Rivendell Bicycle Works

For other uses, see Rivendell (disambiguation).

Rivendell Bicycle Works is a producer of lugged steel bicycle frames, located in Walnut Creek, California, United States. Rivendell produces stock and customized frames. Rivendell frames are designed in the U.S., with manufacturing of stock frames in the United States, Japan, and Taiwan. Custom frames are made in the U.S.[1]

Grant Petersen, who, while in charge of American marketing and bicycle design at Bridgestone, developed the XO-series, founded Rivendell in 1994.

History

Petersen worked from 1984 to 1994 on bicycles and catalogues for the U.S. division of Bridgestone Cycle, Japan's largest bike maker. Bridgestone closed the U.S. office after 10 years when the dollar-to-yen exchange rate fell.[2] Petersen, then 40, started Rivendell with $89,000 of retirement money, savings, loans, and stock. The company worked from a garage for two years. It now has 5,000 square feet (460 m2).

The name came from the mountaineering equipment company, Rivendell Mountain Works (RMW), which took its name from the fictional refuge in The Lord of the Rings. Several of their products have Tolkien-derived names; it is not known what arrangement they have with the Tolkien Estate, if any.

The first custom frames were built by Waterford Precision Cycles. Later frames were built by Joe Starck, then by Curt Goodrich and Mark Nobilette. Currently, Mark Nobilette is the only custom builder of Rivendell frames.

s24o

s24o is an abbreviation for sub-twenty-four-overnight, a style of bicycle camping promoted by Grant Petersen of Rivendell Bicycle Works as an easy way to spend more time outside on a bike.[3] Unlike conventional touring, the s24o encourages going on short (sub twenty-four hour) camping trips. The logic being that if it is short and uncomplicated, it is easier to arrange and easier to make happen. Typically this happens on bicycles and only necessary gear is brought.

References

  1. ↑ "Rivendell: Against the Wind". Ebykr. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  2. ↑ "Bridgestone: Beyond the Dream". Ebykr. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  3. ↑ Adventurecycling.org
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