.
Okay, I'll play. I didn't set out to make a "poor man's Rivendell", but I can't deny there are some similarities between what I ended up with and some of the aspects of Rivendell bikes. Although I'm intrigued by 650b tires I don't have any interest in going there any time soon, and I'm quite content with my converted MTB's ('88 GT Timberline and 1993 GT Outpost) for touring and commuting (respectively). In fact, although I wonder about how the ride feels on Rivendell bikes, none of their frames appeal to me aesthetically.
That said, I have some sympapthies for what Grant is trying to do and provide, despite the fact that I personally need some specialized cycling clothes to commute about 15 hilly miles in the rain each day. Although, I favor polyester short sleeved dress shirts (or motocross jerseys), wool tights, and a pair of shorts over my padded bib tights, so I think I'm closer to what he espouses in that regard than someone in racing kit. I understand where he is coming from on the issue of riding clothes, I think he is just going a little far to the other extreme to make his point, which might do a disservice to some people who attempt to ride in all street clothes without realizing you might need cycling undergarments or to tweak the materials of the clothes you wear for riding. The rest of his philosophies I tend to be in a similar position, heading the same direction generally, but on a slightly little different course. I see him as an ally and asset, but I don't want to emulate what he is doing exactly.
Further, I've patronized Rivendell for some parts, my kickstand mounting plate and its chainstay pieces, my Nitto Big Front Rack, Spanniga fender light (went on my girlfriends converted MTB), Sheldon's fender nuts, my kickstand itself, and going over my records, I see that my wool tights actually came from Rivendell as well! I've also purchased some Newbaum's bar tape from them that I'm eventually going to wrap the bottom of my kickstand legs with to keep the feet from climbing up and shellac it, as well as wrapping my brake levers with it and shellacing that too. Some of these things (all of them?) I could have purchased elsewhere, but I want Rivendell to succeed, and so I sometimes order from there even when I could get what I need from somewhere else cheaper. Although them having enough of the type of things I am looking for on their online store makes it a no-brainer for me to order from them sometimes rather than several other places instead.
Obviously, I prefer an upright riding stance and platform pedals as well:
1993 GT Outpost
I've actually just picked up a very similar frame that I am in the process of building up to replace this low-end Outpost that likely has hi-tensile rear stays and the replacement is actually going to have the handlebars up a little bit higher. The geometry of my 1994 GT Corrado appears to be identical to this Outpost, but I expect the double butted True Temper tubing will be a little nicer on me over Seattle's awful, awful roads. Besides, as much as I love my Outpost, there's no denying it weighs a ton and the Corrado's frame is definitely lighter!
Now for some caveats on my build:
* The Brooks saddle: this came from a friend who didn't like it, after I broke a different saddle. I was curious about Brooks, but leery enough about them that I'm not sure I would have purchased one on my own. I was quite happy with my decade old $35 gel ergonomic Serfas double sprung saddle, but I cannot mount the Carradice quick release saddlebag support on it. I've had a difficult break-in with this saddle, and am at over a thousand miles on it now and think it might be broken in, but I'm still not 100% pleased with it. I was able to do some longer rides on it recently without any issues so I guess I have to say it is working for me. I'd prefer something else though. I worry it is a theft magnet and I don't like that I have to put a rain cover on it all the time, and still feel that my old gel saddle was more comfortable most of the time. It has finally gotten to where it is comfortable most of the time, so the urgency for trying a Terry or something else has definitely dropped quite a bit now that it doesn't feel that I am sitting on rock hard plastic anymore.
Long story short? I ended up with a Brooks by happenstance and it may well get replaced, I certainly didn't choose it in an attempt to get a certain aesthetic, although I think some of the compliments my build gets come from folks who like seeing a Brooks on there which elicits a sort of wry smile from me as I bite my tongue and don't say I'm not really a fan of this saddle and didn't purposely mount it for effect.
* The large saddlebag: I orginally went this route because this because this bike didn't have the usual upper mounting points for a rear rack. I'm glad I got forced this direction, because I absolutely love it and can't imagine carrying around all my everyday stuff any other way now. I'm the kind of guy that needs a "man purse" or messenger bag just for all the things I always have on me, but I hate riding with anything on my back (unless it is a minimal Camelback offroad or on a tour). The Carradice quick release saddlebag support means that I can have this bag off the bike in just a few seconds and with it's sling brought out from where it was tucked under the flap it is quickly on my shoulder and is comfortable across my back walking. Since the bike is parked in my livingroom at home this bag kind of functions as the top of my dresser as my glasses, wallet, keys, watch, and phone are usually in this bag when they aren't on my person. This bag has the long-flap feature as well and so has quite a bit of carrying capacity, usually I can fit a days worth of work clothes and sometimes my lunch in there along with spare tube, pump, tools, spare gloves and all my daily accoutrement.
At the risk of getting flamed, I really don't like the looks of the bags Rivendell offers, I think that in some ways they look cheap, and often they look floppy which I can't stand. I'm not keen on the colors and don't want plaid. Likewise, although I totally respect Carradice and patronize them when I can, I don't like their more modern offerings aesthetically, and I don't really like the white leather on their other bags. I was quite happy to find Zimbale bags which are quite similar, but come with honey colored leather. As much as I'd like to support Carradice, I'm okay with giving South Koreans my business as well, I don't think their workers are treated anything like a lot of other workers in Asia. Besides, I've given Carradice my business not only for the saddlebag support, but the eagle eyed will spot a Carradice Cape Roll mounted on top of the 18 liter Zimbale saddlebag. We may well choose Carradice for one of my girlfriends bikes as well, she's expressed an interest in a saddlebag similar to mine, certainly I'll be showing her their offerings as the benchmark and one of our choices.
Again, I ended up going this direction due to necessity and when I went looking around for alternatives to a pannier on a rear rack, Rivendells' offering of a floppy plaid bag didn't inspire me!
Nonetheless, I can't deny the similarities between an archetypical Rivendell set-up and where I ended up being, and having them out there as an example probably helped lead me to similar solutions that were more my style.
This bike definitely functions as an all-rounder for me, I sometimes go on longer rides with just the saddlebag, I ride it every day to work and school with my bookbag strapped to the top of the front rack and one day a week with work clothes and lunches in an Ortlieb hanging off the front. With two saddlebags on the front, a small frame bag, and a small top tube saddlebag I've used it to carry all of the toiletries, spare clothes, and loot for my girlfriend and I on a couple of bed and breakfast tours this summer as well:
(Not the best picture, I've rather untidily stowed my sweater and cap under the flap of the saddlebag, it and all the other bags are bulging with loot, and there is a small box (knitting needle case) now strapped to the front deck, but this picture was taken as we arrived home from our last short tour and illustrates the full range of what such a set-up is capable of.)
I was quite happy to travel loaded down like this so she could ride her converted MTB (which she loves) unloaded instead of her heavy tourer which she hates. Besides, I miss riding loaded down, it reminds me of some cycle camping tours I've done and when I used to specialize in cargo as a legal messenger. We had a blast, and I didn't mind my tourer being stuck mid-overhaul awaiting time and money, because my all-rounder was up to the task and handled being fairly well loaded on the front quite well. Surprisingly well in fact.
Poor man's Rivendell? Not my intent, and I don't really want a Rivendell*, but I think it fits in this thread. Did it help my build having Rivendell's examples out there? Maybe, but I'm more tempted to say that we both arrived at a similar place because of similar needs and desires. If I had to give props for inspiration, I'd have to thank Cyclofiend's Current Classics page (
http://www.cyclofiend.com/cc/), there are aspects of a few bikes featured there that I either took inspriation from or copied directly, for instance my pinstriping of the Honjo fenders. Originally I was just going to transfer over my Velo Orange hammered fenders, but when I saw the Honjos on a bike on that site that someone had hand pinstriped themselves I knew I wanted to do the same thing. The Honjos lend themselves better to this due to the slight differences in design between them and the VO offering, luckily someone had the Honjos on sale for a great price as I was building this bike up and I was able to make the 650b fenders fit decently on a 26" wheeled bike (they don't offer them in 26 as far as I know, 650b is the closest).
* Someday when I have room for more bikes, I'd like to give one a try and see if the ride is as magical as so many describe, but I'm not really lusting after one or feeling I need one. For me, my old converted mountain bikes do a great job and I'm quite content with them.