Rivendell magic?

[SadieKate]

Well, that's poorly built IMHO.

Sometimes wheels need the spokes re-tensioned but a well built wheel can go years and years without that.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Well, that's poorly built IMHO.

Sometimes wheels need the spokes re-tensioned but a well built wheel can go years and years without that.

I'm sure they "can". But I rode almost 2800 miles on my bike before the back wheel went slightly out of true, touching the brake pad a bit, and actually that only happened after I had broken a spoke after a rough ride and had it replaced. Perhaps the LBS guy didn't retension all the spokes properly when he replaced the spoke, because shortly after that was when I noticed my raer brake touching the rim on rotation. About a quarter of those 2800 miles were over very rough gravel and stone roads, with a lot of ditches, potholes, and dirt roads in between (even over a few tractor-rutted cow pastures!). To say my wheels were poorly built is perhaps a bit extreme in my opinion. But hey, to each their own.

[SadieKate]

I've ridden that many miles on hardtail mountain bikes without the wheels needing to be touched. Sometimes it just happens or the builder had a bad day. It's always good to keep checking wheels and spokes for problems.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I've ridden that many miles on hardtail mountain bikes without the wheels needing to be touched. Sometimes it just happens or the builder had a bad day. It's always good to keep checking wheels and spokes for problems.

I don't feel it's logical to compare the two situations using a mountain bike as an example.
Yes it's good to keep checking wheels and spokes, I do that. But I don't conclude that my wheel was "poorly built" based on the events I described.

[xeney]

I see much the same marketing hype on all the sites I look at, so why pick so avidly on Rivendell?

Because this is a thread about Rivendell? Because the first five paragraphs of that page I linked to is, in fact, a bunch of misinformation about the "typical" singlespeed?

I think it's great that you love your bike and you love the company that built it, Lisa. But you are not correct about how difficult it is to find an old bike that's affordable and the right size. They're all over the place; I know because I frequent forums devoted to old bikes, and I've bought a lot of them. You don't get why I am picking on Rivendell; I don't get why Rivendell (which I'm sure builds great bikes, I've never heard of anyone who was unhappy with their Rivendell) is immune from criticism. I'm on the mailing list for the Riv. Reader and Grant says all kinds of silly things. I think the Quickbeam page is a prime example of some of his sillier pronouncements. He can build great bikes and still not be right one hundred percent of the time.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

You don't get why I am picking on Rivendell; I don't get why Rivendell (which I'm sure builds great bikes, I've never heard of anyone who was unhappy with their Rivendell) is immune from criticism. I'm on the mailing list for the Riv. Reader and Grant says all kinds of silly things. I think the Quickbeam page is a prime example of some of his sillier pronouncements. He can build great bikes and still not be right one hundred percent of the time.

I agree that Grant is not 100% correct on things. Not even close. Perhaps you confuse me with one of those young worshipping Riv apprentice monks in training. I have my own criticisms about Rivendell and how they are run. I think they totally miss the boat on quite a few things, and some things about what they do p*ss me off. So there! Maybe we are not so far apart in our thinking as one might think after all. Maybe we just dislike different things!

P.S. I DO love my bike. I don't "love" the company that built it. I like them, but I'm not slavishly devoted to them. I feel they do way more good than bad. I AM happy to have my very well made wonderful bike which I hope to ride and enjoy for many years and many thousands of miles. I feel it's certainly up to the task.

[SadieKate]

I don't feel it's logical to compare the two situations using a mountain bike as an example.
Yes it's good to keep checking wheels and spokes, I do that. But I don't conclude that my wheel was "poorly built" based on the events I described.

OK, fine. How about a set of road wheels that my 200 lb hubby rode first and then I took over. Ridden over hill and dale. Never needed to be re-trued, tensioned, whatever . . . in 20+ years. You like this comparison better? You want the entire list of wheels we've ridden far more than 2,800 miles that haven't needed help? And unsuspended wheels on a bike that is crashed and slammed into rocks and ledges repeatedly are a pretty good example.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Did you ride them off the Empire State building or over Niagara Falls too? THEN I'd be truly impressed!


Hey, didn't they used to make heavier built wheels 20 years ago? Steel bikes were sure heavier back then. I remember my old Schwinn was built like a tank.

[SadieKate]

Lisa, you're going to look for any out, aren't you? Lessee, St. Patrick's Day gift 1986 or 7 - Saturae rims with the first bladed spokes on the market. Still have those puppies. Just came off the Mercian last summer. Weight will compare to any lightweight wheel of today. Never needed truing.

Wheels on my 200 lb hubby's cyclocross bike. 3,604 miles later. No truing.

Mavic/Chorus wheels with DB spokes and so light my husband won't even test ride the bike up and down the block. Bought in 1999 to go with the Litespeed but were immediately re-trued and tensioned by the same guy who built the Saturae wheels. Probably 10,000 miles on them now. Maybe more. Haven't been touched since.

Both hubby and I will jump speedbumps if appropriate. We respect our bikes but don't coddle them so the wheels get plenty of use.

So, what's your next reason for why 2,800 miles between truings is an acceptable level?

[xeney]

I think you have to go back closer to 30 years or longer to find many steel rims. And I think they are actually harder to keep true than alloy rims.