At first, I was in love with the appearance of Rivendell bicycles but over several months of obsessively reading about bikes while riding my own, my desire switched over to the functional aspects of a Riv, although I still REALLY like their styling.

I rode a Trek 730 Multi-track from 1995 to 2007 and loved it. I bought a Trek 7.2 FX in 2007 and rode it until a few months ago when I discovered Rivendell. I put the "steel vs Aluminum" debate to the test and steel won, hands down. This led me to looking for a steel bike that I could have a lot of flexibility to modify. I was really close to committing to a Surly LHT or Cross Check frame but the threadless headset and modern stem were a nagging and significant concern. I'm a big fan of classic looks and modern stems just don't cut it for me. My ideal bike is influenced by the old English 3-speeds as much as anything. I just want a lighter, multi-geared version.

I'm a super-clydesdale with degenerative disc disease so Grant's ideas on bicycle comfort really appealed to me. I've run high handlebars since 1995 but until a few months ago, my only inclination towards tire size was to go smaller! I was planning to try a fatter tire on my new build and luckily the 21" 730 I just bought has 700 x 38c's which feel amazingly different (and better) than the 700 x 35c's on my 19" 730. Score another one for Grant!

Basically, I'm looking for a functional bike with at least semi-classical styling. Lugs are cool and if I could have found an early 90's Trek multi-track with lugs I would have grabbed it but their absence on this bike doesn't bother me in the slightest.

The A.H.H was the first Rivendell to really grab my interest, primarily from watching the video of one being assembled from the box. After learning more about Riv's bikes and e-mailing Grant a few times, my interest switched more towards the Huqapillar/Bombadil/Atlantis side of things. Back in 1996 I thought I wanted a "roadie" bike so I bought one and ended up selling it within a year. I like sub one hour rides on bike paths with lots of scenery and people, not riding mile after mile on a highway or road. That bores me to death! I really think the new "Bosco Rubbe" might be the ultimate Rivendell bike for me, if I could put a triple on it. I might consider springing for the production version if for no other reason than there may not be a high quality bike of that type on the market.