I owned a '78 MGB roadster that could be said to embody some of the old world/new world straddling design features of a Rivendell.
(picture not mine, but mine was nearly identical. Mine had a tan interior). However, that MGB more closely resembles what Raleigh and all of British industry became by the end of the 70s: a shadow of its former self. It had all the mechanical foibles (if it's not leaking oil, it's empty) of any British car but less of the fun; the power and handling were heavily comprimised by US crash standards and emissions. Whereas, Rivendell is a phoenix rising from the ashes of the traditional US bike industry, not a compromised last gasp. It was quite unreliable, but handsome. My Riv Road is reliable, versatile, capable, and handsome. British Racing Green is a great color; I have a Triumph Sprint motorcycle in that color and would love a deep green Rivendell. If I ever order a new Riv, it will be a metallic BRG. I've also owned an 04 Cadillac CTS-V, a sport sedan with a Corvette V-8 and 6-speed stick. Lots of fun, but expensive to own. It resembles my Rivendell as a MUSA masterpiece, but lacks the old-world touch (unless you count all Cadillacs as old-world, but this one was pretty modern). It also embodied my bike riding style: heavy and fast. I've given up cars as toys; bikes and motorcycles are better suited and more economical. My current car is an 02 Nissan Frontier crew cab pickup. It carries my kids, camping gear, a canoe, a bunch of bikes, dirty stuff, and big stuff just fine. Sometimes all at once. It doesn't have the expressive personality of a Riv, but I bought it for its practicality, not its character. If only I could equip the Frontier with a diesel engine the rest of the world gets. 30mpg in a compact pickup would be awesome. On Tue, May 6, 2014 at 1:44 PM, Eric Norris <campyonly...@me.com> wrote: > I’ll also be in the market for my second Element at some point. 115,000 > miles on mine, and still going strong. > > For those who haven’t driven one, the Element is somewhat unique among > small SUVs in that you can roll a full-sized bike into it without taking > the wheels off. Two bikes fit inside easily; you can fit three bikes and > riders with a little doing. Changing into/out of bike clothes is also > facilitated by the height of the cabin, and in a pinch you can fold the > seats into a sort of lumpy bed. All this, and the inside is also easy to > clean (but don’t take a hose to it — that’s an urban legend). > > --Eric Norris > campyonly...@me.com > www.campyonly.com > campyonlyguy.blogspot.com > > On May 6, 2014, at 7:30 AM, Montclair BobbyB <montclairbob...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > I like to think my bike and car preferences are well-aligned... I go for > functional, practical, comfortable, fun... > I'm on my second Element, and (since it has been discontinued) I'm always > on the lookout for the 'next' one with low miles to drive for the next 10 > years (unless something better comes along... NAH... not likely)... > > > <https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-h1ZGAlz4Ll8/U2jxDzI1jeI/AAAAAAAAEm4/aoAtJ2R-e5g/s1600/Element+on+Ferry.JPG> > > > On Monday, May 5, 2014 11:47:34 PM UTC-4, Tom Virgil wrote: >> >> If you are going to say "I ride a Rivendell bicycle, I don't need an >> automobile", God bless you. Seriously. >> >> But, assuming that your obsessive, compulsive personality (I have one of >> those) compels you to carry the threads of your pursuits to their extreme, >> logical conclusions, I believe that there are some choices out there. As >> with our bicycles, they would not be obtained through "standard outlets". >> >> Just my opinion, but I think that as an Atlantis, A. Homer Hilsen, or Sam >> Hillborne owner, you might gravitate to this. >> >> >> <http://bp3.blogger.com/_eMfw8PboF5U/Rzok9A9XD5I/AAAAAAAAB8g/3-_iCzTeypk/s1600/17_Big+Bertha_1.jpg> >> >> Note that the owner has a beard (working on that for myself). I heard >> that the owner managed to convert the Seagrave fire truck engine to >> propane, so perhaps that helps with fuel costs. >> >> There is really only one choice for the owner of a Hunqapillar. The >> Hummer would be much too yesterday's trendy. To hades with the cost of >> fuel or effort. It must be a Dodge Power Wagon. >> >> <http://moparplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/dodge_power_wagon.jpg> >> >> This bad boy will go anywhere you want, albeit with an unsynchonized >> manual transmission. Well, heck, we don't need no stinking SIS, do we? >> >> Betty Foy and Cheviot are more subtle. They demonstrate a certain amount >> of class and an attitude of nonchalance about girl's bike/boy's bike. They >> are nevertheless robust vehicles. Not having one, my suggestion would be >> the following. >> >> >> <http://files.conceptcarz.com/img/Dodge/54_Dodge_Power_Wagon_DV-06_BJ_09.jpg> >> >> >> I can only imagine Vancouver librarians rolling up to the book >> repositories (or straight through them, if desired) in Canadian state >> issued editions of these contrivances. >> >> ~Tom >> >> >> >> >> >> > -- > 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > > -- > 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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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