Ottawa Bike and Trail is thrilled to announce our new status as an official Rivendell Dealer! This means we'll now offer Rivendell frames, complete bikes, and parts.

What is Rivendell?

Rivendell bikes, founded by Grant Petersen, is synonymous with the steel bike world. Grant Petersen, known for his work with Bridgestone Bicycles, is a revered figure who has dedicated his career to perfecting and celebrating the steel bicycle. Rivendell takes a unique approach to cycling, emphasizing beauty, simplicity, and longevity over the constant pursuit of the latest trends.

Why we Love for Rivendell

At Ottawa Bike and Trail, we share Rivendell's philosophy and the love of steel bikes. It's why we've built relationships with brands like Surly, Tanglefoot, and Jamis. Since we opened the shop in 2018, becoming a Rivendell dealer has been a dream and aspiration. With severe supply challenges during covid, we knew that our chances of becoming a dealer were not good. However, we persisted and things finally connected with Rivendell and we were honored to join their exclusive dealer network.

Unique Aspects of Rivendell

Rivendell operates differently from most bike brands. They produce a limited number of frames annually on a rolling schedule. As a dealer, we have an opportunity to pre-order certain models. However, the number of frames allocated to dealers is limited, so this doesn't guarantee that we'll be able to get the frame you want when you want it.

What Services We Offer

Our role is to understand your vision and help you build a bike that meets your needs. This includes helping you define your vision, navigate the process of selecting and acquiring the parts, and build the bikes to your specifications. We have access to all of the Rivendell parts as well as most of the other suppliers that you might want to choose from.

Starting the Process:

The first step is to schedule a Custom Build Consultation. During the consultation we'll help you define your needs and develop a build sheet. We'll also develop a build plan and help you work through the process of acquiring the necessary parts and ultimately building the the bike to your specifications. We've used this process successfully on many custom Surly, Tanglefoot, and other custom build projects. We've found that good communication and collaboration are the key to making these types of projects successful. We also know that patience and flexibility are important as the availability of parts and delivery schedules can be unpredictable. 

Demo Bikes and Community Building

We're in the process of building a demo fleet of Rivendell Bicycles so that you'll be able to ride and admire examples of their frames and parts. We also hope to foster a community of Rivendell riders in the area who can showcase their bikes and share their experiences. 

Get in Touch!

If you're intrigued by Rivendell bikes, or any of the custom brands that we offer, we'd love to hear from you. We're currently accepting pre-orders on select models and are eager to help you get started on your Rivendell journey. 

The first step is to schedule a custom build consultation here.

Check out the video of our first Rivendell Build! (Coming Soon)