Loose lips sink ships, etc
July 27, 2008
We just received some Hilsen frames in these sizes:
54 (for 650B)
55 (for 700c)
56 (for 650B)
57-59-61-63-65-67 (for 700c)
We have four of some, up to thirteen of others, and several of them are
spoken for already, so the four could be two and the thirteen could be six.
They're the same darkish blue as before, and have Ultegra headsets.
Shimano has discontinued the Ultegra headset. It's a miracle it lasted
this long, in this threadless world-we-live-in. There are others out
there, and we won't miss a beat.
Now that we have the frames in, lead time for a complete bike is about
3 weeks. You just call up, put $1600 down for the frame, and we'll work
out the build-spec with you, making sure you get the perfect bike for
your size, taste, and riding style. You don't need to know the
particulars of the parts, you just need to answer our questions
honestly, and sometimes "I don't know" is good enough, because we know
how to put together bikes that make people happy.
Complete bikes typically cost $3,100 to $3,400, depending on how much Phil Wood you ask for.
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We are expecting the first Bombadil frames in late-September. They'll
be powdercoated your choice of clear, black, dark green, red, or
orange--a medium darkish orange, but not caramel-like. We have about
25 on backorder already.
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It's possible that some time mid next year we'll have some
still-lugged-steel but less expensive frames, not to replace but to
supplement. IF they happen, they will likely happen in this order, and
this-a-way:
A mixte, 52, 58cm only, for 650B wheels, creamy blueish greyish indescribable greenish too, about $700. Model name: Betty Foy (google William Wordsworth's 1800 poem The Idiot Boy
to read all about Betty Foy and understand how we couldn't not name a
bike after her.) It will cost about $700 for the frame-fork-headset.
That's the goal, but we're not exactly cutting corners on it, so that
might be optimistic. It will be made in Taiwan by a frame company
called Maxway, who also built the Bleriot, and who builds several other
frames you're aware of, but it's not our place to name them.
A Bleriot-Hilsen-Saluki kind of frame called the Sam Hillborne,
but mostly just Hillborne--an all-around road and light trail frame,
touring compatible but not super beefed up for ultra-loads; and for
sidepull or centerpull brakes and tires up to about 41mm wide. Four
sizes, with 6-degree upsloping top tubes, to fit riders from about 5ft
2in to 6ft 5in. Sound impossible or unlikely with just four sizes?
Well, that's understandable, but you're good at what you do, and I try
to be good at what I do, and this is what I do and I'm sure of that
range; not just hoping & not making anything up. There are ways. The 48 and 52 will fit 650B wheels, the 56 and 60 will fit 700c wheels.
52cm: Saddle heights 71cm to 76cm
55cm: SH 75cm to 82cm
60cm: SH 79cm to 86cm
SH is Saddle Height, and is usually 10 to 11cm less than your Pubic Bone Height (PBH). We tell you how to measure it somewhere else in the Read section, and if I can figure out how to make a link, I'll put it right here.
Two others, not yet even half-baked, so no word on them beyond: Maybe a singlespeed that might be called the Simpleton, and maybe an Atlantis-type bike that might be called the Buffalo.
questions should go to
grant@rivbike.com
If you call up and ask somebody else something about this--well, they're doing other stuff most of the time, and might not know. They might know, but might not, and if you call and ask and they don't, they feel bad and I get in trouble; so for now, just ask me; thanks.
