Originally Posted by
KonAaron Snake
This post has an interesting point or two, but overall totally misses the mark...
There are lots of made in America custom frames that can be had for the same price as a Rivendell. Buying that way gives you a bike that you've specifically designed for you. Why would you buy a Rivendell? Please xplain to me how these are "pretty and good value" when I can have a bike designed for the same price with a paint scheme exactly as I choose it? Are his propietary lugs worth that much?
Would you voluntarily pay 20x standard pricing for a made in the US TV? I would not.
Regardless of how the used market fluctuates, the entire ethos that GP preaches is based on reproducing an older style of bike...why buy a new one? You can outfit and adjust a steel frame for new components (one of the advantages of steel is the ability to respace it) if you are at all patient and willing to look. If Rivendell's marketing preaches that steel lasts, the obvious follow through question is why buy new?
Based on Rivendell's own logic, there is no reason to buy a Rivendell when you can get an 80s touring bike for $500 or less and pay comparatively little to make it as new. The used market absolutely is related to the new market...and vice versa. It's you who is a bit dense if you think those markets don't relate to one another. There also aren't a lot of $150 Italian master pieces being sold.
I feel like you read someone else's post and are responding to that. I did not mention custom bicycles. I am not interested in a custom bike - because I am very normally formed, and frankly am just not that picky - and thus have no interest or knowledge of that market. My comment regarding value was in comparison to other production bikes, premium examples of which can and do often run to very similar money. If you can buy your custom dream bike for less, please do so. Smile and ride around all day, I wish you well.
If the "made in US" TV was also many times better than a foreign TV, then yes. Well of course I don't own a TV, and would never spend good money on something like this that goes obsolete, but as it goes...
On the used market, I've seen Dekerf Team SLs and three-year-old Kona Stuffs go for the same money. Does that mean I should call up Chris and offer him $500? I bought my latest touring steed for the humble price of $750, does that mean the new ones (which are essentially identical) are worth 50% of their asking price? This is not the way retail works, you already know this.
GP preaches a rational style of bike. Sometimes that's the same as old, sometimes not. Some people are willing to pay good money for these, just as someone was willing to pay good money for your Ti Merlin. I guess if someone can show me a bike that's made somewhere civilized, uses nice steel and lugs, nice paint, has sensible braze-ons and clearance for sensible tires, a nice low BB and pleasant, predictable geometry - NEW - for less, I'll concede that they are overpriced. And maybe they are, I don't know. I guess my only real point is that they seem like a good deal next to a Taiwanese carbon frame that may last five seasons, at best.