General Update
Catalog: It'll go to the printer by April 12 and be back a week later, and all the Hail Marys-ers have one coming. We've reserved some for ride packets, b/c we have to and want to find some fresh possible customers. If there's a ride in your area that you know has registration packets, send Dave the name and date. We've sent out about a dozen inquires along the lines of "can we pay a fee and get the catalogs into the registration packets?" And most of those inquiries go unanswered, which...to me, I mean, why would somebody not even answer? El Tour de Tucson is covered. Some rides don't have packets.
If you know of a ride, send enough info on it to dave@rivbike.com for him to follow up. Thanks.
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Here are some close-ups of some of the frames:
WIll took the photo. It's on the Atlantis downtube.
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Clem's seat tube. Also Will, I think, Everybody's used to clear-sharp photos these days, because they come so easy. Will got this one a hard way, tho.
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This one is easy to miss even if you have a Cheviot.
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Another Atlantis closeup. The new (horrors!) downtube decal has this swirl.
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Speaking of it:
The new ones have longer chainstays, which, aside from helping the ride, allows this to happen:
This is a demo bike rear-packed up for Roman and Will's S24O last night. The space behind the seat tube is filled with a fat bottle, fatter than a regular water bottle, and sticking out more b/c of the special hose clamps shown here:
They're made by King cage. We don't stock 'em, they're not daily essentials, but Roman got some and put them here so he could do this.
There's Will's Hunqa this morning after the S24O..and Roman and the prototype Atlantis below:
We got our first samples of the new/reissued/semi-changed and seemingly improved Dia-Compe Mod. 610 centerpull brake. It has, at our request, a lighter spring return for the calipers, which means a lighter pull-to squeeze them. In the old days we'd all have strong hands from milking farm animals, but electronic keyboards and stuff have replaced muscle with meringue, and the lighter spring feels better. It's a really nice design---and has been since about five years before Woodstock. Here's a picture:
Focus on the brake, not the fork. Side view:
Again the brake, not the fork. But still, really, you've got to love that blue, right? But the brake is super cool.
We'll have these on a Roadini within five days, and report.
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THey're on it now. Will put it together today, enough to ride. We're out of wider bars, got to get some, so for now it has 42s. In 1979 that was as wide as bars got, but now they feel dinky.
I'm thinking you're thinking that's about enough pictures of a brake we don't even have yet, but it is coming, and now it's locked in. ETA nobody knows, but maybe early June.
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Today's saturday and on the way to work before ride I was going by a construction site and found this sign:
I can't tell you how much I appreciate the the thought that one of you is funding a riv-specific housing complex--apartments or condos to be determined--for the staff and guests. Much appreciated, and we look forward to its completion. We had no idea, etc. We'll cover the bidets.
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i'm working on a project that required me to know when tape was invented, so I didn't show the Wright Bros.'s mom handing them a roll of it in the late 1870s, and came upon this link. Watch it and you'll never undervalue or underappreciate tape again. I am a tape fan for sure. Bar tape, Scotch tape, double-stick scotch tape, electrical tape but not on handlebars, packing tape, rim tape, cardboardy tape (especially fun), band-aids. I can't think of a tape I don't like, or at least respect. Salute to tape! Discard used tape properly and thank it for its service!
https://www.can-dotape.com/adhesive-tape-consultant/adhesive-tape-history/
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Corey facing a head tube, Roman riding a bike. It's an "indoor/outdoor" photograph, one of the rarer kinds.
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We are certifiably Plumb Out of Clem L 64's, and it is at least a temporarily dropped size. We'd have to get 10 commitments before we order any more, and they're about 9 months away, anyway. If you're interested, send your name to vince@rivbike.com and double-up with will@rivbike.com. PUT CLEM 64 MAYBE in the subject field. If your PBH is 89+, you can fit it fine.
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