Darryl rode a Raleigh International, a sport- tourer from the 80s, and I rode a Bridgestone XO-1, a sort of on-road, off-road hybrid with 26-inch wheels. I took the 'Stone because I read in a Rivendell catalog that, like the Rivendell All- Rounder, it was designed after the "650B French touring bikes and British Rough Stuff bikes." This according to Grant Petersen, who designed both bikes.
Eager to learn about the origins of the Rough Stuff bike, I asked Alan Pocklington about them. Seventy-year-old Pocklington owns Spa Cyclery, the material center of the RSF universe, so I figured he could trace the evolution for me. Instead, he responded, "It doesn't matter what you ride. We've proven that, haven't we?"
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