More than one road to Rome. Me, although I agree w/much of the Riv philosophy, no way would I could justify throwing down for one of their bikes. There are too many good old frames out there much cheaper, even if you factor in a repaint/refurbishment. And these days, I can build something up that is right the first time, although that wasn't always the case. OTOH, my sister, who recently finished her cross-country ride on my doorstep, essentially knows doodly about bikes/frames, especially old, used ones, but wanted a bulletproof steel bike for her ride. In her case, it made sense to go with a Riv Atlantis, as starting from a baseline of little mechanical knowledge/experience, she would probably spend a lot more time than it would be worth learning about what sort of old frame to buy, what components to hang on it and so forth.

She apparently had to lean on them pretty hard to get them to install brifters - she had to fend off a pretty concerted hard sell on barcons, which she hates.

There is a funny little paradox about the Riv site and Reader pub - they have to put out enough information to convince many of why their products are desirable and justify the cost. But a lot of that knowledge, once gained, is pretty useful in putting together a Riv (somewhat) equivalent for a lot less. But enough people don't need the hassle, which ends up being a fairly critical component of their business plan, along with warranty service, consistent ready availability, etc, that you don't get with an old bike or old parts - there is a lot of serendipity there.

Like others, even though I probably won't ever buy one of their bikes, I'm absolutely delighted that Riv and Velo Orange are out there, spreading the word and creating enough critical mass to keep a lot of old school components in production and available so we don't have to rely on ever dwindling supplies of NOS parts.