Yea, I didn't receive any mail, bummer.......it should have at least shown up in my junk mailbox. I check both nearly every day.
Regarding the name thing and the intellectual property stuff, I think some nice generic names could be found for new models. How about "Beamer" in place of the QB name? You could name a new model the 'Country bike'. There are probably quite a few ways to go on this subject. I enjoyed watching the Lord of the Rings movie and my wife and children love these types of books but we are not rabid fans. The bikes and the whole philosophy presented by Rivendell however fit into my definition of practical bicycling and I can appreciate (but can't afford right now) the beauty of the bikes . Lugged frames are fun to look at and appeal to me as the proper way to make a bicycle frame. Stay true to and even expand your riding philosophy and maintain your unique spot in the marketplace no matter what you name your bicycles. On Feb 11, 9:56 am, Dustin Sharp <dsh...@runbox.com> wrote: > Thanks for forwarding this on, John. I couldn't find the original in my > in-box, or junk mail folder. Maybe it was waylaid by bandits of the ether > en route? > > Dustin Sharp > > > From: John at Rivendell <j...@rivbike.com> > > Reply-To: <rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com> > > Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:00:32 -0800 (PST) > > To: RBW Owners Bunch <rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com> > > Subject: [RBW] Get Your Email Update Here > > > Dear Fellow Forum Readers, > > > We sent out an email update yesterday. It was written late last week, > > and one or two things have probably changed, in terms of available > > stock (58 Atlantis frames, for example), but I am passing it along, in > > case you missed it. > > > Spam filters have a way of interfering with mass mailings of this > > kind. Usually, we don't mind that, except when it's *our* mass > > mailing. > > > (Hopefully, the formating won't change, and make the cut and pasted > > message below look like poetry from one of those 70's college literary > > publications.) > > > Cheers, > > > John > > > =====+=====+===== > > > Rivendell Bicycle Works > > Email Update - February, 2009 > > New year, new everything, time for an email update. > > It may be long. > > > THE TOPICS, IN THIS ORDER: > > > How we did last year > > Some internal changes > > Some ideas for 2009 > > Grant's internal attitude shifts & wishes/hopes > > Observations on bikes, the bike industry, and the outdoor industry in > > general > > About our suppliers > > Current brands news > > Imminent bikes > > Future bikes > > New Stuff > > Old Stuff > > > HOW WE DID LAST YEAR > > > We were hurt badly, and I mean ferociously, by the strong Yen, weak > > Dollar. > > It is horrible. The Japanese frames and parts are really good. As good > > as > > good gets, as great as great gets, as expensive as all get-out. We > > hold > > prices too long and raise them too little & late, always with extreme > > discomfort and fear. > > > Our Japanese prices are on the low side. It's not ideal in the big > > picture. > > Our business model is buying direct, selling direct, and that saves > > the day > > for us, but it makes life harder for other retailers who also sell the > > same > > Nitto parts, for instance. > > > > It's the cause of much concern here, lots of internal debate (in my > > head, > > anyway). On one hand, we don't want to be low-ballers. On the other > > end, we > > are 100 percent committed to Nitto, offer virtually no other options > > so far, > > so don't feel compelled to match prices with dealers for whom Nitto is > > fringe.if that makes sense. > > > Our 2008 sales were fine, but our profit is off. Our end of year taxes > > will > > wallop us, because our inventory counts as cash. We get walloped every > > year; > > but this year we'll end our fiscal year earlier, which may help. That > > way we > > can have more inventory by Christmastime without fearing the higher > > taxes on > > it. > > > SOME INTERNAL CHANGES > > > We hired Dave and Jay full-time, and Aaron and Harry for Saturdays. > > They > > were all customers before, with plenty of skills, the right > > personality, > > good work ethics, and they're totally familiar with our bikes. Now > > we're > > going to settle in, and see how much we can do with this final staff. > > Payroll is higher than ever, but nobody wants a pay cut, and nobody is > > lighting Roi-Tans with five dollar bills, either. > > > SOME IDEAS FOR 2009 > > > Trying to get RR41 out in February, and then, believe it or not, three > > more > > Readers out this year. Trying. They'll be the OLD size, and 32 to > > 40pp. And > > we're going to shoot for smaller and more frequent catalogues, too. > > > In addition to the Flickr Rivendell gallery, we're going to have one > > on our > > site, too.is the plan. Many of the gorgeous bikes we assemble never go > > Internet public, but we'll try to have them on our site. > > > For five months we've been working on a new US-made line of saddlebags > > that > > will sport a new look and have some new and some old features, and the > > brand > > is Sackville. Made by a small staff of experienced stitchers headed up > > by > > two ex-chieftains from Coach and Dooney & Bourke. > > > The first two models have been thoroughly tested and refined, and will > > be > > harshly slick and highly functional, and you can expect them in > > February. > > Cost will be about $200-which is the place things end up when zero > > corners > > are cut and they aren't made in China. (Some more expensive saddlebags > > are > > made in China, now. So..) > > > I still think of saddlebags as costing $65. There's about $20 in > > leather on > > each of the SaddleSack seat bags, and that much in fabric. Only the > > best and > > most expensive hardware, and labor rates that keep the manufacturers > > in > > business in America. Labor is always the highest cost of our bags. We > > absorb > > the development cost (always) and the cost of cutting dies and > > prototypes. > > There will be a Large and a Medium before February. The large will be > > priced > > where it has to be-and if it had the same markup as a women's handbag, > > it > > would be $420. > > > ANYWAY, THEY WILL BE GOOD. > > > The big thing is bikes. The Toyo-built bikes are so beautiful and so > > expensive, so we have to cut back. We order them mostly to help Toyo, > > but if > > the ¥ keeps getting stronger, that's going to stop it. > > > GRANT'S INTERNAL ATTITUDE SHIFTS & WISHES/HOPES > > > I'm less snobby than I used to be, because over the years I've seen > > too many > > things & too much bikefinery exhibited and oohed and ahhed over and > > either > > not ridden, or maybe meticulously crafted but poorly designed, at > > least > > according to my values-which I admit may not be universal. > > > The look I like in a bike is skinny tubes, chubby tires, high bars, > > fenderable, and fenders in the Winter at least, and rackable, with at > > least > > one rack, and a bag or two. Good clearance, simple decals, easy to > > read and > > properly placed. Useful gears, leather saddles (still snobby there), > > and I > > still like the lugs and crowns. I'm going more and more to heavier and > > fatter tires, because in most cases the weight gives you something you > > can't > > get without it-either a longer-wearing tread, or a tougher sidewall > > that can > > take many more months of sun, or both. I'm deep in to visibility these > > days, > > and I have come to really like the look of the triangles, and spoke > > reflectors (the light kind we have, or simply reflective tape folded > > over > > spokes). I don't mind filthy bikes, but I hate squeaky chains. Filthy > > chains > > are OK, and recent experiments with non-Boeshield chain lubes have > > left mine > > filthy. > > > OBSERVATIONS ON BIKES, THE BIKE INDUSTRY, AND THE OUTDOOR INDUSTRY IN > > GENERAL > > > I'm convinced that it's everybody's plan to start a new company groovy > > and > > green, establish prices based on US labor, then expand the product > > offering > > way too much, sell out to buyers who take the line to China. It > > happens all > > the time. > > > This happens with the old brands in Europe, some not-so-old brands in > > the > > U.S. Try to buy a thermos bottle that's not made in China. China may, > > in > > fact, make the best thermos bottles in the world, who knows? But > > they're all > > made there, except one. > > > When brands go to China, the price doesn't go down. The price has been > > established, and now there are public shareholders, so the price can't > > go > > down. You can tell a shoe that's made in China. It is a composite of > > leather, mesh, nylon, reflectorization, with all kinds of unnecessary > > stitching and features-a massive complication of details consolidated > > into a > > pair of size 6 1/2s, all for $39 to $89 retail, with enough left over > > to > > ____ > > > Another carbon fork recall. There have been so many now, and there > > will be > > many more. Any material can break, but it takes carbon to break > > shockingly > > suddenly, way out of proportion to its cost and theoretical strength. > > > ABOUT OUR SUPPLIERS > > > We try to buy American-made products first, but not when they're > > substandard, and they sometimes are. But still-that's always the first > > choice. Last choice are things made in China, and nothing we sell > > except, > > well, one thing, is made there. We bought some cheap tape measures > > from a > > company with American flags all over its web site, and "U.S." in the > > name. > > Ordinarily we verify the country of origin, but with the flags and > > that > > name, dove in head first and ordered them. When we're out, we won't > > reorder. > > > WHENEVER POSSIBLE, AND IT'S OFTEN POSSIBLE, WE BUY FROM: > > > . Small makers; not because big is bad, but only because we're small > > ourselves, and it feels right to support other small businesses. > > . Traditional makers who've been making the product in question for > > many > > years, or things just like it, for many years > > . Makers to whom our business matters. Sometimes it's because they're > > small > > and have no big accounts, but many times it's just because we hit it > > off, > > and they're proud to have us sell their widget. > > . Makers who are intimate with what they're doing, who refer to the > > widget > > by its name, who know exactly how it will be mounted (if it gets > > mounted) > > and exactly how it will be used. This may seem obvious, but it is not > > the > > norm these days. > > > This is a high-hassle and sometimes costly way to buy things. It's a > > hassle > > because often the makers are little-known and hard to find. If they > > make > > something that's almost but not quite right for us, the minor change > > can > > drag on for half a year or more. Often they're struggling themselves, > > and > > we've even lent money to our makers to help them make payroll and pay > > their > > material suppliers. > > > We sell really well-made goods that tend to be expensive, and your > > purchase > > is your way of supporting this way. Since it is the > > ... > > read more » --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
