It is not too often that you find a place that seems to embody how you think and how you feel about so many different items, but for me Rivendell Bike Works is that kind of place; or at least it feels that way from their website and from their blog. Mel has Anthropologie. FH has anywhere that has cart to push and they sell popcorn. My mom has Target. My dad has Gander Mountain. My brother has Academy. My father in law has Northern Tools. I've got Rivendell Bike Works. Sometimes, I feel like Nacho in Nacho Libre in this clip:
Even though, Rivendell Bike Works is my place...I don't own anything they sell because most of what they sell is far out of my price range. I will own some of their smaller component items in the future and maybe some of their soaps and such, but up until now, I didn't own anything. I will buy a bike from them someday, but that day is far, far in future. It may be my present to myself when I turn 75 or something. But when the month of December came upon us, my sweet Mel came to me and told me she had been given the duty of doing a lot of the holiday shopping for several members of her family and then said these magical words:
"Can you get me your Christmas list, I can probably make some of your wildest dreams come true." (WHAT A GAL, RIGHT?)
My mind went here:
And:
And:
However, on Christmas morning, none of these happened to be under the ole' Douglas Fir, but rather this package was wrapped up so nice and it contained the next best things that come right after the above pictures. And once I took the paper off, I couldn't quite get the box opened fast enough. And I'll explain the rest in pictures and a few words.
The beloved box.
The address to the place I stalk on a daily basis. The internet can be a wonderful thing.
The contents of the box of wonders. Even the way the contents were packaged was amazing. You know the box is going to be good when even the packaging is done in a way you like. You tactile people will get this...I hope.
The first item I pulled from the box were these cork grips. Every bike has a metal handlebar and you can't just hold onto the metal. You can, but you don't want to do just that. If you ride longer than a mile, you're going to want to cover some part of the handlebar . The Huffy 3 Speed FH and I ride had some plastic grips. They worked okay, but 1984 had been their best year. FH and I were ready for an upgrade and this is our ticket. They are made from real cork from cork trees grown in Portugal. They are handmade there. Sounds pricey, right? You can have your own pair for just over $20. And you'll still have them 15 years from now. I have installed them on the bike. There will be a post about it. Don't worry. And they feel like a dream to the hands on a ride. Trust me.
Every bike needs a bell. I know this may sound girly, or metro-sexual, or sissy to all those folks out there that have opinions on things they don't own or do, but if you ride in a city...get a bell. People, cars, buses, and other cyclists need to know you are there. Or you will run them over or vice versa. There have been two folks hit by cars and killed in the city we live in, in just the last two months. They had on spandex shorts, but didn't have a way to signal. FH and I will take a few snide remarks and laughs as long as we can signal to folks that we want to be seen. We now have a bell. We have lights. We are going to add some reflective gear. Laugh away. We like being alive. And this my friends, is a great bell. It is made of brass. It is loud and it looks sharp. Sounds pricey, right? You could have one for $14.
This ended up being maybe the best part of the gift. It is the free catalog. I didn't have one. It contains so much helpful information about bikes, riding, cycling gear, and just general information. Grant Peterson, the found of Rivendell, writes the catalogs up and I really enjoy his writing style and his thought processes. I think I have read it through about three times so far and am planning on putting it somewhere where I can access it on a regular basis. Don't worry...you will see some quotes from it. I know you were worried.
Every cyclist needs a good hat. When I first started riding, I just wore the helmet and it really caused my head to itch. I went from no hat to a bandanna, to a baseball cap backwards, to a pretty sweet cycling hat from Mellow Johnny's in Austin, Texas and now this great cycling cap from Rivendell. It is by far the most comfortable cycling cap I have ever worn and it is made in the USA! I wore it on a four mile jaunt yesterday and it felt so great I kept it on for awhile after FH and I came home and brought the trash cans in, buried a dead possum, and played a little one on one hoops. I'm sure our neighbors were jealous of my look. I know my dad would shake his head a couple of times at my look.
The Wald 139 basket. It is a very large basket. It could probably hold 2-3 full bags of groceries. The Wald Company has been making quality bike components in the USA since 1905 in the great state of Kentucky. Other companies make bike baskets, but you won't get a better steel basket for a bike than a Wald basket. They make other bike components, but are most famous as of late for their baskets.
Every bike needs a basket or someway to carry your things. No, if you are an elite rider and are riding in the Giro d'Italia, then you don't need a basket, but for the rest of us, then you probably have some stuff and you probably would like a way to carry it. Yes, you could wear a backpack. They work great, but you are not a fan of a very sweaty back and sweaty shirt, then get a basket. Yes, you will get a few laughs. Take it in stride. And if you are a vindictive guy or gal, you could follow the mockers to the gas pump and laugh as the money sign ticks higher and higher. Or you could follow them to a traffic light and laugh at them as you take a side street or the sidewalk, but you aren't that kind of person. Right?
Long story short, I really like the stuff I got from Rivendell. I look at their website almost everyday and read their blog every time they post a new selection. This box of wonders was a great surprise on Christmas morning. I will be using the contents for a very long time. If you haven't checked out the Rivendell Bike Works site, you should. They sell some great stuff and all of it is quality stuff and a lot of it is built right here in the USA. Americans love to gripe and complain about Big Business sending jobs overseas, but then they love buying foreign goods. You want people to have jobs in the USA, then a great way to support that idea is to buy American made goods. Yes, you can buy cheaper bike components, but you are also going to buy them two or three times over because they aren't going to last as long. And if you don't buy from Rivendell, you can at least window shop and get some pretty great ideas for riding your bike.
Happy reading and happy riding,
DAVID
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