I guess I took it as pretty tounge-in-cheek. Spending as much time reading forums as I do, that are all way less civil than this one, I've probably forgotten how to be offended - though I can see how many would take it that way. It's DEFINITELY generational, however - which, though I didn't say it, is what I thought was so interesting about it.
I've always felt that Surly could never have even existed had it not been for Rivendell. When they launched, the concept of a company focusing on building skinny-tubed, steel bikes with 1" headsets, provisions for racks, and room for fat tires and fenders was pretty "out there" to most mainstream consumers. Yet, for all this, they've thrived. And, partly, on the tails of bikes like the Long Haul Trucker which was a direct copy of the All Rounder. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it makes it more ironic that they produced this patch so shortly after Riv quoined and started marketing the whole "Un-Racer" thing. What I find interesting though, is how two companies can be so eerlily *similar* - building no-nonsense bikes that work, are repairable, aren't going to go out of style, and don't require the newest ever-changing components - yet have such *different* marketplace personas. Even though BOTH companies are actually developing thought-provoking and useful products (together, arguably changing the face of modern bike design more than all other companies combined), ONE of those companies is often considered "retro-grouchy" while the other is considered "hip." Clearly it pays to be "offensive" on some level, depending on who your market is. I just like anything that reminds people not to take themselves too seriously. ;-) > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
