ETA is Mid April
This has been our flagship frame since we introduced it in 1999. It's an all-'rounder, originally designed for almost anything you'll need or want to do on a bicycle: loaded touring, trails, commutes, and day rides. The current Atlantis defines our approach to bikes and our ride and fit and aesthetics as well as any bike can.
Frame Specification:
- 650b wheels in size 47, 50, and 53cm
- 700c wheels in sizes 55cm and up
- Cantilever or V brakes. Get V-brakes
- 27.2mm seat post, included.* If you want to upgrade to a NITTO, OK!
- 135mm rear spacing
- 1" threaded fork - headset included
- If you want to use cantis, make sure to buy a headset and seatpost hanger
PBH Ranges by size:
- 47cm: 76.5 to 79.5cm
- 50cm: 79.5 to 83.5cm
- 53cm: 83.5 to 85.5cm
- 55cm: 85.5 to 89.5cm
- 59cm: 89.5 to 93.5cm
- 62cm: 93.5 to 99cm
Full geometry chart here.
Compared to earlier Atlantis frames, which seemed unimprovable at the time, the current ones have a dozen or more refinements that make them the best ones yet:
• More tire clearance. You can fit a 2.25 max
• Longer chainstays and wheelbase, for a better ride.
• A new seat lug and seat stay connection that eliminates all shear stresses at the joint, and has a wonderfully non-classic look that suggests we're thinking.
• an ovalized seat tube bottom, from a round 28.6, to a lateral 31.8 x 25.4 oval (starts as inch-and-an-eighth, gets squished to an inch by inch and a quarter). Since there's no bottom bracket shell for the oval tube, the joint is tig-welded with a fillet braze laid over the upper portion. We do something similar on the Hillibikes, and it's probably the strongest way to make this highly stressed joint.
There's some confusion over the difference between the Atlantis and the Appaloosa. The Atlantis came first, and when it was made in America, we wanted an equally good Taiwan version—that bike became the Appaloosa. Now they're both made in the same shop in Taiwan, and they are not just "as good as ever," but better.
Geometry, Tires that fit, Ride, Handlebar recommendations...
The Atlantis wheelbase is about three to four percent longer. In theory, the Atlantis will feel smoother, less reactive. In practice, any difference you might feel in a side-by-side test is far more likely to come from the bar, stem, and wheels.
Both fit tires up to 2.25 inches max.
From 2025 on, the Atlantis fits a 27.2 seat post. It is not better than 26.8, but the Taiwan seat post maker had a harder time making 26.8s than 27.2. In any case, we recommend a NITTO post. Either Taiwan or NITTO will last you ten years to forever, and so the cost per year is low either way. NITTO posts are the best in the world, and when you order a seat posts with your frame, we subsidize it just a little.
The Atlantis top tube is about a centimeter or two longer than the top tube on the closest-sized Appaloosa. That makes it marginally better for swept-back handlebars. I have both bikes, set up similarly, and I can't tell ANY difference.
COLOR. For decades the Atlantis came on one color only: a creamy greenish blue that was developed for the inside of Russian submarines, a color to keep them calm. This is the classic and it looks as good as ever, and we're not caving in to any outside pressures--but we now offer it in a second color, as we do with our other models. This year the second color is Sergio's Green, a soft grayish green that we've put on other frames, and it seems like a watery color and appropriate for the Atlantis.
Atlantis History/Trivia/where it's made
The Atlantis more than any other model is the one most-associated with us, because it was the first production model (since 1999?) made in small bunches. At first it was made in Japan, for several years. Then in Wisconsin, for many. Now, Taiwan. Each of those countries-of-origin comes with its own baggage/reputation, depending on how old you are or some other histories beyond our control. The Atlantis and our other frames has always been built to the highest standards, and as a small matter of fact, anybody here who's familiar with the particulars will unhesitatingly say that the current ones made in Taiwan are the top dogs, period.
What it's good for
The Rivendell Atlantis is what we've always called an All-Rounder. An Atlantis is as happy on the road as it is on fire trails, unloaded or heavily loaded. It's not for roadie weight cred or upside-down downhill MTB tricks, but for folks who ride their bikes often and everywhere, generally carrying more than just a water bottle.
It's an every day useful bike and your go-to touring bike.
Shipping:
Frame shipping is automatically set at $87 within the lower 48 states.
This rate may be adjusted depending on the actual rate at the time of shipping.
Bikes:
Bike orders will default to $250 to the lower 48. If your actual shipping price is more, we will reach out to you for an additional payment.
https://www.rivbike.com/pages/shipping
*earlier Atlantis frames that look like this one take a 26.8mm post. Super old Atlantises also take a 27.2.
