Rivendell Bicycle Works

Rivendell Bicycle Works is a small manufacturer of lugged steel bicycle frames, located in Walnut Creek, California, United States. Rivendell produces stock and customized frames. Rivendell frames are designed in the U.S., with manufacturing of stock frames in Japan and Taiwan. Custom frames are made in the U.S.

Grant Petersen, who, while in charge of American marketing and bicycle design at Bridgestone, developed the "XO-series". He founded Rivendell in 1994.

History

Petersen worked from 1984 to 1994 on bicycles and catalogues for the U.S. division of Bridgestone Cycle, Japan's largest bike maker. Bridgestone closed the U.S. office after 10 years when the dollar-to-yen exchange rate fell. Petersen, then 40, started Rivendell with $89,000 of retirement money, savings, loans, and stock. The company worked from a garage for two years. It now has 5,000 square feet.

The name came from the mountaineering equipment company, Rivendell Mountain Works (RMW), which took its name from the fictional refuge in "The Lord of the Rings".

The first custom frames were built by Waterford Precision Cycles. Later frames were built by Joe Starck. Curt Goodrich and Mark Nobilette are the current builders.

References

External links

* [http://www.rivendellbicycles.com Rivendell Bicycle Works]
* [http://www.mybyk.com/ebykr/blog/rivendell_against_the_wind Rivendell: Against the Wind] on [http://www.mybyk.com/ MyByk]