Great question and one which probably will garner more than a few lengthy responses. I'll try to be relatively succinct.
If you go back and read through all the Rivendell Readers, GP's columns are full of anecdotes of the difficulty of sourcing manufacturing vendors. I've always had the sense that rather than push directly against the tide, Grant (and any of the team who have been directly involved as product manager) manage to find the eddies and backwaters in the current where guild craftspeople quietly tend to their craft. Finding a frame builder who is facile with lugged steel construction, or a component manufacturer who will invest in the necessary dies and machining immediately limits options. That's challenge #1 - one that I think RBW has decided is worth all of the effort to achieve. And the KOF's (Keepers of the Flame) who continue to work magic with steel continue to refine their craft. I forget if it was a Keith Bontrager interview from back in the day, but someone was quoted saying, "...if steel were invented today, it would be regarded as a miracle material..." So, there's that. Then, yep, countless prototype refinements. And I think few have a closer eye than GP and the team. (Again, RR articles where things are being moved a couple mm's here and there, or where the fork curve isn't quite right). They seem to regularly partner with manufacturers who sweat the small details - bags, clothing, frames, components, etc.. So it feels that the bottleneck to quality lies well before RBW commits to a production run. I can't think of too many times where there has been an issue with the actual landed product. Grant has always said that he's creating bikes which will outlive us. That he imagines a Rambuouillet or a Hilsen or a Sam with all the paint and decals worn and obscured by time. And someone looks at it and knows "that's a Rivendell." Which means it isn't really about any one thing that Rivendell does, but it's the way they do everything. Jim On Monday, October 21, 2024 at 12:13:17 PM UTC-7 aeroperf wrote: > I saw this posted on another group (bicycletouring) - “How does Rivendell > maintain quality control across its production line, especially with hand > made elements?” > > As an owner of a 10 year-old Sam, which still looks and rides like new, it > struck me that I, too, would be interested to know. > Is it because they pick really good manufacturers to build their frames? > Is it because their bikes are overbuilt? Is it because they are skilled > at matching components? Do they put in a lot of extra effort with > inspections? All of the above? > > Or is it an indeterminate question? > > Nobody has posted a reply to the question on bicycletouring yet. Thoughts? -- 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 [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/0c2b5511-4c42-4dd8-adbe-7e488ee1e974n%40googlegroups.com.
