What's your favorite painting of a Bombadil?

[Jason Fuller]

So, many of you are probably aware of the Bombadil that lives within my realm of belongings thanks to Joe having taken it in and then releasing it back into the wild. I, as many of you, love the clearcoat-over-raw finish that it has.  I'm 50% sure I want to keep it this way, even though it provides sub-optimal corrosion protection, and just touch up problem areas as they arise. 

But I'm also 50% sure I want to strip it back down to a frame, have it restored and frame-saver'd, and professionally painted. Timeline on this wouldn't be immediate - probably next year, or the year after that, but I like to plan ahead. To my chagrin in this group I would not be sending it to Joe Bell because I'm in Canada and it would be like $400 in shipping alone, plus I'm local to Chris Dekerf who has a very capable paint studio that does lots of impressive custom work (all of Chromag's locally made frames, for instance).  

I absolutely would be doing a proper two-color paintjob with all the lug detailing that a MUSA Rivendell has, and I want the color selection to look like a natural choice for the Bombadil - it doesn't have to be a Rivendell colour, but I want it to look like it could easily have been in 2009.  I also wouldn't do this unless I can get the proper decals to apply after, though Riv never responds to my emails so I'll probably need to give them a call on this. 

I am gravitating towards greens and greys at the moment.  Ideas include: 
- Classic Hunq green 
- Vaughn's custom green (bit more of a sage quality) 
- Bomba / Hunq dark grey, but without the red paneling - maybe the cream white??
- I don't know this is hard! 

Leah made me aware that Taiwan does not use consistent paint coding as North America, so while I love the idea of the new Platypus blue-silver (actually green-blue), it's probably not possible.  

My knowledge of what colors the Bombadil came in is limited by what google tells me because I did not know of this bike when it was new. There are surely period-correct Rivendell colors I haven't considered, but many of you were there and lived through it - and I'd love your ideas!  

Many thanks, 
Jason in Vancouver BC 

  

[WilletM]

Good luck making a tough decision on covering up that eye-catching raw finish.  I struggled with a similar decision in the opposite direction with my Proto-Bombadil.  It was (and still is) creamsicle orange, though it was reportedly raw when new.  It came to me with a well-worn and nicked up but still very professionally done orange/cream paint job.  As I have a strong bias towards leaving frames looking "vintage" when the paint still adequately protects the metal, I decided to stay with the orange cream and just touch it up extensively with a fairly close Tangerine Orange Pearl color from Subaru that I probably read about here somewhere.  But I did get a replacement decal set from Riv just in case plans change and I decide to take it back to raw.

On a different frame, a "real" Bombadil that I got here from Jamison B last year, it has the original orange/cream paint job, but the orange is not of the creamsicle variety.  Instead, it is (according to Jamison, who was the original owner) an Imron color called persimmon.  I'm currently building that frame up and will be touching up the nicks eventually, though with a slightly different shade of orange than the other one.  I was able to order replacement top-mount decals for the Bombadil last October from Spencer at Rivendell.

I will look forward to seeing "action" pics of your (eventual) new paint job, which I suspect will involve streams, bridges, and trees dripping with moss if your previous postings are any guide.  

Willet M.

Carbondale, CO

[Jim M.]

I'm kinda partial to mine, painted by Rick at D&D. I just need some blue suede cycling sneakers.

jim m

walnut creek, ca

[Jim M.]

Most of the prototypes that I saw were clearcoat, but Grant's proto was blue. You can see it on Cyclofiend's Bombadil page: http://www.cyclofiend.com/rbw/bombadil/index.html

My proto was clearcoat but metal will corrode under clearcoat, and so I eventually got it repainted as posted above.

There is also a Flickr Bombadil group which offers a rainbow of possible colors: https://www.flickr.com/groups/bombadil/

The bike was introduced in Riv Reader 41, but I don't have a copy of that. The prototype was shown in RR39. I don't remember the color of the first production Bombadils, but at some point they were offered with the buyer's choice of powdercoat color, or wet paint for a $200 upcharge (circa 2010).

jim m

walnut creek, ca

[Joe Bernard]

I don't remember this model ever having a production color, it seems more like the Roadeo in that regard. Personally I like Dove Gray and Ferrari Red, but I might be biased 😬

[Chris L]

British racing green and cream.  

[Andrew Turner]

I'll second that blue paintjob, I really love the darker headtube look. 

[Nathan Mattia]

This one.

[Michael Baquerizo]

as someone who's always scared of making aesthetic choices, especially when given infinite options, I really like rivs painted in the colors of other rivs. seems you're in a similar school of thought but to me the hunq and the bombadil are too similar. I'd go for something different, like antlantis blue/green. the blue of the new sam (or old appaloosa) would be cool  too. I can't imagine it would be hard to ask for a code and then get at least an approximation. 

[Jason Fuller]

Nathan - I was waiting for that answer haha

Thanks for the suggestions!  I know what you mean Michael about choosing a paintjob that's too near an original color without being an original color. I have thought about Atlantis blue-green too, as its such a beautiful and iconic color but I also think it is for Atlantis' and Atlantis' alone. Similarly I've thought about Riv blue because it's just awesome, but also not very imaginative. 

The grey of Joe's custom is pretty enticing as an option, to be honest, though I would just do a white/cream panel headtube and seat tube collar.  British Racing green is also up near the top of the list now, thanks for the suggestion!  I've always loved it as a colour and it does look great on the Bombadil - and is a homage to my Clem H which I sold to fund this Bombadil... 

[Joe Bernard]

Mark@Riv's first cyclocross custom was my color gray with cream, that was a really pretty bike. I'll see if I can track down a pic. 

[Joe Bernard]

I forgot to do this. Not a great photo for seeing the color but a super great photo of Mark in his cyclocross glory days! 

[Reid Echols]

I love the green/white of my recently-acquired Bombadil! It is pretty much peak Riv for me, and I've been climbing a long time. 

[rlti...@gmail.com]

I’ve always liked green on Rivs. I almost went with British racing green on mine but decided to go with their pea sage green. I still like it. I remember opening the box and being a bit underwhelmed with the color but once it was built up with silver parts and a honey Brooks the color looked much better. Plus it blends in here in the Southwest.

https://roberttilley.smugmug.com/Bicycles/Rivendell-All-Rounder/i-xzJFBGK/A

Robert Tilley

San Diego, CA

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 25, 2021, at 7:37 AM, Reid Echols <reide...@gmail.com> wrote:

I love the green/white of my recently-acquired Bombadil! It is pretty much peak Riv for me, and I've been climbing a long time. 

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[Eric Marth]

Jason -- I'm one who loves natural finishes and the way things look as they wear out. Patinated copper, weathered cedar, diamond plate steel thresholds with 100 years of foot traffic.

There isn't a paint that can compete with the subtle gradations in steel or especially the sweet brass brazing around the lugs. Few things are as lovely as that delightful blend of copper and zinc.

I understand there may be issues with corrosion over time but if regular spot-coating gives you enough peace of mind to roll on then I'd say keep it as is. 

I'm not much for decals, either. The head badge is plenty! Subtlety can be sublime. 

[Michael Baquerizo]

Jason

Here's food for thought RE atlantis blue/green. blue lug at it again. just makes you do a double take that i always enjoy.

[Jason Fuller]

Blue Lug's sense of style is unparalleled!  Yeah that's gorgeous.  Eric has a good point too - and, something that I think about is that a proper quality paint job will be minimum one-third the value of the frame itself, when I could just put that towards an actual frame and preserve the Bombadil's original finish... 

Good chance I've been talked out of ever painting it, despite the high quality options given. 

[Chris L]

It might be sacrilege, but if I ever decided to change the color of my Hunqapillar, I would have it powder coated dull black.  Deciding to change the color would  be an indication that it's a "forever" bike for me and I want it to look as generic as possible.  Just a personal preference.

However, there are other Riv's and other non-Riv's that interest me, so for now, it stays dolphin gray and orange.  

[Jason Fuller]

Yeah the low-keyness of the current raw finish is a pretty big plus in that regard, as I do have to lock it up around town - the orange of my Sam certainly causes some additional fear when I lock it up out of sight (which isn't very often) 

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[Eric Marth]

Perhaps I missed something here in this thread and my at-large Bombadil knowledge is definitely lacking but what's the story with the finish in the first place? Was this a prototype? 

[Jason Fuller]

Eric - It was an early production color, err, finish to my knowledge - not that there were many built with any one finish based on production numbers and variety of colors they came in! This is all stuff I've learned in the past six months though and my Bomba-knowledge is barely paint-deep, because in 2009 when this bike was built I was too annoyed by the lack of geometry info to consider a Rivendell and stuck to my Surlys, Somas and Salsas of the era haha

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[Jared Wilson]

I've been thinking about this a lot and I feel that pretty much any color/s from the air-cooled Volkwagen days would lend themselves nicely to a Rivendell.

Paint colors/codes can be found at the bottom of each page linked below

Volkswagen Bug Colors

Volkswagen Bus Colors

Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Colors

Some of my favorites include:

Palm Green/Sand Green

Chesnut Brown/Sealing Wax Red

Sea Blue/Blue White

Mango Green/Seagull Gray

[Jason Fuller]

Why have I never thought about this?!?!  I have been obsessed with PG/SG buses since the late 90's.  Fantastic idea Jared. 

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[Eric Marth]

The palm green is a great color for a trail bike and one I've considered should I ever strip down and repaint a frame. This is a great reference palette Jared, very cool idea! 

[Joe Bernard]

The clearcoat over bare steel finish showed up on several proto frames of various models and was offered as an option on production bikes for a short while. It didn't take long for people to start fretting about seeing rust form and that party was over! 

Joe "rust never sleeps" Bernard

On Monday, March 29, 2021 at 10:16:18 AM UTC-7 Jason Fuller wrote:

[mbaqu...@gmail.com]

actually whatever screen I was viewing that on made it seem like it was painted Atlantis blue. so weird but it's obviously just that regularly hillborne slate color. 

On Mar 28, 2021, at 1:55 PM, Jason Fuller <jtf.f...@gmail.com> wrote:

Blue Lug's sense of style is unparalleled!  Yeah that's gorgeous.  Eric has a good point too - and, something that I think about is that a proper quality paint job will be minimum one-third the value of the frame itself, when I could just put that towards an actual frame and preserve the Bombadil's original finish... 

Good chance I've been talked out of ever painting it, despite the high quality options given. 

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