Originally Posted by
bikemig
I like this thread. I really believed in Bridgestones and sold a lot of them when I worked in a shop. I own three (an RB-1, XO-2, and a CB-1). But I have mixed feelings about Rivendells. The bikes look good and they're interesting. They're also priced in line roughly with equivalent bikes from custom builders but (and this is a big but) they're not built by Rivendell and there are no options. I like the Heron a lot as a touring bike, for example, but you can pick up a Bruce Gordon Rock and Roll tour for less (a lot less). For about the same price, you can pick up a Co-Motion Americano or a Waterford Adventure Cycle and actually have a choice in colors and other options. If I were going to pay that kind of money for a bike, I'd like to buy it from the builder and have some options.
I agree. While the Rivs
are pretty nice bikes, I tend to harp on them for their price point: price-wise they're pushing into the realm of fully bespoke bicycles. You can have a top-notch lugged frame custom built for about the same price as a fully decked-out Riv. Also (and a shout-out for the home team), if you're willing to shell out for a Riv, check out Breadwinner Cycles, Ira Ryan & Tony Periera's latest venture.
If you can read Japanese and you'd prefer a sport bike, you can order a semi-custom lugged Panasonic directly from the company website. Granted (pardon the pun) they aren't cheap. If you do the Yen conversions, they come out to- again- about the same price as a Riv, but you do get a full range of colors, logo, & paint styles to choose from.