Framenummer: 000782378
No mystery about where this RiH Bike was made. I had spend months discussing the various components with Wim van der Kaaij including frame angles, gear ratios, centre pull brakes, wider rims, thicker spokes in the rear wheel, etc. We decided to have Cové built a RIH Speciaal, under supervision of Wim van der Kaaij with a more relaxed setup for touring. It was the first Rih bike that would be biked throughout Europe; (Belgium, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, Greece) through Turkey, Persia, Afghanistan, Pakistan to India. Besides breaking my fork in the south of India after about 18,000 kilometers, the trip went superb the first year. Broke the same fork a second time in North America in the Rocky Mountains. After almost four years on the bike, through 17 countries and 38.571 kilometers, I cycled back to the Netherlands.
On my return, I was welcomed by Wim van der Kaaij and his wife Rie at Westerstraat 150 where it all began. As I had send pictures, newspaper articles and letters over the years from the countries I travelled through and told the story of RIH everywhere on radio and tv, Wim and Rie offered me a brand new bike. I wanted Willem Bustraan jr. to built me a randonneur bike. I had been riding some 200 and 400 km rides in the USA and Canada and had designed a frame that would be a more relaxed, smooth long distance two wheeler. RiH 9606 (see post #416 & #420)
At that time, late 1982 Wim Bustraan came in to built a frame each week in the upstairs workshop. He had turned 75 years old and he wanted to retire.
The Cové built Rih Speciaal worked great those 4 years of intense touring. I also won a few road races and criteriums in Florida and in Canada on the stripped down RiH touring bike. After I got my other RiH bikes, this RiH 000782378 became my ride around town bike with a straight handlebar. Retired, like me from a life well travelled.
In the Nilgiri Hills, the day I broke my front fork
Riding a day with a fellow Dutchmen who cycled around India on an Indian made Opa fiets
With my friend Norma in Berkeley, California before I cycled across the USA to Miami
A stop in Topeka, Kansas with a new front fork.
Arriving home in Amsterdam