Visiting Rivendell HQ 2023

Hey, it’s Tani from Kamiuma store.

I was absent from the store few weeks ago, because we went to a handmade bike show called “MADE” which was held in Portland, USA.

Soon there will be a report blog which has been written by Issue who is number one handmade bike geek of Blue Lug.

Another big purpose of this trip was to see our friends who we couldn’t meet during the pandemic, before and after the bike show.

We went from place to place in California. The bike maker, bike shop, frame builder and bag maker. We went to see a lot of people. (Swipe it!)

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The visiting tour was so much fun but certainly we got too much stuff…
Our brains are exploding thinking how to present the 10000 photos and 1000GB of video clips to you but our YT staff Sub is editing them without sleeping so we are counting on him.（He can do it!)

Also Issue got sick so I’m writing this blog first while we wait for his blog post.

So many things happened so I’m going to write about just some parts of the trip and some of you can guess what I’m going to write about.

Rivendell Bicycle Works

This was my first visit since 2019.

All the staff were kind and their hospitality was warm. We hugged each other for the reunion and introduced ourselves to the people whom we met for the first time.

It would be easy to imagine if I explained that there is an office, a warehouse and another warehouse which also has a shop space inside. (Please look forward for the shop tour video filmed by Sub)

The shop is like a toy-box full of fun.

Here comes Grant-san. He is like Nagashima (a famous Japanese baseball player) for a baseball kid so I always get nervous when I see him.

Here we are doing bike checks of their own bikes. (Editing is in process so please wait for it)

Both Will and Roman told us that ”Our recent favorite is Platypus”. It made me really want one. The frames will be stocked later this year probably?

They showed us the shop and warehouse,

Their regular work space and behind the stock space,

The bike pit and office. I checked the angle carefully to learn how Mark-san, who is known as the designer of the M1 rack, installs the Noodle-bar.

Archives and samples from past,

（Prototype of the CHOCO BAR!）

Tried the mysterious health machine,

Took a look at a prototype that is coming in future, think that Will’s cut-off work pants are cool,

Had a test ride for a bit,

And checked every detail of the newest “Grant’s build” (it was really dope so I’m going to write about it at the end of the blog).

We had a lunch meeting after the tour. They treated us with a Greek dish that looked like pizza (it was so delicious).

We talked about how it has been recently to exchange opinions about bikes and work.
At some point Grant-san asked me “Is there any advice for us?” and I was just speechless.

I can only learn from you. This is a mosque and you are my guru.

I also humbly asked them, “We would like to go for a ride with you”. Although I wasn’t expecting much because they were too busy,

Then they took us out.

The Shell-Ridge I dreamt about. I wanted to go with a Clem but rented a Susie which had more suitable tires in the end.

Trying to follow Grant-san (he was super fast and quite tough) on the hill which I only saw on the internet.

Frankly I was panicking during the ride because my big-ish lifetime dream came true.

Antonio and James joined the ride and between them there was Cent. What an unbelievable ride.

We could even watch Grant fix a flat tire.

Issue and I said “We will fix it!”

“Just leave it to me,” he replied. He is strong minded and enjoys challenges.

The ride ended while I wasn’t sure if it was real or not.

It was quite a course although they told us that “it’s an easy one!” haha.

From riding this terrain and hill, I found out where the Rivendell bikes were born and the reason why their bikes have long chain stays and also why they should be built with upright handlebars. These reasons are all evident in the trail of the Shell-Ridge.

Overall, Rivendell is the best not only in terms of the bikes they make but also the people who make the bikes. Sometimes I forget about that since their bikes are extraordinary. I really love them.

The visit reinforced my belief that it’s my mission to send messages of how amazing Rivendell is to future Riv riders. As for the Riv riders riding them already, including me, let’s ride it so much until it gets beat up.

— chit chat —

Last but not least for the Grant-followers. Let me present you the newest Grant Builds.

Of course Rivendell bikes don’t have to be built like how Grant-san does and there are no rules. You can make your own one as you wish.

That said, there are a certain number of people who are really into “Rivendell bikes which were built by Grant” such as myself. Below you can see what he does lately.

“Avant garde at a glance but very beautiful as a whole” is a description of Grant’s bikes.

If your brake levers are cold and hard to put your hands on, you can just wrap them with bar tape. If you don’t have a childlike mind, probably you can’t paint the colorful dots on your handlebars.

These bar tapes look random because he puts them on again and again to make the bike more comfortable while he rides it. This means that a bike can’t be completed when it’s brand new in a bike pit.

His newest work.