Rivendell's 8-Year Quest to Fix a "Failed" Idea

I’ve been following Rivendell long enough to know that when they release a new product, it’s rarely just a product—it’s usually a thesis. Their new Silver OM-1 rear derailleur is one of the best examples I’ve seen in years. It’s an "Opposite-Movement" (OM) derailleur, which is a polite way of saying it works "backwards" from every other modern derailleur on the market.

This is, of course, the same technology Shimano tried and "failed" to push from 1999 to 2005 as "RapidRise." The idea is that the derailleur's spring is relaxed in the easiest gear (the biggest cog) rather than the hardest. Most of the market, and its vocal "critics," rejected it. Rivendell's stance? "The critics are wrong."

What I find so fascinating isn't just the mechanism, but the sheer, stubborn conviction. They spent eight years working on this, eventually convincing Microshift to produce it. For a company that champions friction shifters, this system is arguably more intuitive—you push the lever (adding tension) to get to a harder gear and just flick it to release tension for an easier one. It's a solution that prioritizes the downshift—the shift you make when you're suddenly under load and need relief now. The first batch of 90 sold out in minutes, which proves there’s a real, hungry market for well-made, contrarian ideas.

Derailer - Rear - Silver OM-1 (reverse action) - 1 per customer please

The movement that Shimano* unsuccessfully tried to push on the bicycle industry from 1999 to 2005 is now…ours. 1 per customer, for now. We’re getting a bunch more in December. Not that it matters, and not a reason to get one, but we’ve been working on this Opposite-Movement (OM) action for more than eight years. That’s

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