Rivendell saved for now...

[MerckxMad]

Big Riv fan here. I own a Ram, Rom, Bleriot, Roadeo, Roadini and a Clem. Yeah, the needle got stuck. I don’t get the whole axe thing, but every time I ride a Riv I smile. A negligent driver broke my back in three places years back and the folks at Riv got me riding again because of their sensible fit theory and lifetime frames. The Clem even got me back on the trails. I don’t pretend to understand their business model or quirky projects, but my world is better for them being in it for as long as it lasts.

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by Ed-B

I've been reading along with all these Rivendell posts for some time now, and while I can't say anything that differs much from other perspectives, I think the situation is salvageable.

I was a card carrying BOB (Bridgestone Owner's Bunch) with Grant before he found himself out of work when Bridgestone left the US bicycle market. And I followed along into the early days of Rivendell. I could identify with his perspective on bikes, and the market in general. Twenty years ago, we were in sync. Those first Waterford Rivendell Road frames were perfect for my kind of riding, and they still resonate with me.

I ordered my first custom frame from Grant in 1997, a Joe Starck road, and I still have that frame, another Joe Starck custom, and a Heron road. There were several others too, four other Herons, two Rambouillets, a Quickbeam, and a Saluki. I sourced all of my Nitto bars, stems, seatposts, and many of my other components and bike stuff from Rivendell. The company was very influential, and a source of high quality products that I still use to this day.

In 2004 Grant resurrected the 650B wheel, and an early article in the Rivendell Reader about 650B conversions set me off on a course of all-road cycling that opened new avenues and forever changed my perspective on "road" bikes. I will be forever grateful that Grant took the chance to give 650B wheeled bicycles another lease on life.

But then, we diverged... The Rivendell frames and bikes went off on a tangent that didn't appeal to my interests or style. And I've moved on, adding modern bikes and tech to my cycling environment. Brifters, carbon, threadless forks, etc. It's all good!

In recent years the industry has picked up on this all-road, "Country Bike" thing, called it "Gravel" and incorporated modern tech into this genre to create a whole new growing market segment. Grant Petersen was there 15 years ago, but in my opinion he didn't drive it further. Other players hopped in, they're setting the direction, and they are profiting while Rivendell is picking up loose change on the side.

When I think about what the market offers now, and what people want in cycling, it's clear to me that Grant Petersen and Rivendell Bicycle Works have a story to tell, and could create a product suite that could be brought to the market with offerings that more people would happily buy.

It's not too late to make Rivendell Bicycle Works a profitable and growing company. I don't know if Grant Petersen can redirect the company and get on that track, but I'd love to see it happen.

Originally Posted by pbarry

Me too, subscribing to the RR from day one. They lost me by the late 90's with the constant hand wringing and whining.

Yes, it is, given the intractable nature of the guy at the top. If they aren't seriously looking within to figure out "why?", and ready to make Big changes, they're not going to make it. What's the definition of insanity..?

Grant isn't looking for advice but he could use a product and business manager. He should hire Anna Schwinn or someone else half his age and a person who has worked for Trek or Specialized to help him formulate a cohesive and sellable line of bikes, all made in Taiwan. He could still sell the small run bikes and the quirky stuff that makes Grant Grant but he could also survive and take a few people along for the ride if he was willing.

Unfortunately Grant has made more money for other people than himself. Some of these people (read Trek Specialized etc.) owe him a real thanks but that won't pay the bills. He also has maybe single handedly had a larger impact on small builders and the resurgent interest in steel and boutique buyers than anyone else including builders. Any of them.

If not he will end up closing shop because I don't think he could sell it outright and watch the changes from the sidelines. He needs to stick close but give a few people the latitude to make some tough choices. Think Patagonia and Yvon Chouinard, who still drives the culture but other people drive the business.

He can still do this, but this needs to be the last time he asks for a handout at the end of the year. It's just too off-putting. I'd rather give $100 to my favorite charity than Grant, today.

I say all of this out of real respect and admiration for Grant. I wish he and Rivendell the best.

[palincss]

Originally Posted by 54ny77

was cracking up when i read that term, had to look it up myself....

http://www.citypages.com/arts/meet-t...al-man-6592215

"Behold the lovechild of the metrosexual and the hipster, a man who's incorporated a hearty helping of good ol' American masculinity into his sartorial sense of harmony.

He's old enough to grow a beard, but not so old as to hold hints of salt in the black pepper. He longs for the days when life wasn't complicated by big-city dreams, when a man could eke out a living off the land. But the closest he's gotten to downing a tree is stuffing his face with bûche de Noël.

The lumbersexual has an evergreen-loving heart, but he's a desk jockey trapped in the concrete jungle. His raw masculinity must be practiced after hours. When you actually find him in the woods, he's staring into the distance, wondering if Valencia is the right filter for this sunset Instagram post."

The author of that surely must have been channelling Somewhere West of Laramie.

[cloudguy]

Originally Posted by peanutgallery

The next step for Riv is...wait for it...artisanal firewood

Or artisanal pencil sharpening, which is actually a "real" thing:

http://artisanalpencilsharpening.com/about.html

[SlowPokePete]

Originally Posted by cloudguy

Or artisanal pencil sharpening, which is actually a "real" thing:

http://artisanalpencilsharpening.com/about.html

This is hard to believe.

SPP

[Burnette]

Originally Posted by cloudguy

Or artisanal pencil sharpening, which is actually a "real" thing:

http://artisanalpencilsharpening.com/about.html

Looking at Etsy I've seen some real crap sell but this is over the top! We should undercut his price by half and offer colos. Ka-ching!

[Jad]

Originally Posted by cloudguy

Or artisanal pencil sharpening, which is actually a "real" thing:

http://artisanalpencilsharpening.com/about.html

So good:
"With an electric pencil sharpener, a pencil is meat," Rees said. "It's this thoughtless, Brutalist aesthetic. For me, it's almost a point of pride that I would be slower than an electric pencil sharpener."

[Louis]

Rivendell's not the only cycling-oriented outfit that's done axes. Although these guys just posed with it; I don't think they were actually selling it. Nevertheless, it was pretty silly at the time (and still is).

https://brandt-sorenson.com/

[William]

Originally Posted by cloudguy

Or artisanal pencil sharpening, which is actually a "real" thing:

http://artisanalpencilsharpening.com/about.html

I have a Vintage VacuHold - V8 in my shop and I perform vintage sharpening for a mere $150.00 plus free shipping. Anyone here over the age of forty knows how precise these are for sharpening the old #2 (or any pencil for that matter). I even include the shavings and sign each pencil.








William

[tctyres]

Originally Posted by William

I have a Vintage VacuHold - V8 in my shop and I perform vintage sharpening for a mere $150.00 plus free shipping. Anyone here over the age of forty knows how precise these are for sharpening the old #2 (or any pencil for that matter). I even include the shavings and sign each pencil
William

That looks like the Draftsman Team Livery. It gives pencils a smooth and aero shape and ability to hold lines well. The crank on that looks to be a pro model.

[pbarry]

Beautiful work, William!

[David Kirk]

So I'm not a finance guy by any means so this question might be silly.....but isn't this the reason that they offer a "line of credit"?

I always assumed that one of the reasons this financial tool exists is to help even out cash flow of a seasonal business. Why wouldn't Rivendell quietly get a line of credit to maintain cash flow during the lean months?

A sincere question.

dave

[tuscanyswe]

Originally Posted by William

I have a Vintage VacuHold - V8 in my shop and I perform vintage sharpening for a mere $150.00 plus free shipping. Anyone here over the age of forty knows how precise these are for sharpening the old #2 (or any pencil for that matter). I even include the shavings and sign each pencil.

William

I actually realize i miss well sharpened pencil when i see this! I must go buy some!

[Louis]

You're wasting your time if you go to William for the work. Those Vacu-Holds are junk, and can't hold a candle to my Berol Giant.

Web pic, but identical to mine:

[Louis]

Originally Posted by David Kirk

Why wouldn't Rivendell quietly get a line of credit to maintain cash flow during the lean months?

One guess and one snarky comment:

1) They might have tried, and the banks said "No."

2) Why pay a bank interest, when you can get free loans from your customers?