More on a winter project

      So I was innocently floating in the emotional delusion of N+0, feeling very comfortable with my collection of bikes all of which have their unique practical qualities while providing a variety of riding styles and options, when my world was upended by Leah Peterson and her obsession with Rivendell mixte's.  Leah was involved in an internet conversation with Michael Downs, a Riv kinda guy in Brooklyn.  During that, he sent her a photo of a bike in his shop and she noticed a Rivendell in the background and asked about it.  He told her he was thinking of selling it since he wasn't using it anymore and sent her a photo of it.   She sent me the photo along with his e-mail address and I told him : "I want that bike!"

     It's a limited edition Yves Gomez mixte which was Rivendell's first foot in the mixte puddle after the Wilbury/Glorious models became waaaay too expensive.  It's in nearly pristine conditon, almost the same size and geometry as my Hillborne and after a couple of weeks wrangling around the logistics there it was on my dining table. 

     Why Grant would name it after a french philosopher is a mystery, unless it's a reference to the extensive use of mixte's in France.

     I touched up a couple knicks, added my personal touch and polished it.    I raided a few parts from my Trek (which I rarely ride), ordered a few and have gotten as far as putting the handlebars on,

 but it's going to be staring back at me for months, because I'm not putting it on the road with winter right around the edge of the door.

So I'll have some fun figuring it out for the spring thaw.