Rivendell saved for now...

[malbecman]

Just got this email, good on all of you that chipped in. Lets hope they keep the lights on....



Thanks to you and not anything we did, in less than a week we went from me sure we’d be gone in four months — a fear I didn’t spread to the crew here— to solid money footing and optimism. Because of what you did, we can pay bills, buy inventory, pay credit card debts, pay decent chunks toward bikes already ordered and too late to take back, and pay off most of our line of credit. You must be wondering how much we took in. Businesses don’t customarily talk about specifics like that, but what you’ve done for us isn’t customary, either, and why should you, of all life on earth, have to be curious? t’s still trickling in, and we appreciate it all, but since last Th afternoon we’ve deposited a little more than $215,000.

I wondered whether or not to say the number, the only hesitation being that it might make some of you feel as though your $10 contribution for the gift certificate was a drop in the ocean. No! This had to be a massive collective effort. It would not have worked any other way, and there’s no ranking of contributions. Well...almost. BT bought a ten for the cause. That’s the one that meant the most to me, personally. Thanks, Brian. Holy cow.

Thanks to the rest of you, too—individuals and forums and websites and instagrammers and all those social media things that I don’t technically understand but I know work and made such a big difference here. If I name one I should name them all, but if I try I’ll forget one and feel horrible, so--argh-- thanks. BIG difference.

No simple thanks conveys what any of us are feeling, which is so much deeper and more complicated than that. What we’re feeling is huge relief, elation, and disbelief, and pressured, in a good way, to be worthy of it.

We have a restart traction, and we’re not going to blow it and waste your help.

From now on we’ll order and stock more conservatively, so we’re bound to sell out faster and might be out of stock when you finally want it. We’ll be better at the business, but we won’t change what’s working already, and I promise won’t get more mellow about bicycles or gear. We’re not joining the World Team.

It’s true that you saved Rivendell Bicycle Works and secured a future for the kinds of gear we cause to be, but it’s also an understatement. That’s just stuff. What you saved were jobs for the best people I know. You’re keeping us together, and we thank you for that and will never, ever ask again. — G