[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Pam Bikes]

I've unscrewed the valve core w/the Lezyne pump head.  So, if you do 
tighten the valve core first, then only screw on the pump head 3 turns.  
Tight but not too tight.  It won't unscrejar the valve core.  Most valve 
cores are not enough to begin with.  And since I check my tires which 
rarely get flats, the valve cores do get loosened over time.  (I know b/c 
once I thought I had a leak but after putting the tube in water and no 
leaks, I put a jelly jar full of water on the valve as it was in the 12 o 
clock position and I could see air bubbles from the valve.)  So try the 
screw on valve when you know everything is tight.  Maybe even do the jelly 
jar test and see how to screw on the pump head for next time.  

On Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at 6:24:15 PM UTC-4 kiziria...@gmail.com wrote:

> Thanks for the kind words Patrick. Thankfully others appreciate the bike 
> quite frequently in person. Half the fun for sure. 
>
> One last thing I'll say with the Velocity rims, it seems most of them are 
> quite old. I'd wager designs and subsequent tooling on most of their lineup 
> hasn't changed for over 10+ years. I recall a good difference between 
> setting tubeless up 10+ years ago with the tires/rims of that era and now, 
> with a vast improvement in ease, consistency, and reliability since then. 
>
> On Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at 3:19:13 PM UTC-7 Armand Kizirian wrote:
>
>> To be clear Dan I don't think the additional width of the tires is what 
>> caused the discrepancy in seating the bead. This is an issue with the rim, 
>> not the tire size. 
>>
>> I've noticed the difference in head tube angle. Been meaning to contact 
>> Riv and at least get the fork offset from both to determine potential 
>> differences in trail. I'm afraid I do enjoy a lot of the Platypus's 
>> handling characteristics because of the slacker head angle. 
>>
>> On Monday, May 27, 2024 at 1:52:31 AM UTC-7 Dan wrote:
>>
>>> Thanks for the followup, Armand. Your experience is likely what made my 
>>> LBS recommend me staying with the 43s on my Quills. But good to know it's 
>>> possible if I ever insist! I don't mind anyway on that bike - the 43s suit 
>>> it perfectly and are plenty comfortable. They leave room for fenders too.
>>>
>>> With regards to switching to an Appaloosa, firstly, it's a great bike! I 
>>> love mine.
>>> Secondly, be aware that the geometry is slightly different at the front. 
>>> The Appaloosa has a 72 degree head tube angle vs. the 69.5 on the Platypus.
>>> Not sure what that means for real-world handling but I thought I'd point 
>>> it out.
>>> Which brings me to my next point: have you considered an Atlantis? I 
>>> think they have a similar HTU (70) and slightly more tyre clearance than an 
>>> Appaloosa too. The trouble is finding one...
>>>
>>> On Monday 27 May 2024 at 02:49:08 UTC+9:30 kiziria...@gmail.com wrote:
>>>
 Oh and @Dan, tubeless was without unordinary issue on the Velocity 
 Quills. I will say though...

 I setup the same tires on my wheelset, and my partners bike, which has 
 some WTB KOM i25 rims. The tires setup MUCH more easily on the WTB rims. 
 The Quill's didn't present any *real* issue, but it was the difference 
 of having tires immediately seat onto the bead with zero leakage, vs 
 fussing for 2-minutes for the bead to catch on and stop splattering 
 sealant 
 everywhere. I used an air compressor with valve cores removed to initially 
 seat the bead. 

 This is consistent with my experiences as a former bike mechanic. WTB's 
 rims and tires have incredibly tight tolerances, for the better. I've 
 personally never had a Velocity wheel setup as easily as a WTB rim. The 
 tolerances of the bead shelf diameter can be tighter.

 Just yesterday I was on a long bike commute, put the bike on one of 
 those public work stands to add some air to my tires, and my stupid Lezyne 
 thread-on bike pump unthreaded my valve core upon removal (yes I purged 
 the 
 air before unthreading, and the valve core was tightened appropriately). I 
 was surprised to see the bead of the tire unseat due to the pressure loss. 
 My little hand pump did inflate the tire again fine, but there was some 
 sealant weeping in the process. *With the wheel being completely off 
 the ground, I think a well-designed tubeless rim should NOT unseat the 
 bead 
 of a tire simply due to losing air.* Especially with a high quality 
 tubeless tire with a durable casing. My 3 (THREE ;) cents. 

 First train ride:

 [image: IMG_3477.jpg]

 On Sunday, May 26, 2024 at 10:08:00 AM UTC-7 Armand Kizirian wrote:

> @Eric - I'm mixed on the pretzel pedals. I chose them over the 
> Monarchs/Gamma because of the additional, wider support, and the 
> sculptural 
> design matched the them I was going for. I'm afraid the aesthetics do not 
> match the function very well. The function of t

[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Armand Kizirian]

Thanks for the kind words Patrick. Thankfully others appreciate the bike 
quite frequently in person. Half the fun for sure. 

One last thing I'll say with the Velocity rims, it seems most of them are 
quite old. I'd wager designs and subsequent tooling on most of their lineup 
hasn't changed for over 10+ years. I recall a good difference between 
setting tubeless up 10+ years ago with the tires/rims of that era and now, 
with a vast improvement in ease, consistency, and reliability since then. 

On Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at 3:19:13 PM UTC-7 Armand Kizirian wrote:

> To be clear Dan I don't think the additional width of the tires is what 
> caused the discrepancy in seating the bead. This is an issue with the rim, 
> not the tire size. 
>
> I've noticed the difference in head tube angle. Been meaning to contact 
> Riv and at least get the fork offset from both to determine potential 
> differences in trail. I'm afraid I do enjoy a lot of the Platypus's 
> handling characteristics because of the slacker head angle. 
>
> On Monday, May 27, 2024 at 1:52:31 AM UTC-7 Dan wrote:
>
>> Thanks for the followup, Armand. Your experience is likely what made my 
>> LBS recommend me staying with the 43s on my Quills. But good to know it's 
>> possible if I ever insist! I don't mind anyway on that bike - the 43s suit 
>> it perfectly and are plenty comfortable. They leave room for fenders too.
>>
>> With regards to switching to an Appaloosa, firstly, it's a great bike! I 
>> love mine.
>> Secondly, be aware that the geometry is slightly different at the front. 
>> The Appaloosa has a 72 degree head tube angle vs. the 69.5 on the Platypus.
>> Not sure what that means for real-world handling but I thought I'd point 
>> it out.
>> Which brings me to my next point: have you considered an Atlantis? I 
>> think they have a similar HTU (70) and slightly more tyre clearance than an 
>> Appaloosa too. The trouble is finding one...
>>
>> On Monday 27 May 2024 at 02:49:08 UTC+9:30 kiziria...@gmail.com wrote:
>>
>>> Oh and @Dan, tubeless was without unordinary issue on the Velocity 
>>> Quills. I will say though...
>>>
>>> I setup the same tires on my wheelset, and my partners bike, which has 
>>> some WTB KOM i25 rims. The tires setup MUCH more easily on the WTB rims. 
>>> The Quill's didn't present any *real* issue, but it was the difference 
>>> of having tires immediately seat onto the bead with zero leakage, vs 
>>> fussing for 2-minutes for the bead to catch on and stop splattering sealant 
>>> everywhere. I used an air compressor with valve cores removed to initially 
>>> seat the bead. 
>>>
>>> This is consistent with my experiences as a former bike mechanic. WTB's 
>>> rims and tires have incredibly tight tolerances, for the better. I've 
>>> personally never had a Velocity wheel setup as easily as a WTB rim. The 
>>> tolerances of the bead shelf diameter can be tighter.
>>>
>>> Just yesterday I was on a long bike commute, put the bike on one of 
>>> those public work stands to add some air to my tires, and my stupid Lezyne 
>>> thread-on bike pump unthreaded my valve core upon removal (yes I purged the 
>>> air before unthreading, and the valve core was tightened appropriately). I 
>>> was surprised to see the bead of the tire unseat due to the pressure loss. 
>>> My little hand pump did inflate the tire again fine, but there was some 
>>> sealant weeping in the process. *With the wheel being completely off 
>>> the ground, I think a well-designed tubeless rim should NOT unseat the bead 
>>> of a tire simply due to losing air.* Especially with a high quality 
>>> tubeless tire with a durable casing. My 3 (THREE ;) cents. 
>>>
>>> First train ride:
>>>
>>> [image: IMG_3477.jpg]
>>>
>>> On Sunday, May 26, 2024 at 10:08:00 AM UTC-7 Armand Kizirian wrote:
>>>
 @Eric - I'm mixed on the pretzel pedals. I chose them over the 
 Monarchs/Gamma because of the additional, wider support, and the 
 sculptural 
 design matched the them I was going for. I'm afraid the aesthetics do not 
 match the function very well. The function of the pedal is heavily reliant 
 upon the pins. Remove the pins and you have a pretty terrible pedal, in 
 terms of have a flat, consistent surface on which to evenly distribute 
 weight, with some form of traction. The pins they come with are quite tall 
 and aggressive, the type that will mark and damage your shoe sole 
 overtime. 
 They are quite effective, but, at least in my eyes, these are meant to be 
 beautiful pedals for pleasure riding, not downhill mtb'ing. I modified 
 them 
 by putting in a mix of 1-2mm shorter brass m4 set screws. I like how they 
 are now, but wouldn't purchase them again. I'll probably end up with some 
 generic Shimano one-side platform/other side SPD pedal, as some of the 
 dirt 
 trails I like to go on tangent to my city are incredibly steep. 

 Right now I'm experimenting with some Rene Herse knob

[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Armand Kizirian]

To be clear Dan I don't think the additional width of the tires is what 
caused the discrepancy in seating the bead. This is an issue with the rim, 
not the tire size. 

I've noticed the difference in head tube angle. Been meaning to contact Riv 
and at least get the fork offset from both to determine potential 
differences in trail. I'm afraid I do enjoy a lot of the Platypus's 
handling characteristics because of the slacker head angle. 

On Monday, May 27, 2024 at 1:52:31 AM UTC-7 Dan wrote:

> Thanks for the followup, Armand. Your experience is likely what made my 
> LBS recommend me staying with the 43s on my Quills. But good to know it's 
> possible if I ever insist! I don't mind anyway on that bike - the 43s suit 
> it perfectly and are plenty comfortable. They leave room for fenders too.
>
> With regards to switching to an Appaloosa, firstly, it's a great bike! I 
> love mine.
> Secondly, be aware that the geometry is slightly different at the front. 
> The Appaloosa has a 72 degree head tube angle vs. the 69.5 on the Platypus.
> Not sure what that means for real-world handling but I thought I'd point 
> it out.
> Which brings me to my next point: have you considered an Atlantis? I think 
> they have a similar HTU (70) and slightly more tyre clearance than an 
> Appaloosa too. The trouble is finding one...
>
> On Monday 27 May 2024 at 02:49:08 UTC+9:30 kiziria...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> Oh and @Dan, tubeless was without unordinary issue on the Velocity 
>> Quills. I will say though...
>>
>> I setup the same tires on my wheelset, and my partners bike, which has 
>> some WTB KOM i25 rims. The tires setup MUCH more easily on the WTB rims. 
>> The Quill's didn't present any *real* issue, but it was the difference 
>> of having tires immediately seat onto the bead with zero leakage, vs 
>> fussing for 2-minutes for the bead to catch on and stop splattering sealant 
>> everywhere. I used an air compressor with valve cores removed to initially 
>> seat the bead. 
>>
>> This is consistent with my experiences as a former bike mechanic. WTB's 
>> rims and tires have incredibly tight tolerances, for the better. I've 
>> personally never had a Velocity wheel setup as easily as a WTB rim. The 
>> tolerances of the bead shelf diameter can be tighter.
>>
>> Just yesterday I was on a long bike commute, put the bike on one of those 
>> public work stands to add some air to my tires, and my stupid Lezyne 
>> thread-on bike pump unthreaded my valve core upon removal (yes I purged the 
>> air before unthreading, and the valve core was tightened appropriately). I 
>> was surprised to see the bead of the tire unseat due to the pressure loss. 
>> My little hand pump did inflate the tire again fine, but there was some 
>> sealant weeping in the process. *With the wheel being completely off the 
>> ground, I think a well-designed tubeless rim should NOT unseat the bead of 
>> a tire simply due to losing air.* Especially with a high quality 
>> tubeless tire with a durable casing. My 3 (THREE ;) cents. 
>>
>> First train ride:
>>
>> [image: IMG_3477.jpg]
>>
>> On Sunday, May 26, 2024 at 10:08:00 AM UTC-7 Armand Kizirian wrote:
>>
>>> @Eric - I'm mixed on the pretzel pedals. I chose them over the 
>>> Monarchs/Gamma because of the additional, wider support, and the sculptural 
>>> design matched the them I was going for. I'm afraid the aesthetics do not 
>>> match the function very well. The function of the pedal is heavily reliant 
>>> upon the pins. Remove the pins and you have a pretty terrible pedal, in 
>>> terms of have a flat, consistent surface on which to evenly distribute 
>>> weight, with some form of traction. The pins they come with are quite tall 
>>> and aggressive, the type that will mark and damage your shoe sole overtime. 
>>> They are quite effective, but, at least in my eyes, these are meant to be 
>>> beautiful pedals for pleasure riding, not downhill mtb'ing. I modified them 
>>> by putting in a mix of 1-2mm shorter brass m4 set screws. I like how they 
>>> are now, but wouldn't purchase them again. I'll probably end up with some 
>>> generic Shimano one-side platform/other side SPD pedal, as some of the dirt 
>>> trails I like to go on tangent to my city are incredibly steep. 
>>>
>>> Right now I'm experimenting with some Rene Herse knobbies. They roll 
>>> exceptionally well, are indeed quiet, but however, they have introduced a 
>>> consistent buzz that is transmitted to the pedals--feedback which I'm not 
>>> crazy about. Audibly they are indeed quiet. I'm VERY impressed by the 
>>> durability of the endurance casing, I trashed these tires descending over 
>>> 6000ft on some of the chunkiest rocks/terrain in southern california and 
>>> not a hiccup. I did identify one of the knobs being slashed in half and 
>>> flapping about, no risk of a puncture though. I'll probably switch back to 
>>> RH slicks, or try a slick in the rear and knobby up front. 
>>>
>>> *As much as I do love the Platy so far, I th

[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Dan]

Thanks for the followup, Armand. Your experience is likely what made my LBS 
recommend me staying with the 43s on my Quills. But good to know it's 
possible if I ever insist! I don't mind anyway on that bike - the 43s suit 
it perfectly and are plenty comfortable. They leave room for fenders too.

With regards to switching to an Appaloosa, firstly, it's a great bike! I 
love mine.
Secondly, be aware that the geometry is slightly different at the front. 
The Appaloosa has a 72 degree head tube angle vs. the 69.5 on the Platypus.
Not sure what that means for real-world handling but I thought I'd point it 
out.
Which brings me to my next point: have you considered an Atlantis? I think 
they have a similar HTU (70) and slightly more tyre clearance than an 
Appaloosa too. The trouble is finding one...

On Monday 27 May 2024 at 02:49:08 UTC+9:30 kiziria...@gmail.com wrote:

> Oh and @Dan, tubeless was without unordinary issue on the Velocity Quills. 
> I will say though...
>
> I setup the same tires on my wheelset, and my partners bike, which has 
> some WTB KOM i25 rims. The tires setup MUCH more easily on the WTB rims. 
> The Quill's didn't present any *real* issue, but it was the difference of 
> having tires immediately seat onto the bead with zero leakage, vs fussing 
> for 2-minutes for the bead to catch on and stop splattering sealant 
> everywhere. I used an air compressor with valve cores removed to initially 
> seat the bead. 
>
> This is consistent with my experiences as a former bike mechanic. WTB's 
> rims and tires have incredibly tight tolerances, for the better. I've 
> personally never had a Velocity wheel setup as easily as a WTB rim. The 
> tolerances of the bead shelf diameter can be tighter.
>
> Just yesterday I was on a long bike commute, put the bike on one of those 
> public work stands to add some air to my tires, and my stupid Lezyne 
> thread-on bike pump unthreaded my valve core upon removal (yes I purged the 
> air before unthreading, and the valve core was tightened appropriately). I 
> was surprised to see the bead of the tire unseat due to the pressure loss. 
> My little hand pump did inflate the tire again fine, but there was some 
> sealant weeping in the process. *With the wheel being completely off the 
> ground, I think a well-designed tubeless rim should NOT unseat the bead of 
> a tire simply due to losing air.* Especially with a high quality tubeless 
> tire with a durable casing. My 3 (THREE ;) cents. 
>
> First train ride:
>
> [image: IMG_3477.jpg]
>
> On Sunday, May 26, 2024 at 10:08:00 AM UTC-7 Armand Kizirian wrote:
>
>> @Eric - I'm mixed on the pretzel pedals. I chose them over the 
>> Monarchs/Gamma because of the additional, wider support, and the sculptural 
>> design matched the them I was going for. I'm afraid the aesthetics do not 
>> match the function very well. The function of the pedal is heavily reliant 
>> upon the pins. Remove the pins and you have a pretty terrible pedal, in 
>> terms of have a flat, consistent surface on which to evenly distribute 
>> weight, with some form of traction. The pins they come with are quite tall 
>> and aggressive, the type that will mark and damage your shoe sole overtime. 
>> They are quite effective, but, at least in my eyes, these are meant to be 
>> beautiful pedals for pleasure riding, not downhill mtb'ing. I modified them 
>> by putting in a mix of 1-2mm shorter brass m4 set screws. I like how they 
>> are now, but wouldn't purchase them again. I'll probably end up with some 
>> generic Shimano one-side platform/other side SPD pedal, as some of the dirt 
>> trails I like to go on tangent to my city are incredibly steep. 
>>
>> Right now I'm experimenting with some Rene Herse knobbies. They roll 
>> exceptionally well, are indeed quiet, but however, they have introduced a 
>> consistent buzz that is transmitted to the pedals--feedback which I'm not 
>> crazy about. Audibly they are indeed quiet. I'm VERY impressed by the 
>> durability of the endurance casing, I trashed these tires descending over 
>> 6000ft on some of the chunkiest rocks/terrain in southern california and 
>> not a hiccup. I did identify one of the knobs being slashed in half and 
>> flapping about, no risk of a puncture though. I'll probably switch back to 
>> RH slicks, or try a slick in the rear and knobby up front. 
>>
>> *As much as I do love the Platy so far, I think I would desire the 
>> additional tire clearance that an Appaloosa offers.* *If anyone has a 
>> 54-57cm lime-olive Appaloosa frame/fork, I would consider a purchase or 
>> trade. * Plus the additional convenience of a diamond frame, from extra 
>> water bottle, to more traditional frame bags/top tube bags, can't be denied 
>> for longer rides/future tours. 
>>
>> Picture from recent lunch on some grass.
>>
>> [image: IMG_3468.JPG]
>>
>> On Wednesday, May 22, 2024 at 3:33:22 PM UTC-7 Chester wrote:
>>
>>> kiziria...@gmail.com wrote:
>>>
>>> The complete build list is as follows. *

[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Chester]

kiziria...@gmail.com wrote:

The complete build list is as follows. *View all photos here. 
*

Beautiful, Armand. I love seeing bikes like yours, with so many little 
aesthetic touches totally thought out and dialed in. AND all sorts of 
functional details dialed in. Totally balleur. Congratulations.

Chester 
SF Bay Area

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[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Pam Bikes]

Gorgeous build!  Thanks for posting this.  I can't wait to hear where your 
bike will take you.  Love all the pictures!

On Wednesday, May 22, 2024 at 1:23:46 PM UTC-4 eric...@gmail.com wrote:

> Hi Armand, this is a great build. 
>
> How are you liking those MKS Pretzels? I'm considering getting a pair. 
> On Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 6:01:38 PM UTC-4 jmeln...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> It was nice to meet you on Saturday at Topanga Creek Outpost, Armand! 
>> Your Platy is even more gorgeous in person.
>>
>> On Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 9:53:45 AM UTC-7 Neale S. wrote:
>>
>>> See you this weekend Armand! Will be on my Atlantis and at least 
>>> attempting the triple scoop.
>>>
>>> On Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 9:41:18 AM UTC-7 glennma...@gmail.com 
>>> wrote:
>>>
 Having just gotten my first Rivendell--a Platypus no less--this is very 
 inspiring. You've put together a truly beautiful bike. 

 On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 9:24:30 AM UTC-4 Shoji Takahashi wrote:

> beautiful build. I love the video of you riding it on the trails. 
>
> I really need to find the time to build mine up... 
>
> On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 8:31:39 AM UTC-4 Tom Goodmann wrote:
>
>> Ahhh! Beautiful build! I appreciate the details and photos you've 
>> shared of your informed and thoughtful build. What a Platypus!
>>
>> Wishing you thousands of safe and happy miles,
>>
>> Tom 
>> (leaving Miami)
>>
>> On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 8:03:57 AM UTC-4 Ryan wrote:
>>
>>> Wow...that's some build...love that chainring attachment for your 
>>> basket. Really creative! Did you do that yourself or is that something 
>>> you 
>>> bought?  Anyway, nice bike and that color kind of grows on you
>>>
>>> On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 4:48:28 AM UTC-5 Dan wrote:
>>>
 I thoroughly enjoyed this write-up. I can tell you've put in a lot 
 of thought to this bike, and it's beautiful.
 Your approach to this build as a performance upright bicycle and 
 your subsequent revelations as to the comfort mirror my own on my new, 
 purple Appaloosa. I have the same bars too, but slightly wider tyres! 
 All I 
 need is some bar tape and to mount my shifters upside down like yours 
 for 
 those secondary hand positions to really be dialled.
 Hope you have many more adventures to come.

 PS: I was told the Quills couldn't handle 48s (I have them on my 
 singlespeed). Are you running yours tubeless?


 On Wednesday 15 May 2024 at 09:26:44 UTC+9:30 kiziria...@gmail.com 
 wrote:

> The complete build list is as follows. *View all photos here. 
> 
>  
> *
>
> Cockpit features a Nitto 135mm Faceplater Stem with Rons Ortho 
> Bars, Brooks leather ergon grips with Simworks purple bar ends, 
> Rivendell 
> S2 friction shifters, with harlequin style newbuams purple/yellow 
> wrap with 
> clear shellac, and a stem-mounted spurcycle bell. S83 seatpost with 
> Brooks 
> B17 titanium. NOS Dura-Ace headset.
>
> [image: IMG_3282.JPG]
>
> Brakes feature Paul Canti Levers with Touring Canti’s, Moon units, 
> and Hunter cycles Nugz for extra cable adjustment. Rene herse and 
> nitto 
> cable hangars. Yokozuna reaction compressionless housing. All capped 
> off 
> with Forager cycles cable cherries. Kool stop brake pads with the 
> grey 
> e-bike pad compound. This was my final hurrah to test the ultimate 
> canti-lever brake setup and deem its worthiness as a brake. It has 
> not 
> passed by test. Riv recommends v-brakes for several valid reasons.
>
> Custom wheelset featuring White Industries MI5 hubs laced to 
> Velocity Quill rims with Sapim spokes and brass nipples, 32h front, 
> 36h 
> rear, all polished. Rene Herse Tires, 48mm Hatcher Pass and Oracle 
> Ridge. I 
> will likely keep an endurance casing Oracle ridge as a final tire 
> choice, 
> setup tubeless with Ultradynamico brass tubeless valves. I like 
> riding 
> fast, especially on dirt. 
>
> Drivetrain features an ultra rare 110/73bcd Middleburn lightweight 
> road triple with 42/28t gearing and Rivendell chain guard and brass 
> self-extractors. Aluminum Sugino 28t chainring and aluminum chainring 
> hardware for weight reduction. NOS Dura-Ace 7700 sealed cartridge 
> Bottom 
> bracket. Pedals are MKS Pretzel with shorter 4-5mm length brass set 
> screws 
> to replace the 6mm long aggress

[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Eric Marth]

Hi Armand, this is a great build. 

How are you liking those MKS Pretzels? I'm considering getting a pair. 
On Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 6:01:38 PM UTC-4 jmeln...@gmail.com wrote:

> It was nice to meet you on Saturday at Topanga Creek Outpost, Armand! Your 
> Platy is even more gorgeous in person.
>
> On Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 9:53:45 AM UTC-7 Neale S. wrote:
>
>> See you this weekend Armand! Will be on my Atlantis and at least 
>> attempting the triple scoop.
>>
>> On Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 9:41:18 AM UTC-7 glennma...@gmail.com wrote:
>>
>>> Having just gotten my first Rivendell--a Platypus no less--this is very 
>>> inspiring. You've put together a truly beautiful bike. 
>>>
>>> On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 9:24:30 AM UTC-4 Shoji Takahashi wrote:
>>>
 beautiful build. I love the video of you riding it on the trails. 

 I really need to find the time to build mine up... 

 On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 8:31:39 AM UTC-4 Tom Goodmann wrote:

> Ahhh! Beautiful build! I appreciate the details and photos you've 
> shared of your informed and thoughtful build. What a Platypus!
>
> Wishing you thousands of safe and happy miles,
>
> Tom 
> (leaving Miami)
>
> On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 8:03:57 AM UTC-4 Ryan wrote:
>
>> Wow...that's some build...love that chainring attachment for your 
>> basket. Really creative! Did you do that yourself or is that something 
>> you 
>> bought?  Anyway, nice bike and that color kind of grows on you
>>
>> On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 4:48:28 AM UTC-5 Dan wrote:
>>
>>> I thoroughly enjoyed this write-up. I can tell you've put in a lot 
>>> of thought to this bike, and it's beautiful.
>>> Your approach to this build as a performance upright bicycle and 
>>> your subsequent revelations as to the comfort mirror my own on my new, 
>>> purple Appaloosa. I have the same bars too, but slightly wider tyres! 
>>> All I 
>>> need is some bar tape and to mount my shifters upside down like yours 
>>> for 
>>> those secondary hand positions to really be dialled.
>>> Hope you have many more adventures to come.
>>>
>>> PS: I was told the Quills couldn't handle 48s (I have them on my 
>>> singlespeed). Are you running yours tubeless?
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wednesday 15 May 2024 at 09:26:44 UTC+9:30 kiziria...@gmail.com 
>>> wrote:
>>>
 The complete build list is as follows. *View all photos here. 
 
  
 *

 Cockpit features a Nitto 135mm Faceplater Stem with Rons Ortho 
 Bars, Brooks leather ergon grips with Simworks purple bar ends, 
 Rivendell 
 S2 friction shifters, with harlequin style newbuams purple/yellow wrap 
 with 
 clear shellac, and a stem-mounted spurcycle bell. S83 seatpost with 
 Brooks 
 B17 titanium. NOS Dura-Ace headset.

 [image: IMG_3282.JPG]

 Brakes feature Paul Canti Levers with Touring Canti’s, Moon units, 
 and Hunter cycles Nugz for extra cable adjustment. Rene herse and 
 nitto 
 cable hangars. Yokozuna reaction compressionless housing. All capped 
 off 
 with Forager cycles cable cherries. Kool stop brake pads with the grey 
 e-bike pad compound. This was my final hurrah to test the ultimate 
 canti-lever brake setup and deem its worthiness as a brake. It has not 
 passed by test. Riv recommends v-brakes for several valid reasons.

 Custom wheelset featuring White Industries MI5 hubs laced to 
 Velocity Quill rims with Sapim spokes and brass nipples, 32h front, 
 36h 
 rear, all polished. Rene Herse Tires, 48mm Hatcher Pass and Oracle 
 Ridge. I 
 will likely keep an endurance casing Oracle ridge as a final tire 
 choice, 
 setup tubeless with Ultradynamico brass tubeless valves. I like riding 
 fast, especially on dirt. 

 Drivetrain features an ultra rare 110/73bcd Middleburn lightweight 
 road triple with 42/28t gearing and Rivendell chain guard and brass 
 self-extractors. Aluminum Sugino 28t chainring and aluminum chainring 
 hardware for weight reduction. NOS Dura-Ace 7700 sealed cartridge 
 Bottom 
 bracket. Pedals are MKS Pretzel with shorter 4-5mm length brass set 
 screws 
 to replace the 6mm long aggressive steel pins. Ultegra PD-ES600 SPD 
 pedals 
 for longer rides when I want to be clipped in. Deore XT 9-speed 11-34 
 cassette, with NOS Dura Ace 7700 mid-cage rear derailleur (wolftooth 
 roadlink to clear the 34t), Dura Ace 7800 double front derailleur. KMC 
 10-speed X10SL with the gold treatme

[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Jimmy Melnarik]

It was nice to meet you on Saturday at Topanga Creek Outpost, Armand! Your 
Platy is even more gorgeous in person.

On Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 9:53:45 AM UTC-7 Neale S. wrote:

> See you this weekend Armand! Will be on my Atlantis and at least 
> attempting the triple scoop.
>
> On Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 9:41:18 AM UTC-7 glennma...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> Having just gotten my first Rivendell--a Platypus no less--this is very 
>> inspiring. You've put together a truly beautiful bike. 
>>
>> On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 9:24:30 AM UTC-4 Shoji Takahashi wrote:
>>
>>> beautiful build. I love the video of you riding it on the trails. 
>>>
>>> I really need to find the time to build mine up... 
>>>
>>> On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 8:31:39 AM UTC-4 Tom Goodmann wrote:
>>>
 Ahhh! Beautiful build! I appreciate the details and photos you've 
 shared of your informed and thoughtful build. What a Platypus!

 Wishing you thousands of safe and happy miles,

 Tom 
 (leaving Miami)

 On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 8:03:57 AM UTC-4 Ryan wrote:

> Wow...that's some build...love that chainring attachment for your 
> basket. Really creative! Did you do that yourself or is that something 
> you 
> bought?  Anyway, nice bike and that color kind of grows on you
>
> On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 4:48:28 AM UTC-5 Dan wrote:
>
>> I thoroughly enjoyed this write-up. I can tell you've put in a lot of 
>> thought to this bike, and it's beautiful.
>> Your approach to this build as a performance upright bicycle and your 
>> subsequent revelations as to the comfort mirror my own on my new, purple 
>> Appaloosa. I have the same bars too, but slightly wider tyres! All I 
>> need 
>> is some bar tape and to mount my shifters upside down like yours for 
>> those 
>> secondary hand positions to really be dialled.
>> Hope you have many more adventures to come.
>>
>> PS: I was told the Quills couldn't handle 48s (I have them on my 
>> singlespeed). Are you running yours tubeless?
>>
>>
>> On Wednesday 15 May 2024 at 09:26:44 UTC+9:30 kiziria...@gmail.com 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> The complete build list is as follows. *View all photos here. 
>>> 
>>>  
>>> *
>>>
>>> Cockpit features a Nitto 135mm Faceplater Stem with Rons Ortho Bars, 
>>> Brooks leather ergon grips with Simworks purple bar ends, Rivendell S2 
>>> friction shifters, with harlequin style newbuams purple/yellow wrap 
>>> with 
>>> clear shellac, and a stem-mounted spurcycle bell. S83 seatpost with 
>>> Brooks 
>>> B17 titanium. NOS Dura-Ace headset.
>>>
>>> [image: IMG_3282.JPG]
>>>
>>> Brakes feature Paul Canti Levers with Touring Canti’s, Moon units, 
>>> and Hunter cycles Nugz for extra cable adjustment. Rene herse and nitto 
>>> cable hangars. Yokozuna reaction compressionless housing. All capped 
>>> off 
>>> with Forager cycles cable cherries. Kool stop brake pads with the grey 
>>> e-bike pad compound. This was my final hurrah to test the ultimate 
>>> canti-lever brake setup and deem its worthiness as a brake. It has not 
>>> passed by test. Riv recommends v-brakes for several valid reasons.
>>>
>>> Custom wheelset featuring White Industries MI5 hubs laced to 
>>> Velocity Quill rims with Sapim spokes and brass nipples, 32h front, 36h 
>>> rear, all polished. Rene Herse Tires, 48mm Hatcher Pass and Oracle 
>>> Ridge. I 
>>> will likely keep an endurance casing Oracle ridge as a final tire 
>>> choice, 
>>> setup tubeless with Ultradynamico brass tubeless valves. I like riding 
>>> fast, especially on dirt. 
>>>
>>> Drivetrain features an ultra rare 110/73bcd Middleburn lightweight 
>>> road triple with 42/28t gearing and Rivendell chain guard and brass 
>>> self-extractors. Aluminum Sugino 28t chainring and aluminum chainring 
>>> hardware for weight reduction. NOS Dura-Ace 7700 sealed cartridge 
>>> Bottom 
>>> bracket. Pedals are MKS Pretzel with shorter 4-5mm length brass set 
>>> screws 
>>> to replace the 6mm long aggressive steel pins. Ultegra PD-ES600 SPD 
>>> pedals 
>>> for longer rides when I want to be clipped in. Deore XT 9-speed 11-34 
>>> cassette, with NOS Dura Ace 7700 mid-cage rear derailleur (wolftooth 
>>> roadlink to clear the 34t), Dura Ace 7800 double front derailleur. KMC 
>>> 10-speed X10SL with the gold treatment, because, gold! This all shifts 
>>> *wonderfully.*
>>>
>>> Accessories include Nitto F32 front rack with Tanaka stainless steel 
>>> basket held by Voile mini straps, Nitto 32r rear rack with cygolite 
>>> rear 
>>> light mount. Front rack features upcycled 28t chainring for my cygolite 

[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Neale S.]

See you this weekend Armand! Will be on my Atlantis and at least attempting 
the triple scoop.

On Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 9:41:18 AM UTC-7 glennma...@gmail.com wrote:

> Having just gotten my first Rivendell--a Platypus no less--this is very 
> inspiring. You've put together a truly beautiful bike. 
>
> On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 9:24:30 AM UTC-4 Shoji Takahashi wrote:
>
>> beautiful build. I love the video of you riding it on the trails. 
>>
>> I really need to find the time to build mine up... 
>>
>> On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 8:31:39 AM UTC-4 Tom Goodmann wrote:
>>
>>> Ahhh! Beautiful build! I appreciate the details and photos you've shared 
>>> of your informed and thoughtful build. What a Platypus!
>>>
>>> Wishing you thousands of safe and happy miles,
>>>
>>> Tom 
>>> (leaving Miami)
>>>
>>> On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 8:03:57 AM UTC-4 Ryan wrote:
>>>
 Wow...that's some build...love that chainring attachment for your 
 basket. Really creative! Did you do that yourself or is that something you 
 bought?  Anyway, nice bike and that color kind of grows on you

 On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 4:48:28 AM UTC-5 Dan wrote:

> I thoroughly enjoyed this write-up. I can tell you've put in a lot of 
> thought to this bike, and it's beautiful.
> Your approach to this build as a performance upright bicycle and your 
> subsequent revelations as to the comfort mirror my own on my new, purple 
> Appaloosa. I have the same bars too, but slightly wider tyres! All I need 
> is some bar tape and to mount my shifters upside down like yours for 
> those 
> secondary hand positions to really be dialled.
> Hope you have many more adventures to come.
>
> PS: I was told the Quills couldn't handle 48s (I have them on my 
> singlespeed). Are you running yours tubeless?
>
>
> On Wednesday 15 May 2024 at 09:26:44 UTC+9:30 kiziria...@gmail.com 
> wrote:
>
>> The complete build list is as follows. *View all photos here. 
>> 
>>  
>> *
>>
>> Cockpit features a Nitto 135mm Faceplater Stem with Rons Ortho Bars, 
>> Brooks leather ergon grips with Simworks purple bar ends, Rivendell S2 
>> friction shifters, with harlequin style newbuams purple/yellow wrap with 
>> clear shellac, and a stem-mounted spurcycle bell. S83 seatpost with 
>> Brooks 
>> B17 titanium. NOS Dura-Ace headset.
>>
>> [image: IMG_3282.JPG]
>>
>> Brakes feature Paul Canti Levers with Touring Canti’s, Moon units, 
>> and Hunter cycles Nugz for extra cable adjustment. Rene herse and nitto 
>> cable hangars. Yokozuna reaction compressionless housing. All capped off 
>> with Forager cycles cable cherries. Kool stop brake pads with the grey 
>> e-bike pad compound. This was my final hurrah to test the ultimate 
>> canti-lever brake setup and deem its worthiness as a brake. It has not 
>> passed by test. Riv recommends v-brakes for several valid reasons.
>>
>> Custom wheelset featuring White Industries MI5 hubs laced to Velocity 
>> Quill rims with Sapim spokes and brass nipples, 32h front, 36h rear, all 
>> polished. Rene Herse Tires, 48mm Hatcher Pass and Oracle Ridge. I will 
>> likely keep an endurance casing Oracle ridge as a final tire choice, 
>> setup 
>> tubeless with Ultradynamico brass tubeless valves. I like riding fast, 
>> especially on dirt. 
>>
>> Drivetrain features an ultra rare 110/73bcd Middleburn lightweight 
>> road triple with 42/28t gearing and Rivendell chain guard and brass 
>> self-extractors. Aluminum Sugino 28t chainring and aluminum chainring 
>> hardware for weight reduction. NOS Dura-Ace 7700 sealed cartridge Bottom 
>> bracket. Pedals are MKS Pretzel with shorter 4-5mm length brass set 
>> screws 
>> to replace the 6mm long aggressive steel pins. Ultegra PD-ES600 SPD 
>> pedals 
>> for longer rides when I want to be clipped in. Deore XT 9-speed 11-34 
>> cassette, with NOS Dura Ace 7700 mid-cage rear derailleur (wolftooth 
>> roadlink to clear the 34t), Dura Ace 7800 double front derailleur. KMC 
>> 10-speed X10SL with the gold treatment, because, gold! This all shifts 
>> *wonderfully.*
>>
>> Accessories include Nitto F32 front rack with Tanaka stainless steel 
>> basket held by Voile mini straps, Nitto 32r rear rack with cygolite rear 
>> light mount. Front rack features upcycled 28t chainring for my cygolite 
>> go-pro mount (blue lug style) and M6 brass set screws to fill the unused 
>> braze-ons. Blue Lug yellow X-Strap bungee cords front and rear, with the 
>> x2 
>> rainbow Rivendell straps laced through the basket to handle any odd 
>> things 
>> to carry on the fly. Beautiful Nitto R bottle cage on top, with ul

[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Glenn Mackin]

Having just gotten my first Rivendell--a Platypus no less--this is very 
inspiring. You've put together a truly beautiful bike. 

On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 9:24:30 AM UTC-4 Shoji Takahashi wrote:

> beautiful build. I love the video of you riding it on the trails. 
>
> I really need to find the time to build mine up... 
>
> On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 8:31:39 AM UTC-4 Tom Goodmann wrote:
>
>> Ahhh! Beautiful build! I appreciate the details and photos you've shared 
>> of your informed and thoughtful build. What a Platypus!
>>
>> Wishing you thousands of safe and happy miles,
>>
>> Tom 
>> (leaving Miami)
>>
>> On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 8:03:57 AM UTC-4 Ryan wrote:
>>
>>> Wow...that's some build...love that chainring attachment for your 
>>> basket. Really creative! Did you do that yourself or is that something you 
>>> bought?  Anyway, nice bike and that color kind of grows on you
>>>
>>> On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 4:48:28 AM UTC-5 Dan wrote:
>>>
 I thoroughly enjoyed this write-up. I can tell you've put in a lot of 
 thought to this bike, and it's beautiful.
 Your approach to this build as a performance upright bicycle and your 
 subsequent revelations as to the comfort mirror my own on my new, purple 
 Appaloosa. I have the same bars too, but slightly wider tyres! All I need 
 is some bar tape and to mount my shifters upside down like yours for those 
 secondary hand positions to really be dialled.
 Hope you have many more adventures to come.

 PS: I was told the Quills couldn't handle 48s (I have them on my 
 singlespeed). Are you running yours tubeless?


 On Wednesday 15 May 2024 at 09:26:44 UTC+9:30 kiziria...@gmail.com 
 wrote:

> The complete build list is as follows. *View all photos here. 
> 
>  
> *
>
> Cockpit features a Nitto 135mm Faceplater Stem with Rons Ortho Bars, 
> Brooks leather ergon grips with Simworks purple bar ends, Rivendell S2 
> friction shifters, with harlequin style newbuams purple/yellow wrap with 
> clear shellac, and a stem-mounted spurcycle bell. S83 seatpost with 
> Brooks 
> B17 titanium. NOS Dura-Ace headset.
>
> [image: IMG_3282.JPG]
>
> Brakes feature Paul Canti Levers with Touring Canti’s, Moon units, and 
> Hunter cycles Nugz for extra cable adjustment. Rene herse and nitto cable 
> hangars. Yokozuna reaction compressionless housing. All capped off with 
> Forager cycles cable cherries. Kool stop brake pads with the grey e-bike 
> pad compound. This was my final hurrah to test the ultimate canti-lever 
> brake setup and deem its worthiness as a brake. It has not passed by 
> test. 
> Riv recommends v-brakes for several valid reasons.
>
> Custom wheelset featuring White Industries MI5 hubs laced to Velocity 
> Quill rims with Sapim spokes and brass nipples, 32h front, 36h rear, all 
> polished. Rene Herse Tires, 48mm Hatcher Pass and Oracle Ridge. I will 
> likely keep an endurance casing Oracle ridge as a final tire choice, 
> setup 
> tubeless with Ultradynamico brass tubeless valves. I like riding fast, 
> especially on dirt. 
>
> Drivetrain features an ultra rare 110/73bcd Middleburn lightweight 
> road triple with 42/28t gearing and Rivendell chain guard and brass 
> self-extractors. Aluminum Sugino 28t chainring and aluminum chainring 
> hardware for weight reduction. NOS Dura-Ace 7700 sealed cartridge Bottom 
> bracket. Pedals are MKS Pretzel with shorter 4-5mm length brass set 
> screws 
> to replace the 6mm long aggressive steel pins. Ultegra PD-ES600 SPD 
> pedals 
> for longer rides when I want to be clipped in. Deore XT 9-speed 11-34 
> cassette, with NOS Dura Ace 7700 mid-cage rear derailleur (wolftooth 
> roadlink to clear the 34t), Dura Ace 7800 double front derailleur. KMC 
> 10-speed X10SL with the gold treatment, because, gold! This all shifts 
> *wonderfully.*
>
> Accessories include Nitto F32 front rack with Tanaka stainless steel 
> basket held by Voile mini straps, Nitto 32r rear rack with cygolite rear 
> light mount. Front rack features upcycled 28t chainring for my cygolite 
> go-pro mount (blue lug style) and M6 brass set screws to fill the unused 
> braze-ons. Blue Lug yellow X-Strap bungee cords front and rear, with the 
> x2 
> rainbow Rivendell straps laced through the basket to handle any odd 
> things 
> to carry on the fly. Beautiful Nitto R bottle cage on top, with ultra 
> rare 
> matching Nitto BG-L 1-liter bottle cage on the bottom. Greenfield 
> kickstand 
> wrapped with newbaums purple. Purple Blue Lug Koma lights front and rear 
> at 
> the drop-outs for when I forget to bring my nicer lights. Newbaums 

[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

['Hetchins52' via RBW Owners Bunch]

The chain holder is a brilliant idea! (I will have to try it on mine.)
A meticulous build -- I like all the set screws protecting threads.
David Lipsky in Berkeley, CA
On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 4:56:44 PM UTC-7 Armand Kizirian wrote:

> The complete build list is as follows. *View all photos here. 
> 
>  
> *
>
> Cockpit features a Nitto 135mm Faceplater Stem with Rons Ortho Bars, 
> Brooks leather ergon grips with Simworks purple bar ends, Rivendell S2 
> friction shifters, with harlequin style newbuams purple/yellow wrap with 
> clear shellac, and a stem-mounted spurcycle bell. S83 seatpost with Brooks 
> B17 titanium. NOS Dura-Ace headset.
>
> [image: IMG_3282.JPG]
>
> Brakes feature Paul Canti Levers with Touring Canti’s, Moon units, and 
> Hunter cycles Nugz for extra cable adjustment. Rene herse and nitto cable 
> hangars. Yokozuna reaction compressionless housing. All capped off with 
> Forager cycles cable cherries. Kool stop brake pads with the grey e-bike 
> pad compound. This was my final hurrah to test the ultimate canti-lever 
> brake setup and deem its worthiness as a brake. It has not passed by test. 
> Riv recommends v-brakes for several valid reasons.
>
> Custom wheelset featuring White Industries MI5 hubs laced to Velocity 
> Quill rims with Sapim spokes and brass nipples, 32h front, 36h rear, all 
> polished. Rene Herse Tires, 48mm Hatcher Pass and Oracle Ridge. I will 
> likely keep an endurance casing Oracle ridge as a final tire choice, setup 
> tubeless with Ultradynamico brass tubeless valves. I like riding fast, 
> especially on dirt. 
>
> Drivetrain features an ultra rare 110/73bcd Middleburn lightweight road 
> triple with 42/28t gearing and Rivendell chain guard and brass 
> self-extractors. Aluminum Sugino 28t chainring and aluminum chainring 
> hardware for weight reduction. NOS Dura-Ace 7700 sealed cartridge Bottom 
> bracket. Pedals are MKS Pretzel with shorter 4-5mm length brass set screws 
> to replace the 6mm long aggressive steel pins. Ultegra PD-ES600 SPD pedals 
> for longer rides when I want to be clipped in. Deore XT 9-speed 11-34 
> cassette, with NOS Dura Ace 7700 mid-cage rear derailleur (wolftooth 
> roadlink to clear the 34t), Dura Ace 7800 double front derailleur. KMC 
> 10-speed X10SL with the gold treatment, because, gold! This all shifts 
> *wonderfully.*
>
> Accessories include Nitto F32 front rack with Tanaka stainless steel 
> basket held by Voile mini straps, Nitto 32r rear rack with cygolite rear 
> light mount. Front rack features upcycled 28t chainring for my cygolite 
> go-pro mount (blue lug style) and M6 brass set screws to fill the unused 
> braze-ons. Blue Lug yellow X-Strap bungee cords front and rear, with the x2 
> rainbow Rivendell straps laced through the basket to handle any odd things 
> to carry on the fly. Beautiful Nitto R bottle cage on top, with ultra rare 
> matching Nitto BG-L 1-liter bottle cage on the bottom. Greenfield kickstand 
> wrapped with newbaums purple. Purple Blue Lug Koma lights front and rear at 
> the drop-outs for when I forget to bring my nicer lights. Newbaums wrap on 
> top tube for convenient handle grip when carrying up/down stairs to the 
> train. Blue lug style newbaums chainstay guard. Hemp twine features 
> everywhere. Lastly, any unused braze-ons are populated with M5 brass set 
> screws, including the backside of the utilized hourglass mounts 😉
>
> Security includes hexlox axles, with the same keyed inserts for the 
> seatpost clamp, stem, and saddle. GPS sticker for theft deterrent. Hidden 
> air tag. Serial number registered in two bike indexes. I purchased a 
> Kryptonite mini New York u-lock off ebay ($60 new!). It is absurd and 
> confidence inspiring. Makes my evolution mini u-lock look like a joke. 
>
> One bit I forgot to mention. The inner position of the lower rear right 
> rack mount are positioned perfectly for a chain holder, as 80's touring 
> bikes used to have. An Acetal bushing with delrin washers result in not 
> just a chain holder, but the ability to backpedal and lube the chain wit 
> the wheel off. 
>
>
> Thanks for reading! 
> Armand 
> Santa Monica, CA
>
>
>

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Re: [RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Tony Lockhart]

Congrats on dialing in that build, Armand. Wishing you many happy miles.

On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 12:18:57 PM UTC-7 kiziria...@gmail.com wrote:

> Thanks for the kind words everyone!
>
> *@Leah* - I feel like evntually I'll switch the v-brakes. Right now 
> that will require a rack change, and I love the F32 front as it's all 
> brazed and very lightweight. I also utilize a Nitto NR-21 rear rack for a 
> saddle bar support for the longer day rides/touring mode which is not 
> v-brake compatible. Silver shifters are GREAT. The level of adjustability 
> in the housing direction, as well as the lever stops, allow for some 
> exception fine tuning of ergonomics and placement. The "thumb screw" that 
> adjusts the level of friction WILL back off if nothing is applied to the 
> threads. I dried and built up some layers of threadlocker on the screw 
> threads so it maintains the friction setting without backing out. 
>
> *@For those questioning the step-through frame*. This is my first! I went 
> for it because it's classy, smaller friends can ride the bike successfully, 
> provides a great carry handle, and although I have no shortage of mobility, 
> the step-through design is convenient for sure. It mostly gives a really 
> interesting look, especially for such a large frame. I do question the 
> additional pair of "mid-stays" in the rear triangle potentially stiffening 
> up the rear too much. However, the single bottle cage along with 
> compromised potential frame-bag space IS a huge caveat. I recently 
> discovered the Appaloosa has wider tire clearance than the Platypus. If the 
> right size lime-olive/purple frame popped up I just may switch all the 
> parts over. 
>
> *@Dan *- Congrats on your Appaloosa! The Velocity Quill's has a 21mm 
> internal width. It should handle your max tire size, ~2.25" just fine. 
> Anyone who told you otherwise is being silly. I plan on switching to some 
> Oracle ridge tires tomorrow, tubeless. Will let you know if I encounter any 
> issues, I don't anticipate any. Velocity's product page even says up to 
> 48mm for the "optimal" tire size. 
>
> *@Ryan *- Chainring attachment was homemade. It was the original 
> chainring on the pictured cranks that was worn to hell. Be sure to use an 
> aluminum one, not steel. Exceptionally easy to shape with nothing but a 
> vice, hacksaw, and some basic files. 
>
> *@Steve *- The next step with the canti-levers is to make some old school 
> brake boosters. Right now there is a TON of flex at the brake posts. Since 
> the Paul brakes have the tension spring forward, rather than rear, there is 
> a good ~8-10mm of brake post exposed between the brake caliper and the fork 
> blade. This can be a great opportunity to place a brake booster there. It 
> is about as simple of a part as it gets for me to model on the computer, 
> and send to some friends with fancy CNC machines and a block of aluminum. A 
> good time can be had styling it for a Rivendell. 
> On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 9:43:18 AM UTC-7 Patrick Moore wrote:
>
>> As Mathias, I too have no particular interest in step-throughs -- I've 
>> owned a number of them: mixtes, drop-frame Raleigh Sportses and clones -- 
>> and if I ever buy another one it will be a Clem to build up as a 
>> ride-around beater and not for the drop frame; but yes, that Platypus is 
>> very well coordinated and set up. Kudos.
>>
>> On Tue, May 14, 2024 at 8:57 PM Mathias Steiner  
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I'm a little mystified by the whole step-through thing, so a Platypus 
>>> isn't high on my personal list.
>>>
>>> But THAT is a great build. You can tell a lot of thought and a lot of 
>>> love went into it. Beautiful.
>>>
>>> On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 9:43:28 PM UTC-4 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
>>> wrote:
>>>

 Aren’t the Platys the best? I’m so excited for you to have this beauty 
 and have it forever. I loved this model so much I ended up with a trio of 
 them. I regret nothing. My purple Gravel & Travel Platy is being built up 
 with rainbow and oil slick parts right now, and I’m anxious to see it. It 
 won’t be classy like your regal purple Platy, though. 

 Are you going to change to v brakes? How do you like the Silver 
 Shifters? I got those, too, and it will be my first bike with them. 

 I look forward to hearing more about your adventures on this new bike 
 and especially at the LA Invitational Ride! This bike can do almost 
 anything. 10,000 feet of climbing. Pssshhahhh. No problem. 
 Leah
 On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 8:07:12 PM UTC-4 kiziria...@gmail.com 
 wrote:

> One more little clip of me testing the off-road capabilities. Riding a 
> narrower saddle to be able to get my thighs behind it would improve 
> steep, 
> technical descents quite a lot. All in all I do NOT miss descending 
> rough-ish dirt roads with a rigid bike. I hope it encounter them with 
> little frequency. 
>
>
> htt

Re: [RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Armand Kizirian]

Thanks for the kind words everyone!

*@Leah* - I feel like evntually I'll switch the v-brakes. Right now 
that will require a rack change, and I love the F32 front as it's all 
brazed and very lightweight. I also utilize a Nitto NR-21 rear rack for a 
saddle bar support for the longer day rides/touring mode which is not 
v-brake compatible. Silver shifters are GREAT. The level of adjustability 
in the housing direction, as well as the lever stops, allow for some 
exception fine tuning of ergonomics and placement. The "thumb screw" that 
adjusts the level of friction WILL back off if nothing is applied to the 
threads. I dried and built up some layers of threadlocker on the screw 
threads so it maintains the friction setting without backing out. 

*@For those questioning the step-through frame*. This is my first! I went 
for it because it's classy, smaller friends can ride the bike successfully, 
provides a great carry handle, and although I have no shortage of mobility, 
the step-through design is convenient for sure. It mostly gives a really 
interesting look, especially for such a large frame. I do question the 
additional pair of "mid-stays" in the rear triangle potentially stiffening 
up the rear too much. However, the single bottle cage along with 
compromised potential frame-bag space IS a huge caveat. I recently 
discovered the Appaloosa has wider tire clearance than the Platypus. If the 
right size lime-olive/purple frame popped up I just may switch all the 
parts over. 

*@Dan *- Congrats on your Appaloosa! The Velocity Quill's has a 21mm 
internal width. It should handle your max tire size, ~2.25" just fine. 
Anyone who told you otherwise is being silly. I plan on switching to some 
Oracle ridge tires tomorrow, tubeless. Will let you know if I encounter any 
issues, I don't anticipate any. Velocity's product page even says up to 
48mm for the "optimal" tire size. 

*@Ryan *- Chainring attachment was homemade. It was the original chainring 
on the pictured cranks that was worn to hell. Be sure to use an aluminum 
one, not steel. Exceptionally easy to shape with nothing but a vice, 
hacksaw, and some basic files. 

*@Steve *- The next step with the canti-levers is to make some old school 
brake boosters. Right now there is a TON of flex at the brake posts. Since 
the Paul brakes have the tension spring forward, rather than rear, there is 
a good ~8-10mm of brake post exposed between the brake caliper and the fork 
blade. This can be a great opportunity to place a brake booster there. It 
is about as simple of a part as it gets for me to model on the computer, 
and send to some friends with fancy CNC machines and a block of aluminum. A 
good time can be had styling it for a Rivendell. 
On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 9:43:18 AM UTC-7 Patrick Moore wrote:

> As Mathias, I too have no particular interest in step-throughs -- I've 
> owned a number of them: mixtes, drop-frame Raleigh Sportses and clones -- 
> and if I ever buy another one it will be a Clem to build up as a 
> ride-around beater and not for the drop frame; but yes, that Platypus is 
> very well coordinated and set up. Kudos.
>
> On Tue, May 14, 2024 at 8:57 PM Mathias Steiner  
> wrote:
>
>> I'm a little mystified by the whole step-through thing, so a Platypus 
>> isn't high on my personal list.
>>
>> But THAT is a great build. You can tell a lot of thought and a lot of 
>> love went into it. Beautiful.
>>
>> On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 9:43:28 PM UTC-4 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Aren’t the Platys the best? I’m so excited for you to have this beauty 
>>> and have it forever. I loved this model so much I ended up with a trio of 
>>> them. I regret nothing. My purple Gravel & Travel Platy is being built up 
>>> with rainbow and oil slick parts right now, and I’m anxious to see it. It 
>>> won’t be classy like your regal purple Platy, though. 
>>>
>>> Are you going to change to v brakes? How do you like the Silver 
>>> Shifters? I got those, too, and it will be my first bike with them. 
>>>
>>> I look forward to hearing more about your adventures on this new bike 
>>> and especially at the LA Invitational Ride! This bike can do almost 
>>> anything. 10,000 feet of climbing. Pssshhahhh. No problem. 
>>> Leah
>>> On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 8:07:12 PM UTC-4 kiziria...@gmail.com wrote:
>>>
 One more little clip of me testing the off-road capabilities. Riding a 
 narrower saddle to be able to get my thighs behind it would improve steep, 
 technical descents quite a lot. All in all I do NOT miss descending 
 rough-ish dirt roads with a rigid bike. I hope it encounter them with 
 little frequency. 


 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rw4lpolns8s6x6cyzg07w/IMG_9041.MOV?rlkey=608dbcfa4tx3nxvu36wthlm8a&dl=0

 On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 4:58:59 PM UTC-7 Armand Kizirian wrote:

> This last weekend I took it on a mixed terrain ride, about 35 miles 
> with over 3500ft of climbing. 

Re: [RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Patrick Moore]

As Mathias, I too have no particular interest in step-throughs -- I've
owned a number of them: mixtes, drop-frame Raleigh Sportses and clones --
and if I ever buy another one it will be a Clem to build up as a
ride-around beater and not for the drop frame; but yes, that Platypus is
very well coordinated and set up. Kudos.

On Tue, May 14, 2024 at 8:57 PM Mathias Steiner 
wrote:

> I'm a little mystified by the whole step-through thing, so a Platypus
> isn't high on my personal list.
>
> But THAT is a great build. You can tell a lot of thought and a lot of love
> went into it. Beautiful.
>
> On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 9:43:28 PM UTC-4 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!
> wrote:
>
>>
>> Aren’t the Platys the best? I’m so excited for you to have this beauty
>> and have it forever. I loved this model so much I ended up with a trio of
>> them. I regret nothing. My purple Gravel & Travel Platy is being built up
>> with rainbow and oil slick parts right now, and I’m anxious to see it. It
>> won’t be classy like your regal purple Platy, though.
>>
>> Are you going to change to v brakes? How do you like the Silver Shifters?
>> I got those, too, and it will be my first bike with them.
>>
>> I look forward to hearing more about your adventures on this new bike and
>> especially at the LA Invitational Ride! This bike can do almost anything.
>> 10,000 feet of climbing. Pssshhahhh. No problem.
>> Leah
>> On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 8:07:12 PM UTC-4 kiziria...@gmail.com wrote:
>>
>>> One more little clip of me testing the off-road capabilities. Riding a
>>> narrower saddle to be able to get my thighs behind it would improve steep,
>>> technical descents quite a lot. All in all I do NOT miss descending
>>> rough-ish dirt roads with a rigid bike. I hope it encounter them with
>>> little frequency.
>>>
>>>
>>> https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rw4lpolns8s6x6cyzg07w/IMG_9041.MOV?rlkey=608dbcfa4tx3nxvu36wthlm8a&dl=0
>>>
>>> On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 4:58:59 PM UTC-7 Armand Kizirian wrote:
>>>
 This last weekend I took it on a mixed terrain ride, about 35 miles
 with over 3500ft of climbing. I was shocked with how well it handled the
 route. The lack of friction in the system as a whole, from the white
 industries hubs, to dura ace bottom bracket, to rene herse extralight
 tires, made my drop-bar bike feel neglected and abused, that is to say,
 this bike feels like butter. This sensation was amplified by swapping in
 SPD pedals for the first time and feeling “connected.” The forward position
 of the Ortho bars are fantastic for out of the saddle climbing leverage, or
 on the saddle technical climbing on singletrack, elbows flared down. With
 48mm slicks aired a bit down, the long chainstays allowed me to have enough
 traction to only have to walk one segment. I can’t wait to try it with the
 Rene Herse knobby equivalent. The ability to tap into a restorative
 position (aka the default riding position) made the entire route so utterly
 comfortable, without a hint of a back or neck ache developing. Not
 something I would be able to say on my drop-bar bike, which has bars levels
 with the saddle mind you.

 [image: IMG_3348.JPG]

 There is so much to write about, I will let you ask any questions you
 have. Look for a ride report after this weekend, where I will strip the
 racks off and ride 60+ miles with 10,000ft of climbing with this at the LA
 Invitational ride.


 On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 4:56:44 PM UTC-7 Armand Kizirian wrote:

> The complete build list is as follows. *View all photos here.
> 
> *
>
> Cockpit features a Nitto 135mm Faceplater Stem with Rons Ortho Bars,
> Brooks leather ergon grips with Simworks purple bar ends, Rivendell S2
> friction shifters, with harlequin style newbuams purple/yellow wrap with
> clear shellac, and a stem-mounted spurcycle bell. S83 seatpost with Brooks
> B17 titanium. NOS Dura-Ace headset.
>
> [image: IMG_3282.JPG]
>
> Brakes feature Paul Canti Levers with Touring Canti’s, Moon units, and
> Hunter cycles Nugz for extra cable adjustment. Rene herse and nitto cable
> hangars. Yokozuna reaction compressionless housing. All capped off with
> Forager cycles cable cherries. Kool stop brake pads with the grey e-bike
> pad compound. This was my final hurrah to test the ultimate canti-lever
> brake setup and deem its worthiness as a brake. It has not passed by test.
> Riv recommends v-brakes for several valid reasons.
>
> Custom wheelset featuring White Industries MI5 hubs laced to Velocity
> Quill rims with Sapim spokes and brass nipples, 32h front, 36h rear, all
> polished. Rene Herse Tires, 48mm Hatcher Pass and Oracle Ridge. I will
> likely keep an endurance casing Oracle ridge as a fin

[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Tim Bantham]

This is just a lovely build. I too have a Platypus and love it! I took it 
on a club gravel ride and had quite a few curious looks but had not 
difficulty keeping up with the group. I just added an R-14 rear rack on 
mine and plan to updgrade to Paul Motolites as I get around to it. This is 
a great bike. 

On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 9:38:44 AM UTC-4 Steve wrote:

> Armand, welcome to the Cult of the Platypus.   You've built a stellar 
> example! 
>
> I'm running the same hubs and rims on my mermaid Platypus, though with 
> 42mm RH slicks under 58mm fenders  I went  I'm of the opinion that 
> there is some kind of magic happening with the design of the Platypus - it 
> never fails to impress me. 
>
> About those cantilevers - I went with Deore V-brakes mostly to pinch a few 
> pennies. Yes, they definitely set up easily and perform well - but to my 
> eyes they lack the elegance of a well executed cantilever. I say don't give 
> up on them. 
>
> Steve 
>
> On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 7:51:38 PM UTC-4 Armand Kizirian wrote:
>
>> Greetings fellow Rivendell Lovers!
>>
>> I’m happy to introduce to you my very first Rivendell, an Ana Purple 
>> Platypus built up as my forever bike (#3). As someone who worked in bike 
>> shops growing up with a current background as a designer and engineer, I 
>> went all out with designing the optimal riding experience, crafting a 
>> versatile bicycle intended to be ridden every day, and most importantly, to 
>> be loved for life.
>>
>> [image: IMG_3263.JPG]
>>
>> I’ve never done a full “balleur” build before, and had a few intentions 
>> in mind with this. Make it as lightweight as possible with zero 
>> compromises. Embrace the Rivendell ethos of simplicity in the mechanical 
>> components. See how versatile an upright bicycle can be not just for 
>> commuting, but both supreme pleasure rides and also longer, more demanding 
>> routes. Make it timeless, gorgeous, and utterly practical. 
>>
>> So far I have been pleasantly surprised. I’ve ridden it every day as my 
>> primary vehicle since completion. Most look at the swoopy “cruiser” (as 
>> many call it) handlebars and assume it is a pretty pleasure bike for brief, 
>> simple rides. I explain to them the vibe is moreso *performance 
>> Cadillac,* where rides from 20-30+ miles are done with ease and comfort. 
>> The combination of the upright position, long chainstays, slightly slacker 
>> headtube, luxurious touch points, and made in USA/japan mechanical 
>> components result in a riding experience that can be playful, relaxed, 
>> spirited, or *fast* all with a shift of a mindset and handlebar 
>> position. I LOVE the contrast of performance with comfort, particularly as 
>> a stronger rider. It is a delightful combination that is rare and 
>> overlooked, as most upright bicycles feature low-end components or 
>> compromised geometry.
>>
>>

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[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Steve]

Armand, welcome to the Cult of the Platypus.   You've built a stellar 
example! 

I'm running the same hubs and rims on my mermaid Platypus, though with 42mm 
RH slicks under 58mm fenders  I went  I'm of the opinion that there is 
some kind of magic happening with the design of the Platypus - it never 
fails to impress me. 

About those cantilevers - I went with Deore V-brakes mostly to pinch a few 
pennies. Yes, they definitely set up easily and perform well - but to my 
eyes they lack the elegance of a well executed cantilever. I say don't give 
up on them. 

Steve 

On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 7:51:38 PM UTC-4 Armand Kizirian wrote:

> Greetings fellow Rivendell Lovers!
>
> I’m happy to introduce to you my very first Rivendell, an Ana Purple 
> Platypus built up as my forever bike (#3). As someone who worked in bike 
> shops growing up with a current background as a designer and engineer, I 
> went all out with designing the optimal riding experience, crafting a 
> versatile bicycle intended to be ridden every day, and most importantly, to 
> be loved for life.
>
> [image: IMG_3263.JPG]
>
> I’ve never done a full “balleur” build before, and had a few intentions in 
> mind with this. Make it as lightweight as possible with zero compromises. 
> Embrace the Rivendell ethos of simplicity in the mechanical components. See 
> how versatile an upright bicycle can be not just for commuting, but both 
> supreme pleasure rides and also longer, more demanding routes. Make it 
> timeless, gorgeous, and utterly practical. 
>
> So far I have been pleasantly surprised. I’ve ridden it every day as my 
> primary vehicle since completion. Most look at the swoopy “cruiser” (as 
> many call it) handlebars and assume it is a pretty pleasure bike for brief, 
> simple rides. I explain to them the vibe is moreso *performance Cadillac,* 
> where rides from 20-30+ miles are done with ease and comfort. The 
> combination of the upright position, long chainstays, slightly slacker 
> headtube, luxurious touch points, and made in USA/japan mechanical 
> components result in a riding experience that can be playful, relaxed, 
> spirited, or *fast* all with a shift of a mindset and handlebar position. 
> I LOVE the contrast of performance with comfort, particularly as a stronger 
> rider. It is a delightful combination that is rare and overlooked, as most 
> upright bicycles feature low-end components or compromised geometry.
>
>

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[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Steve]

Armand, welcome to the Cult of the Platypus.   You've built a stellar 
example! 

I'm running the same hubs and rims on my mermaid Platypus, though with 42mm 
RH slicks under 58mm fenders  I went  I'm of the opinion that there is 
some kind of magic happening with the design of the Platypus - it never 
fails to impress me. 

About those cantilevers - I went with Deore V-brakes mostly to pinch a few 
pennies. Yes, they definitely set up easily and perform well - but to my 
eyes they lack the elegance of a well executed cantilever. I say don't give 
up on them. It may just be the perspective, but judging from your pics you 
might try shortening the straddle cables a bit so that when the pads are in 
contact with the rim a line drawn from the base of the canti where it 
pivots to the top where the straddle is anchored, and then to the apex of 
the straddle cable approximates a 90 degree angle. 

Steve 
On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 7:51:38 PM UTC-4 Armand Kizirian wrote:

> Greetings fellow Rivendell Lovers!
>
> I’m happy to introduce to you my very first Rivendell, an Ana Purple 
> Platypus built up as my forever bike (#3). As someone who worked in bike 
> shops growing up with a current background as a designer and engineer, I 
> went all out with designing the optimal riding experience, crafting a 
> versatile bicycle intended to be ridden every day, and most importantly, to 
> be loved for life.
>
> [image: IMG_3263.JPG]
>
> I’ve never done a full “balleur” build before, and had a few intentions in 
> mind with this. Make it as lightweight as possible with zero compromises. 
> Embrace the Rivendell ethos of simplicity in the mechanical components. See 
> how versatile an upright bicycle can be not just for commuting, but both 
> supreme pleasure rides and also longer, more demanding routes. Make it 
> timeless, gorgeous, and utterly practical. 
>
> So far I have been pleasantly surprised. I’ve ridden it every day as my 
> primary vehicle since completion. Most look at the swoopy “cruiser” (as 
> many call it) handlebars and assume it is a pretty pleasure bike for brief, 
> simple rides. I explain to them the vibe is moreso *performance Cadillac,* 
> where rides from 20-30+ miles are done with ease and comfort. The 
> combination of the upright position, long chainstays, slightly slacker 
> headtube, luxurious touch points, and made in USA/japan mechanical 
> components result in a riding experience that can be playful, relaxed, 
> spirited, or *fast* all with a shift of a mindset and handlebar position. 
> I LOVE the contrast of performance with comfort, particularly as a stronger 
> rider. It is a delightful combination that is rare and overlooked, as most 
> upright bicycles feature low-end components or compromised geometry.
>
>

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[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Shoji Takahashi]

beautiful build. I love the video of you riding it on the trails. 

I really need to find the time to build mine up... 

On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 8:31:39 AM UTC-4 Tom Goodmann wrote:

> Ahhh! Beautiful build! I appreciate the details and photos you've shared 
> of your informed and thoughtful build. What a Platypus!
>
> Wishing you thousands of safe and happy miles,
>
> Tom 
> (leaving Miami)
>
> On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 8:03:57 AM UTC-4 Ryan wrote:
>
>> Wow...that's some build...love that chainring attachment for your basket. 
>> Really creative! Did you do that yourself or is that something you bought?  
>> Anyway, nice bike and that color kind of grows on you
>>
>> On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 4:48:28 AM UTC-5 Dan wrote:
>>
>>> I thoroughly enjoyed this write-up. I can tell you've put in a lot of 
>>> thought to this bike, and it's beautiful.
>>> Your approach to this build as a performance upright bicycle and your 
>>> subsequent revelations as to the comfort mirror my own on my new, purple 
>>> Appaloosa. I have the same bars too, but slightly wider tyres! All I need 
>>> is some bar tape and to mount my shifters upside down like yours for those 
>>> secondary hand positions to really be dialled.
>>> Hope you have many more adventures to come.
>>>
>>> PS: I was told the Quills couldn't handle 48s (I have them on my 
>>> singlespeed). Are you running yours tubeless?
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wednesday 15 May 2024 at 09:26:44 UTC+9:30 kiziria...@gmail.com 
>>> wrote:
>>>
 The complete build list is as follows. *View all photos here. 
 
  
 *

 Cockpit features a Nitto 135mm Faceplater Stem with Rons Ortho Bars, 
 Brooks leather ergon grips with Simworks purple bar ends, Rivendell S2 
 friction shifters, with harlequin style newbuams purple/yellow wrap with 
 clear shellac, and a stem-mounted spurcycle bell. S83 seatpost with Brooks 
 B17 titanium. NOS Dura-Ace headset.

 [image: IMG_3282.JPG]

 Brakes feature Paul Canti Levers with Touring Canti’s, Moon units, and 
 Hunter cycles Nugz for extra cable adjustment. Rene herse and nitto cable 
 hangars. Yokozuna reaction compressionless housing. All capped off with 
 Forager cycles cable cherries. Kool stop brake pads with the grey e-bike 
 pad compound. This was my final hurrah to test the ultimate canti-lever 
 brake setup and deem its worthiness as a brake. It has not passed by test. 
 Riv recommends v-brakes for several valid reasons.

 Custom wheelset featuring White Industries MI5 hubs laced to Velocity 
 Quill rims with Sapim spokes and brass nipples, 32h front, 36h rear, all 
 polished. Rene Herse Tires, 48mm Hatcher Pass and Oracle Ridge. I will 
 likely keep an endurance casing Oracle ridge as a final tire choice, setup 
 tubeless with Ultradynamico brass tubeless valves. I like riding fast, 
 especially on dirt. 

 Drivetrain features an ultra rare 110/73bcd Middleburn lightweight road 
 triple with 42/28t gearing and Rivendell chain guard and brass 
 self-extractors. Aluminum Sugino 28t chainring and aluminum chainring 
 hardware for weight reduction. NOS Dura-Ace 7700 sealed cartridge Bottom 
 bracket. Pedals are MKS Pretzel with shorter 4-5mm length brass set screws 
 to replace the 6mm long aggressive steel pins. Ultegra PD-ES600 SPD pedals 
 for longer rides when I want to be clipped in. Deore XT 9-speed 11-34 
 cassette, with NOS Dura Ace 7700 mid-cage rear derailleur (wolftooth 
 roadlink to clear the 34t), Dura Ace 7800 double front derailleur. KMC 
 10-speed X10SL with the gold treatment, because, gold! This all shifts 
 *wonderfully.*

 Accessories include Nitto F32 front rack with Tanaka stainless steel 
 basket held by Voile mini straps, Nitto 32r rear rack with cygolite rear 
 light mount. Front rack features upcycled 28t chainring for my cygolite 
 go-pro mount (blue lug style) and M6 brass set screws to fill the unused 
 braze-ons. Blue Lug yellow X-Strap bungee cords front and rear, with the 
 x2 
 rainbow Rivendell straps laced through the basket to handle any odd things 
 to carry on the fly. Beautiful Nitto R bottle cage on top, with ultra rare 
 matching Nitto BG-L 1-liter bottle cage on the bottom. Greenfield 
 kickstand 
 wrapped with newbaums purple. Purple Blue Lug Koma lights front and rear 
 at 
 the drop-outs for when I forget to bring my nicer lights. Newbaums wrap on 
 top tube for convenient handle grip when carrying up/down stairs to the 
 train. Blue lug style newbaums chainstay guard. Hemp twine features 
 everywhere. Lastly, any unused braze-ons are populated with M5 brass set 
 screws, including the backside of the utilized hourglass mounts 😉

 Security includes hexlo

[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Tom Goodmann]

Ahhh! Beautiful build! I appreciate the details and photos you've shared of 
your informed and thoughtful build. What a Platypus!

Wishing you thousands of safe and happy miles,

Tom 
(leaving Miami)

On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 8:03:57 AM UTC-4 Ryan wrote:

> Wow...that's some build...love that chainring attachment for your basket. 
> Really creative! Did you do that yourself or is that something you bought?  
> Anyway, nice bike and that color kind of grows on you
>
> On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 4:48:28 AM UTC-5 Dan wrote:
>
>> I thoroughly enjoyed this write-up. I can tell you've put in a lot of 
>> thought to this bike, and it's beautiful.
>> Your approach to this build as a performance upright bicycle and your 
>> subsequent revelations as to the comfort mirror my own on my new, purple 
>> Appaloosa. I have the same bars too, but slightly wider tyres! All I need 
>> is some bar tape and to mount my shifters upside down like yours for those 
>> secondary hand positions to really be dialled.
>> Hope you have many more adventures to come.
>>
>> PS: I was told the Quills couldn't handle 48s (I have them on my 
>> singlespeed). Are you running yours tubeless?
>>
>>
>> On Wednesday 15 May 2024 at 09:26:44 UTC+9:30 kiziria...@gmail.com wrote:
>>
>>> The complete build list is as follows. *View all photos here. 
>>> 
>>>  
>>> *
>>>
>>> Cockpit features a Nitto 135mm Faceplater Stem with Rons Ortho Bars, 
>>> Brooks leather ergon grips with Simworks purple bar ends, Rivendell S2 
>>> friction shifters, with harlequin style newbuams purple/yellow wrap with 
>>> clear shellac, and a stem-mounted spurcycle bell. S83 seatpost with Brooks 
>>> B17 titanium. NOS Dura-Ace headset.
>>>
>>> [image: IMG_3282.JPG]
>>>
>>> Brakes feature Paul Canti Levers with Touring Canti’s, Moon units, and 
>>> Hunter cycles Nugz for extra cable adjustment. Rene herse and nitto cable 
>>> hangars. Yokozuna reaction compressionless housing. All capped off with 
>>> Forager cycles cable cherries. Kool stop brake pads with the grey e-bike 
>>> pad compound. This was my final hurrah to test the ultimate canti-lever 
>>> brake setup and deem its worthiness as a brake. It has not passed by test. 
>>> Riv recommends v-brakes for several valid reasons.
>>>
>>> Custom wheelset featuring White Industries MI5 hubs laced to Velocity 
>>> Quill rims with Sapim spokes and brass nipples, 32h front, 36h rear, all 
>>> polished. Rene Herse Tires, 48mm Hatcher Pass and Oracle Ridge. I will 
>>> likely keep an endurance casing Oracle ridge as a final tire choice, setup 
>>> tubeless with Ultradynamico brass tubeless valves. I like riding fast, 
>>> especially on dirt. 
>>>
>>> Drivetrain features an ultra rare 110/73bcd Middleburn lightweight road 
>>> triple with 42/28t gearing and Rivendell chain guard and brass 
>>> self-extractors. Aluminum Sugino 28t chainring and aluminum chainring 
>>> hardware for weight reduction. NOS Dura-Ace 7700 sealed cartridge Bottom 
>>> bracket. Pedals are MKS Pretzel with shorter 4-5mm length brass set screws 
>>> to replace the 6mm long aggressive steel pins. Ultegra PD-ES600 SPD pedals 
>>> for longer rides when I want to be clipped in. Deore XT 9-speed 11-34 
>>> cassette, with NOS Dura Ace 7700 mid-cage rear derailleur (wolftooth 
>>> roadlink to clear the 34t), Dura Ace 7800 double front derailleur. KMC 
>>> 10-speed X10SL with the gold treatment, because, gold! This all shifts 
>>> *wonderfully.*
>>>
>>> Accessories include Nitto F32 front rack with Tanaka stainless steel 
>>> basket held by Voile mini straps, Nitto 32r rear rack with cygolite rear 
>>> light mount. Front rack features upcycled 28t chainring for my cygolite 
>>> go-pro mount (blue lug style) and M6 brass set screws to fill the unused 
>>> braze-ons. Blue Lug yellow X-Strap bungee cords front and rear, with the x2 
>>> rainbow Rivendell straps laced through the basket to handle any odd things 
>>> to carry on the fly. Beautiful Nitto R bottle cage on top, with ultra rare 
>>> matching Nitto BG-L 1-liter bottle cage on the bottom. Greenfield kickstand 
>>> wrapped with newbaums purple. Purple Blue Lug Koma lights front and rear at 
>>> the drop-outs for when I forget to bring my nicer lights. Newbaums wrap on 
>>> top tube for convenient handle grip when carrying up/down stairs to the 
>>> train. Blue lug style newbaums chainstay guard. Hemp twine features 
>>> everywhere. Lastly, any unused braze-ons are populated with M5 brass set 
>>> screws, including the backside of the utilized hourglass mounts 😉
>>>
>>> Security includes hexlox axles, with the same keyed inserts for the 
>>> seatpost clamp, stem, and saddle. GPS sticker for theft deterrent. Hidden 
>>> air tag. Serial number registered in two bike indexes. I purchased a 
>>> Kryptonite mini New York u-lock off ebay ($60 new!). It is absurd and 
>>> confidence inspiring. Makes

[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Ryan]

Wow...that's some build...love that chainring attachment for your basket. 
Really creative! Did you do that yourself or is that something you bought?  
Anyway, nice bike and that color kind of grows on you

On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 4:48:28 AM UTC-5 Dan wrote:

> I thoroughly enjoyed this write-up. I can tell you've put in a lot of 
> thought to this bike, and it's beautiful.
> Your approach to this build as a performance upright bicycle and your 
> subsequent revelations as to the comfort mirror my own on my new, purple 
> Appaloosa. I have the same bars too, but slightly wider tyres! All I need 
> is some bar tape and to mount my shifters upside down like yours for those 
> secondary hand positions to really be dialled.
> Hope you have many more adventures to come.
>
> PS: I was told the Quills couldn't handle 48s (I have them on my 
> singlespeed). Are you running yours tubeless?
>
>
> On Wednesday 15 May 2024 at 09:26:44 UTC+9:30 kiziria...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> The complete build list is as follows. *View all photos here. 
>> 
>>  
>> *
>>
>> Cockpit features a Nitto 135mm Faceplater Stem with Rons Ortho Bars, 
>> Brooks leather ergon grips with Simworks purple bar ends, Rivendell S2 
>> friction shifters, with harlequin style newbuams purple/yellow wrap with 
>> clear shellac, and a stem-mounted spurcycle bell. S83 seatpost with Brooks 
>> B17 titanium. NOS Dura-Ace headset.
>>
>> [image: IMG_3282.JPG]
>>
>> Brakes feature Paul Canti Levers with Touring Canti’s, Moon units, and 
>> Hunter cycles Nugz for extra cable adjustment. Rene herse and nitto cable 
>> hangars. Yokozuna reaction compressionless housing. All capped off with 
>> Forager cycles cable cherries. Kool stop brake pads with the grey e-bike 
>> pad compound. This was my final hurrah to test the ultimate canti-lever 
>> brake setup and deem its worthiness as a brake. It has not passed by test. 
>> Riv recommends v-brakes for several valid reasons.
>>
>> Custom wheelset featuring White Industries MI5 hubs laced to Velocity 
>> Quill rims with Sapim spokes and brass nipples, 32h front, 36h rear, all 
>> polished. Rene Herse Tires, 48mm Hatcher Pass and Oracle Ridge. I will 
>> likely keep an endurance casing Oracle ridge as a final tire choice, setup 
>> tubeless with Ultradynamico brass tubeless valves. I like riding fast, 
>> especially on dirt. 
>>
>> Drivetrain features an ultra rare 110/73bcd Middleburn lightweight road 
>> triple with 42/28t gearing and Rivendell chain guard and brass 
>> self-extractors. Aluminum Sugino 28t chainring and aluminum chainring 
>> hardware for weight reduction. NOS Dura-Ace 7700 sealed cartridge Bottom 
>> bracket. Pedals are MKS Pretzel with shorter 4-5mm length brass set screws 
>> to replace the 6mm long aggressive steel pins. Ultegra PD-ES600 SPD pedals 
>> for longer rides when I want to be clipped in. Deore XT 9-speed 11-34 
>> cassette, with NOS Dura Ace 7700 mid-cage rear derailleur (wolftooth 
>> roadlink to clear the 34t), Dura Ace 7800 double front derailleur. KMC 
>> 10-speed X10SL with the gold treatment, because, gold! This all shifts 
>> *wonderfully.*
>>
>> Accessories include Nitto F32 front rack with Tanaka stainless steel 
>> basket held by Voile mini straps, Nitto 32r rear rack with cygolite rear 
>> light mount. Front rack features upcycled 28t chainring for my cygolite 
>> go-pro mount (blue lug style) and M6 brass set screws to fill the unused 
>> braze-ons. Blue Lug yellow X-Strap bungee cords front and rear, with the x2 
>> rainbow Rivendell straps laced through the basket to handle any odd things 
>> to carry on the fly. Beautiful Nitto R bottle cage on top, with ultra rare 
>> matching Nitto BG-L 1-liter bottle cage on the bottom. Greenfield kickstand 
>> wrapped with newbaums purple. Purple Blue Lug Koma lights front and rear at 
>> the drop-outs for when I forget to bring my nicer lights. Newbaums wrap on 
>> top tube for convenient handle grip when carrying up/down stairs to the 
>> train. Blue lug style newbaums chainstay guard. Hemp twine features 
>> everywhere. Lastly, any unused braze-ons are populated with M5 brass set 
>> screws, including the backside of the utilized hourglass mounts 😉
>>
>> Security includes hexlox axles, with the same keyed inserts for the 
>> seatpost clamp, stem, and saddle. GPS sticker for theft deterrent. Hidden 
>> air tag. Serial number registered in two bike indexes. I purchased a 
>> Kryptonite mini New York u-lock off ebay ($60 new!). It is absurd and 
>> confidence inspiring. Makes my evolution mini u-lock look like a joke. 
>>
>> One bit I forgot to mention. The inner position of the lower rear right 
>> rack mount are positioned perfectly for a chain holder, as 80's touring 
>> bikes used to have. An Acetal bushing with delrin washers result in not 
>> just a chain holder, but the ability to backpedal and lube the chai

[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Dan]

I thoroughly enjoyed this write-up. I can tell you've put in a lot of 
thought to this bike, and it's beautiful.
Your approach to this build as a performance upright bicycle and your 
subsequent revelations as to the comfort mirror my own on my new, purple 
Appaloosa. I have the same bars too, but slightly wider tyres! All I need 
is some bar tape and to mount my shifters upside down like yours for those 
secondary hand positions to really be dialled.
Hope you have many more adventures to come.

PS: I was told the Quills couldn't handle 48s (I have them on my 
singlespeed). Are you running yours tubeless?


On Wednesday 15 May 2024 at 09:26:44 UTC+9:30 kiziria...@gmail.com wrote:

> The complete build list is as follows. *View all photos here. 
> 
>  
> *
>
> Cockpit features a Nitto 135mm Faceplater Stem with Rons Ortho Bars, 
> Brooks leather ergon grips with Simworks purple bar ends, Rivendell S2 
> friction shifters, with harlequin style newbuams purple/yellow wrap with 
> clear shellac, and a stem-mounted spurcycle bell. S83 seatpost with Brooks 
> B17 titanium. NOS Dura-Ace headset.
>
> [image: IMG_3282.JPG]
>
> Brakes feature Paul Canti Levers with Touring Canti’s, Moon units, and 
> Hunter cycles Nugz for extra cable adjustment. Rene herse and nitto cable 
> hangars. Yokozuna reaction compressionless housing. All capped off with 
> Forager cycles cable cherries. Kool stop brake pads with the grey e-bike 
> pad compound. This was my final hurrah to test the ultimate canti-lever 
> brake setup and deem its worthiness as a brake. It has not passed by test. 
> Riv recommends v-brakes for several valid reasons.
>
> Custom wheelset featuring White Industries MI5 hubs laced to Velocity 
> Quill rims with Sapim spokes and brass nipples, 32h front, 36h rear, all 
> polished. Rene Herse Tires, 48mm Hatcher Pass and Oracle Ridge. I will 
> likely keep an endurance casing Oracle ridge as a final tire choice, setup 
> tubeless with Ultradynamico brass tubeless valves. I like riding fast, 
> especially on dirt. 
>
> Drivetrain features an ultra rare 110/73bcd Middleburn lightweight road 
> triple with 42/28t gearing and Rivendell chain guard and brass 
> self-extractors. Aluminum Sugino 28t chainring and aluminum chainring 
> hardware for weight reduction. NOS Dura-Ace 7700 sealed cartridge Bottom 
> bracket. Pedals are MKS Pretzel with shorter 4-5mm length brass set screws 
> to replace the 6mm long aggressive steel pins. Ultegra PD-ES600 SPD pedals 
> for longer rides when I want to be clipped in. Deore XT 9-speed 11-34 
> cassette, with NOS Dura Ace 7700 mid-cage rear derailleur (wolftooth 
> roadlink to clear the 34t), Dura Ace 7800 double front derailleur. KMC 
> 10-speed X10SL with the gold treatment, because, gold! This all shifts 
> *wonderfully.*
>
> Accessories include Nitto F32 front rack with Tanaka stainless steel 
> basket held by Voile mini straps, Nitto 32r rear rack with cygolite rear 
> light mount. Front rack features upcycled 28t chainring for my cygolite 
> go-pro mount (blue lug style) and M6 brass set screws to fill the unused 
> braze-ons. Blue Lug yellow X-Strap bungee cords front and rear, with the x2 
> rainbow Rivendell straps laced through the basket to handle any odd things 
> to carry on the fly. Beautiful Nitto R bottle cage on top, with ultra rare 
> matching Nitto BG-L 1-liter bottle cage on the bottom. Greenfield kickstand 
> wrapped with newbaums purple. Purple Blue Lug Koma lights front and rear at 
> the drop-outs for when I forget to bring my nicer lights. Newbaums wrap on 
> top tube for convenient handle grip when carrying up/down stairs to the 
> train. Blue lug style newbaums chainstay guard. Hemp twine features 
> everywhere. Lastly, any unused braze-ons are populated with M5 brass set 
> screws, including the backside of the utilized hourglass mounts 😉
>
> Security includes hexlox axles, with the same keyed inserts for the 
> seatpost clamp, stem, and saddle. GPS sticker for theft deterrent. Hidden 
> air tag. Serial number registered in two bike indexes. I purchased a 
> Kryptonite mini New York u-lock off ebay ($60 new!). It is absurd and 
> confidence inspiring. Makes my evolution mini u-lock look like a joke. 
>
> One bit I forgot to mention. The inner position of the lower rear right 
> rack mount are positioned perfectly for a chain holder, as 80's touring 
> bikes used to have. An Acetal bushing with delrin washers result in not 
> just a chain holder, but the ability to backpedal and lube the chain wit 
> the wheel off. 
>
>
> Thanks for reading! 
> Armand 
> Santa Monica, CA
>
>
>

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[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[atreya...@gmail.com]

The build and aesthetics are perfect! very well thought out. Enjoyed all 
the beautiful pics. Thanks for sharing

On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 4:51:38 PM UTC-7 Armand Kizirian wrote:

> Greetings fellow Rivendell Lovers!
>
> I’m happy to introduce to you my very first Rivendell, an Ana Purple 
> Platypus built up as my forever bike (#3). As someone who worked in bike 
> shops growing up with a current background as a designer and engineer, I 
> went all out with designing the optimal riding experience, crafting a 
> versatile bicycle intended to be ridden every day, and most importantly, to 
> be loved for life.
>
> [image: IMG_3263.JPG]
>
> I’ve never done a full “balleur” build before, and had a few intentions in 
> mind with this. Make it as lightweight as possible with zero compromises. 
> Embrace the Rivendell ethos of simplicity in the mechanical components. See 
> how versatile an upright bicycle can be not just for commuting, but both 
> supreme pleasure rides and also longer, more demanding routes. Make it 
> timeless, gorgeous, and utterly practical. 
>
> So far I have been pleasantly surprised. I’ve ridden it every day as my 
> primary vehicle since completion. Most look at the swoopy “cruiser” (as 
> many call it) handlebars and assume it is a pretty pleasure bike for brief, 
> simple rides. I explain to them the vibe is moreso *performance Cadillac,* 
> where rides from 20-30+ miles are done with ease and comfort. The 
> combination of the upright position, long chainstays, slightly slacker 
> headtube, luxurious touch points, and made in USA/japan mechanical 
> components result in a riding experience that can be playful, relaxed, 
> spirited, or *fast* all with a shift of a mindset and handlebar position. 
> I LOVE the contrast of performance with comfort, particularly as a stronger 
> rider. It is a delightful combination that is rare and overlooked, as most 
> upright bicycles feature low-end components or compromised geometry.
>
>

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[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[John Rinker]

That bike looks delicious! A very fine build indeed.

Cheers, John

On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 7:57:08 PM UTC-7 Mathias Steiner wrote:

> I'm a little mystified by the whole step-through thing, so a Platypus 
> isn't high on my personal list.
>
> But THAT is a great build. You can tell a lot of thought and a lot of love 
> went into it. Beautiful.
>
> On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 9:43:28 PM UTC-4 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
> wrote:
>
>>
>> Aren’t the Platys the best? I’m so excited for you to have this beauty 
>> and have it forever. I loved this model so much I ended up with a trio of 
>> them. I regret nothing. My purple Gravel & Travel Platy is being built up 
>> with rainbow and oil slick parts right now, and I’m anxious to see it. It 
>> won’t be classy like your regal purple Platy, though. 
>>
>> Are you going to change to v brakes? How do you like the Silver Shifters? 
>> I got those, too, and it will be my first bike with them. 
>>
>> I look forward to hearing more about your adventures on this new bike and 
>> especially at the LA Invitational Ride! This bike can do almost anything. 
>> 10,000 feet of climbing. Pssshhahhh. No problem. 
>> Leah
>> On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 8:07:12 PM UTC-4 kiziria...@gmail.com wrote:
>>
>>> One more little clip of me testing the off-road capabilities. Riding a 
>>> narrower saddle to be able to get my thighs behind it would improve steep, 
>>> technical descents quite a lot. All in all I do NOT miss descending 
>>> rough-ish dirt roads with a rigid bike. I hope it encounter them with 
>>> little frequency. 
>>>
>>>
>>> https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rw4lpolns8s6x6cyzg07w/IMG_9041.MOV?rlkey=608dbcfa4tx3nxvu36wthlm8a&dl=0
>>>
>>> On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 4:58:59 PM UTC-7 Armand Kizirian wrote:
>>>
 This last weekend I took it on a mixed terrain ride, about 35 miles 
 with over 3500ft of climbing. I was shocked with how well it handled the 
 route. The lack of friction in the system as a whole, from the white 
 industries hubs, to dura ace bottom bracket, to rene herse extralight 
 tires, made my drop-bar bike feel neglected and abused, that is to say, 
 this bike feels like butter. This sensation was amplified by swapping in 
 SPD pedals for the first time and feeling “connected.” The forward 
 position 
 of the Ortho bars are fantastic for out of the saddle climbing leverage, 
 or 
 on the saddle technical climbing on singletrack, elbows flared down. With 
 48mm slicks aired a bit down, the long chainstays allowed me to have 
 enough 
 traction to only have to walk one segment. I can’t wait to try it with the 
 Rene Herse knobby equivalent. The ability to tap into a restorative 
 position (aka the default riding position) made the entire route so 
 utterly 
 comfortable, without a hint of a back or neck ache developing. Not 
 something I would be able to say on my drop-bar bike, which has bars 
 levels 
 with the saddle mind you.

 [image: IMG_3348.JPG]

 There is so much to write about, I will let you ask any questions you 
 have. Look for a ride report after this weekend, where I will strip the 
 racks off and ride 60+ miles with 10,000ft of climbing with this at the LA 
 Invitational ride. 


 On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 4:56:44 PM UTC-7 Armand Kizirian wrote:

> The complete build list is as follows. *View all photos here. 
> 
>  
> *
>
> Cockpit features a Nitto 135mm Faceplater Stem with Rons Ortho Bars, 
> Brooks leather ergon grips with Simworks purple bar ends, Rivendell S2 
> friction shifters, with harlequin style newbuams purple/yellow wrap with 
> clear shellac, and a stem-mounted spurcycle bell. S83 seatpost with 
> Brooks 
> B17 titanium. NOS Dura-Ace headset.
>
> [image: IMG_3282.JPG]
>
> Brakes feature Paul Canti Levers with Touring Canti’s, Moon units, and 
> Hunter cycles Nugz for extra cable adjustment. Rene herse and nitto cable 
> hangars. Yokozuna reaction compressionless housing. All capped off with 
> Forager cycles cable cherries. Kool stop brake pads with the grey e-bike 
> pad compound. This was my final hurrah to test the ultimate canti-lever 
> brake setup and deem its worthiness as a brake. It has not passed by 
> test. 
> Riv recommends v-brakes for several valid reasons.
>
> Custom wheelset featuring White Industries MI5 hubs laced to Velocity 
> Quill rims with Sapim spokes and brass nipples, 32h front, 36h rear, all 
> polished. Rene Herse Tires, 48mm Hatcher Pass and Oracle Ridge. I will 
> likely keep an endurance casing Oracle ridge as a final tire choice, 
> setup 
> tubeless with Ultradynamico brass tubeless valves. I like riding fast, 
> especially on dirt. 
>
>

[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Mathias Steiner]

I'm a little mystified by the whole step-through thing, so a Platypus isn't 
high on my personal list.

But THAT is a great build. You can tell a lot of thought and a lot of love 
went into it. Beautiful.

On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 9:43:28 PM UTC-4 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:

>
> Aren’t the Platys the best? I’m so excited for you to have this beauty and 
> have it forever. I loved this model so much I ended up with a trio of them. 
> I regret nothing. My purple Gravel & Travel Platy is being built up with 
> rainbow and oil slick parts right now, and I’m anxious to see it. It won’t 
> be classy like your regal purple Platy, though. 
>
> Are you going to change to v brakes? How do you like the Silver Shifters? 
> I got those, too, and it will be my first bike with them. 
>
> I look forward to hearing more about your adventures on this new bike and 
> especially at the LA Invitational Ride! This bike can do almost anything. 
> 10,000 feet of climbing. Pssshhahhh. No problem. 
> Leah
> On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 8:07:12 PM UTC-4 kiziria...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> One more little clip of me testing the off-road capabilities. Riding a 
>> narrower saddle to be able to get my thighs behind it would improve steep, 
>> technical descents quite a lot. All in all I do NOT miss descending 
>> rough-ish dirt roads with a rigid bike. I hope it encounter them with 
>> little frequency. 
>>
>>
>> https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rw4lpolns8s6x6cyzg07w/IMG_9041.MOV?rlkey=608dbcfa4tx3nxvu36wthlm8a&dl=0
>>
>> On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 4:58:59 PM UTC-7 Armand Kizirian wrote:
>>
>>> This last weekend I took it on a mixed terrain ride, about 35 miles with 
>>> over 3500ft of climbing. I was shocked with how well it handled the route. 
>>> The lack of friction in the system as a whole, from the white industries 
>>> hubs, to dura ace bottom bracket, to rene herse extralight tires, made my 
>>> drop-bar bike feel neglected and abused, that is to say, this bike feels 
>>> like butter. This sensation was amplified by swapping in SPD pedals for the 
>>> first time and feeling “connected.” The forward position of the Ortho bars 
>>> are fantastic for out of the saddle climbing leverage, or on the saddle 
>>> technical climbing on singletrack, elbows flared down. With 48mm slicks 
>>> aired a bit down, the long chainstays allowed me to have enough traction to 
>>> only have to walk one segment. I can’t wait to try it with the Rene Herse 
>>> knobby equivalent. The ability to tap into a restorative position (aka the 
>>> default riding position) made the entire route so utterly comfortable, 
>>> without a hint of a back or neck ache developing. Not something I would be 
>>> able to say on my drop-bar bike, which has bars levels with the saddle mind 
>>> you.
>>>
>>> [image: IMG_3348.JPG]
>>>
>>> There is so much to write about, I will let you ask any questions you 
>>> have. Look for a ride report after this weekend, where I will strip the 
>>> racks off and ride 60+ miles with 10,000ft of climbing with this at the LA 
>>> Invitational ride. 
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 4:56:44 PM UTC-7 Armand Kizirian wrote:
>>>
 The complete build list is as follows. *View all photos here. 
 
  
 *

 Cockpit features a Nitto 135mm Faceplater Stem with Rons Ortho Bars, 
 Brooks leather ergon grips with Simworks purple bar ends, Rivendell S2 
 friction shifters, with harlequin style newbuams purple/yellow wrap with 
 clear shellac, and a stem-mounted spurcycle bell. S83 seatpost with Brooks 
 B17 titanium. NOS Dura-Ace headset.

 [image: IMG_3282.JPG]

 Brakes feature Paul Canti Levers with Touring Canti’s, Moon units, and 
 Hunter cycles Nugz for extra cable adjustment. Rene herse and nitto cable 
 hangars. Yokozuna reaction compressionless housing. All capped off with 
 Forager cycles cable cherries. Kool stop brake pads with the grey e-bike 
 pad compound. This was my final hurrah to test the ultimate canti-lever 
 brake setup and deem its worthiness as a brake. It has not passed by test. 
 Riv recommends v-brakes for several valid reasons.

 Custom wheelset featuring White Industries MI5 hubs laced to Velocity 
 Quill rims with Sapim spokes and brass nipples, 32h front, 36h rear, all 
 polished. Rene Herse Tires, 48mm Hatcher Pass and Oracle Ridge. I will 
 likely keep an endurance casing Oracle ridge as a final tire choice, setup 
 tubeless with Ultradynamico brass tubeless valves. I like riding fast, 
 especially on dirt. 

 Drivetrain features an ultra rare 110/73bcd Middleburn lightweight road 
 triple with 42/28t gearing and Rivendell chain guard and brass 
 self-extractors. Aluminum Sugino 28t chainring and aluminum chainring 
 hardware for weight reduction. NOS Dura-Ace 7700 sealed car

[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

Aren’t the Platys the best? I’m so excited for you to have this beauty and 
have it forever. I loved this model so much I ended up with a trio of them. 
I regret nothing. My purple Gravel & Travel Platy is being built up with 
rainbow and oil slick parts right now, and I’m anxious to see it. It won’t 
be classy like your regal purple Platy, though. 

Are you going to change to v brakes? How do you like the Silver Shifters? I 
got those, too, and it will be my first bike with them. 

I look forward to hearing more about your adventures on this new bike and 
especially at the LA Invitational Ride! This bike can do almost anything. 
10,000 feet of climbing. Pssshhahhh. No problem. 
Leah
On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 8:07:12 PM UTC-4 kiziria...@gmail.com wrote:

> One more little clip of me testing the off-road capabilities. Riding a 
> narrower saddle to be able to get my thighs behind it would improve steep, 
> technical descents quite a lot. All in all I do NOT miss descending 
> rough-ish dirt roads with a rigid bike. I hope it encounter them with 
> little frequency. 
>
>
> https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rw4lpolns8s6x6cyzg07w/IMG_9041.MOV?rlkey=608dbcfa4tx3nxvu36wthlm8a&dl=0
>
> On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 4:58:59 PM UTC-7 Armand Kizirian wrote:
>
>> This last weekend I took it on a mixed terrain ride, about 35 miles with 
>> over 3500ft of climbing. I was shocked with how well it handled the route. 
>> The lack of friction in the system as a whole, from the white industries 
>> hubs, to dura ace bottom bracket, to rene herse extralight tires, made my 
>> drop-bar bike feel neglected and abused, that is to say, this bike feels 
>> like butter. This sensation was amplified by swapping in SPD pedals for the 
>> first time and feeling “connected.” The forward position of the Ortho bars 
>> are fantastic for out of the saddle climbing leverage, or on the saddle 
>> technical climbing on singletrack, elbows flared down. With 48mm slicks 
>> aired a bit down, the long chainstays allowed me to have enough traction to 
>> only have to walk one segment. I can’t wait to try it with the Rene Herse 
>> knobby equivalent. The ability to tap into a restorative position (aka the 
>> default riding position) made the entire route so utterly comfortable, 
>> without a hint of a back or neck ache developing. Not something I would be 
>> able to say on my drop-bar bike, which has bars levels with the saddle mind 
>> you.
>>
>> [image: IMG_3348.JPG]
>>
>> There is so much to write about, I will let you ask any questions you 
>> have. Look for a ride report after this weekend, where I will strip the 
>> racks off and ride 60+ miles with 10,000ft of climbing with this at the LA 
>> Invitational ride. 
>>
>>
>> On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 4:56:44 PM UTC-7 Armand Kizirian wrote:
>>
>>> The complete build list is as follows. *View all photos here. 
>>> 
>>>  
>>> *
>>>
>>> Cockpit features a Nitto 135mm Faceplater Stem with Rons Ortho Bars, 
>>> Brooks leather ergon grips with Simworks purple bar ends, Rivendell S2 
>>> friction shifters, with harlequin style newbuams purple/yellow wrap with 
>>> clear shellac, and a stem-mounted spurcycle bell. S83 seatpost with Brooks 
>>> B17 titanium. NOS Dura-Ace headset.
>>>
>>> [image: IMG_3282.JPG]
>>>
>>> Brakes feature Paul Canti Levers with Touring Canti’s, Moon units, and 
>>> Hunter cycles Nugz for extra cable adjustment. Rene herse and nitto cable 
>>> hangars. Yokozuna reaction compressionless housing. All capped off with 
>>> Forager cycles cable cherries. Kool stop brake pads with the grey e-bike 
>>> pad compound. This was my final hurrah to test the ultimate canti-lever 
>>> brake setup and deem its worthiness as a brake. It has not passed by test. 
>>> Riv recommends v-brakes for several valid reasons.
>>>
>>> Custom wheelset featuring White Industries MI5 hubs laced to Velocity 
>>> Quill rims with Sapim spokes and brass nipples, 32h front, 36h rear, all 
>>> polished. Rene Herse Tires, 48mm Hatcher Pass and Oracle Ridge. I will 
>>> likely keep an endurance casing Oracle ridge as a final tire choice, setup 
>>> tubeless with Ultradynamico brass tubeless valves. I like riding fast, 
>>> especially on dirt. 
>>>
>>> Drivetrain features an ultra rare 110/73bcd Middleburn lightweight road 
>>> triple with 42/28t gearing and Rivendell chain guard and brass 
>>> self-extractors. Aluminum Sugino 28t chainring and aluminum chainring 
>>> hardware for weight reduction. NOS Dura-Ace 7700 sealed cartridge Bottom 
>>> bracket. Pedals are MKS Pretzel with shorter 4-5mm length brass set screws 
>>> to replace the 6mm long aggressive steel pins. Ultegra PD-ES600 SPD pedals 
>>> for longer rides when I want to be clipped in. Deore XT 9-speed 11-34 
>>> cassette, with NOS Dura Ace 7700 mid-cage rear derailleur (wolftooth 
>>> roadlink to clear the 34t), Dura Ace 7800 double front

[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Armand Kizirian]

One more little clip of me testing the off-road capabilities. Riding a 
narrower saddle to be able to get my thighs behind it would improve steep, 
technical descents quite a lot. All in all I do NOT miss descending 
rough-ish dirt roads with a rigid bike. I hope it encounter them with 
little frequency. 

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rw4lpolns8s6x6cyzg07w/IMG_9041.MOV?rlkey=608dbcfa4tx3nxvu36wthlm8a&dl=0

On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 4:58:59 PM UTC-7 Armand Kizirian wrote:

> This last weekend I took it on a mixed terrain ride, about 35 miles with 
> over 3500ft of climbing. I was shocked with how well it handled the route. 
> The lack of friction in the system as a whole, from the white industries 
> hubs, to dura ace bottom bracket, to rene herse extralight tires, made my 
> drop-bar bike feel neglected and abused, that is to say, this bike feels 
> like butter. This sensation was amplified by swapping in SPD pedals for the 
> first time and feeling “connected.” The forward position of the Ortho bars 
> are fantastic for out of the saddle climbing leverage, or on the saddle 
> technical climbing on singletrack, elbows flared down. With 48mm slicks 
> aired a bit down, the long chainstays allowed me to have enough traction to 
> only have to walk one segment. I can’t wait to try it with the Rene Herse 
> knobby equivalent. The ability to tap into a restorative position (aka the 
> default riding position) made the entire route so utterly comfortable, 
> without a hint of a back or neck ache developing. Not something I would be 
> able to say on my drop-bar bike, which has bars levels with the saddle mind 
> you.
>
> [image: IMG_3348.JPG]
>
> There is so much to write about, I will let you ask any questions you 
> have. Look for a ride report after this weekend, where I will strip the 
> racks off and ride 60+ miles with 10,000ft of climbing with this at the LA 
> Invitational ride. 
>
>
> On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 4:56:44 PM UTC-7 Armand Kizirian wrote:
>
>> The complete build list is as follows. *View all photos here. 
>> 
>>  
>> *
>>
>> Cockpit features a Nitto 135mm Faceplater Stem with Rons Ortho Bars, 
>> Brooks leather ergon grips with Simworks purple bar ends, Rivendell S2 
>> friction shifters, with harlequin style newbuams purple/yellow wrap with 
>> clear shellac, and a stem-mounted spurcycle bell. S83 seatpost with Brooks 
>> B17 titanium. NOS Dura-Ace headset.
>>
>> [image: IMG_3282.JPG]
>>
>> Brakes feature Paul Canti Levers with Touring Canti’s, Moon units, and 
>> Hunter cycles Nugz for extra cable adjustment. Rene herse and nitto cable 
>> hangars. Yokozuna reaction compressionless housing. All capped off with 
>> Forager cycles cable cherries. Kool stop brake pads with the grey e-bike 
>> pad compound. This was my final hurrah to test the ultimate canti-lever 
>> brake setup and deem its worthiness as a brake. It has not passed by test. 
>> Riv recommends v-brakes for several valid reasons.
>>
>> Custom wheelset featuring White Industries MI5 hubs laced to Velocity 
>> Quill rims with Sapim spokes and brass nipples, 32h front, 36h rear, all 
>> polished. Rene Herse Tires, 48mm Hatcher Pass and Oracle Ridge. I will 
>> likely keep an endurance casing Oracle ridge as a final tire choice, setup 
>> tubeless with Ultradynamico brass tubeless valves. I like riding fast, 
>> especially on dirt. 
>>
>> Drivetrain features an ultra rare 110/73bcd Middleburn lightweight road 
>> triple with 42/28t gearing and Rivendell chain guard and brass 
>> self-extractors. Aluminum Sugino 28t chainring and aluminum chainring 
>> hardware for weight reduction. NOS Dura-Ace 7700 sealed cartridge Bottom 
>> bracket. Pedals are MKS Pretzel with shorter 4-5mm length brass set screws 
>> to replace the 6mm long aggressive steel pins. Ultegra PD-ES600 SPD pedals 
>> for longer rides when I want to be clipped in. Deore XT 9-speed 11-34 
>> cassette, with NOS Dura Ace 7700 mid-cage rear derailleur (wolftooth 
>> roadlink to clear the 34t), Dura Ace 7800 double front derailleur. KMC 
>> 10-speed X10SL with the gold treatment, because, gold! This all shifts 
>> *wonderfully.*
>>
>> Accessories include Nitto F32 front rack with Tanaka stainless steel 
>> basket held by Voile mini straps, Nitto 32r rear rack with cygolite rear 
>> light mount. Front rack features upcycled 28t chainring for my cygolite 
>> go-pro mount (blue lug style) and M6 brass set screws to fill the unused 
>> braze-ons. Blue Lug yellow X-Strap bungee cords front and rear, with the x2 
>> rainbow Rivendell straps laced through the basket to handle any odd things 
>> to carry on the fly. Beautiful Nitto R bottle cage on top, with ultra rare 
>> matching Nitto BG-L 1-liter bottle cage on the bottom. Greenfield kickstand 
>> wrapped with newbaums purple. Purple Blue Lug Koma lights front and rear at 
>> the drop-outs for when I forget t

[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Valerie Yates]

I love it! Gorgeous and functional. So amazing to ride in comfort - a 
criteria seriously underrated where I live. I prefer the freedom of flat 
pedals. 

Val in Boulder, CO

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[RBW] Re: My Rivendell Platypus - A Forever Bike Build

[Armand Kizirian]

 

This last weekend I took it on a mixed terrain ride, about 35 miles with 
over 3500ft of climbing. I was shocked with how well it handled the route. 
The lack of friction in the system as a whole, from the white industries 
hubs, to dura ace bottom bracket, to rene herse extralight tires, made my 
drop-bar bike feel neglected and abused, that is to say, this bike feels 
like butter. This sensation was amplified by swapping in SPD pedals for the 
first time and feeling “connected.” The forward position of the Ortho bars 
are fantastic for out of the saddle climbing leverage, or on the saddle 
technical climbing on singletrack, elbows flared down. With 48mm slicks 
aired a bit down, the long chainstays allowed me to have enough traction to 
only have to walk one segment. I can’t wait to try it with the Rene Herse 
knobby equivalent. The ability to tap into a restorative position (aka the 
default riding position) made the entire route so utterly comfortable, 
without a hint of a back or neck ache developing. Not something I would be 
able to say on my drop-bar bike, which has bars levels with the saddle mind 
you.

[image: IMG_3348.JPG]

There is so much to write about, I will let you ask any questions you have. 
Look for a ride report after this weekend, where I will strip the racks off 
and ride 60+ miles with 10,000ft of climbing with this at the LA 
Invitational ride. 


On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 4:56:44 PM UTC-7 Armand Kizirian wrote:

> The complete build list is as follows. *View all photos here. 
> 
>  
> *
>
> Cockpit features a Nitto 135mm Faceplater Stem with Rons Ortho Bars, 
> Brooks leather ergon grips with Simworks purple bar ends, Rivendell S2 
> friction shifters, with harlequin style newbuams purple/yellow wrap with 
> clear shellac, and a stem-mounted spurcycle bell. S83 seatpost with Brooks 
> B17 titanium. NOS Dura-Ace headset.
>
> [image: IMG_3282.JPG]
>
> Brakes feature Paul Canti Levers with Touring Canti’s, Moon units, and 
> Hunter cycles Nugz for extra cable adjustment. Rene herse and nitto cable 
> hangars. Yokozuna reaction compressionless housing. All capped off with 
> Forager cycles cable cherries. Kool stop brake pads with the grey e-bike 
> pad compound. This was my final hurrah to test the ultimate canti-lever 
> brake setup and deem its worthiness as a brake. It has not passed by test. 
> Riv recommends v-brakes for several valid reasons.
>
> Custom wheelset featuring White Industries MI5 hubs laced to Velocity 
> Quill rims with Sapim spokes and brass nipples, 32h front, 36h rear, all 
> polished. Rene Herse Tires, 48mm Hatcher Pass and Oracle Ridge. I will 
> likely keep an endurance casing Oracle ridge as a final tire choice, setup 
> tubeless with Ultradynamico brass tubeless valves. I like riding fast, 
> especially on dirt. 
>
> Drivetrain features an ultra rare 110/73bcd Middleburn lightweight road 
> triple with 42/28t gearing and Rivendell chain guard and brass 
> self-extractors. Aluminum Sugino 28t chainring and aluminum chainring 
> hardware for weight reduction. NOS Dura-Ace 7700 sealed cartridge Bottom 
> bracket. Pedals are MKS Pretzel with shorter 4-5mm length brass set screws 
> to replace the 6mm long aggressive steel pins. Ultegra PD-ES600 SPD pedals 
> for longer rides when I want to be clipped in. Deore XT 9-speed 11-34 
> cassette, with NOS Dura Ace 7700 mid-cage rear derailleur (wolftooth 
> roadlink to clear the 34t), Dura Ace 7800 double front derailleur. KMC 
> 10-speed X10SL with the gold treatment, because, gold! This all shifts 
> *wonderfully.*
>
> Accessories include Nitto F32 front rack with Tanaka stainless steel 
> basket held by Voile mini straps, Nitto 32r rear rack with cygolite rear 
> light mount. Front rack features upcycled 28t chainring for my cygolite 
> go-pro mount (blue lug style) and M6 brass set screws to fill the unused 
> braze-ons. Blue Lug yellow X-Strap bungee cords front and rear, with the x2 
> rainbow Rivendell straps laced through the basket to handle any odd things 
> to carry on the fly. Beautiful Nitto R bottle cage on top, with ultra rare 
> matching Nitto BG-L 1-liter bottle cage on the bottom. Greenfield kickstand 
> wrapped with newbaums purple. Purple Blue Lug Koma lights front and rear at 
> the drop-outs for when I forget to bring my nicer lights. Newbaums wrap on 
> top tube for convenient handle grip when carrying up/down stairs to the 
> train. Blue lug style newbaums chainstay guard. Hemp twine features 
> everywhere. Lastly, any unused braze-ons are populated with M5 brass set 
> screws, including the backside of the utilized hourglass mounts 😉
>
> Security includes hexlox axles, with the same keyed inserts for the 
> seatpost clamp, stem, and saddle. GPS sticker for theft deterrent. Hidden 
> air tag. Serial number registered in two bike indexes. I purchased a 
> Kryptonite mini New