Originally Posted by
Six jours
IMO most bicycle purchases are not terribly objective. Sometimes we do have some specific need and we buy a bicycle to fulfill that need, without thought to anything else. But most of the time, I suspect most of us are buying bicycles at least partly on how they look and feel and match our "ethos". Frankly, if that weren't true, every Rivendell rider out there would have opted instead for some mass-produced sport-touring frame welded up in China. But somehow that sort of thing doesn't tickle most of us.
So I guess if I have to, I'll amend my statement to read "If you like what Rivendell offers, then you'll like what Rivendell offers. If you don't, then you shouldn't buy one."
Ethos comes into most bike purchases be it Rivendell or Specialized, but Rivendell sort of specialize in it. The bikes are beautiful and ride nicely, but there's a lot of statement too. I bought my Rambouillet to do lightweight touring because I was familiar with the style from back in the 1970s when I last bought a bike so I liked the look and a sport tourer was what I wanted. However, as I got a bit of experience I just didn't buy into GP's luddite world. So I bought a Cervelo RS in a very objective way to replace the Ram and it's by far the most comfortable and most fun of my bikes.
There's nothing wrong with a Rivendell, the OP won't be disappointed with how it looks or rides, but I'd avoid 650b and be flexible about the components he puts on it.