Cycling UK Forum

Si wrote:Why black? Because most* modern mass produced bikes are so ugly you don't want people to notice what you are riding.

I disagree totally.
I hate the “old Skool” skinny tube look,especially on steel frames.Curved Fork?No!Give me the chunky look of Carbon or Allu any day.Things move on.
Same with cars 1970s or 2010s Ferrari?No contest 2010s every time.
1980s Vauxhall Cavalier SRi or 2018 Insignia SRi..modern every time!
I loved my 1970s Racers but they belong in the 1970s!
I loved my 1990s FS MTB but they belong in the 1990s!

It's a good thing that tastes differ. Otherwise all those lovely old steel frames would end up at the tip.

I couldn't afford one then and some years later probably still couldn't afford one but the pinnacle of bike décor for me was Colnago when they did those art deco designs. Probably a name for them but I dont know it.

I remember salivating when looking at them at a bike show and one of the fella's on their stall must of spotted me and very kindly gave me a great catalogue book which was so good he said it would sell on Ebay. Sell it I still pore over it years later.

[youtube]wj84tfS7ag4[/youtube]

It's not just bikes though. Black and grey, both gloss and matt, are fashionable colours for cars and motorbikes at the moment.

reohn2 wrote:

francovendee wrote:I wonder, does the use of black on frames and components increase the risk of not being seen by motorists. I'd have thought the brighter the bike the safer it was from drivers. After all bike clothing is mostly brightly coloured. Am I missing something?
I would avoid buying a black or grey bike if other colours were available

I'd argue that what's seen first is the rider and not the bike.

I’d argue it doesn’t matter how visible you are if a motorist has no capacity of understanding how wide their vehicle is.

Bmblbzzz wrote:It's not just bikes though. Black and grey, both gloss and matt, are fashionable colours for cars and motorbikes at the moment.

As in part of the Yamaha range....drab drab drab....

Agreed, a lot of current new bikes do look boring. I have two black bikes, a Salsa Vaya tourer and my Brompton. But the MTB, a Cannondale Rush, is orange and the Mercian is sparkly green. When I am riding that it gets admiring comments from tbe Mamils I meet even though the inside of the rims are anodised black.

Al

Cannondale Bad Boy; was that one of the first 'black is the new black' bikes?

That was about twenty years ago now; black is old hat.

cheers

Bmblbzzz wrote:It's not just bikes though. Black and grey, both gloss and matt, are fashionable colours for cars and motorbikes at the moment.

Both mine and my wife's cars(2011 Insignia/Corsa) are Gun-metal grey
We're shortly ordering a VW Transporter in Pure Grey...black for bikes grey or silver for cars

Cunobelin wrote:[youtube]wj84tfS7ag4[/youtube]

Do you know how he got like that? He was a time-triallist. Too many rides where he went 3 seconds slower than last week, so they gave him the paints and the minder. Scattered brushes and easel are less dangerous than a tossed bicycle, see?

Cugel, worried that THERE MIGHT BE OWLS if I goes that way rather than this.

Aren't most frames made by Kinesis International or Giant? Sounds like there is a job lot going around. Black's a decent base colour if you like to decorate your own bike. An unexpected benefit of USB power off the dynohub was USB string lights.....

Xilter wrote:

reohn2 wrote:

francovendee wrote:I wonder, does the use of black on frames and components increase the risk of not being seen by motorists. I'd have thought the brighter the bike the safer it was from drivers. After all bike clothing is mostly brightly coloured. Am I missing something?
I would avoid buying a black or grey bike if other colours were available

I'd argue that what's seen first is the rider and not the bike.

I’d argue it doesn’t matter how visible you are if a motorist has no capacity of understanding how wide their vehicle is.

I'd agree with that sentiment,sadly.

Xilter wrote:

reohn2 wrote:

francovendee wrote:I wonder, does the use of black on frames and components increase the risk of not being seen by motorists. I'd have thought the brighter the bike the safer it was from drivers. After all bike clothing is mostly brightly coloured. Am I missing something?
I would avoid buying a black or grey bike if other colours were available

I'd argue that what's seen first is the rider and not the bike.

I’d argue it doesn’t matter how visible you are if a motorist has no capacity of understanding how wide their vehicle is.

I have always smiled at this........ no-one queries car colour asa safety factor

iandriver wrote:Aren't most frames made by Kinesis International or Giant? Sounds like there is a job lot going around. Black's a decent base colour if you like to decorate your own bike. An unexpected benefit of USB power off the dynohub was USB string lights.....

OT, but in answer to your question:
[youtube]w8d3mxBPngE[/youtube]