The First Ever Rivendell All-Rounder 1995

I bought this in 1995 because I had been sponsored by the Rivendell founder, Grant Petersen, when he ran Bridgestone Cycles USA and I wanted to show my support for his new enterprise, Rivendell Bicycle Works. This was the first bike I'd bought in thirteen years as I'd been sponsored by one company or another between 1984 and 1994. I paid the deposit in February of 1995 and took delivery in December of that same year.

As a historical note, this is the first All-Rounder sold to anyone after Rivendell was founded in 1994. As a surprise, Grant had an "extra" serial number added to the bottom bracket shell that include my initials, "AR" for All-Rounder, and "#1" because it was the first sold. The frame and fork were hand crafted by the artisans at Waterford Precision Cycles in Waterford, Wisconsin.

I didn't build this bike up, or ride it, until the fall of 1998 as it took some time to find all the parts I wanted to run on it. As soon as I assembled it, I flew to Seattle and rode from there to Mill Valley, CA in Marin County in a week. Although I primarily planned to use it off-road or for combined trail/road rides, its initial configuration was very roadie: the components you see here, but with Scott Drop-In handlebars, the 8-spd shifters mounted on the down tube, Spinergy Rev-X wheels, and V-brakes. I found those wheels flexed too much, I didn't much like the drop bars off-road, the V-brakes worked terribly and had to be run VERY close to the rims, and it was darn near impossible to reach the down-tube shifters while riding off-road. As a result, I reconfigured the bike as you see it the main slideshow below, pretty much identical to its predecessor in my stable, a 1993 Bridgestone XO-1. The "in action" shots below are from a week-long trip to Moab and The Maze in Canyonlands National Park in Utah in May 2003. I stopped riding it in about 2005, so, although it's 16 years old, it's only seen a few years of actual riding. The rest of the time, it's been indoors. Of course, I've treated the interior of the frame several times over the years with Weigle FrameSaver to protect against corrision.

In about 2008, I had it repainted in an absolutely beautiful glossy black and blue color combo by legendary bicycle painter Joe Bell. I also had a third set of water bottle braze-ons added to the underside of the down tube. (See a full set of images from that new incarnation here in the Velo Cult online museum.)

Now, three years later, I still have not built it back up after that repaint. I love this bike, it's an amazing ride, its rich in Rivendell history, and I have a deep attachment to it, but I just don't have a need for it in my stable anymore. Therefore, I passed it along to a new owner in April of 2012.

In brief, the sizing is: 54.5cm seat tube with 72.5 degree seat angle and 57.5cm top tube. The All-Rounder was designed to fit a bit smaller than the same rider's appropriate road bike size (most of my road bikes have 57cm seat tubes, for example, but the same 57.5cm top tubes.) Full geometry and spec's, dozens of photos, and lots more information, are available here.

Along with the frame and fork, I sent along the following to its new caretaker:

• 25 pages of original sales documentation, brochures, and correspondence with Rivendell about the original design and purchase of this All-Rounder
• Photocopies of Issue 0 and Issue 1 of the Rivendell Reader
• New, unused, silver color Chris King headset with Ritchey front brake cable hanger, installed
• Shimano adjustable cable guides mounted to the down-tube shifter stops
• Seat post binder bolt
• One set of used but very good Nitto Moustache handlebars

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Dozens more photos, full geometry and spec's, and lots more information, are available here.

1992 Bridgestone XO-1, 55cm, with Cyclart custom paint and restoration

This Blog's Namesake WAS For Sale!

Since I have only ridden it once in a decade, I decided to sell off my 1992 Bridgestone XO-1. It's a size 55cm and was custom repainted by Cyclart in the same "tusk" off-white with the pearlescent clear-coat as it originally had ("Cat. 2" level paint job). At the same time, I had a third set of bottle braze-ons added to the bottom of the down tube. This bike is better than new, truly. Grant Petersen gave it to me in 1992, when I was sponsored by Bridgestone Cycles USA. I raced it in the Triple Ironman in France and some other events, but quit riding it about 1996. I had it repainted by CyclArt in about 1999 and only rode it once after that. It's been taking up space (indoors, always) ever since.

Asking price: SOLD.

This bike has been heavily upgraded. In fact, the only original part is the moustache handlebars! All the components listed are new/unused, having been ridden just once since installation (except for the cranks, BB, and post):

- NEW/UNUSED Chris King headset in "3-D Violet"

- Two sets of wheels: A set of NEW/UNUSED custom 650c wheels with Ringlé hubs in "3-D Violet" with matching nipples (28 hole front and 32 hole rear Sun ME14A Rims) which you can see in the photos below. Also included are the original 26" wheels which have been respoked and the hubs regreased (not pictured).

- NEW/UNUSED 9-speed shifting: Dura-Ace down-tube shifters are mounted as bar-ends, with 105 front derailleur and Ultegra rear derailleur and chain.

- Used Ultegra 9-speed era 170mm cranks and BB with 39/53 rings. (These are the only components on the whole bike, except for the handlebars and seat post, with any miles on them!)

- NEW/UNUSED Tektro brakes of unknown type: allow sliding the brake pads up and down six mm's to use either size wheels.

- Circa 1985 Dura Ace non-aero brake levers give ideal cable routing with moustache bars (almost NOS condition).

Other parts include the original Nitto moustache bars, a 27.0 American Classic seat post, Concor Rolls Due saddle, Michelin tyres, and a 10cm Nitto stem which Grant Petersen gave me on a visit to Rivendell HQ.

Note: There are two flaws in the paint job: Some paint has flaked off on the very top edge of the seat lug, adjacent to the seat post. Also, there is a bit too much clear coat on the head tube, on the bike's right side, above the lower head tube lug. You can see both of these flaws in the photos, if you look closely. (Note that the seat post is installed to just above the limit line, which is why it looks high or tall.)

- Chris Kostman

La Jolla, CA

Team Bridgestone member: 1992-1994

Rivendell Owner/Rider: 1995 to the present (All-Rounder and Roadeo)

Grant Petersen, Then and Now

Here are two nice interviews with one of my favorite people, not just in cycling, but in the world at large: Grant Petersen. We've been friends for 18 years, and back when he ran Bridgestone Cycles USA he offered to sponsor me for some really important, memorable, and otherwise too-expensive-for-me races (Triple Ironman in France and 24 Hours of Canaan in West Virginia in 1993).

The two nicest bikes I own, I bought from him and his Rivendell Bicycle company - one in 1995 and the other this year. Likewise, two of my most favorite and heavily ridden bicycles are my Bridgestone XO-1 and RB-1, which I received as part of my sponsorship back in 1992-1994. All are pictured below (and some day I'll do a full online slideshow for all of them). Thanks for the great "escape vehicles," Grant!

Here is the current interview with Grant from Dirt Rag's website in 2010.

Here is my interview with Grant, published in 1992. (Actually, it's a record of the very first conversation I had with him in person. He gave me a cassette tape of his favorite Bob Dylan tunes, which he'd made for me the night before, in anticipation of my interview.)

Elsewhere on this blog, you can see photos and read about two of the many rides I've made with Grant on and around Mt. Diablo, the mountain in his back yard.

Above: My 1992 Bridgestone XO-1, in just one of its many incarnations. I can't find 26x1.5" knobbie tyres like those Continentals anymore. Anyone out there know of anything similar which is on the market today?

Above: My 1994 Bridgestone RB-1, in just one of its many incarnations, this one mainly featuring Suntour components, another company which is essentially extinct.

Above: My 1994 Rivendell All-Rounder, the first one ever built to sell. As seen during a trip to Moab and Canyonlands National Park.

Above: My 2010 Rivendell Roadeo, as seen at Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park during one of our cycling camps.

Rough Riding with Rivendell's Grant Petersen

Above: Chris Kostman, left, with Grant Petersen

On August 10, 2009, after spending several days in Marin County to prepare for the July 23-25, 2010 Rough Riders Rally, I joined the legendary Grant Petersen of Rivendell Bicycles for a ride on and around Mt. Diablo in Walnut Creek, CA. I rode one of Rivendell's newest models, the Bombadil. Grant rode one, too, though his was a prototype. Of course, we went "Rivendell style" with "street clothes" and Keen sandal shoes: no bike clothes, no bike shoes, not even attached to the pedals. It all worked perfectly and comfortably! Really, it was just a wonderful ride in a spectacular setting. I'd argue that part of Rivendell's success can be attributed to their location next to this fantastic mountain and its hundreds of miles of trails, fire roads, and even paved roads.

I've known Grant since I interviewed him for an article for California Bicyclist in 1992 and have respected and admired him ever since. It was an honor and a pleasure that Grant - as head of marketing, bike design, etc at Bridgestone Cycle USA - sponsored me in 1992-1994. There were just four of us on Team Bridgestone. When Grant started Rivendell Bicycles in 1994, the least I could do was to sign on as one of his first members and customers. It's been fun and enlightening to keep track of Grant and his cohorts' efforts there in Walnut Creek for the past 15 years. Everything they do comes from the heart, and from their experience out there in the real world of multi-surface cycling.

In our Flickr gallery are some photos of various bikes at Rivendell, followed by shots from our ride together on and around Mt. Diablo (this page just has a few of the highlights). Grant insisted on shooting several shots of me at one of his favorite photogenic spots along the trail. He then honored me by adding one of the shots of me to the rotation of images which display on the http://www.rivbike.com website, so you can see that here as the final image of this collection (or on the Rivendell website).

Above: Photo of Chris Kostman by Grant Petersen

About the bike I rode, I have to say it was one of the very most amazing rides of my life. I'm still stunned at how beautifully it handled everything we threw at it, especially the winding and often steep single-track. I have ridden drop bars off-road plenty, but generally on road bikes in a traditional roadie position. This was my first time with the drop bars high and close (short stem, that is) and it handled perfectly while feeling extremely comfortable. My hands naturally gripped the brake hoods and the balance was absolutely superb. I had absolute control, but hardly needed any; the bike just knew what to do; very little input from me was needed. Practically auto-pilot, you might say! if I were in the market for a "mountain bike," this is the ONLY bike I would even consider; it's that good and that much of a winner. It has no competitors as far as I know. Kudos to Grant and his colleagues for this amazing design. More on the bike below. Meanwhile, be sure to peruse the rest of this blog here at http://www.XO-1.org for more about this type of cycling! Also be sure to join us for the Rough Riders Rally in Marin County in 2010!

According to the Rivendell website, "The BOMBADIL is a stout-tubed mountain bike for rough riding and heavy loads. It's not Dutch-heavy, but by contemporary standards of expensive, fine bicycles, it's out there on the edge. The tubes are about extra strong, reinforced, and there's a second top tube to create a small strong triangle even on bigger frames. It's a MOUNTAIN bike, and not a frilly-techy one for gram counters who race in their minds but not in the world. It's not for racing, period. It is a modern mountain bike in the spirit of a 1983 model. Maybe '84."

Links:
Flickr gallery of all the images of this ride: Click
July 23-25, 2010 Rough Riders Rally: Click
Rivendell Bicycles: Click
Racing on Team Bridgestone at the 24 Hours of Canaan: Click
My 1992 interview with Grant Petersen: Click

Rough Riding on Mt. Diablo with a Cycling Sage: Grant Petersen

Yours truly, Chris Kostman (left), with Grant Petersen

When I lived in Berkeley and Oakland for about ten years in the 80s and 90s, one of our favorite long rides was to cruise out to Mt. Diablo and then climb high above Walnut Creek on that fabled mountain. It's a spectacular state park with epic 360 degree views, all right next door to metropolis. In 1992 though 1994 I was sponsored by Bridgestone Cycles USA, where I got to know Grant Petersen. He designed and spec'd all the bikes, edited the catalogue (a real keeper), and handled the marketing, advertisements, and sponsorships. I was lucky and honored to be one of just a handful of cyclists who was sponsored by Bridgestone.

When B'stone shut down in 1994 due to a variety of issues in the cycling industry and the world economy (strong Yen vs. weak Dollar, among other things), Grant opened his own small bicycle company, Rivendell Bicycle Works, based literally at the foot of Mt. Diablo in Walnut Creek, his home town. I was pleased and thrilled to have been sponsored by Grant at B'stone, where, among other things, he was able to pay for my trip to France for the Triple Ironman and to West Virginia to compete in the 24 Hours of Canaan mountain bike race. So I immediately plunked down a deposit to be one of Rivendell's first customers. As such, I became the proud owner of the first "All-Rounder" model that Rivendell built and sold. The bike even has "CKAR01" - as in Chris Kostman's All-Rounder #1 - stamped on the bottom bracket shell next to the serial number! (Click here to see a full slideshow of my All-Rounder.)

Anyway, more on all of the above later, but for now I wanted to share some photos from a nice Rough Riders excursion up Mt. Diablo with Grant and some of his friends in May of 2005. It was my second ride ever on 650B wheels. We rode up the mountain on the paved road, then back down on a nice fire road with multiple creek crossings. I rode "Grant style" with sandal shoes and nothing attaching my feet to the pedals, plus a button shirt. I did insist on being the only rider who wore padded lycra shorts, though. It was a beautiful day with great company, wonderful bikes (I rode Grant's personal Saluki model), and perfect Rough Riding on a variety of terrain. Thank you, Grant, and thank you, Mother Nature, for a splendid outing!