Hi Ray, Your current scenario echoes one of mine from several years ago and I would also caution you on the potential growth of expense in upgrading this or that. Reflecting on my own progression the hands on learning that came with all my parts swapping is invaluable but came at a hefty cumulative price tag when all was said and done. I ultimately purchased a complete Rivendell Clem Smith Jr. when the 65cm became available for pre-order. The irony is that I’d have been able to buy the real deal sooner had I not spent all my time and funds tweaking my old MTB, but I’d have been less informed and potentially less happy had I not waited for the Clem.
You don’t specify what parts you do or do not already have nor what specific Riv model you are most drawn to, but if this entire project is beginning from scratch I’d suggest outlining your parts wishlist (bars, racks, etc.) and adding up costs. In my case I had a stash of spare parts but still needed 29er wheels for the Clem. The presale complete gave me the better value vs Clem frame and separate purchase of new wheel set/cranks and time to figure out the rest of the build. Lots to think about and I have no experience to offer with the Expedition or XO series but will confirm building your own could be very fun and rewarding just be prepared to absorb sunk costs even if you end up flipping this or that to work your way up to an eventual Rivendell frame. Best, Brian Cole -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/189ef712-c098-4ed9-8f49-03a6cb7f4b20o%40googlegroups.com.
