Betties and Sams and paint choices

[Earl Grey]

Can anyone explain to me (I know, I should write Grant) why the Sam
has gone through 4 gorgeous paint choices (the only one I didn't like
was the original green, but only because of the gold decals; too much
like a pimped Lexus), and Betty is still on her first (not terrible)
paint job. True, there is Ives Gomez, but he sports the same IMHO
tasteless gold decals.

This seems even stranger because of the perceived notion that color
has a much larger influence in women's bike buying decisions. Lest I
be accused of prejudice, my own wife and several female friends have
confirmed this (I know, small sample size).

Why do I care? I have been wanting to buy my wife a Betty Foy for a
while, and she actually wants one, but she pretty much hates the
color, nor does she like black and gold. Upon asking her what color
she DOES like, she can't actually give an answer beyond "I'd have to
look at a bunch of bikes". Oh well, at least she knows what she
dislikes, and I am not among them.

Nonetheless, I have a feeling that she is not alone, and that
switching Betty's color every couple of re-orders would increase
sales, as it would increase the color choices over time, and might
also lead to the-red-ones-are-going-away-get-yours-now-type sales. If
the Betty came in a color my wife liked, and that color was going
away, I would have bought one already.

Cheers,

Gernot
Thailand

[Earl Grey]

And yes, she could of course get a custom paint job, but her last bike
was $120 new (Raleigh women's, see http://www.cyclofiend.com/cc/2011/cc830-gernothuber0711.html)
and the stock Betty Foy frame is already more than either of us earn
in a month. We could *afford* it, but it's a difficult to justify
expense.

Gernot

[Peter Morgano]

I remember reading back when it was introduced that there were prototype colors, one that was more of green like the new Hunq unless I am just losing my mind.  Maybe ask if they have anything in the old mysterious "attic"?

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[Andy Smitty Schmidt]

I was in a similar position as you, Earl. The wife was skeptical of a Riv because of cost (her $400 Kona - actually $600 after adding fenders, racks, and new seat - was her most expensive bike to date), and she wasn't a huge fan of the color. We have family in CA so were able to go by Riv HQ on a trip to visit the fam. She got over the cost hump by riding one and seeing the craftsmanship/details of the Betty firsthand (she instantly fell in love with it). Once she loved the ride and general aesthetic of Betty, the obvious choice was to get a custom color. Vince was a trooper to bring out frame after frame from the attic until she found the color she wanted. The color she ended up picking was the original Sam Hillborne green w/ cream details. I know what you mean about the SH green w/gold decals but it's a completely different look with cream HT, accents, & decals.

I know this doesn't really address your Q about why the color doesn't change from batch to batch. I'm not privy to that info. I also see that your signature indicates that you're overseas, so a trip to Riv HQ may not be as easy. 

FWIW... We've had "Big Betty" a little over a year and the wife still adores it and loves to ride it. 

good luck.  

--Andy

[James Warren]

I wish Rivendell would keep one of their amazing orange colors in the rotation as long as the Atlantis color.

Ram orange, QB orange, Sam orange, all memorable. I understand technical problems made the Ram orange impossible over time, but too quick was the move from that orange Sam. Anytime I see one, I smile.

Sent from my iPhone

[newenglandbike]

That's funny about the o.g. green and gold Hillborne-   my gf loved that color at first sight, and she barely looked at the orange one they had right beside it at Harris... she ended up getting the green one.  I have to admit I am partial to the original yellowish green with gold decals too, though the orange was cool.   It doesn't look 'pimped out' or gaudy to me at all but rather more subdued than the metallic orange.

Matt

[PATRICK MOORE]

Re replacement colors: does anyone have specifics about a close 'nuff
touchup for Riv's "Sage Green"?

[Philip Williamson]

Wow. That "Sam green" Betty Foy is remarkably beautiful, Andy! Good choice on the decals.

I think the stock color on the Betty might be stable for the long haul, since that's shaped up to be their best selling bike after the Atlantis. I love the blue, personally. I saw a similar blue on an MGA yesterday, and it was gorgeous.

I agree with James that a constant orange in rotation would be nice. The orange Rivendells are very attractive to me. One of the first Rivendells that caught my attention was a pumpkin-orange 'cross bike, and I love the orange Quickbeams. One day...

 Philip

Philip Williamson

www.biketinker.com

[Zack]

In ten years when my hunq is ready for a repaint, i am definitely going to go with the orange!

(and i love every color that Riv has ever run - the only paint jobs I like a little bit less are the ones without the cream head tube.  but the betty doesn't fall into that, the rest of it is awesome.  my wife absolutely loves hers).

[Mike]

On Wednesday, July 4, 2012 10:13:53 AM UTC-7, James Warren wrote:

I wish Rivendell would keep one of their amazing orange colors in the rotation as long as the Atlantis color.

Ram orange, QB orange, Sam orange, all memorable. I understand technical problems made the Ram orange impossible over time, but too quick was the move from that orange Sam. Anytime I see one, I smile.

Agreed. Orange is pretty much the perfect color for a steel bike. 

--mike 

[Cyclofiend]

Yep. I'd been trying to rationalize buying the Quickbeam. I'd been
thinking "that's really the bike for me" all through the Coleman Green
runs. The day the Orange run was announced, I put down my deposit.
Something about that color that just makes me smile. Sun or shade,
trail or road, warm setting rays of light or blistering midday sun, I
look down and things seem better.

- J

[Eric Platt]

And I'm on the opposite end.  Purchased the Hillborne because of the green paint.  And one of the things that attracted me to the SimpleOne was it was green.  And a slime green, to boot.  While the QB orange is nice, I personally didn't like the SH orange.  Nothing wrong with it, just didn't appeal to me.

 

And maybe that's why the colors change, too many folks like one over another and this gives more choices.

 

Eric Platt

St. Paul, MN

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[Earl Grey]

Couldn't agree more about the orange Sam. Every time I see one, I
smile, and I see one everyday, just by looking straight down. :)

And there is actually another orange one Chiang Mai, which my friend
Paul bought after seeing mine.

Gernot

On Jul 5, 12:13 am, James Warren <jimcwar...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> I wish Rivendell would keep one of their amazing orange colors in the rotation as long as the Atlantis color.
>
> Ram orange, QB orange, Sam orange, all memorable. I understand technical problems made the Ram orange impossible over time, but too quick was the move from that orange Sam. Anytime I see one, I smile.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>

[Earl Grey]

Exactly, so why not change the color occasionally on the one bike that
really has no overlap with other Riv models if you like riding in
skirts?

Gernot

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[Peter Pesce]

If I were Riv, and on my 4,5,6-th reorder of Bettys I wouldnt change a thing. They are obviously selling. If I were Riv and still on my first order of Bettys I wouldn't have had a chance to change anything.
Either scenario explains the color.

Pete in CT
Loving my orange Sam and not orange QB.

[Earl Grey]

Good point, Pete, but if that is the operating rationale, why is the
Sam on it's forth color? :) It's obviously selling well, too.

Gernot

[Peter Pesce]

I was being tongue-in cheek there! I actually agree with you that color variety is in general a good thing. You do have the chance of pleasing a wider range of people, and the previous colors are at least still available in the "pre-owned" market.

[Addison Wilhite]

Orange and Cream...I think you're talking about my bike!  :)  I always regretted not getting the pumpkin XO-1 so I made up for it with my allrounder:

http://reno-rambler.blogspot.com/search?q=monster+cross

Regards,

--
Addison
http://reno-rambler.blogspot.com

[charlie]

I imagine Riv was looking for a good selling color as Grant mentioned they will stick with the current blue for a while. I purchased the Avocado green one recently and love its understated look without the cream accents. Every batch probably has one color option and when marketing you try to appeal to as many buyers as possible. 

On Wednesday, July 4, 2012 8:09:19 AM UTC-7, Earl Grey wrote:

[Joe Bernard]

I'm partial to the greens at Rivendell. I love the last green SH, the SimpleOne, and the current Hunqapillar and Bombadil. Any of those would look lovely next to my gloriusly orange XO-1.

 

Joe "it's somewhat about the bike" Bernard

Vallejo, CA.

[Leslie]

Well, it was the green of the Ram I first saw that 'spoke' to me, over the Ram blue. It wasn't until later I learned of its preceding orange. So when the Bombadil settled on a similar green, as I had that wonderful green already, it made sense to go orange. I do love the Hillborne's blue, tho', and the older classic merallic steel blue of Riv customs...

[Zack]

And if you want another color, you can just get it.  (I did - got a dark navy metallic blue that i like to think of as blackberry).  I was going to have to wait for the Waterford 64 anyways, so i decided to pay a little extra.

[Peter Pesce]

Beautiful photos of a beautiful bike! I really like the way you continued the red accents - like the twining on the cork grips!

The cream tires really lighten-up the look. I can't imagine it with black tires.

That is a bike that is really "put together." Fantastic.

-Pete in CT

On Friday, July 6, 2012 10:47:27 AM UTC-4, JaxandPuzzle wrote:

In defense of the color - I am typically drawn to warm colors, and thought about getting my Betty in a pink, orange or red. However, every Betty I saw that had been custom painted didn't appeal to me for reasons unbeknownst to me. The blue, while not something I'd normally choose, is awesome. It's an unusual shade, blue-green, very serene. And it photographs extremely well!

I had all my lugs filled in red, and paired with cream Grand Bois Hetres, honey saddle and grips, and hammered honjos. It looks really phenomenal IMO. I waited more than a year to purchase my Betty and would have been disappointed had they changed the color. Blue is evidently a great seller for Riv. If your wife prefers another color, get a custom color! It's already a very expensive bike, it may as well be the color she prefers.

Here are a few shots of my Betty, which I think looks different from most even though it's the same color: http://www.flickr.com/photos/10344790@N06/sets/72157630449833200/

My fiance and I are planning to purchase Bromptons this fall, and I think I might go with the Turkish green to match Betty. My next bike after that will probably be orange :-)

[Zack]

And photos of my custom colored Sam:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/36386964@N00/sets/72157630453446902/