I don't own a Bomba, but for many years I owned one of it's ancestors, an early Riv Mountain/Expedition. That bike was, like the Bomba, built hell-for-stout, but I enjoyed riding it as a wide-tired touring bike that took occasional excursions onto fire roads. It never felt exactly fast (though I even rode it in bike club pacelines a couple of times), but it had lovely, gentle road manners when ridden at a more moderate pace. I'd expect the Bomba to be similar in that respect.
You don't mention your height or bike size. The smaller Bombadils are built for 650b wheels. There's nothing wrong with that, I currently own two 650b bikes myself, but there are only so many choices of tire and rim in that size. Before making the leap, make sure that the current selection of tires contains at least a couple that would meet your current and future needs, and that rims are available with the spoke count you need. If you're tall enough to fit a 700c Bomba or Atlantis, then there are LOTS of choices, from the skinniest racing tires to gnarly fat knobbies to various widths of sturdy touring tires, and any number of rims from which to choose. Smaller Atlantises (Atlanti?) use 26" wheels, which again offer myriad choices of rims and tires. I think the choice of rim and tire should be a major factor in your final decision - choose the wheels you need, and pick the frame that fits them.. Depending on where you ride, how hard you are on equipment and what you anticipate your weight may be this time next year, maybe a Sam Hillborne might also be an option? I've test ridden Sams in two sizes, and they are a pleasant ride. Half the price of a Bombadil or Atlantis, which is nice. The difference could go towards some extra strong wheels, say Phil hubs and 36 spoke rims (maybe 40 in back?). The Bomba or Atlantis will take fatter tires and should handle bad roads, dirt roads or touring loads better, but Sam should be a little more responsive as a road bike. Good luck! Bill On May 15, 10:11 am, Delano <2951...@gmail.com> wrote: > I've posted this on a bike forum, and someone directed me here. I > didn't know this group existed, and I am very much happy that I've > found it. > > I need some help from owners of the Bombadil. I am considering > purchasing one, but I haven't been able to find people's reactions to > the bike. How do they like the bike? Would they purchase one again? > What are the downsides (other than weight)? > > I am 289 lbs, once athletic but broke my back once and have not > exercised in about a decade. At 41, it's crunch time to get back in > shape. I pondered the Bombadil because of its construction, but have > absolutely no interest in mountain biking. Like most people, I like > speed and a good energy expenditure-return ratio. That is, I don't > want to work very hard :) > > When I mentioned in a forum about the construction of the bike being > my reason for looking at the Bombadil, someone mentioned that the > Atlantis was rated to 300 lbs. I think I remember that correctly, but > I can't find it on rivbike.com. One of the sales people in an email > suggested the Atlantis might wobble a bit considering the weight, and > steered me toward the Bombadil again. > > What are your thoughts? I've been through the "a bike is just a bike" > and "Rivendells are special" and "there are cheaper options" > conversations with people, and I can't make an informed decision > without anyone's feedback on the Bombadil itself. I live too far to > test ride one, and its a big (expensive) leap of faith with any bike > as far as I'm concerned. > > Any help? --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
