Rivendell Bicycle Works

Rivendell is one of those brands that feels less like a company and more like a philosophy with wheels.

Founded in 1994 by Grant Petersen after his time at Bridgestone USA, Rivendell started — as all good things do — in a garage. The mission was (and still is) simple: make the kinds of bikes that wouldn’t exist otherwise. Bikes that don’t worship racing, trends, speed, or unnecessary tech. Bikes that are made to be ridden for decades, not replaced every few seasons.

They’re proudly counterculture. No carbon. No electronic gimmicks. No chasing whatever the industry says is “next.” Instead: lugged steel frames (good old CrMo), mechanical parts, wool, leather, cotton. Stuff that works. Stuff that lasts. Stuff that can be repaired, understood, and passed down.

Rivendell believes a bicycle should last 50 years. Replace the worn bits, sure — but the frame and fork? They should stick around for the long haul. They like bikes that engage you, that feel alive under you, that don’t need firmware updates.

They’re small, independent, and stubborn in the best way. Around 12 employees. About 1,800 bikes a year. No trend-chasing. No AI. Just thoughtful design, functional overlap across models, and a quiet refusal to follow the crowd.

And on a personal note: Rivendell is genuinely one of our favourite brands we work with. We align with a lot of their beliefs about simplicity, durability, and resisting unnecessary modern nonsense. Most of us at the shop own one ourselves — which probably tells you everything. They’re not just bikes we sell; they’re bikes we choose.