Peter I'm interested in the way(s) you think Rivendell is diluting their brand by offering a partially tig-welded bike. Is it just the hypocrisy of saying lugs lugs lugs all the time and now making an exception to save money makes them look like sellouts, or something? Does the presence of non-lugged joints in the Riv lineup now make you personally less likely to buy a Rivendell, because the brand is less pure? Are you complaining that the resale value of your own Rivendell has been damaged by the presence of some tig joints? Are you opining that the general cycling public will now think less of Rivendell and that will harm their bottom line?
Personally I'm often a handwringer about Rivendell's balance sheet. I like the people, and I know what it's like to worry about the finances of a small business, so I worry for them. In my opinion, their best selling bikes are always the cheapest bikes on the floor. Visitors come in, they dig the vibe, they like the people, they like that you can get a nice comfortable reliable bike and not be race-vibed by the salespeople. So you buy the cheapest bike they offer because dang, they're expensive. That used to be a $2500 Hillborne. Now it'll be a $1500 Clem Smith. I worry a little that they can only get through a certain number of bikes per year, and the are going to drag down the average price, which might hurt their bottom line. I'm not worried about diluting the brand, but I'm not certain how good a business decision the Clem Smith may be. I bet it's a really cool bike, and those who buy it will love it. On Sunday, September 21, 2014 5:07:01 PM UTC-7, Peter M wrote: > > From the site > > "All our bikes have lugged steel frames, which makes 95 percent of the > country think they’re old-fashioned and slow (not true), and 4.5 percent > think they’re homages to the past; also not true. Lugged steel is the > strongest and most beautiful way to make bicycle frames and we've been > doing nothing but lugged steel for almost 20 here in Walnut Creek, > California." > > Not my words, I guess the site/philosophy will just have to be amended, no > problem! > On Sep 21, 2014 7:47 PM, "Mobile Bill" <wfi...@rocketmail.com > <javascript:>> wrote: > >> I'll add a small voice to the discussion: >> What is it that Riv does for the bike market? I love my lugs, wouldn't >> trade em, but I'd have to say that lugs are only a very small, and perhaps >> insignificant reason for buying another Riv. Riv's overall design >> leadership and thoughtfulness is one. Many of the factors that once made >> Riv distinctive have been adopted by other bike designers -- ranging from >> tire capacity to chainstay length to general disregard for racebike design >> doctrine. But much about Riv remains distinctive. When I compare other >> bikes, I have to wonder whether the manufacturers will have thought as >> carefully about fit, and about handlebar placement relative to seat height, >> and about how to make the bike genuinely useful in multiple situations. >> There are other semi-custom bike designers and dispensers who use TIG >> exclusively, and I'd be happy to buy those bikes, except I've tried em, and >> they have an unpleasant feel or fit or they have limited use, because their >> design philosophy is different (and often much less thoughtful and >> sophisticated). >> Riv being Riv isn't about 100 percent lugged. >> >> On Friday, September 19, 2014 3:20:02 PM UTC-5, Peter M wrote: >>> >>> A Tig welded Rivendell? say it aint so >>> >> -- >> 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-bun...@googlegroups.com <javascript:>. >> To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com >> <javascript:>. >> 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.
