Originally Posted by
d2create
Says the poor man.
j/k. But seriously, the gunnar is $750 for just the frame.
Riv's Sam Hillborne is $1250 for the frame AND fork and headset. And you get the pretty lugs and paint job and Riv's geometry if that's what you like.
So the gunnar is a great bike, but if what you really want is a Riv, you don't need to spend much more at all to get it. If it was me, I'd spend a little more on the frame now, and upgrade components later if you need to save some cash somewhere.
The Gunnar would still be less expensive -- current prices are $800 for the frame, $275 for the fork (w/ options as cheap as $120). If you bought a headset equivalent to what Riv puts on their bikes, the Gunnar would be at least $100 less than the Sam Hillborne. Plus you could paint the Gunnar a range of colors, and their frames come in many more sizes. Finally, the Riv geometry is just whack, IMHO. The top tubes are extremely long, even considering the slack seat tube angle, and their sizes are very limited. I'm not a Rivendell basher, but I do not believe they are offering a good value for the money these days.