Originally Posted by
charles vail
They have an additional builder for their customs since Curt is a busy boy and not all Homer Hilsens are built at Waterford. Toyo is and/or will, be building them also. Additionally, the Quickbeam was produced by National Panasonic. I suspect like any business, the "G man" does what is necessary to make a fine steel bike at a more affordable price, that is lugged, still make a profit and pay his employees. To me, the lugs are what make a Riv bike special, since you can't buy them off the rack, not to mention, the well thought out designs for practical cycling. There are many little things in the design and build process that you won't see that make them more durable, than some, as well. If I could afford one, I'd have one and I may someday soon.
The Rivendells are indeed very well made bikes, probably amoung the best in the world for lugged steel. But even Rivendell will tell you that their Atlantis model is 98% of what a Rivendell is for less money. Maybe you can't afford the Rivendell but the Atlantis is a superb model that you would not be able to discern the difference other then the name. You can see the Atlantis and their prices on the Riv web site.