mm cranks I've been scouring ebay for. Anyone know why older MTB's seem to have been universally equipped with 175mm cranks? It's like they thought no matter the frame size a tall person would be riding it.
when climbing is why so many older bikes came with 175mm cranks. In the early days the hot thing was to use 180's, if you could get
your hands on them.
I have to look, but I might just have a set of Deore XT Compact Drive cranks (M737, 58/94 BCD 5 arm) in 165mm if you're interested...
Alan
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Since this thread has come back to life here's a pic of my Bridgestone XO2 I picked up off eBay, it's served me well had a MB2 before it as my commuter.
#220
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Here's the latest iteration of my PMR (Poor Man's Rivendell). It's my Bob Jackson World Tour, which I recently had rebuilt for loaded touring. I added a triple drive train, Tubus Cargo rear rack and Brooks B17 saddle. Will be adding a Tubus Tara front rack soon, so it will be ready to handle front and rear panniers (Ortlieb Rollers). I originally bought this frame (direct from England) for commuting, but found it a little stiff for daily riding altho I commuted on it regularly for more than two years. The frame and fork cost about $600 including shipping from England but prices have since gone up.
BTW, has anyone bought one of the new Soma San Marcos? They were designed by Rivendell but sell for a pretty reasonable price at Soma ($900). Very pretty bikes altho sizes are limited. Coincidentally almost the same color as my Bob Jackson.
https://www.somafab.com/archives/prod...rcos-frame-set
BTW, has anyone bought one of the new Soma San Marcos? They were designed by Rivendell but sell for a pretty reasonable price at Soma ($900). Very pretty bikes altho sizes are limited. Coincidentally almost the same color as my Bob Jackson.
https://www.somafab.com/archives/prod...rcos-frame-set
#221
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The higher bottom bracket clearances on older mountain bikes and the theory that a longer crank arm would give you more leverage
when climbing is why so many older bikes came with 175mm cranks. In the early days the hot thing was to use 180's, if you could get
your hands on them.
I have to look, but I might just have a set of Deore XT Compact Drive cranks (M737, 58/94 BCD 5 arm) in 165mm if you're interested...
Alan
when climbing is why so many older bikes came with 175mm cranks. In the early days the hot thing was to use 180's, if you could get
your hands on them.
I have to look, but I might just have a set of Deore XT Compact Drive cranks (M737, 58/94 BCD 5 arm) in 165mm if you're interested...
Alan
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Latest version. Moving somewhat away from some Rivish qualities but the overall philosophy is still there.
I've upgraded to a threadless fork with more rake and a more nimble front-end. I also plan to go back to fatter tires, 40's at least and bigger if they will fit. Add V-brakes and a custom front wheel to match the back one and it will be complete.
I've upgraded to a threadless fork with more rake and a more nimble front-end. I also plan to go back to fatter tires, 40's at least and bigger if they will fit. Add V-brakes and a custom front wheel to match the back one and it will be complete.
#224
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A poor mans Rivendell is a lugged steel bike, not some brazed steel or aluminum crap, lugged steel and lugged only, otherwise you wouldn't like a Rivendell.
I think the lowest price one is indeed the Velo Orange Rando as one poster pointed out, lugged frame with lugged fork $500, not a bad deal, and the lugs look very nice too, and the fork uses the classic style flat crown with lugs. Very nice looking bike. https://store.velo-orange.com/index.p.../rando-74.html Even comes with downtube shifter bosses in case you want to make it look vintage. Take a close up look at that frame, it really has nice looking lugs.
If you want to go vintage just hop on E-Bay and get the entire Suntour Cyclone group, these can be found pretty cheap...cheap compared to trying to get new Ultegra group, but they were the best friction shifting system in it's time besides Sprint and Superbe, and they were extremely reliable; and you can find them either nos or nib if you watch long enough. Or find the older Shimano SIS group or 600 group, these featured downtube shifting the sis had index shifting, these were very reliable.
Anyway, there's all sorts of options you can do, mine is just a couple of ideas.
I think the lowest price one is indeed the Velo Orange Rando as one poster pointed out, lugged frame with lugged fork $500, not a bad deal, and the lugs look very nice too, and the fork uses the classic style flat crown with lugs. Very nice looking bike. https://store.velo-orange.com/index.p.../rando-74.html Even comes with downtube shifter bosses in case you want to make it look vintage. Take a close up look at that frame, it really has nice looking lugs.
If you want to go vintage just hop on E-Bay and get the entire Suntour Cyclone group, these can be found pretty cheap...cheap compared to trying to get new Ultegra group, but they were the best friction shifting system in it's time besides Sprint and Superbe, and they were extremely reliable; and you can find them either nos or nib if you watch long enough. Or find the older Shimano SIS group or 600 group, these featured downtube shifting the sis had index shifting, these were very reliable.
Anyway, there's all sorts of options you can do, mine is just a couple of ideas.
#225
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Here's a pic of it so ppl can see the beauty of the paint scheme:
Those are SKS Longboard Fenders in cream, which covers a 45mm wide tire (i'm only running 700x32s in the pic above). That gives you an idea on how much tire clearance this frame has. I ended up remounting the forward fender with the bracket in the front of the head tube to give myself a touch more clearance on the mud flap.
Those are 180mm cranks, so don't negatively judge cornering clearance or toe overlap based on the pic.
Other highlights: Mid-fork braze-ons for racks or something - you can see where I have my generator light mounted on the left side.
Braze-ons in the rear for both fender AND rack - not one or the other.
Pump peg on the head tube.
Downtube shifter braze-ons.
Semi-horizontal dropouts.
Handsome Speedy Page
Handsome Devil Page
One thing to note on this frame - the top tube is kinda long for the frame size, so if you find yourself between sizes, make sure to order the smaller of the two.