Better emend that to: "Once you buy into the Rivendell mystique, it's hard to do with much of anything else."
And to a limited extent, I'll agree: Rivs ARE nice bikes-
and some of them fulfill funky, in-between roles that other bikes don't address (if you really want a double top-tube, you don't have any other choice in an off-the-shelf bike). BUT--
as has been covered in many places on this forum-- there are equally nice alternatives; sometimes even at the same price-point. Nobody ever seems to mention Ebisu when they bring up Rivendell... Does anyone mention Breadwinner or Toei? Toyo? How about cutting out the middleman and going straight to Waterford? And for $4K? C'mon-- for $4K you can get a fully bespoke frame. Hell- you can buy a Singer or a Rene Herse for $4K. At the low end of the pricing scale, how about Soma? VO? Handsome?
Just in terms of pure performance there are A LOT of better bikes on the market. But let's make some
fair comparisons-
Is the Roadeo a better (lugged steel) sport bike than the Torelli Delirio or the Serotta Colorado CS? Than a Bob Jackson or a Mondonico Monza?
Is the Atlantis reeeally a
better touring bike than a Koga Traveller or a Thorn Nomad? A Miyata 618 or Trek Cirrus? Or- new, for the price- even an LHT?
And you'll answer: "But they're not Rivs." Precisely my point: Rivendells are subject to commodity fetishism of a type I find quite surprising; it's almost cult-like... The fascination with Rivs is an ardor for a specific object, an intoxication with a specific bicycle, not with how well that bike performs its role, or even how it's made or looks. With a Riv, you're also buying into GP's philosophy on life- it comes fully equipped with Nervex lugs AND a meta-narrative; no other bike can offer it's owners so much.
Btw, don't take my critique the wrong way- I don't mind Rivs; I just find their owners a tad overbearing at times, like when the J-Dubs & Hare Krishnas try to sell you a religion.
Beautiful! That crankset's a real stunner.
Here's my oddball 650b Panasonic (same vintage as your Mk 1); semi-custom frame & (eventually) full-custom paint; when fully built- and very nicely kitted out- this bike will clock in at $200
LESS than a stock Hillborne frameset. Behind it, my 650b Trek 820 (orig. $90), and my XO-3 (orig. $300).