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I don't really see the Brooklyn as being comparable to a Clem L, or very Rivendell-like. It's just not in the same league, whether design-wise or quality-wise. It's more like a Raleigh Sport or its many variants--although I dare say the vintage bicycles will be better quality, at least in terms of the frameset. The Clem is a bike that could be passed down and last 50 years with daily service. I don't think the Brooklyn is up to that. Then there is the business approach that defines Rivendell. Yes, they could go to China and make Rivendell completes for $399 and do a nice video of the nice Chinese factory. And that's a business model that a lot of companies--most--take these days. But *not* going that route is an important part of what goes into a Riv bicycle, and it's what ultimately sets them apart from the Linuses and Publics and Brooklyns. I'd rather save for an extra year for a Clem than buy a Brooklyn today. Hell, I'd rather have a Clem *fork* than a Brooklyn complete. On Sunday, May 27, 2018 at 1:06:54 AM UTC-4, Tully Lanter wrote: > > Some time ago I picked up a Brooklyn Franklin > <https://www.brooklynbicycleco.com/collections/franklin-collection/products/bkbco-franklin-single?variant=1197607745> > single-speed > from a local shop. They seemed to consider it unsaleable (it's a generally > Lycra-and-carbon clientele) and happily sent me out the door with a lightly > used floor model for a song. I commuted on it awhile, loved the ride, but > moved on to something multi-geared and left it with a family member. > > A few weeks ago, I visited Portland and made a point of test-riding a Clem > Smith L at Rivelo--my first actual, hands-on Riv experience. It was > excellent, and oddly familiar... > > Long story short, I got the Brooklyn back this week (current config pics > attached) and realized that *that *is what the Clem called to mind. Even > with major design differences, they both ride in a smooth, balanced but > responsive way that is absolutely unmistakable. While perusing their site, > I discovered that--lo and behold--Grant himself had an influence > <https://www.brooklynbicycleco.com/blogs/resource-center/five-things-that-matter-on-bike-frame-geometry-with-grant-petersen> > on > the design of the Brooklyn line. > > As generally removed from the RBW community as I am, it's still neat to > see the design philosophy spread. And for anyone pinching pennies, the > Brooklyn line has some terrific options! > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
