For those on the fence about signing up for the SimpleBeam, two data points:
1. I hemmed and hawed about signing up for the Mystery Bike (I'm pretty sure I was the last one under the wire), and not only have I never regretted it, it turned out to be one of the smartest bike-related decisions I ever made. It's an amazing bike, really everything Grant was shooting for - most comfortable bike I own, unbelievably luxurious ride (even with "only" 38mm tires on it), and yet still very quick and responsive. Because of that experience, I'd sign up for the new proposed Grant-improved QB/SO in a nanosecond, except... 2. I already have a Quickbeam, and among all of an embarrassingly large stable of bikes, it's still my favorite. I've had it built up as a stripped SS, and as a pretty loaded commuter, and it's a delight in either configuration. I liked it so much I bought and built a Quickbeam for one of my sons, a city-dweller who at the time didn't have a car or a license (and who still rides it every day on a 15 mile commute on mostly city streets), and a SimpleOne for myself, which I subsequently gave to another son (who also loves it). They're just great bikes - if you've been thinking you wished you'd sprung for one, take the plunge! My QB (in commute mode, but on a 75 mile jaunt to the Jersey Shore from Delaware): http://www.flickr.com/photos/37542512@N04/7706849208/in/set-72157623567913352 Son Sam's QB, in stripped mode (he uses a backpack for commuting): http://www.flickr.com/photos/37542512@N04/5646014672/in/set-72157626433454817 Son Hank's SimpleOne: http://www.flickr.com/photos/37542512@N04/7250981952/in/set-72157629391118347 From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of grant Sent: Monday, November 25, 2013 12:54 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [RBW] Re: Why no more Quickbeam/ SimpleOne? Nothing's ever for sure gone for good, but here's the thing with the SimpleBeams (forgive the gross generalizations used to make the point without accounting for exceptions. I will use "everybody" not in the literal sense): Everybody moans the loss of a bike they didn't buy when it was availabe. The SB was always the slowest seller of all time, which in itself isn't the end of the world, but what it means for us is---it was a cash flow killer. We pay fully for 100 of them about two months before they arrive. Then it takes a year and a half or two years to sell them. One thing that seems to happen is--when something's readily available, it's meh...and when it's gone, the heart grows fonder genuinely--and maybe people who would have been buyers when the bike was around have just learned about it and think hey I'd like that. But there is a small tendency to overenthuse about what can't be had. I do it myself with other things in my life. Dang, they quit making that ______ I've hemmed and hawed about and admired for years, but never wanted enough to buy, but now that I can't buy it, shoot! I don't mean that's rampant here, and I DO like that the bikes are so well-liked. Me too. I sold my QB when I needed money, figured I could always get a SO, and now they're gone and I want one more than ever. So---I'm not just an observer of this phenomenon, but a participant! If we could pre-sell 30 of them. Paid two-months before they arrive (that's when our payment is due), I'd stick my neck out and order 100. This time they'd be slightly different, and the danger of this hypothetical scenario is that it would open a debate about what's the difference between the new and old, which is preferable, then a vote, and it all gets weird and half the people who expressed willingness to get a new one now feel dis-listened to and bummed because it didn't go that way. So...i'd be innnnnnerested only if I had free secret rein to tweak it this way and that, still resulting in a killer one-speed, but not a clone of the SO, which was a clone of the QB. It might be any color, any name, any kind of break, any anything. I totally get that ordering semi-blind isn't easy to do. The unblind part of the semi is: Track or horizontal dropouts angled to allow pad contact over a wide range of chainlengths, like QB/SO. Two bottle mounts, rackable. good clearance. Basically Sam-like with diff dropouts. Probably sidepulls but could be cantis. A perfectly good color, a good name, a nice badge, a really great singler. Serious agreers will PM cyclofiend (Jim! So sorry,,,,please forgive me...but these months I have so many kaleidiscopes in my head that I can't have another one), and if the list reaches 30 (meaning you'll have $1200 by Dec 2014 for the frame/fork/headset, and the money won't evaporate in a divorce or unforseeable crisis), then we'll get some good frames. I have a full plate and I know it seems so bad to say I can't answer questions about this, but for the next few months I probably can't. You can try, and I'll try, but I'm at my physicalemotional limit, and ... can't promise. If you send a postcard, I'll respond with a postcard. Is this all too much? Probably. Sorry again. If nothing happens now, I think the bike will happen again later, but it may be an extra year or two. I know there are lots of options out there. I'm not trying to make this a difficult mystery bike. My crazy proposal......is the only way that makes sense for us right now. Thanks.. Grant On Friday, November 22, 2013 7:09:49 PM UTC-8, Christopher Murray wrote: I was wondering if anyone knew why these bikes are no longer made. They seem very popular and the people who have one seem very pleased. I have heard several state it is their favorite bike. I assume that the QB went away due to The Lord of the Rings name and became the SO- but why no more SO? I assume it was too much of a niche product and too expensive. In other words, not enough people willing to pay the better part of $2,000 for a bike with one (or four) gears. I imagine it must cost as much to make a Sam as a SO but people aren't willing to pay as much for the SO. It seemed to me like even the description of the SO on Riv.com was a little apologetic about the price. Anyone know the story here? Willing to speculate? Are they gone for good? Cheers! Chris -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. 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