Rivendell magic?

[SadieKate]

Yes, if you want to buy the cyclocross but it's not steel. You'd have to use clip on fenders but it will take wide tires.

Mimi, why are you set on Italian? Italy is known for its racing bikes not its touring bikes. I'm sure it has beautiful touring bikes but nothing any better than you can get from one of the many fabulous PNW builders. As a co-worker would say, don't buy a Ferrari to squish grapes.

I'd even consider going with an up and comer with incredible mentors and who is focused on us wimmenfolk - just to be on the cutting edge and have a bike built with the exact braze-ons and position you want.

http://www.sweetpeabicycles.com/blog/

And check it out, she's going to be on the radio tomorrow.
http://www.sweetpeabicycles.com/blog...boo-bike-show/

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I've been lusting after Vanilla bicycles (not that I'm going to get one). And Luna cycles are sweet too, as far as I've seen.

[SadieKate]

Mimi, if you want off the shelf and ready to roll for fenders and racks, but don't want American, have you thought of Mercian? Mercian has an impeccable pedigree for the functionality you want in a bike.

http://www.merciancycles.com/frame_audax.asp
http://www.merciancycles.com/frame_king_mercia.asp

And if you want wild colors -
http://www.merciancycles.com/psmith_tour.asp

[mimitabby]

oooooooooooooooooooh

these are pretty!!!!

Raleighdon was looking at these before he decided on something made closer to home!

[mimitabby]

That Rivendell on EBAY didn't sell. I guess they were asking too much for the amount of wear and tear.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Yeah, I guess paint scratches and worn parts are more important to people than I thought. Funny- the first tiny paint ding i got on my Rivendell was very upsetting to me. Now, several dings later, it's no big deal to me and I feel like it's just part of riding and loving your bike. When DH and I went to NYC a few months ago, we enjoyed looking at all the messenger bikes chained up everywhere- they were literally works of art in progress with all their mismatched replaced parts, various paint and rust layers chipping and showing through, duct tape...their scars were so extreme that each bike became a thing of beauty.

[mimitabby]

I try and do touch up on my bikes so the dings don't show as much . I HATE them.


and i don't think it was the paint dings. If the wheels are both out of true, this bike
has been used HARD, so what else is wrong?

[SadieKate]

Mimi, out of true wheels can simply be poorly built wheels.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Mimi, out of true wheels can simply be poorly built wheels.

And can't a wheel get out of true just by the spokes not being tensioned evenly? One of mine somehow got out of true after several thousand miles, and they trued it again by retensioning the spokes.