The New Yorker article on Grant Petersen and Rivendell

[EB]

Originally Posted by benb

I was going to mention Jan somehow seems similar, but Jan is also a certified fast guy/hard man and so is a little different.

I liked the comparison with Jeff Jones but Jones doesn’t seem as polarizing, perhaps just because he doesn’t make road bike and road bikes are where things seem to get polarized so easily.

I have had a Jones bar but it didn’t work right on the bike because of the bike geo. (Really my mistake) I’ve never seen one of his bikes but sure would love to try one. I don’t think I could get myself to just order one online but if I rode one I think I’d be pretty into it.

Jones is pretty polarizing in the mountain bike world, as his ideas run counter to pretty much everything else out there. I think his ideas on handlebars are interesting. Watching videos of the kind of riding he does, it's pretty obvious why he designs his bikes the way he does and why he (for example) is opposed to suspension frames.

[Rpoole8537]

My first three good bikes were made by Bridgestone , late 80's thru early 90's. Mid nineties, I wanted to invest in a nice steel, luged frame. At the time, Waterford made the Rivs. Grant spoke highly of their work. I decided to purchase a Waterford because I was confident that they would be around to service the warranty. Well, I was wrong. Still have my Waterford 1200, and it still rides like a luxury car! I did enjoy reading his early newsletters. As a novice cyclist, I learned a great deal. Thanks Grant

[NHAero]

I never get the folks who have to denigrate how someone else has their fun if it doesn't harm anyone. Riv could advocate for the type of riding Grant prefers and sells product for without bashing Lycra.

I had a short errand yesterday to pick up a car a few miles away, then do some other errands. I jumped on my old Litespeed MTB with flat pedals and a rack and hbar bag in my street clothes, got to the car, put the bike in, and drove to do the errands and then home. Great tool for the job (and fun to ride with the 26x2.2 slick tires and flat bars). I'm not taking the Supersix Evo on that trip, but I sure do like to ride it on the rides that it's made for.

[NHAero]

I'll add that I appreciated that Grant made the effort to cross the country and attend Sheldon Brown's memorial gathering back in 2008.

[fourflys]

Originally Posted by EB

It was a joke? Hence the emoticon?

fair enough!

[benb]

Originally Posted by EB

Jones is pretty polarizing in the mountain bike world, as his ideas run counter to pretty much everything else out there. I think his ideas on handlebars are interesting. Watching videos of the kind of riding he does, it's pretty obvious why he designs his bikes the way he does and why he (for example) is opposed to suspension frames.

I'm sure he's polarizing to the other people *making* mountain bikes.

What I meant is I'm not used to seeing actual mountain bikers being very opinionated about what other people ride or how they ride.

Roadies have always seemed way more opinionated/cliquish and desiring that everyone conforms to the norms and rules.

Some of the stuff like Jones is doing is extremely appealing to me because of the lower maintenance and KISS aspects of it. It's semi-hard for me to believe his claims about his fork setups and stuff but the idea of a bike that can ride some pretty burly stuff without the need for any fork or shock maintenance is pretty attractive.

IME the thing with his handlebars is they don't really work without a bike with a shorter TT than what the rest of the cycling world is working with. When I tried them the rearward positions on the bar worked great but i couldn't use all the positions he advertises being able to use when they are on his bikes, so it kind reduced the utility of it all.

You watch the videos of where he rides and it seems not that many people have a playground like that. Around here I think a lot of us ride our MTBs in much smaller spaces.. you're not going to care as much about alternative hand positions or getting aero for long sections between good parts of trail.

[reuben]

I don't know much about Mr. Peterson, but he seems to be well-intentioned, while inadvertently rubbing some folks the wrong way - occasionally, repeatedly, or both. We've all done the same. Such is life. Welcome to being human.

I'm in tune with his apparent desire to just ride, despite the latent athlete in me who sometimes still needs to prove something, even if it's only to myself. Whatever overbearance he may display in that regard is most likely a side effect of his desire to make us healthier and happier cyclists and humans, as well as the reader's own bias. Citing my (likely beneficial and certainly unbiased) point of view, he seems like a Jan Heine Lite, although I shudder as I type that description.

As with tubeless tires, hydraulic disc brakes, marginal gains, and other contentious topics of 21st century cycling, just do what works for you. If it works for you, by all means do it, without being overly evangelical. If it doesn't work for you, move on.

[tellyho]

My problem is that I look at any current long-chainstay Riv and cringe. They don't look like bikes to me, though I know people enjoy them in bike-ish ways.

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by tellyho

My problem is that I look at any current long-chainstay Riv and cringe. .

Agree.

This is more like it IMO.

[tellyho]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

Agree.

This is more like it IMO.

Right on. I have almost exactly that bike coming together in my basement but did not pay $1500 for the frame...

[redir]

Originally Posted by fourflys

are you really trying to say the majority of road bikes sold in the last 20 yrs have NOT been "racing bikes"? Even if you throw in MTBs, I would say a large number are very similar to what the Pros race on.. look at how gravel bikes are getting more and more "long and low".. I would agree there have been a TON of e-bikes sold, but I would wonder the number of e-bikes sold through a reputable LBS vs non e-bikes.. not sure Riv is competing with the $500 e-bike from Amazon or xxx store..

Yeah.

[redir]

Originally Posted by NHAero

I never get the folks who have to denigrate how someone else has their fun if it doesn't harm anyone. Riv could advocate for the type of riding Grant prefers and sells product for without bashing Lycra.

I had a short errand yesterday to pick up a car a few miles away, then do some other errands. I jumped on my old Litespeed MTB with flat pedals and a rack and hbar bag in my street clothes, got to the car, put the bike in, and drove to do the errands and then home. Great tool for the job (and fun to ride with the 26x2.2 slick tires and flat bars). I'm not taking the Supersix Evo on that trip, but I sure do like to ride it on the rides that it's made for.

Even on short errands like that I throw on my cycling underwear, not Lycra Spandex "kit," but a simple chamois for under cotton shorts.

[Ewiser]

We more people riding bikes how ever they end up doing it. Fitness cycling can not support LBS by its self. Cycling needs to be a big tent with welcoming of all people riding bikes and enjoying riding bikes.

[fourflys]

sorry, thought we were talking about the US here, not the dutch bike capital of the world.. (you know, since this whole thread has pretty much been US-based brands, etc) but sure, that makes sense to use that pic.. if that were any large US city, at least half of those would be stolen within the first hour since it looks like pretty none are chained to anything.. not that ANYWHERE in the US would ever have that many bikes parked in one spot..

Originally Posted by redir

Yeah.

[pdonk]

Originally Posted by fourflys

sorry, thought we were talking about the US here, not the dutch bike capital of the world.. (you know, since this whole thread has pretty much been US-based brands, etc) but sure, that makes sense to use that pic.. if that were any large US city, at least half of those would be stolen within the first hour since it looks like pretty none are chained to anything.. not that ANYWHERE in the US would ever have that many bikes parked in one spot..

Hence the reason I don't do much utility cycling. bike theft is a huge problem in Toronto and I don't want to have to buy and then replace beater bikes.