I've been following Rivendell since the beginning, and I check out Velo Orange fairly often. There are some similarities, but it strikes me that Rivendell is more about the bikes, while Velo Orange is more about the accessories and components. The philosophy may be similar, but slightly different in that Velo Orange favours traditional "French" randonneur type bikes, while Rivendell favours more of a 1970's type of 10 speed sport road bike (with more gears, of course). The concepts of these bikes are different, and the steering geometry is not the same. Velo Orange are about low trail randonneering bikes meant for front load handlebar bags, while Rivs are higher trail sport touring bikes meant for rear load saddlebags. Rivendell also gets into off-road cycling more with most of its bicycle models.
But they are similar in their preferences about handlebars, saddles, fenders, bags, bells, pedals, etc.
BTW, I love both of these kinds of bikes, but I don't now and never will own any toy for the affluent like this. Way too expensive for me. In the interest of full disclosure, I do ride a bike that is fairly similar to Riv's idea of a road bike, custom-made locally for me more than a decade ago when I had a bit of short term extra cash - but I didn't go overboard, staying mid-range for everything from frame tubing to drivetrain.
Last edited by Longfemur; 05-28-09 at 01:42 PM.