Hi, it’s Tani from Kamiuma store.

We’re received “PLATYPUS” from Rivendell Bicycle Works in Walnut Creek, California.
For this batch, we have “Periwinkle” and “Lime Olive”.

“Periwinkle” means the name of a flower and this is the first time for Platypus. It’s a stunning nice color.

“Lime Olive”, Rivendell’s popular color which Grant and Will own and there’re a lot of fans for. It shines like gold in the sun.

 

This new Platypus flew off the shelves so quickly on their website, but we schedule to release them as follows.

 

BLUE LUG global online store : August 17th (Sun.) 19:00-

 

The both color looks different under fluorescent lights, so I took some pictures in the sun.

I’m sure that these two colors look more beautiful when they get sun-faded and muddy.

I guess they chose the colors like that in purpose.

Clear metallic pearl and their iconic cream-colored paint.

 

When I asked Grant about his favorite frame color, he answered “All of them.” to dodge my question firstly. Then, I asked like “But, you don’t make them in red. You don’t like it?”, and he finally told me like “If I have to say, I like “RBW blue” and Lime Olive”.

 

The interesting thing is Platypus is the one which most of Rivendell staffs own when we visited their HQ,

but I found exactly the same thing happens among BLUE LUG staffs.

(You can check their bikes by clicking the picture above.)

 

Why is it? I just wanted to know the reason.

I think there will be some build samples, customizations and posts from each BLUE LUG staff, but I’m going to introduce what kind of frame it is as always.

 

First of all, it’s the best way to see how people ride it. I borrowed some pictures from Rivendell’s customers.

Step-through frame makes it easy to get on and off, comfy swept-back bar, basket and fenders are all for your own lifestyles.
It works nicely as “everyday bike” which you can literally ride every day.

If your first bike is Platypus, I’m sure that your life will change dramatically.

In my opinion, Platypus rides faster than Clem Smith Jr. and I think it’s better option for those who want a commuter bike.

But, Platypus has two different sides. No, it doubles two different roles.
Actually, Platypus runs really nice, and it has another side that you can take it for various kind of rides.

If you wanna ride it aggressively, just build it with a flat bar like this. Then, it rides as if it was a flat bar gravel bike.
I guess it’s a bit hard to imagine from its cute round frame structure, but I started to feel like it’s something similar to SURLY Cross check and BLACK MOUNTAIN CYCLES Monstercross.

 

The biggest difference is that Platypus has got the long top tube and it’s not designed for a drop bar.

I do recommend you to go Rivendell-ish handlebar or a bit swept-back flat bar.*RIVENDELL* platypus (50)

It’s designed around 50mm (same as Straggler and Monstercross), but it actually takes slightly bigger tires.
*RIVENDELL* platypus (50)

Shami from Kamiuma store installed ULTRADYNAMICO Mars (2.3″). I suppose it’s the biggest for Platypus.

 

The other basic information about this frame is as follows.

・135mm rear spacing

・27.2mm seatpost diameter from this batch (please note that a frame set doesn’t include a seatpost.)

・28.6mm front derailleur clamp diameter

・68mm BSA bottom bracket shell width (113mm bottom bracket and headset included.)

・V-brake mounts (of course, you can use canti brakes as well.)


(Super cool Platypus rider in the states)

 

It was so impressive for me that Will used the word “general bike” to explain Platypus.

As far as I understand, it means the bike which you can ride to commute on weekdays and also go for a weekend ride without any customizations. It’s designed for anything, rather than for something specifically.

 

If you wanna ride it as your daily commuter on weekdays,

https://youtu.be/w4PsU5N-T9A?si=cOAnOGUq_5rE_rOhand go for a weekend ride with your friends and partner, Platypus is just right bike for you.

It’s called “General Bike” in short.

I guess this great landscape of California makes me feel so, but these videos are the best for sure.

I believe you’ll feel like you wanna go for a ride.

Here is Will’s Platypus as a build sample. Personally, I do recommend you to build it with a frame set if you have certain amount of budget. It takes longer than a complete bike, but it’s much more fun to build your own bike from scratch.

 

And I think it’s a hidden advantage of Platypus is that you can easily share it with someone else.

For this kind of step-through frames, you don’t have to care about the standover height so much and that means one size fits more people compared to usual horizontal frames.

 

Let’s take my Platypus as an example. This is size 50.*RIVENDELL* platypus (50)
In this picture, the saddle height is 69cm / 27.16″ for me (173cm / 5.68ft), but it could be lowered to 62cm / 24.41″, so I built it to share with my partner. Both of us has been riding it for a while, but she ended up having it all to herself. It’s never been back.

 

You can find out your right size and who you can share it with by measuring “PBH”.

Let’s measure PBH of you, and also your wife, your girlfriend and your daughter at the same time.

【Platypus PBH Chart】
50cm : 73 〜 81cm PBH
55cm : 80 〜 87cm PBH
60cm : 85 〜 96cm PBH

If you wanna share it with someone else, then check this chart to confirm you and his/her PBH fall into the same size.

If you don’t plan to share it with someone else and your PBH falls into two sizes, then we always recommend going with the bigger one. You can feel the great flexibility of chromoly steel and it should ride so comfortably.

But, this is just a size guide, so don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

 

In the end, I’d like to borrow Will’s words. His words hit me so much.

“The Platypus is our fully lugged, do-it-all, step-through bike, and right in the middle of our line-up, functionally. If one pole is bumpy singletrack trail riding, and the other pole is road riding, the Platypus is right on our equator.”

“It’s not quite a full-blown touring bike, not quite a hillibike, and not quite a road bike, but you can stretch it to do all of those things, and especially if you know how to properly distribute camping gear, pick lines, and unweight over bumps.”

“If a customer comes in without any preconceived idea of what frame they want, I always grab a Platypus for them to ride first, because it’s impossible not to like and it covers all the bases.”

“Four Riv employees, soon to be five, own Platypuses, and for all them it’s the one bike they’d keep if they were forced, Zeus forbid, to pick only one. “

“This is the best all-rounder bike I’ve ever ridden, and if I have to pick only one, this is it.”

 

I love all of the Rivendell bikes, so my policy is not to specify my favorite one, but when I heard this killer words, I stated to feel like riding it again.

Platypus, which fits everyone’s various ways of use like SURLY Cross Check.

I guess that’s the reason why it has been loved by so many people in the states and Japan as well.

Thank you so much for reading till the end.

Bye.