Originally Posted by
icepick_trotsky
By your logic, no bike that Rivendell sells is a Rivendell. They don't build any of their frames, they design them and have frame builders make them to their specs. The different locations and prestige of the builders partially explain the price differences. Also, the $1500 number is for a complete, as yet unreleased bike.
You are correct sir. All Grant does is goes to various builders, which have changed over the years, and requests that they build a bike with a name he comes up with and a price he approves, once several designs are are given based on his price then Grant approves for production. The Rivendell model use to be, not sure if it still is, a design that Grant made but he didn't build the bike, the design was sent to whoever he was using at the time for the actual build. Grant doesn't even do the painting, Joe Bell use to do the Rivendell not sure if that's the case anymore or not it could be all done in house at Waterford now.
Grant is a contractor and that's all.
The question that comes to my mind is that if Waterford is building the bike then wouldn't it cost more to get a Rivendell then a similar Waterford and simply not pay for a contractor? Also Rivendell, as I found out, is not very accommodating like Mercian was, and Waterford also is a lot more accommodating in the area of design, braze ons and paint. When I enquired about the Atlantis Rivendell could do no options other than components, with Mercian I had a boat load of options and colors for about the same price as the Atlantis. Even stepping up to the Rivendell still limits your options severely vs Mercian or Waterford or other builders for that matter. Rivendell has an odd warranty too, see:
Yves Gomez scan down to where it says Our No Warranty Frame Warrranty. Who does that? NO ONE! You leave you broken bike in the hands of Grant for him to determine and if you read closely he says a broken frame is no more proof of a defective frame as a broken glass is not proof of defective glass. So in other words chances are very good that you will get no satisfaction and will have to pay for the repair yourself...at his cost. I think after all that mumbo jumbo I would just go straight to Waterford and bypass the Rivendell, just my opinion though, just like it's my opinion the Mercian is a better bike than the Rivendell, just as it's someone elses opinion that ABC or XYZ is a better bike than whoever, just opinions. I have a friend that broke a bunch of bikes since the early 80's and he bought a Rivendell and loves it because for one he hasn't been able to break it!