FWIW, W'Ford has a reputation for soft paint that is easily knicked/scratched.
On Thu, Nov 5, 2009 at 4:46 PM, John Stoesser <jstoes...@comcast.net> wrote: > > Personally I think the customer has a beef. A sub-par paint job on a $4,000 > bike is unacceptable. A sub-par paint job on a $2,000 frame is > unacceptable. > If you advertise a custom paint job, it should be in line with the quality > of the standard paint on the AHH. Anything less should sell for less than > the standard frame. I would hold them accountable. I'm glad you posted this > as I've been wrestling with a 69 or 71cm AHH (if they hadn't discontinued > the 68cm Atlantis that would be the consideration) or a custom Adventure > Cycle from Waterford. The price is pretty darn close. Since Rivendell uses > Waterford as a manufacturer (and I do admire Rivendell), I consider that an > endorsement of the Waterford quality. > This paint issue you speak of makes me lean to Waterford. > -----Original Message----- > From: rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com > [mailto:rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of William F. House > Sent: Thursday, November 05, 2009 11:17 AM > To: RBW Owners Bunch > Subject: [RBW] Re: Rivendell, Ad Copy, and Paint > > > Thanks for the informative words, Dustin. And yes, I'm out there > riding daily. Let me see if I get what you're saying: > > Don't trust marketing. > The onus was with me to do due diligence. > > I'll have to remember those. ;-) And I agree that Riv is really good > at walking folks through the process. Just not in the paint category. > Regardless of their marketing this should have been made clear to me, > but you may disagree with that as well. Let me see if I remember the > points again: > > Lord loves a working man. > Don't trust whitey. > See a doctor and get rid of it. > > Yep, got it! Now back to finishing my burger and studying for med > school. > > On Nov 5, 10:01 am, Dustin Sharp <dsh...@runbox.com> wrote: > > Somehow I think that if we held all manufactures and retailers to the > > literal words of their ad copy, a lot of them would be in deep trouble. > But > > we expect a certain amount of puffery and salesmanship even from the best > > and most honest of them. > > > > The claim made is clearly of this genre--Riv couldn't possibly mean it > > literally since they'd have to know all the other bikes you've seen and > > touched. And I don't think even Riv claims they are hands-down better > than > > something like a Toei or a Richard Sachs. > > > > Given all this, it seems there is also a general burden on the > consumer--all > > consumers--to do a little due diligence. Even if some widget is touted as > > being "super duper fantastic" at $100, it's not reasonable for me to > expect > > it to be as super duper fantastic as one costing $1000. > > > > In the end, I think Riv is better than most in walking new folks through > the > > process, and hopefully they will become better after your feedback. > > > > But I don't find their ad copy misleading. Except to the extent that the > > phrase "misleading ad-copy" is redundant. > > > > Anywho, hope you get out and ride that sucker! When it gets chipped up in > a > > couple of years, you can plunk down $1000 for Joe Bell perfection, if you > > wish. > > > > Cheers, > > > > Dustin Sharp > > San Diego, CA > > > > > > > > > From: "William F. House" <williamfho...@gmail.com> > > > Reply-To: <rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com> > > > Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 08:30:56 -0800 (PST) > > > To: RBW Owners Bunch <rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com> > > > Subject: [RBW] Re: Looking for that String in The Custom Color > Labyrinth > > > > > I understand all that fully.....now. Again, I've tried to make this > > > clear in previous posts. My beef isn't the flaws or the price or > > > really anything other than the fact that Rivendell didn't explain this > > > to me as a novice. If they had taken the time to fully explicate what > > > I was paying for and exactly what I could look forward to (and not > > > look forward to) then I would have been much more satisfied. > > > > > As such their website states, "We do, though, guarantee that we put > > > every effort into making your Rivendell the best bike you've ever > > > seen, touched, heard about, or ridden." That's not exactly what I got. > > > I got an excellent bike, but it's not the best I've ever seen, > > > touched, heard about or ridden (with regard to paint). > > > > > Look at it this way. I could advertise the "best hamburger in the > > > entire world, hands down, no question." And maybe you ordered one and > > > wanted some custom element like a gourmet bun. So, you pay $50 more > > > for the bun. You get the burger and take a bite and find the bun > > > stale, would you feel the advertising had failed? Now, what if someone > > > told you, "listen Doug, you could've had a really fresh bun, but you > > > should've paid for the BEST chef to cook it," would you feel a little > > > misled? I would. How were you to know that if you paid much more money > > > for another chef you'd have gotten what you THOUGHT you were getting > > > in the first place? And then what if you came to me to express how you > > > felt and all I had to say was, "well, Doug, I'll make sure we're more > > > careful in the future." > > > > > Now I'm really hungry for a hamburger. ;-) > > > > > On Nov 5, 8:55 am, Doug Van Cleve <dvancl...@gmail.com> wrote: > > >> Hey William, > > > > >> I can certainly understand your disappointment. I don't know if this > will > > >> help you at all, but basically what you paid for was picking the > color. > I > > >> am pretty sure your paint is as good as any of the stock frames, but > it > is > > >> YOUR color. To get the color choice AND the primo job probably > requires > > >> stepping up to the JB level paint. It sounds like this could have > been > > >> communicated better but I think you did get what you paid for. In any > case, > > >> it is a great looking bike and before long it will pick up some chips > and > > >> scratches ;^) > > > > >> Regards, Doug > > > > >> On Tue, Oct 13, 2009 at 9:33 AM, William F. House > > >> <williamfho...@gmail.com>wrote: > > > > >>> It was really easy. I knew I wanted a dark green. I went to our local > > >>> hardware store and found it. It's called Scholar Green and is part of > > >>> the Ralph Lauren line of interior paints. You can see it on this > page: > > > > >>> > http://www.ralphlaurenhome.com/rlhome/products/paint/items.asp?haid=48 > > > > >>> I grabbed a sample card and simply mailed it to Keven who was helping > > >>> me with the AHH. I just took delivery a few days ago. Amazing bike. > > > > >>> One thing to note in your decision. I have pretty high standards I > > >>> guess and upon close inspection of the bike I found NUMEROUS flaws in > > >>> the custom paint job - including a hairline of the green on the cream > > >>> color headtube and imprecise highlights of the cream on the green > > >>> (like the little circles aren't all perfect). There are quite few > > >>> spots that really could've been much better, but you have to look to > > >>> find them. Is it a big deal to me. Not really. Do I think it > should've > > >>> been better for shelling out an extra $200 for a nearly $4000 bike? > > >>> Absolutely. Rivendell's response has been "we'll check bikes more > > >>> closely." I've had other custom paint projects that were done by hand > > >>> (high-end guitars, furniture, artwork, etc.) and had come to expect a > > >>> very high degree of precision and flawless work. Overall I'm happy > > >>> with the bike, but in retrospect I'm not sure I'd have shelled out > > >>> that much money for the value of work I got. Your mileage may vary. I > > >>> LOVE the dark green though. Will be posting pics on my Flickr site > > >>> soon. > > > > >>> On Oct 13, 10:13 am, mushmash <mushm...@gmail.com> wrote: > > >>>> Hello All, > > > > >>>> Compliments to all who post in this forum. I have taken part in > > >>>> several enthusiast forums in the past and hope to enjoy getting > hooked > > >>>> up with other riders. > > > > >>>> My reason for posting: I really would like some direction on how one > > >>>> selects and communicates a custom bike color! > > > > >>>> I have placed my money on a new AHH, but have not told RBW whether I > > >>>> want the standard blue color(s) or custom. Now, I have ridden the > same > > >>>> bike (1974 Fuji Finest) since high school. This is the first real > new > > >>>> bike I will have had in all these years, so it is something that I > > >>>> have to do right for myself. > > > > >>>> Blue is good, but a rich earthy green is what really appeals to me. > > >>>> Like this bike identified as Blue Lemon Photos ( > > > >>>http://www.flickr.com/photos/eldukedegreaser/3516760819/in/pool-12565. > .. > > >>>> ). > > > > >>>> How and where does a guy go to look at colors? I look around me > every > > >>>> day, but how do you "identify" and communicate a color to the RBW > > >>>> folks? > > > > >>>> Thanks for any help on this project. It is a big commitment for me > and > > >>>> I don't want buyer's remorse just because the color isn't just so! > > > > > > > -- Cheers, David Redlands, CA "Bicycling is a big part of the future. It has to be. There is something wrong with a society that drives a car to workout in a gym." ~Bill Nye, scientist guy --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
