Rivendell Bicycle Works

Over the years I’ve ordered many parts and components from Rivendell, and hope to order a frame soon. Seriously, this is the best and most relevant bike manufacturer out there today. Their service is incredible, and everyone I’ve talked to over the phone goes above and beyond to support you.
If you haven’t done so already, go to their website and prepare to be floored by the amount of invaluable information. Even the product descriptions hold useful tidbits on anything bike-​related.
Rivendell is the best, hands down.

Ordered Portuguese cork grips online. Service was great. Shipping was prompt. Great experience.

If you like lugged steel, this place is heaven. But even if you don’t eat, sleep and dream all things Rivendell, as I do, you can still find great bike gear, clothing (some of it made in the USA), and odd and inspired items such as Pine Tar Soap. Every item is wellp-​designed, useful, and built to last. Oh, and best of all? Every single person at Rivendell is friendly and helpful and knowledgeable and down to earth. Not one snooty hipster in the bunch!

I am a Kentuckian, 68 years old, former bike racer. Rivendell bikes have put the joy back into pedaling. Beauty, comfort and practicality all in one package. Riders often complement my bike. The position is great and I don’t notice much difference in speed with the wide tires and the narrow tires on my road race bike. The softer ride is well worth the trade off. These bikes seem expensive but after you ride one built the way they recommend you realize it is, in fact, a bargain. I own 2, one for road, one for off road riding. My other bikes are sitting idle collecting dust and will be sold.
Great packing/​shipping and wonderful phone service. Great web site. I doubt that anyone is ever sorry they bought/​ride a Rivendell.

I’ve stopped in to Rivendell just to shoot the breeze and see what sorts of stuff they had in their warehouse showroom (particularly before they had a dedicated storefront). There are usually employees, potential customers, and what I gather are «regulars» milling about. A pleasant energy. The place is kind of a bright spot amidst the other light-​industrial suites and car dealerships that surround the Rivendell compound.
Eventually the time came for me to order and pick up what I consider to be a big-​ticket purchase (short of a complete bicycle). My order was ready when they said it would be, and it was super easy to just walk in, explain who I was and leave with my stuff. Saved about $ 30 shipping that way, plus I got to gawk at some of the merchandise I rarely get to see in person.
Rivendell is such an intriguing and inspiring business, which isn’t a sentence I utter very often. I recommend stopping by both their warehouse showroom and their relatively new dedicated retail front.

This is a great store with beautiful bikes and a nice assortment of books and great quality wool clothing. and hatchets.and soap. and coffee makers… and wooden ties? A strange combo indeed, but a great store and Keven is a fine gentleman and scholar!
I will be back!

A true gem of a bike shop because they are not trying to be something they are not. I recently traveled to Europe and happened to pop into several bike shops and Rivendell has the same feel. If your idea of a bike shop is $ 10k carbon fiber bikes and overstyled and overpriced Lycra clothing that you’re going to wear on your ride to Starbucks/Peet’s Rivendell may not be the place for you. On the other hand, if you appreciate cycling humble beginnings and chatting with mechanics that actually know a thing or two about bikes and cycling history Rivendell is the place for you.
I stopped in today to pick up a brass bell and a brooks saddle. I was greeted by Grant and he was very helpful and I enjoyed joking around with him. Just a really cool and down to earth vibe here. I’ll be back.

I bought a Ramboullet a few years ago — Beautiful bike — Never failed me. But as I’ve gotten older, either the bike grew or I have shrunk. So I’ll sell my Beautiful Ramboullet and get another, smaller bike from Rivendell — I just love their steel lugged bikes with the great paint jobs and comfort frames.

I’ve stopped by the shop several times, mostly browsing and picking up small things like bar tape, and they have always been great to me. I’ve test ridden a couple of the bikes here too, which were awesome experiences.
I have nothing but good to say about this place.

Amazing bikes, super friendly and very knowledgeable staff, and fantastic and well curated selection of bike related goods and clothing you can’t find anywhere else. A little off putting at first since its not a typical storefront. They opened up another more formal storefront but that store doesn’t carry a lot of what the headquarters offers. Would like to see a greater selection there since the hours are better.

I walked in to admire the gorgeous bicycles, but noticed they also had a small selection of books. Not just books on bikes, but well-​chosen volumes. I purchased a book on sailing and one on Edward Lear. The owner and the shop assistant both helped me, so I can say my customer experience was great.
A unique store, this place gets a Gold Gato Jam!

First off, I am a big bike enthusiast. I ride mountain and road/​cruising.
My girlfriend and I walked into the new shop in Walnut Creek after they moved from their last location.
We walked in and browsed for a good 15 minutes and not a single associate came up and greeted us and asked how we were doing.
There were several things I saw that I was potentially interested in but there seemed to be another friend or customer there that was taking their attention.
Like I said. Not once in 15 minutes I was there did they come up and greet us. There were three people working.
Won’t be back!

This is a great store. Not only for it’s bikes and books but for it’s hatchets. The staff is very helpful and generally interested in helping and talking to you. The bikes are truly unique and wish I could own one (they are very expensive). I stop buy this store a lot and love popping in. The owner Grant is very nice and loves his Bob Dylan.
I recommend checking out Rivendell and seeing what their store has to offer.

I love going here– even tho I don’t own a Rivendell bike. at some point would love to have one but for now content w my Bridgestone. really agree w the philosophy of utility and longevity in products– plus these bikes are just darned beautiful in the detail, colors, carrying options, etc.
I find the staff very warm, knowledgable and enjoyable.

I had a pretty bad experience here last week. It was my first visit, as i’ve just moved to the area. I’ve read Grant Petersen’s writings for years, and they helped me develop a healthier attitude towards bikes than i’d had before (fat tires, steel frames, etc etc). Anyways, if your not aware, this is his shop, and he’s something of an icon/​firebrand in cycling culture. I arrived with a beloved bike (not one they made) looking to buy some new brakes, knowing that this particular bike has design issues that make it difficult to find the right brakeset. In the back shop they measured my frame, picked up on the design issue that I was already aware of, and then suggested that they couldn’t really help me. I was pretty disappointed that they were shrugging me off, having driven from Oakland, so they pulled out a set of brakes from the back that they said would work. I was doubtful, but they assured me that it would work. I was told I could not return them, saying ‘I never want to see those brakes again’. I bought them against my best judgement, and off I went.
I got home, and they didn’t work. And also, my debit card had been charged 7 times, which luckily the bank had noticed as an error and hadn’t overdrawn my account several times.
In retrospect, I’m glad I was treated this way, as it taught me to trust my own intuition. I think that for a number of reasons I am not quite the right customer for them; I am relatively young, not wealthy, and don’t like driving to Walnut Creek to be taken advantage of. (They asked me to come back when I called and complained, but I will not).
One star because the staff in the front office was really nice.
An extra star because I’ve learned a lot from reading all the information on their webpage, and will use that information when i buy from shops that aren’t jerks.
Lesson: Rivendell is the Smaug of Bicycle Mountain.

I’ve made three trips to Rivendell and each time I’ve been completely impressed with the quality of service and their drool worthy bikes.
Not all bike stores treat ladies with respect (incorrectly making the assumption we don’t know much about bikes) but the Riv guys treated me like one of the guys and took the time to help me find the correct parts to restore my vintage french bike.
Recently, I had to call the shop to see if they had a part in store before making the trek to Walnut Creek and Grant (the owner) answered the phone. Not only was he super patient as I explained my dilemma, but he sent me a straddle wire for my center-​pull brake in the mail — free of charge. It was a really nice thing for him to do and forever made me loyal to Riv.

I have been a fan of Rivendell since 1997 and a customer since 1999. Over the years, I have purchased 4 bicycles, countless bike-​accessory items, and many articles of clothing, as well as attended several group rides and other events.
Grant and his team are a pleasure to work with and to know.
If you are in the market for a bicycle, I hope that you will give them your full consideration. You will not be disappointed.
I would emphasize that I am very fond of their clothing line, «MUSA.» I recently spent 3 weeks in Magyarorszag (e.g. Hungary), and dressed in Rivendell shirts and pants almost everyday. Lightweight, super-​high-​quality duds, perfect for any adventure, with or without your bike.
I am not related-​to, nor do I have anything to gain from praising Riv. I am just a solid, life-​time fan of Rivendell and all they have accomplished.

I’d been out to Rivendell a couple of times with my fella (who is a huge fan) and finally went on my own today… I only needed a saddle and had some ideas about what I wanted, but the staff took the time to measure my PBH and let me spend almost two hours trying different bike/​saddle combinations (including making all the tiny little adjustments I requested) until I made up my mind. I’m relatively new to cycling and don’t have many clear preferences yet, but Kevin was incredibly patient and helpful!
I was SO impressed that these guys offered so much time and effort for a relatively minor purchase. Other bay area bike shops have just pointed me towards packaged saddles hanging on a wall and left me to figure it out on my own — the Riv guys made sure I got what worked best for me (and I got to ride some fabulous bicycles).
Excellent customer service, great (and unbiased) advice, practical and high-​quality products. Hooray!

How many are old enough to remember the days of shopkeepers remembering you by name? Or asking how your child or your business is doing? If you’re fortunate as I am to live 10 minutes from the Riv shop, you know what I mean.
Of course, it helps to be a regular!
My new expression of gratitude to the staff for their personalized service (even spending phone time comparing products they don’t even carry — thanks Kevin — So I don’t have to spend hours researching) is to bring in a Peete’s Coffee gift card every now and then when I visit. Their patience & knowledge help me kick the «spandex, high-​performance, high couture of cycling» habit for the «simple & traditional.» Who was that bent-​over guy streaking by on a 14 ½ lb. Carbon-​Everything $ 7000 machine?
If you’re just discovering Rivendell, set all your bias & prejudice aside — open your mind (and Wallet) and embrace the Art & Elegance of the enduringly simple way to Pedal! And if you’re tired of the hoopla & mania surrounding the next lightest and fanciest & most expensive frameset and components, then do yourself a favor and visit the Rivendell Bicycle Works website to learn about a more traditional way to ride.
And now back to my Hunqapillar build~
Cheers,
Michael D.

Over the past 10+ years I’ve mail ordered a number of parts from Rivendell. They carry my favorite Nitto quill stem, the Technomic Deluxe, which I have on both my old road and cross bikes. When I went to outfit my cross bike I had a difficult time finding high quality cantilever brakes in silver, so I gave Rivendell a call. Sure enough they had an old pair of Ultegra brakes stashed away and were kind enough to part with them. You can bet that my new road bike will be donning Velox bar end plugs. Sure they’re a tad eccentric (as in twine and shellac handlebars eccentric), but aren’t we all?