The New Yorker article on Grant Petersen and Rivendell

[dana_e]

is unsafe and may snap at any moment.

[Mark Davison]

I have to give theRivendell folks a little more credit--they clearly know the ins and outs of sizing and can steer you to a French fit if you want the bars up, or to a Roadini with a threadless fork, a long steer tube and lots of spacers:

From the Roadini description on rivbike.com:

"Sizing

Measure your PBH. Here's a link to how.

For a "race fit" with more seat post showing, subtract 27cm from your pbh and go with the closest size. If your PBH is 87, you'd subtract 27 and get 60; you could go with a 59 or 61. If you want higher bars, go bigger. If you want more post showing, go smaller. You'll have crotch-room either way. You can go small and leave the steerer long, to get the bars up."

[marciero]

Originally Posted by ColonelJLloyd

Okay. I'm still not seeing why you think the bike doesn't fit based on the seatpost.

I'm just saying that given the huge stem height and the more than fistfull saddle height it might make more sense to have a larger frame with less seatpost and less stem showing. If the stem were slammed, or simply at a reasonable height I wouldnt say that.

[prototoast]

Originally Posted by marciero

I'm just saying that given the huge stem height and the more than fistfull saddle height it might make more sense to have a larger frame with less seatpost and less stem showing. If the stem were slammed, or simply at a reasonable height I wouldnt say that.

But then again, if you wanted a bike that fit a conventional aesthetic, why would you choose a Rivendell?

[marciero]

Originally Posted by Mark Davison

I have to give theRivendell folks a little more credit--they clearly know the ins and outs of sizing and can steer you...

But its still Grant's approach to sizing. For many builders, PBH doesnt even factor into things as they dont build to standover. For a given rider standover may or may not be a consideration. For a new rider, it might not even occur to them that they might not in fact need standover clearance.

[Spoker]

If you go threadless with a lot of spacers and an inverse Cinelli track stem you end up with a lighter-stronger- and stiffer front end .

[Ken Robb]

Originally Posted by raygunner

There was a member of the RBW Owners Bunch who posted about pedaling barefoot and from what I can remember of the post (it was several years ago but so strange that I still recall it), the poster inquired to the group whether there would be transference of aluminum from the pedals into the body via the bare feet.

....And I loved the Rivs I had. I wish they still made them like they used to.

They hold up so well that you can probably find a suitable used Riv. Which of the old models did you enjoy?