Bombadil and Hunqapillar origins: The definitive thread

[Eric Marth]

It seems the Bombadil and Hunqapillar frames are beloved. They're stout, beautiful, and sometimes have intricate additional tubes and lugs. While I've done a lot of reading about Rivendell I was a bit unclear on the origins and intended uses of these frames. 

I wanted to start a thread where we could share and dump info about these bikes along with pictures of builds. 

Joe and Jim were helpful in laying out a bit of background in another thread, there's some great info there. 

The original Hunqapillar catalog is up here: http://notfine.com/rivendell/Brochures/Rivendell%20Frames%20Hunqapillar.pdf

The first mention I can find of the Bombadil is in RR 41, sometime in 2009. Excerpted pages attached. As a few members might recall I am very into raw frames with brass spilling out of the lugs! I know that many Bombadil owners have had their frames repainted like Jason Fuller, whose absolute stunner shows up here from time to time. By the way, the picture below is one of my very favorite Rivendell images. 

There's also the butter-banana Bombadil that recently sold on eBay. I believe that one was purchased by John Watson of the Radavist (and he's got a Hunq) so we might see some nice pics of that bike sometime soon. 

And speaking of, here's John's Hunqapillar, more images and write-up here.

 

Are both of these frame names borrowing from Tolkien? I understand RBW had to stop using Tolkien names. 

[Luke Hendrickson]

Thank you for starting this thread, Eric. Stoked to learn more about these two models. 

[E. Ricky Creek]

The Hunqapillar is named after a mailbox in Indiana, but the spelling is different. Also, it might not be Indiana.

[lconley]

I bought my 52mm Bombadil in 2014 at a discount as a frame special over the Thanksgiving weekend. I was sitting on the couch, net surfing with the phone and saw this:

In 2014 these were semi customs, I believe. 52mm was the perfect size for me (83.5 PBH) and 40% off! It was my 2nd Rivendell. Not many out there with tentacles, and the chainstays are a little longer (~10mm) than earlier bikes. I believe that it is painted Hunqapillar green, but I have never actually seen a green Hunqapillar in the flesh. 

I completed the 170 mile (2 day) Cross Florida in 2016 on this bike.

Undergoing some changes right now. From Bullmoose to Crust Towel Rack bars. Adding fenders. Phil Wood 7 speed freewheel RH, SON FH, 40 spoke Velocity Cliffhangers. Brooks B68 Softened. Paul Cantilevers - Neo-Retro front, Touring rear. Changed the RD to an all silver Sun XCD since this picture, and waxed the chain.

Laing

Delray Beach FL

[Brian Turner]

Eric, I hope this doesn't derail your thread too much, but I though I might try to address your Tolkien question. As I'm sure many of us here are, I've long been a big Tolkien nerd, but I wouldn't consider myself an expert... I'd say I'm pretty well-versed, though!

I know Grant has always maintained that he named Rivendell BW out of his appreciation for the old Rivendell Mountain Works catalogs (no doubt a main inspiration for the Riv Readers and model catalogs / brochures). But then, he also has taken quite a few liberties with the Tolkien property names and references. Here's a short list of all the ones I can think of, but there may be others:

Rivendell: the magical refuge of the Elves in Middle Earth, where the Fellowship of the Ring is formed

Baggins: the surname of our Hobbit heroes, Bilbo and Frodo

Sackville: a an affluent branch of the Baggins family in the Shire, the Sackville-Bagginses

Bombadil: as in Tom Bombadil, a jovial character who helps the Hobbits out of a tight spot along their journey. He may be the oldest being in Middle Earth. Infamously NOT mentioned in the film adaptations, to the dismay of many fans.

Legolas: a Woodland Elf who was a member of the Fellowship of the Ring

Quickbeam: a young Ent who basically babysat and distracted Hobbits Merry and Pippin during the Ent Moot

Can anyone think of any obvious ones I'm missing here?

[Eliot B]

Eric when are we going to see another YouTube video ? I really admire your style and have even learned a few tricks from your excellent build videos. Sorry for the tangent.

[Chris L]

I am the second owner of this first-run 54cm Hunqapillar.  The only things I would change would be to lengthen the top-tube and maybe adjust it for 650B wheels.  The short stem here works with the Jones Bar but when I put on regular MTB bars, I need a much longer stem.  I think I have a 120mm on there right now. 

[Eric Marth]

Ricky — The mailbox thing is new to me, interested to learn more if others have insight. 

Laing — That is a beauty of a Bombadil and I really appreciate you have the screenshot from when you bought it. That's the kind of receipt I like. Please keep us updated on how it handles with the very wide drops and other changes. Congrats on your traverse of FL on that bike! 

Brian — Thanks for the info! Definitely appropriate for the thread, I'd say. I'm surprised Sackville is a reference to LOTR, never would have guessed it. I think I'd heard of the rest, but only through reading about Riv over the years. And I was aware of Rivendell Mountain Works as a point of inspiration as well. 

Thanks, Eliot! I've got two videos in the hopper. Apologies for the erratic upload schedule. I enjoy documenting my projects but I don't want to be a full-time YouTube person. 

[J J]

Re: the mailbox — I believe Grant was on a tour and saw the name “Hunkapiller” on a mailbox. Forgot where. He changed the spelling for the bike.

[Jay Lonner]

This is the story that I’ve heard. And while I do love the name and woolly mammoth iconography, it does feel like a missed opportunity when Oliphaunt was right there. (But maybe they had already gotten a cease-and-desist from the Tolkien estate at that point?)

In any case, it’s great seeing the Hunqapillar get some attention — I sure love mine. And I also appreciate the link to John Watson’s build on the Radavist. He mentions wanting to track down an 8-speed specific White Industries freehub. So here’s where I confess to some gaps in my knowledge — are current generation rear hubs incompatible with 8-speed cassettes? I had assumed that the freehub dimensions were constant, and that the cassettes and chains just got narrower with more gears. But evidently that’s not the case, presumably leading to a rear wheel with more dish? I like my 3x8 setup quite well for the Hunq, and am wondering whether I need to be on the lookout for spares if there’s no way to retrofit contemporary components.

Jay Lonner

Bellingham, WA

Sent from my Atari 400

On Dec 11, 2022, at 11:52 AM, J J <junes...@gmail.com> wrote:

Re: the mailbox — I believe Grant was on a tour and saw the name “Hunkapiller” on a mailbox. Forgot where. He changed the spelling for the bike.

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[Marty Gierke, Stewartstown PA]

My 2011 Bombadil that I had them paint solid silver. Not with me now - a victim of relocation and priorities at the time. It rode beautifully, and only "suffered" by a limit on tire size. My Clem H rides just as nice, and will fit fatter rubber. It's one of a rare few I would like to have back. 

[Joe Bernard]

I believe Watson is hoping to find a wheel (Chris King hub, actually) with an 8-speed cassette already on it, which might explain his phrasing. 

My Riv uses a WI hub with an 11-speed-sized freehub, it comes with a spacer that you put on first if you want to install an 8/9/10-speed cassette.*

* Now to muddy the waters. A lot of wide-range 11-speed cassettes actually fit like an 8/9/10, the big cog is lipped over to fit on 8/9/10 freehubs. On my bike with a SunRace 11-50 11-speed cassette I use the spacer. Not confusing at all! 😂

Joe "more information than you need" Bernard 

[Andrew Letton]

I'll add a link to some photos of my original order 2TT 60cm Bombadil:

2009 Rivendell Bombadil

2009 Rivendell Bombadil Explore this photo album by letton on Flickr!

Most of the photos are from the original build in 2009, but the last two show a recent iteration here in Australia, complete with Towel Rack bars and Gravity dropper post.

On my most recent bikepacking trip, I found myself the oldest, heaviest, least-fit rider on the heaviest, most-overpacked bike, so in an effort to keep my friends from having to wait for me at the top of every hill, I'm in the process of reconfiguring it yet again with more of a bikepacking theme: half frame bag, fork bags, handlebar roll, and long, narrow Ortlieb drybag strapped a Nitto R14 rack (so I can still use the dropper). With the smaller bags, I'll be less able to pack as many kitchen sinks. ;-)

Cheers,

Andrew...north of Sydney

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[Luke Hendrickson]

I have a freehub that has a 7-speed and can take an 11/12 without a spacer. Idk what John meant when he said that… maybe CK is different. 

[J J]

Absolutely beautiful Bombadil, Andrew, and among the most unusual and unique builds I've seen.

All of the Bombadils on this thread are stunning, each in its own way.

Thanks for sharing! 

[Dick Combs]

My two Hunqs

[J J]

Cool pair of Hunqs! are the forks different? Or is it just the photo angle that makes the curve on the fork on the one with the black saddle look different?

[RichS]

Bombadil and Hunqapillar—two of the best names (among some really good ones) in the Rivendell lineup. When I was contemplating my first Rivendell (it was an Atlantis) they were selling an unpainted 48cm Bomba frame for a good price. So tempting. One of the details that got to me was the lug joining the headtube/downtube. Didn't buy it but if I had it would have been for that lug!

Best,

Rich in ATL

On Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 10:16:08 AM UTC-5 eric...@gmail.com wrote:

[Dick Combs]

They are the same, both the originals that came with the frame

[Jason Zakaras]

I've often wondered what made the Hunq the "less expensive Bombadil" given the tubing being as Grant calls "the most expensive tubes around".  I'm assuming it was based on it being MIT and the Bomba being a MUSA frame?  IF so, were they equally priced once the Hunq moved to MUSA Waterford, why/why not?  I figured it was something similar to the manufacturing locations of the Quickbeam/SimpleOne with the exception that those two have identical geometry and the Hunq/Bomba are different.  I'm only asking because its often referred here as the cheaper bomba, but I was of the understanding it was more like the 700c bike (hunq) and the bomba was the 650b earlier option.  

Probably a messy way to ask but to clean it up, can anyone tell me if the Hunq was actually that much cheaper once it was moved to Wisconsin and also if the tubing stayed the same once it was manufactured in the US?

thanks! Love these two bikes and this thread!

Jason

[lconley]

For one thing, the Hunqapillar did not have the lower head tube - down tube lug extension like the Bombadil.

Laing

[Jason Zakaras]

Sure thing Laing, so the Bombadil was more ornate with the lug profile? 

[Conway Bennett]

Hunqapillars we're $1850 in 2011 when I became aware of them.  I paid $2000 for a used 650b which was the final iteration.  I feel like it cost $2500 new.

On Monday, December 12, 2022 at 1:32:41 PM UTC-6 lconley wrote:

[lconley]

There was an actual additional piece of steel. It looks like a longer lug in paint, but if one of raw, clear coated frames, you can see that is an addition piece of metal.

Laing

[J J]

I discussed the history of Hunqapillar pricing in another recent thread. It started out at $1,500 and incrementally rose to $2,350.

As far as I can ascertain from the Wayback archive, the most the Bombadil went for was $3,000. It started out at $2,000.

[Coal Bee Rye Anne]

This is certainly an interesting and complex question and I am in no position to provide any answers or guidance but think it's further complicated by overall cost changes over time and how it's been mentioned before how some of the Tolkien models like Bombadil & Legolas essentially became off menu, non-custom customs - wasn't it something like a stock geo Nobilette built but non-Joe Bell paint frame so significantly less than a full custom and more of a made-to-order with the custom builder... in other words, were they ever actually being made in the same exact place, even when both were MUSA?  

Years ago before acquiring my 65cm Clem H I actually posed a similar question to Will regarding the Waterford made A.Homer Hilsen vs. Waterford made 64cm Sam Hillborne, which was the only MUSA made Hillborne size at the time, and had me wondering what, if anything, would ultimately make the two differ in overall cost/value/performance when considering a made to order canti-equipped countrybike with both options going through Waterford.  I was just over the recommended pbh range for the production 62cm Hillborne and understood going to Waterford for a 64cm Sam would essentially eliminate the value gained from the Taiwan production Sam's so I really was just looking to verify whether the ultimate difference may more or less boil down to a visual one with the sloping Hillborne vs. the more horizontal Homer, if overall costs and tubing at that size would effectively balance out.  The whole discussion ended up being moot since this was in fact right at the time the 64cm Sam was already pulled and they just hadn't gotten around the updating the site yet to reflect the changes and Riv's recommendation became a 67cm AHH by default.  Of course, the 65cm Clem H was also about to be released and ultimately meet my value based mega size Rivendell biking needs.

Brian Cole

Lawrence NJ

On Monday, December 12, 2022 at 2:29:05 PM UTC-5 jasonz...@gmail.com wrote:

[Eric Marth]

I'm enjoying the discussion, pics and details! 

Does anyone have a higher-res version of this absurd Hunq poster? 

[Chris L]

I had it on the wall in my office for years.  

I've never heard it mentioned, but one of the early Hunqapillar brochures showed three colors they had planned for the heat tube and decals, red/maroon, orange and blue, which apparently didn't make the cut.  The three Mammoths on the poster seem to reflect those three colors. 

[Conway Bennett]

I have that poster signed by Grant and framed.

Fair winds,

Captain Conway Bennett
239.877.4119

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[Marty Gierke, Stewartstown PA]

I may have shared this years ago, but when the idea of a diagatube Hunq was floated out there, I took the liberty of photoshopping the concept based on the double top tube model. That led to a conversation with Grant and a whole bunch of quick iterations for different paint and graphic details. Here is the complete series. You may notice I eventually used the tire graphics to keep track of which was which - I think it ended at #22. I am a rank amateur when it comes to photoshop, but it was close enough at the time. Crazy to look back now and imagine how different it could have been. Have fun browsing the pics! See if you can spot the nifty details like an extra seat tube badge on a couple of them. (I still like that idea.) 

Hunqapillar Concepts

Marty

[Jim M.]

Our peerless site admin has a whole Bombadil page here: http://cyclofiend.com/rbw/bombadil/index.html, which goes back to RR 39 and the prot-velo Bombas.

jim m

walnut creek, ca

[Garth]

The Bombadil(60 cm w/700c wheels, parallel TT) is the only frame I really much paid attention to and bought, albeit from a list member in 2011. I'm pretty sure they were all customer choice paint jobs, save and specials, returns, cancels and such.

I recall also that the Bomba tubes were heat treated, not sure about the Hunq but I'd be surprised if they were. Only GP knows what tubes cost what. Plus the fancy lugs. I have no idea about the Hunqa frames lugs but the Bombas sure are fancy, if that's you're thing. I don't ride a Riv for the rep/status or the paint jobs or even the looks, I have two because they fit me well and they're steel. I'm outside the bounds of most every stock Riv bike and yet those two worked(Susie is the other). That's about it. I'm all for Practicability.

While the Hunqapillar was touted as a Bomba replacement, it was only that in category as the frame itself was totally different in dimensions and sizes, not to mention the diagonal tube which still looks odd to me.

[Bill Schairer]

I've also thought the diagonal tube to look odd except on the very largest of frames for the very largest of riders.  They seem reminiscent of the original Santana Sovereign tandems, where they seemed to make some sense.  I remember Santana claiming the "marathon" style to be the stiffest configuration for a tandem per all sorts of tests they performed.  Later, it seems everyone, including Santana, shifted to a diagonal tube running to the rear bottom bracket and, nowadays, most tandems have dispensed with the diagonal tube.  It all leaves me wondering...

In a quick search for some history on the "marathon" style I found this on the Rodriguez site: "so this design kind of went the way of the Ford Edsel in our shop."  I couldn't quickly find the origins of the style but it seems the tandem industry abandoned the design long before Rivendell applied it to singles.  It has always been a bit of a curiosity to me as, even for a tandem, it is considered over-built these days.

1980 Santana Sovereign.  I remember crossing paths with a couple honeymooning on their Rodriguez tandem.  I can't remember if it was a marathon.  I am now noticing that the additional Rivendell stays extend to the rear dropouts rather than to the seat stays' mid section.

Bill S

San Diego

[Shoji Takahashi]

For me, the Hunqapillar diagatube was a visual draw-- I liked it better than the parallel-to-top-tube bar of the Bombadil.

The diagatube reminds me of the original Joe Breeze mountain bike frame: 

https://mmbhof.org/portfolio/first-fat-tire-bike-with-a-new-frame-and-all-new-parts/

Additional tubes have been around for a long time in bicycle history, some for functional reasons and others for style. (E.g., google cargo bikes)

shoji

arlington ma

[J J]

Echoing Shoji's message, I love the diagonal tubes on the Hunqs (and Bombadils) that had them. 

Thanks for mentioning Joe Breeze. Grant has spoken often of Breeze and the original Breezer 1. I can't imagine it was not a design inspiration for the Hunqapillar. 

The Breezer 1 is in the Smithsonian Museum of American History. I attached a photo and the build list of the original, which is a fantastically interesting historical document. Check out the reinforced fork on that thing!! The build list states that the weight as configured was 38 pounds. It's from 1977, yet it still seems so familiar and current given how folks outfit their Rivs.  

You can find more info at the Smithsonian.

Jim

[James M]

Whoa - the adjusters on those Breezer brake levers!

(Super interesting thread overall!)

[Chris L]

I wouldn't mind if my Hunqapillar was painted Dupont Imron, Light Continental Blue Metallic w/clear coat!!! 

I've always loved the color of Breezer #1 and those early Stumpjumpers in a similar color. 

[Jason Fuller]

Just catching this now, hey thanks for the shoutout Eric! And it means a lot that you said that about the forest photo! That was a special day, first ride on the rebuild after paint.

I don't have nearly the historical knowledge that many here do, and a lot has already been said. But here are my summarized thoughts between the two anyway, beyond the obvious difference of location of manufacture. The Hunqapillar seems to me like a "v2" Bombadil - they increased tire clearance over the Bombadil from 2.1 to 2.4" on most sizes, they made little geometry tweaks but just a smidge here and there, and notably they made the frame more cost-effective by not only changing suppliers but by simplifying the design a bit. 

To me they are still both "ATB" Rivendells, made to tackle trails loaded or not, and also be comfortable to ride on pavement as long as you're not in too much of a rush. When it comes to which is more coveted, it really comes down to whether the little superfluous (but beautiful) details on the Bombadil are important to you, and/or which paint job and geometry specifics suit you better. I think of them like the Appaloosa and Atlantis - basically two flavors of the same bike.   

[Jason Fuller]

One more note that I didn't think of until I hit submit - the batch differences that exist on Bombadils (and maybe Hunqapillars too) are more significant than the difference between a Bombadil and a Hunq if you remove the location of manufacture from the equation. 

[James M]

What are the differences between Hunqapillar generations?  I have a July 2010 Waterford 62cm.  Right now it's got 2.1" Schwalbe Thunder Burts.  I think getting 2.2" tires on the back would be dicey.  Did the green generation of the frame have bigger clearance?  Longer wheelbase?

James

[Jason Fuller]

Ahh, unfortunately the 700c models had 2.1" clearance like the Bombadil, it's the 26" and 650B models had more generous clearance (I'm just going by an old geometry chart, not real world experience)

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[Hoch in ut]

I had a green one. 700c. Clearance and wheelbase appeared to be essentially the same. I couldn’t fit anything bigger than Thunder Burt’s. 

[J J]

James, I can’t enumerate the all the differences, but I’m running René Herse 29" x 2.2" (700C x 55) Antelope Hill tires on my green Waterford Hunq 58, built in 2012, and there’s clearance to spare. Even with the 65 SKS fenders. I know early literature on Hunqs said that 55 was the maximum width. Later literature said the max was 2.3/58. 

[Jay Lonner]

Are you using cantis or linear pull brakes with the 65 SKS fenders? When my Big Bens wear out I’m thinking of switching to Antelope Hills, and am hoping they’ll work with Motolites and fenders. 

Jay Lonner

Bellingham, WA 

Sent from my Atari 400

On Dec 14, 2022, at 5:35 PM, J J <junes...@gmail.com> wrote:

James, I can’t enumerate the all the differences, but I’m running René Herse 29" x 2.2" (700C x 55) Antelope Hill tires on my green Waterford Hunq 58, built in 2012, and there’s clearance to spare. Even with the 65 SKS fenders. I know early literature on Hunqs said that 55 was the maximum width. Later literature said the max was 2.3/58. 

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[J J]

Jay, I run cantis. I’ve never used Motolites or any other V brakes. I’m stubborn about some things and I just love my cantis! I’m curious if the Motolites would work, though — if anyone else reading this has tried them with the 65 SKS, please chime in. 

[Garth]

FWIW, my 2010 or so 700c 60cm Waterford Bomba could clear 65mm fenders with ease using cantilever brakes. I have SKS 53mm ones on there no and they have plenty of room. The 65 require just a smidge of modification for the fork blades. I bought some VO's but decided against using them unless I modified the lower front mount to go down lover as the stock holes are right where your toes could catch on them. Sheesh .... The canti's I've used are the Shimano MC-70's, M732/34/whatever, and Dia Compe 988's. If you chop off the trailing portion of wonky Kool Stop offset and too long posted pads, they will clear the stays. I hate long/offest pads that don't clear the stays, just the dumbest design, ever. Dia Compe 988's come with road sized, centered smooth post pads, those are the best !  Stock Suntour XC Pro pads are that size too. Longer pads offer no better braking. 

[Andrew Turner]

Tom Bombadill is described as wearing yellow boots and a blue coat which was perhaps the inspiration for the frame color. I'll be curious to see if John adds some blue accents to the frame...I seem to recall a blue Paul rear mech on sale on eBay a few months back... 

On Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 9:43:07 PM UTC-6 Luke Hendrickson wrote:

I have a freehub that has a 7-speed and can take an 11/12 without a spacer. Idk what John meant when he said that… maybe CK is different. 

On Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 4:22:59 PM UTC-8 Andrew Letton wrote:

I'll add a link to some photos of my original order 2TT 60cm Bombadil:

2009 Rivendell Bombadil

2009 Rivendell Bombadil Explore this photo album by letton on Flickr!

Most of the photos are from the original build in 2009, but the last two show a recent iteration here in Australia, complete with Towel Rack bars and Gravity dropper post.

On my most recent bikepacking trip, I found myself the oldest, heaviest, least-fit rider on the heaviest, most-overpacked bike, so in an effort to keep my friends from having to wait for me at the top of every hill, I'm in the process of reconfiguring it yet again with more of a bikepacking theme: half frame bag, fork bags, handlebar roll, and long, narrow Ortlieb drybag strapped a Nitto R14 rack (so I can still use the dropper). With the smaller bags, I'll be less able to pack as many kitchen sinks. ;-)

Cheers,

Andrew...north of Sydney

On Monday, December 12, 2022 at 02:16:17 AM GMT+11, Eric Marth <eric...@gmail.com> wrote:

It seems the Bombadil and Hunqapillar frames are beloved. They're stout, beautiful, and sometimes have intricate additional tubes and lugs. While I've done a lot of reading about Rivendell I was a bit unclear on the origins and intended uses of these frames. 

I wanted to start a thread where we could share and dump info about these bikes along with pictures of builds. 

Joe and Jim were helpful in laying out a bit of background in another thread, there's some great info there. 

The original Hunqapillar catalog is up here: http://notfine.com/rivendell/Brochures/Rivendell%20Frames%20Hunqapillar.pdf

The first mention I can find of the Bombadil is in RR 41, sometime in 2009. Excerpted pages attached. As a few members might recall I am very into raw frames with brass spilling out of the lugs! I know that many Bombadil owners have had their frames repainted like Jason Fuller, whose absolute stunner shows up here from time to time. By the way, the picture below is one of my very favorite Rivendell images. 

There's also the butter-banana Bombadil that recently sold on eBay. I believe that one was purchased by John Watson of the Radavist (and he's got a Hunq) so we might see some nice pics of that bike sometime soon. 

And speaking of, here's John's Hunqapillar, more images and write-up here.

 

Are both of these frame names borrowing from Tolkien? I understand RBW had to stop using Tolkien names. 

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[Trevor Bradshaw]

I'm really enjoying this thread. I posted some questions initially in another thread in hopes to find out more about my Bombadil. I love this bike and stalked the tiny bit of information to be found about them online before finding my own bike this year.  I was afraid I wouldn't see another again. There is a bit of history with my bike on this forum. It has changed hands a few times with members.

My frame is a 52cm with original paint fully decked out with front dynamo and a recent mtb iteration with Ultradynamico knobbies and a nitto flat bar stance. I'm pretty maxed out at 47c. I find this bike to be a bit overbuilt for road touring but a blast for rolling over most any rough asphalt or light singletrack. I'd love to hear about any tours that have been taken on these bikes. It also makes for a comfy commute! 

Does anyone have a clue how many were produced? Let's keep the information flowing!

Some more pics here https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAj4YT

[T s]

I’ll add an old photo of mine ..purchased in 2013 as an unpainted webspecial (52cm single tube) got to choose the finish and I picked matte black, rode it quite a bit until 2016 as part of my reduced 3 bike stable …when life threw me some curveballs and it stayed it storage until i was relocating for the last time, I sold it before the move remembering that the bike was always a bit too big for me and thinking that i would move to a single speed stable as i always preferred single speed riding.  Sadly i didn’t research my new location well enough before as i live in a valley with tons of steep hills and access to over 200 kilometres of trails…now i am looking for a replacement for it i ended up not selling a Cheviot frame which i recently build up but am looking for more tire clearance 

[Chris L]

My first run gray/orange Hunqapillar fits Antelope Hills (700 x 55) on Dyad rims with plenty of clearance.  

[WilletM]

Just by lucky coincidence, I had recently been considering starting a definitive "Bombadil origins" thread, which would hopefully document all the current (and maybe former) Bombadil's owned by forum members, with pics and stories about ownership history and builds and any other details that would help to flesh out our collective interest/obsession with this particular Rivendell model.  But Eric saved me the trouble by starting a thoughtful and interesting thread that covers most/all of the same information that I had hoped to aggregate in my proposed thread.

My own personal Bombadil obsession started, as so many others apparently have, with provocative pics that I saw online depicting Protovelo/Bombadil's naked as a jaybird, with brass flowing in copious amounts out of the fancy lugs.  Back in the mid-90's, I had ordered a custom Bilenky coupled touring bike with Nervex lugs and had it finished naked, which, in combination with the lugs and couplers and other braze-on's, made for an abundantly visually interesting frameset to admire.  And then along comes the naked Protovelo, which seems to have scratched the very same itch for me that the Bilenky did.

Not surprisingly, owning a naked (Bombadil)Protovelo zoomed to the top of my bucket list and remained there for 3-4 years while I searched for one on ebay and craigslist and elsewhere.  In reality, I had very little hope of ever finding one, let alone being able to afford one if I found it.  But then, out of the blue, popped up on ebay in October of 2019 this repainted Protovelo that had started out life naked and with a very interesting history.  Below is a pic and some description (in italics) of that frameset, shown built and complete in a for-sale posting by Erik from Oakland on this forum from April of 2018.  

************************************************************************

60cm ish upsloper, fits me like a glove. 93 is my PBH. All my other riv bikes have been 62 to 66cm. Second top tube is beautifully fillet brazed. I liked the improved standover compared to my 62cm Hunqapillar. The bike has a slightly higher bottom bracket though and a slightly shorter set of chainstays than the eventual production Bombadil - I like how nimble it felt by comparison. Way shreddier than my old Toyo Hunqapillar, it carves turns - after I got this bike the hunqapillar was sold. Best bike I have ever owned, to be certain.

It's built for resilience and singletrack adventuring. Before I rebuilt it from the repainted frame, a raw clearcoated it rolled down the continental divide with Daniel from Tumbleweed Bikes. Some scratches, but cared for in my travels with it and riding like new. I can equip it with Albatross or Raw Bullmoose bars. Right now it has albatross bars. Paul Cantis, Paul Levers, Paul Thumbies. 3 Bottle Cages. Hands on wheels, shimano hubs, heavy rims (I think cliffhangers) front and rear. Will include a set of knobbies. Also happy to include a porteur rack up front if you want it.

This bike has ridden me through many a mile of twisting californian backcountry, and has thousands of miles to go.

***********************************************************************

Of particular interest to me in the posting above from Erik was the reference to Daniel from Tumbleweed having taken this particular Protovelo, with Grant's blessing, on an epic adventure down the Great Divide Route.  I later found another reference to this trip in a thread from Daniel Molloy of Tumbleweed Bikes on Reddit, where he talks about how he got interested in bikes and started out at RBW.  A snippit of that conversation is below in italics.  

***********************************************************************

RipVanBinkle

·4 yr. ago

What was your time at Riv like? How did you end up there? Any major takeaways from that experience?

tumbleweedbikes

·4 yr. ago

Working at Riv was my dream job at the time, I was in school and completely idolized the brand and Grant's philosophy about riding. I literally showed up at the shop and asked if I could volunteer. Grant said they don't take volunteers and that I would have to get paid. I worked there part time all during college and did every overnight campout that I could, many times it was just me and Grant. He's an incredibly supportive person who genuinely cares about people. I was obsessed with riding the Great Divide Route and Grant let me use one of the brand new unpainted Bombadil mountain bikes for that ride and was super encouraging. We would nerd out for hours and hours about all kind of camping gear and tents and cameras and fly fishing. It was really great. He's continued to be supportive and encouraging as I went through the terrifying process of starting my own small business.

***********************************************************************

And that, my friends, is the origin story of my Protovelo and its adventures and incarnations from birth through Daniel and then Erik and now me.  The fact that I mostly or even completely know its provenance and some of its adventures from the time that it was originally built adds some definite richness and texture to the pride of ownership that I feel every time that I take it out for a leisurely ride along the river here in western Colorado.  I have toyed with the possibility of returning the frame to its naked roots, as that's what caught my eye and spurred my interest in these frames some years ago.  But for now, I'm sticking with the nicked-up repaint and tattered decals that tell more of an authentic story than a fresh repaint ever could.

Willet M.

Carbondale, CO

[Eric Floden]

Proto Bomba .ulti top tubed?

[J J]

Willet, this is a fascinating backstory indeed. Thanks for sharing. 

One piece of it is curious, and it both clarifies and clouds things: the Hunqapillar copy also states that the the “proto-Hunqapillar” was ridden by Daniel on the Great Divide.

From Riv:

And it's a trail bike.
The tubes are stout, but reasonable in weight, and the strong lugged joints should last or decades. There’s clearance for 58mm tires. If you need fatter than that, get a Pugsley. 
Trivia: Former employee Daniel rode a proto-Hunqapillar the entire 2700-miles of the Great Divide trail. No problem. The current ones are vast improvements over that.

So this strongly suggests that the proto Bombadil and the proto Hunqapillar were the same proto frames. Right?

[WilletM]

Well, that's an interesting little twist!  It was my assumption after posting the "origin story" of my Protovelo that I probably had many of the details wrong and that there would be a long list of clarifications/modifications to the information that I had pieced together about it.  In particular, I assumed that there had been additional owners of the frame that were unknown to me, and that perhaps Daniel M. had never really "owned" the frame but had just borrowed it from Grant for the one journey, etc.  But I had never seen anything regarding the "proto-Hunqapillar" making the Great Divide trip.  I'm sure there are others on the forum with more information about this than me, but my initial thought is that perhaps my frame was very "interim" and included both Bombadil and Hunqapillar elements/geometry???  On the other hand, the fact that Daniel referred to it pretty precisely as a "new unpainted Bombadil" in the Reddit thread seems to slot it in timeline-wise as an early Bombadil rather than a later Hunqapillar.  As always, I will defer to the experts and look forward to possibly fleshing out more details as we go along.

Thanks, though, for pointing out the discrepancy.

Willet M.

[J J]

Yes, the saga continues! I think it’s plausible that the prototype was indeed a prototype for both bikes — let’s call it a super heavy duty frame prototype — even if that was not the intention from the get go. And then there would have been a split, so to speak, with one going in this direction and one going in that, each with its own characteristics and nuances that we could list. In a rough and very imperfect analogy, it could be akin to a split for identical twins that start out from one, but whose real-world “gene expression” results in each twin developing their own personality, having a different appearance in some respects, and different strengths, weaknesses, and interests. 

I know this is a stretch! But without a definitive story straight from the horse’s mouth, all this sleuthing and piecing together stories and evidence is the best we’ve got. It’s a fantastic thread. 

[Eric Marth]

Great write-up, pics and story Willet! 

This thread is really paying off :) 

[Marc Irwin]

This thread has been informative and interesting.  I don't know how definitive my experience is but here is what I thought when I made the decision 12  years ago: 
http://simplecycle-marc.blogspot.com/2010/12/elves-of-rivendell-are-delivering-for.html

[Cyclofiend Jim]

Yes. My recollection was that Bomba was coming out when it was "suggested" that those names were IP, so IIRC it was the last of the Tolkien names.

Grant shared the Hunkapiller mailbox story with me verbally during a visit to RBWHQ&L. It was the same as he later wrote in one of the Readers. 

The first Hunqapillar I ever saw came out with grey frame and orange.
I had some images over on my (goodness gracious it's still THERE?) Flickr feed - 
https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=93409214%40N00&view_all=1&text=hunqapillar

There were both TTT (Twin Top Tube) and Diagatube frames when I visited. IIRC, Grant said it was going to be diagatube only in production - this image shows an unpainted model - 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cyclofiend/4713714578/in/photolist-8bx281-8btKnk-8btKpk-7NNCR6-cqiLDG-7NVfpo-oiwPmQ-7NVgrq-7NVfuj-7NVgwQ-7NRh2g-7NRhHe-7NRgWB

(taken mid-2010)

For completeness - here's a tall Bomba with the TTT and that gorgeous kidney bean red - 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cyclofiend/4207455573/in/photolist-7pNiXt-7pSegm-7pNiYF

J

On Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 1:41:43 PM UTC-8 Jay Lonner wrote:

This is the story that I’ve heard. And while I do love the name and woolly mammoth iconography, it does feel like a missed opportunity when Oliphaunt was right there. (But maybe they had already gotten a cease-and-desist from the Tolkien estate at that point?)

In any case, it’s great seeing the Hunqapillar get some attention — I sure love mine. And I also appreciate the link to John Watson’s build on the Radavist. He mentions wanting to track down an 8-speed specific White Industries freehub. So here’s where I confess to some gaps in my knowledge — are current generation rear hubs incompatible with 8-speed cassettes? I had assumed that the freehub dimensions were constant, and that the cassettes and chains just got narrower with more gears. But evidently that’s not the case, presumably leading to a rear wheel with more dish? I like my 3x8 setup quite well for the Hunq, and am wondering whether I need to be on the lookout for spares if there’s no way to retrofit contemporary components.

Jay Lonner

Bellingham, WA

Sent from my Atari 400

On Dec 11, 2022, at 11:52 AM, J J <junes...@gmail.com> wrote:

Re: the mailbox — I believe Grant was on a tour and saw the name “Hunkapiller” on a mailbox. Forgot where. He changed the spelling for the bike.

On Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 2:17:05 PM UTC-5 eric...@gmail.com wrote:

Ricky — The mailbox thing is new to me, interested to learn more if others have insight. 

Laing — That is a beauty of a Bombadil and I really appreciate you have the screenshot from when you bought it. That's the kind of receipt I like. Please keep us updated on how it handles with the very wide drops and other changes. Congrats on your traverse of FL on that bike! 

Brian — Thanks for the info! Definitely appropriate for the thread, I'd say. I'm surprised Sackville is a reference to LOTR, never would have guessed it. I think I'd heard of the rest, but only through reading about Riv over the years. And I was aware of Rivendell Mountain Works as a point of inspiration as well. 

Thanks, Eliot! I've got two videos in the hopper. Apologies for the erratic upload schedule. I enjoy documenting my projects but I don't want to be a full-time YouTube person. 

On Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 12:39:36 PM UTC-5 eliot...@gmail.com wrote:

Eric when are we going to see another YouTube video ? I really admire your style and have even learned a few tricks from your excellent build videos. Sorry for the tangent.

On Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 8:42:59 AM UTC-8 brok...@gmail.com wrote:

Eric, I hope this doesn't derail your thread too much, but I though I might try to address your Tolkien question. As I'm sure many of us here are, I've long been a big Tolkien nerd, but I wouldn't consider myself an expert... I'd say I'm pretty well-versed, though!

I know Grant has always maintained that he named Rivendell BW out of his appreciation for the old Rivendell Mountain Works catalogs (no doubt a main inspiration for the Riv Readers and model catalogs / brochures). But then, he also has taken quite a few liberties with the Tolkien property names and references. Here's a short list of all the ones I can think of, but there may be others:

Rivendell: the magical refuge of the Elves in Middle Earth, where the Fellowship of the Ring is formed

Baggins: the surname of our Hobbit heroes, Bilbo and Frodo

Sackville: a an affluent branch of the Baggins family in the Shire, the Sackville-Bagginses

Bombadil: as in Tom Bombadil, a jovial character who helps the Hobbits out of a tight spot along their journey. He may be the oldest being in Middle Earth. Infamously NOT mentioned in the film adaptations, to the dismay of many fans.

Legolas: a Woodland Elf who was a member of the Fellowship of the Ring

Quickbeam: a young Ent who basically babysat and distracted Hobbits Merry and Pippin during the Ent Moot

Can anyone think of any obvious ones I'm missing here?

On Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 10:50:45 AM UTC-5 E. Ricky Creek wrote:

The Hunqapillar is named after a mailbox in Indiana, but the spelling is different. Also, it might not be Indiana.

On Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 9:31:34 AM UTC-6 Luke Hendrickson wrote:

Thank you for starting this thread, Eric. Stoked to learn more about these two models. 

On Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 7:16:08 AM UTC-8 eric...@gmail.com wrote:

It seems the Bombadil and Hunqapillar frames are beloved. They're stout, beautiful, and sometimes have intricate additional tubes and lugs. While I've done a lot of reading about Rivendell I was a bit unclear on the origins and intended uses of these frames. 

I wanted to start a thread where we could share and dump info about these bikes along with pictures of builds. 

Joe and Jim were helpful in laying out a bit of background in another thread, there's some great info there. 

The original Hunqapillar catalog is up here: http://notfine.com/rivendell/Brochures/Rivendell%20Frames%20Hunqapillar.pdf

The first mention I can find of the Bombadil is in RR 41, sometime in 2009. Excerpted pages attached. As a few members might recall I am very into raw frames with brass spilling out of the lugs! I know that many Bombadil owners have had their frames repainted like Jason Fuller, whose absolute stunner shows up here from time to time. By the way, the picture below is one of my very favorite Rivendell images. 

There's also the butter-banana Bombadil that recently sold on eBay. I believe that one was purchased by John Watson of the Radavist (and he's got a Hunq) so we might see some nice pics of that bike sometime soon. 

And speaking of, here's John's Hunqapillar, more images and write-up here.

 

Are both of these frame names borrowing from Tolkien? I understand RBW had to stop using Tolkien names. 

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[Conway Bennett]

All,

I was deleting old file from my phone and found the *Original Hunqabook" PDF.  I'm not sure if it was shared already, but here you go.

[Coal Bee Rye Anne]

Thank you for sharing, Captain.  I do not believe I've ever seen that before and also likely my first glimpse of the original Hunqa drawing for the headbadge.  Looks like that tall Bombadil in the brochure is the same one captured by Jim at HQ as well.

[Chris L]

I first discovered RBW in August of 2011 and Grant said he would only recommend the Hunqapillar or Bombadil for someone my weight.  In the following eight years it took for me to finally buy one, I amassed quite a collection of Hunqapillar photos.  

One thing I've noticed is that some of the very earliest Hunqapillars have mismatched headtube lugs.  The top has points on the sides but on some bikes, the bottom headtube lug is rounded, with no point on some bikes and pointed on the sides of others.  I'm wondering if this factor differentiates Tawain Hunqapillars from the MUSA/Japan (of Toyo made some, it seems like they did) ones.  

The 54cm proto-type had the rounded side on the bottom lug.  

This kidney bean Hunq also has the smooth sided bottom lug

I believe this is Marc's bike and I think he has stated it was a Waterford frame and it has the point on the side of the bottom lug

[Trevor Bradshaw]

Overbuilt is exactly the word I think of when it comes to my Bombadil. It's perfect just like some of the early ATB of yesteryear. Perfect for a bomb cyclone! Happy holidays everyone!

[Jason Fuller]

I know some people find romance in a bike being described as stout-as-all-get-out, or sturdy enough to survive an apocalypse; for me, that is is a turn-off: I want a bike that is as strong and stiff as I need it to be, but ideally no more than necessary. Especially in the case of steel, because much of the beauty of steel is how it flexes and springs as it works with you during a ride.  So on paper, the Bombadil is not right for me at all (I'm 160lbs) but yet I find it rides lighter and more lively than its tubing spec would ever suggest - certainly, still a pretty solid bike, but nothing 'tank like' about it.  I presume the same is true of the Hunq.  I suppose that's true of all Rivs - they tend to ride lighter and livelier than their specs on paper would suggest. 

[Joe Bernard]

You are correct sir. I had my custom built to be kind of light/flexy for mostly road riding with light loads. I later picked up the Bombadil you now own and found that it felt pretty much like a shorter wheelbase version of my custom! I presume it would carry more stuff - especially with that second toptube - but it's very far from a tank. 

[David Sprunger]

The Bombadil thread has been a good trip down the proverbial memory lane. 

I got in line for the first run of Bombadil frames when we were still living up in Fargo. The pre-order price in 2007 was something like $1250. I went with the clear coated frame and matching unplated Bullmoose bar but later ended up swapping to some other bars before settling on the Bosco bullmoose. The frame arrived from Waterford sometime in 2008. I built it up with a Suntour drivetrain and Phil Wood wheels. Not much had to be changed over the years. There are some pictures of frame details here: https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ag4tr1xyXDYDg9A6REwGRusiBcukJg?e=dhU16S. 

A curiosity: Looking at pictures of more recent frames, I'm not sure that the letter "i" in Bombadil is still dotted with a William Tell apple. It added a touch of green to the otherwise subdued frame. I wonder when it changed.

David Sprunger

North Newton, KS

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[Marc Irwin]

That is indeed my Hunq and it is a Waterford frame.  I pre-ordered from the first Taiwan production but Riv screwed up and sold mine to somebody else.  When they realized their mistake they offered the remaining 54CM from the first Waterford run.  My understanding is that the more ornate lugs require more handwork during the brazing process and were too difficult for the factory to produce.  My Taiwan built Sam  has the less ornate rounded lugs like the ones on the Taiwan Hunqs.  Everything people say about the ride is true.  The Hunq is a goanywheredoanythingforbigboysbike, but, despite feeling heavy (my frame and fork registered 10lbs on the bathroom scale) it rides surprisingly quickly.  I've ridden with 15-16mph groups at club and charity rides with no problem and could probably keep up with faster if I cared enough.

Here's where it's taken me so far.

Marc

[Trevor Bradshaw]

Presumedly, it might of sounded like I didn't like my Bombadil. I associate "overbuilt" with "wellmade" and absolutely love my bike. It keeps up with a casual road ride no problem. Impressive! It always felt like a swiss army knife. It's really great hearing all of the Bomba and Hunq info flowing. They have always been the most interesting of the Riv line to me. 

[vernon brooks]

Purchased from a member of the group in July but very recently built Bombadil. Excited for many more miles of dirt in the new year!

Happy holidays,

Vern in San Francisco

[Luke Hendrickson]

Lovely bike, Vern! What kind of drop bars are those?

[maxcr]

For those not on instagram, looks the build is coming together for John's yellow Bomba - the color looks amazing on these photos:

 
Max

[Jennings]

Ill play along.  I've had my 58 Hunqapillar since 2010.  Its my absolute favorite bike even over the Trek 720 and the Specialized expedition i owned.  I even have the poster and postcard Rivendell was selling when these first came out.  

[Eric Marth]

Thanks for these, Max, John's build and pics are simply delicious. 

Very sweet bike and poster/postcard combo, Jennings! I'd rock a Hunq tee shirt with that design. 

[Mackenzy Albright]

One thing i've been curious about is the geometry changes over time. 

It seems the Hunqapillars were generally a bit shorter TT's and relatively traditional geometry while the Bombadils ran long (I'm assuming meant more for non drops?). Eventually all Rivendells started getting loooonger and more swept back bar designed. The Hunqapillars took over the Bombadils in terms of production. Which is funny because I was always under the impression hunqs were cheaper bombas, but the top tubes have always from what i've seen been longer on the bombas. 

It seems to me the 58 hunqs and bombas were around 61-62 and the 60 (?) were 62-64? is this correct? It seems the charts vary as well as peoples physical measurements (especially with the sloping tubes) 

Has anyone ridden or tried out different length variations or a hunqapillar and a bombadil in terms of drop bar oriented or swept back oriented designs? 

[lconley]

The geometries did vary for sure. My tentacled Bombadil is from 2014 and has longer chainstays than "usual". The Rivendell charts said 45 cm for the size 52, but mine are longer. Note the gap between the seatube and rear tire.

Laing

[Chris L]

For years, RBW's geometry for the 54cm Hunqapillar was incorrect in saying it had a 58cm ETT  when in fact, it had a 59.9 cm ETT.  I have a schematic of the 54 Hunqapillar with the 59.9 length and it also shows 47cm chainstays, instead of the advertised 56cm.  I confirmed with Will that the 59.9 ETT is correct.  

[Chris L]

That should have been "advertised 46cm chainstay".   

[Garth]

On Friday, February 3, 2023 at 4:28:29 PM UTC-5 Mackenzy Albright wrote:

One thing i've been curious about is the geometry changes over time. 

It seems the Hunqapillars were generally a bit shorter TT's and relatively traditional geometry while the Bombadils ran long (I'm assuming meant more for non drops?). Eventually all Rivendells started getting loooonger and more swept back bar designed. The Hunqapillars took over the Bombadils in terms of production. Which is funny because I was always under the impression hunqs were cheaper bombas, but the top tubes have always from what i've seen been longer on the bombas. 

It seems to me the 58 hunqs and bombas were around 61-62 and the 60 (?) were 62-64? is this correct? It seems the charts vary as well as peoples physical measurements (especially with the sloping tubes) 

Has anyone ridden or tried out different length variations or a hunqapillar and a bombadil in terms of drop bar oriented or swept back oriented designs? 

Mackenzey, You have it correct in that the Bombas were a bit longer in reach and front-center overall. There's no direct comparing them as the frame sizes were never the same, save the 48cm. If the H frames were an equal to or greater than the B in terms of stack, reach and f-c I would have purchased one, but they were not.  Even the 62 H didn't have the reach/f-c of 60 B.The 60 B from the original batch is dimensionally "just right" for me. 

The frames in mass didn't go looong-er in the font end until the 2019 Clem update. Well, not all of them did, not the road bikes. But all the others went much longer than previous. As if everyone wants or needs to ride with a vertical posture ? (Rhetorically) Hah hah .... certainly not...(Me,We,Thee) !  To me the whole lengthening of the bikes is from the belief in the vertical posture(ride like a horseman) thing and long chainstays. Having the rear end long, without the front long, and sitting vertically, well I could sense that as being a bit unbalanced feeling. (opinion here) Well gee, the vertical benefit thing is assumptive to begin with.... so there is no cure/compensation for it. If the stays weren't so long the front end wouldn't need to be so long either, like how the Bomba is. Of course one can still ride posture-vertical on any bike if that's your thing, you certainly don't need surfboard length to do it. 

In regards to decals mine has none, as it had the original font style that to me, just didn't fit the bike. I prefer no brandings/names of frames anyways. Create a cool looking(subjective, I know) small "LaBomba" or "Mad Bomba" sticker and maybe I'd consider it  .... ((( laughing ))). The frame/form speaks for itself though and doesn't need anything more. 

[JohnS]

Wait a minute there Laing! How many Riv's are in that picture???

Drill press, one of my favorite tools :)

JohnS

[lconley]

8 - behind the Bombadil - Betty Foy, Hubbuhubbuh, Frank Jones Sr, Mystery Bike, Gus Boots Willsen, hanging on the wall Rosco Bubbe V1, Rivendell Custom. There are others not in the picture (Clementine, Rosco Bubbe Medium Mountain Mixte, Roscoe Baby, Keven's Custom Mixte). The Hubbuhubbuh has been sold since the picture was taken.

Also in the picture - 2 1973 Schwinn Paramount P-15s, 2 Flying Pigeons, 2 Gitane Tour de Frances, Pashley Guv'nor, Crust Scapegoat,  Kent Cavalier (recumbent 3 wheeler).

Laing

[JohnS]

Wow! I'm super impressed. And I bet they are all in the same great condition as your Bombadil. Thanks for sharing.

JohnS

[maxcr]

Enjoy, Johns article is up: https://theradavist.com/rivendell-bombadil-review/

[Brian Turner]

That was great… but “balloon tire bike”?? 

On Feb 6, 2023, at 7:29 AM, maxcr <max.fai...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[lconley]

After reading that, I may have to put my Brooks B-72 with the Breezer Seat Sandwich on the Bombadil. Just sitting on the shelf now, used to be on my fatbike. Mine is a later version (bought new less than 10 years ago) with a black frame. Makes me want to get the frame plated.

Laing

[Eric Marth]

Here's a pic for thread posterity. 

I think it's pretty cool we went from speculating about this frame on eBay to seeing it fully built up by its new owner :) 

Brian: Some of the earliest mountain bikes were repurposed Schwinn balloon tire bikes, John built this up as an homage to those early clunkers. This was before there were any purpose-built MTBs. 

[Brian Turner]

Thanks for clarifying. Makes sense. I was familiar with the term, I just don't think I've heard it used in this context in quite a long while!

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[lconley]

Something that I have noticed is that My Bombadil has a different fork crown than many. Most seem to have the curly-cue on the crown but mine has crescent moon, like the Clementine:

  

  

Laing

[Patrick Moore]

Does anyone know the spindle length/s required to install a Pro 5 Vis on frames like this one? I used a 145 for a TA triple on a wide stayed ~1990 mtb but I expect this frame might get by with a stock spindle.

[lconley]

More correctly, mine has a crescent moon above the curly-cue as opposed to the three dots above the curly cue.

Laing

[Slin]

It’d be cool to see photos or videos of someone riding the bike. I’m curious about how the handlebars can be comfy at that angle!

[James M]

Those Breezer seat sandwiches are so hard to find.  I did, however, find a 3D printing plan for one that someone put on Thingiverse.  I had Shapeways print it in glass-filled nylon, and it's been working pretty well with the B-72 on my Hunq.

On Monday, February 6, 2023 at 9:08:12 AM UTC-5 lconley wrote:

[lconley]

B72 on Breezer seat sandwich on Nitto lugged seatpost. Had to modify for the two bolt post and special order the 7mm longer bolts.

Laing

[frank_a]

There were two versions of the seat sandwich. One for the single bolt Laprade style post and another for a two-bolt Campagnolo post. I seem to remember the longer bolt being included.

- Frank

[greenteadrinkers]

Just noticed there's a large Hunqapiller listed on eBay (no relation to seller).

https://www.ebay.com/itm/155394994996?hash=item242e437334:g:9qAAAOSw1h5j4Cpb&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoKAyvKnSGl9k%2BQm%2B0Y9exG1HE1M7iS%2B9idCmGgqZhGGIUO0f2BoMMp3k96mKzAKMDS7swuNebD3Vf39rcUw2%2Bki8I8i23%2FYLMCLIYjFCjEPLn2RseELoecHbK5e6bVU%2BM5QfDSems%2BB3aRvBxyahSZHNKGcrag4fWFta4kEiyGQbilvv6QIBf%2BsW1QmpTzgGS%2BrgOrY2klKrwuTa83ue4Q4%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR6Cb_vPGYQ

[Leslie]

I'd originally put a deposit down on a normal Bomba (56, a 650b);  then they started talking about the diaga-Bomba, and I called in, paid the diff, upgraded to it instead.  

When I first built up my Bomba, I was running 2.4 NeoMotos on it (under fenders).    I then tried out swapping to my 700c wheelset off my Ram (ended up converting the Ram to 650b). 

Later went to non-knobbies, then robbed that cockpit for my son's Ram.   

https://www.flickr.com/photos/leslie_bright/17732968054/in/album-72157623199721925/  

[Jennings]

Leslie, is your frame painted the same color as the Orange Rambouillet?  Did you have it painted or did it come from Riv like that?  If I ever get my Hunqapillar repainted it will match the original Rams.  

[Leslie]

That was exactly what I spec'd it as, since they were kinda semi-custom, I wanted the Ram orange on it.    (My Ram is a green one, but then I later found a tall Ram frame for my son, so we've got two Ram orange bikes and then my canti-Rom is that light silverish blue color.)

[Gino Zahnd]

In 2008 I rode the Bomba prototype for a few weeks. Here are my photos from then:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gzahnd/albums/72157607024143730

And my review of it in 2008:

https://chicogino.blogspot.com/2008/05/rivendell-bombadil-my-two-week-fling.html

On Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 8:16:08 AM UTC-7 eric...@gmail.com wrote:

It seems the Bombadil and Hunqapillar frames are beloved. They're stout, beautiful, and sometimes have intricate additional tubes and lugs. While I've done a lot of reading about Rivendell I was a bit unclear on the origins and intended uses of these frames. 

I wanted to start a thread where we could share and dump info about these bikes along with pictures of builds. 

Joe and Jim were helpful in laying out a bit of background in another thread, there's some great info there. 

The original Hunqapillar catalog is up here: http://notfine.com/rivendell/Brochures/Rivendell%20Frames%20Hunqapillar.pdf

The first mention I can find of the Bombadil is in RR 41, sometime in 2009. Excerpted pages attached. As a few members might recall I am very into raw frames with brass spilling out of the lugs! I know that many Bombadil owners have had their frames repainted like Jason Fuller, whose absolute stunner shows up here from time to time. By the way, the picture below is one of my very favorite Rivendell images. 

[Eric Marth]

Thanks for the links, Gino. 

Here in 2023 I think we'd all be down for a Bombadil at $1,600 for the frame and fork. 

[Mitch]

Recently scored a 64cm Bombadil Prototype - currently getting blasted and painted @ D&D ! Reading these Bombadil articles have got me real stoked!

[Luke Hendrickson]

I gotta see that when it’s painted!