For sale: My custom 1999 Rivendell Randonneur. It's a special bike, built for me based on the ideas (and using many of the parts) of the French randonneur bikes made by Rene Herse and Alex Singer:
A photo is at http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com/
- Fork, frame: 1999 Rivendell Road, second generation lugs, medium blue metallic paint, 58 cm frame size (57 cm top tube), with numerous custom features: - Extralight tubing (Reynolds 753 0.8-0.5-0.8 mm for the most part) - Extra clearance for 28+ mm tires with fenders (currently used with Rivendell Rolly-Poly) - Mafac Competition brakes with brazed-on pivots - All braze-ons for well-integrated Honjo aluminum fenders (no clamps, etc.) - Special braze-ons for Alex Singer front rack - Eyelets on rear stays for Nitto bag support rack or two taillights - Extra eyelet on right dropout for light mount - 3 bottle cages (all with "reinforcement" stars) - Long-slot horizontal dropouts (to allow using as a fixed-gear)
The bike is sold with the following equipment: - Mafac "Competition" centerpull brakes (top of the line), Matthauser pads on front, Mafac on rear (the brakes don't squeal) - Alex Singer custom front rack (made for this bike as a personal favor by Ernest Csuka of Cycles Alex Singer) - TTT Record 100m stem with Alex Singer decaleur (the decaleur/handlebar quick release fits any standard stem with a horizontal bolt) - Nitto 165 (?) handblebars (deep drop, relatively long reach) - Dia-Compe 986 (?) canti-specific brake levers - Rivendell-design Carradice handlebar bag modified with Alex Singer decaleur - Ritchey triple cranks, 172.5 mm, TA rings 50-40-30 - Ritchey WCS Pro cup-and-cone bottom bracket with less than 1500 miles - Honjo aluminum fenders, extra-long front (I cut down a rear fender for this), with mudflap (not shown in photo) - Stronglight headset - Campagnolo Nuovo Record seatpost (lots of setback, never goes out of adjustment) - 2 taillights. One is a German "Basta," the second is a small Specialized "Hot Dot," both modified for braze-on mounting.
Not sold with the bike, but shown in the photo are: - Wheels (SON generator front, Maxi-Car rear) - front light with mount - Derailleurs and shift levers (Simplex SLJ) - Saddle - Pedals - Pump
Except the rear wheel, these could be included at additional cost.
The bike was built for me in 1999, using all new parts (except the seatpost). I used in in Paris-Brest-Paris 1999, then rode it as my only bike for about 2 years. The bike still holds the unsupported Cannonball and S2S cross-state records... It has been 100% reliable. I haven't ridden it much in recent years, and with a new 650B bike on the way, I reluctantly have decided that it is surplus to requirements.
The frame is in great shape, with no major scratches, rust or other damage. There is very little paint loss on the dropout faces from the QR clamps, plus one minor nick the size of a pinhead, but that is pretty much it. The components are in very good shape, but show that they have been used. The fenders have a few light scratches. The bike rides like a brand-new bike.
The bike has the standard Rivendell Road geometry (73 head angle, 43 mm fork offset). It would be easy to add a Nitto bag support rear rack (the light braze-ons initially were designed for this) to carry a Carradice saddlebag.
If you prefer a Singer-style low-trail geometry, the fork blades have ample length (more than standard), and re-raking them would be an easy task. There are two rubber spacers under the fork crown, so you'd remove one, and the fender line would be unchanged. The brakes have plenty of adjustment range.
The bike is the best of both worlds: French integrated racks, fenders and lights with Rivendell design and workmanship and Joe Bell paint. The bike was made by Joe Starck, by the way, and the brazing is close to perfect as far as I can tell without stripping the paint.
Price is $ 2900 plus shipping - just a little more than a new Rivendell custom frame. Putting this bike together was very expensive, and would be impossible today (Singer racks and decaleurs aren't sold separately...)
Add your wheels, derailleurs, saddle and pedals, and you are ready to go. Add a front light, and you even are ready for Paris-Brest-Paris!
For more images of the bike, see also Bicycle Quarterly Vol. 1, No. 3 "What Makes a Good Randonneur Bike."
Jan Heine, Seattle