Like most things, if I own one I must defend one. Well actually I own two. A first year Riv road bike and an early Atlantis. Funny thing is when people see these bikes the first thing they say is (Wow look at those cool lugs and paint jobs). In fact, I have had more comments about the Riv bikes than most of my other bikes combined. Now if their process or quality has changed over the years then okay point taken. When I went to get my Riv's I was specifically looking for first year models and my Waterford built Riv is a beauty. Sort of a forest metallic green with gold lined lugs.
This does not discount Brian's or any other comments or opinions about Riv bikes. We are all individuals with distinct tastes, likes and dislikes. I could only guess that Leonardo DaVinci would not think much of a Jackson Pollock's art or visa versa but that does not take away from either of their works. To play the game of who's bike is the next collectible thing down the road is every bit as foolish as to predict the stock market. If there were a formula for this then we would all be rich. I just know that there are a lot of bikes out there that this group would not be caught dead on or with. I have owned some bikes that are every bit as valuable to collectors as our classic road bikes are to us, some even more so. These ramblings into theoryland are fun but if you take them seriously then you are missing out on the enjoyment one derives from this hobby. I have a basic rule of thumb when judging someone elses work. It goes like this, "Don't call someone elses baby ugly". You may think it, you might even discuss it in venues such as this but it serves no purpose. The person with the ugly baby will not abandon it nor stop trying to have another baby if they wish. Don't know about anyone else but there is enough bad stuff in this world to deal with then to bum someone out about their bike choices. That said, if someone ever wanted to trade a Baylis bike for my first year Riv, I would say, yes in a heartbeat.
Ray Homiski
Elizabeth, NJ