[RBW] Strange happenings out there
It's definitely gotten better here (Sacramento) over the past 5-10 years, though its still fairly dismal. From my perspective, the issue seems to be more about the general view in the U.S. of cycling as a sporting activity, as opposed to a mode of transportation. Case in point, my daughter races mountain bikes, and it never ceases to amaze me that the racers and their parents (many of whom are also serious sporting cyclists) will go on a 75 mile bike ride, but they won't ride their bikes 2 miles to a team meeting (or the grocery store). In my opinion, until this mentality changes, Riv-ish bikes are likely to remain relatively scarce. Alan -- 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 http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en-US. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Strange happenings out there
My wife had to go out of town for the week. Bored, I decided that I would spend the day riding my Hillborne and then visit a few local bike shops and see what's selling out there these days. I haven't really been to many bike shops in the last couple of years (Rivendell has been my go-to place for most all my cycling needs lately). I ended up visiting three shops here in Reno, NV. I felt like I was in a weird sort of parallel universe. All of the stores had their racks filled with carbon race bikes with the handlebars wa below the seats. When I asked to see bikes where i could get my handlebars at or above the seat I was told at each store that they don't make them that way... unless I was interested in a beach cruiser type bike (single speed). It was explained to me that people want to go fast on road bikes, so they need to be hunched down to prevent wind drag. When I asked about seeing steel frame bikes, all of the salesmen told me that steel bikes haven't been made in years.. .WOW! At the last stop I made, a young kid that worked there (maybe 19 years old) whispered to me that there was a local shop that did indeed sell two steel bikes, gunnars and surly'sbut he couldn't remember the name of the store. Not sure if that is true or not, but I give the kid credit for at least trying (his boss tried to sell me a cervelo race bike two sizes too small for $7900 for weekend solo riding). Is Reno an anomaly or is this happening everywhere? -- 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 http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en-US. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[RBW] Strange happenings out there
There are still places where the practical side of bicycling has a place, and here in Seattle we're lucky to be one of those places. We have a for-real Rivendell dealer (Free Range Cycles) that also carries Surly, Rawland, and VO. There's also 2020 who have awesome used stuff and a great do what works attitude. Bicycle Pull Apart is a cool shop that looks like it belongs in a post-apocalyptic world. Elliot Bay Bicycles deserves a mention since Bill Davidson (one of the owners) is one of the long time masters of steel and he makes wonderful, practical customs. He's a little racy, but hey, love him anyway. I also get the impression Minneapolis has things well under control with Jim Thill's shop (just got a great set of Dyads built by Jim himself. Thanks Jim!) Having said that, I used to live in the racing wasteland of Southern California and had an awful time wandering in the wilderness before I happened across a mention of Rivendell on Sheldon Brown's website. If not for that, I'd still be miserably doing occasional rides on a bike I hated, imagining that all cycling is a brainless workout that's meant to be suffered through. -- 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 http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en-US. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: [RBW] Strange happenings out there
The market has changed dramatically, at least in more sophisticated (read: high bicycle use) markets. Here in ABQ, there are many stores that sell Surleys and Salsas and doubtless Somas, and other makers of steel or, at least, well designed everyday bikes are popping up all the time. You have a wide variety between Cervelos and cruisers. As for aluminum, IMO, it is the best thing that could have happened to the low end market. Hoist an aluminum beach cruiser with alum wheels and parts, and then go heft a Varsity or Sports -- and the cruiser and even the hybrid and so forth will be well made, too, often -- as long as you can find hybrid/city bike without front suspension. Several years ago a high end (=Cervelo and Orbea) shop carried a very nice aluminum Trek city bike, a modernized Sports, in metallic Kelly green, and it was a joy to behold and to lift -- didn't get a chance to ride it. Grant and, later, Jan (to mention just pioneers) have affected the market far out of proportion to their sales numbers. Much thanks to them! On Sat, May 18, 2013 at 5:24 PM, PeterG ssubman2...@yahoo.com wrote: My wife had to go out of town for the week. Bored, I decided that I would spend the day riding my Hillborne and then visit a few local bike shops and see what's selling out there these days. I haven't really been to many bike shops in the last couple of years (Rivendell has been my go-to place for most all my cycling needs lately). I ended up visiting three shops here in Reno, NV. I felt like I was in a weird sort of parallel universe. All of the stores had their racks filled with carbon race bikes with the handlebars wa below the seats. When I asked to see bikes where i could get my handlebars at or above the seat I was told at each store that they don't make them that way... unless I was interested in a beach cruiser type bike (single speed). It was explained to me that people want to go fast on road bikes, so they need to be hunched down to prevent wind drag. When I asked about seeing steel frame bikes, all of the salesmen told me that steel bikes haven't been made in years.. .WOW! At the last stop I made, a young kid that worked there (maybe 19 years old) whispered to me that there was a local shop that did indeed sell two steel bikes, gunnars and surly'sbut he couldn't remember the name of the store. Not sure if that is true or not, but I give the kid credit for at least trying (his boss tried to sell me a cervelo race bike two sizes too small for $7900 for weekend solo riding). Is Reno an anomaly or is this happening everywhere? -- 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 http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en-US. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- http://resumespecialties.com/index.html patrickmo...@resumespecialties.com Albuquerque, NM -- 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 http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en-US. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
