Seems like Grant has a lot of detractors. Lots of folks don't like the look
of his bikes either. Well I'm not one of either group. I think we owe
Grant a hearty vote of thanks for being one of the very few voices of reason
that say that a bike should be comfortable and enjoyable to ride even for
the vast majority of riders who are not racers. He also goes against the
insanity of bicycle clothing fashions, too. Kudos to him! Where is it
written that the further we are from our bicycles while wearing cycling
attire the more ridiculous we should look? Thanks to him I have scoured
Good Will stores for Seersucker shirts and I just love them for hot weather
riding.
I like the looks of the top line Rivendell bikes, too. I like a higher
riding position like Grant advocates and I have to say that the extended
head tube seems to me a most practical and attractive way to achieve it. I
sure wish I had a Stark or Goodrich built one!
I will say, though that a couple of years ago I did buy one of the mid-line
made in the Orient bikes Rivendell offers and thought it such a pile of
excrement that I couldn't wait to unload it. My tastes run a lot more to
his top end custom models, I think.
I am glad there is a Grant and a Rivendell and I think we need a little more
of such independent original thinking and faithfulness to a concept of
comfortable and practical bicycling. Perhaps we are seeing it emerge in the
newly developed lines of Randonneuring bikes appearing now from the very
finest builders. He has greatly enhanced my bicycling experience and I
publicly express my gratitude to him for it.
Tom Sanders
Lansing, Mi