What colour should my new bike be?

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francovendee
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Joined: 5 May 2009, 6:32am

Re: What colour should my new bike be?

Post by francovendee »

Any colour but not black.
Is black a colour?
Bonefishblues
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Location: Near Bicester Oxon

Re: What colour should my new bike be?

Post by Bonefishblues »

Jamesh wrote: 11 Aug 2022, 11:32pm Mazda soul red lovely colour, hard to paint so I'm told.

I fancy rubbing down my Cannondale and painting it this colour!

https://www.mazda.com/en/innovation/maz ... s/soulred/
It's a beautiful colour. Not sure about it on a bike, mind.
boblo
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Re: What colour should my new bike be?

Post by boblo »

The only two 'acceptable' options are Kawasaki Green or KTM Orange...

Obviously that's rubbish, there are loads. I had a recent tourer finished in Kwaka Green and it's A* however, I also recently had Rourke's repaint the tandem in Ink Blue which is also ace specially in strong sunlight when it really pops.

Image

Imageupload free photo
NickJP
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Location: Canberra, OZ

Re: What colour should my new bike be?

Post by NickJP »

Everyone should have at least one orange bike. For my last one, I specified Pantone Orange 021 C: https://icolorpalette.com/color/pantone-orange-021-c.
pwa
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Re: What colour should my new bike be?

Post by pwa »

The nicest paint job I ever had was a fade of two colours. The top of the frame and forks were a deep darkish blue, with the bottom third fading into a dark purple. Simple and harmonious. The bloke at Argos Racing Cycles commented, as I picked it up, that it was one of the nicest combinations he had seen.
slowster
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Re: What colour should my new bike be?

Post by slowster »

A few other potential sources of inspiration for paint and colour schemes:

https://www.instagram.com/shandcycles/

https://www.instagram.com/argos_racing_cycles/

https://argoscycles.com/flickr-gallery/

http://www.merciancycles.co.uk/gallery/

An example of what I consider to be a very good colour scheme is the midnight blue version of the Singular Peregrine. This is a paint scheme that works with both black or silver components. It is the the ivory panels on the head and seat tube that make this colour scheme work so well. They set off the very dark blue and black components, and they also set off the choice of brown for the saddle, bar tape and tyre side walls.

Image
mig
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Re: What colour should my new bike be?

Post by mig »

gunmetal
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mumbojumbo
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Joined: 1 Aug 2018, 8:18pm

Re: What colour should my new bike be?

Post by mumbojumbo »

Burnt Sienna or Vermiilion!
Nearholmer
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Joined: 26 Mar 2022, 7:13am

Re: What colour should my new bike be?

Post by Nearholmer »

Based on ideas so far, you may find this useful.

Print out, close eyes, and randomly stick a pin in a colour.
2537831C-EDA8-4B3E-BE20-AB46128C5367.jpeg
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freiston
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Location: Coventry

Re: What colour should my new bike be?

Post by freiston »

I do like the green Stanforth on boblo's post. The blue of the tandem ain't bad either.
Unfortunately I've never had the occasion to choose the colour of my bike. My dad resprayed a frame for me when I was a schoolboy - but there wasn't a choice then either - it came the same colour as the lorries of the company he was a painter for (Inkspot Yellow, I think it was called). The frame was originally a metallic "Champagne Gold" but due to damage, needed respraying.

My current two bikes (touring & folding) were both only available in black - if I was given a free choice, it wouldn't have been black. The specs and the price determined the bikes purchased, not the colour.

If I could choose, I don't know what I would have. I quite like British Racing Green like this one (though I understand there are many versions of BRG) and "Wayfarer Blue" (either Raleigh or Spa). Raleigh did a few nice colour schemes on touring bikes back in the 80s - Magnum Grey Touriste (below) and a claret/silver Royal (I don't know the official name of the colour)
Screenshot from 2022-08-12 12-47-07.png
.

I managed to find a picture of a claret Royal in a post in a nearby parish - maybe the OP has a home in this parish too?
Disclaimer: Treat what I say with caution and if possible, wait for someone with more knowledge and experience to contribute. ;)
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Cugel
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Re: What colour should my new bike be?

Post by Cugel »

sussex cyclist wrote: 11 Aug 2022, 7:50pm A thread to show me your favourites.
Does colour have a function within the overall bike design? I suppose it depends on what "the overall bike design" has as it's objectives. For many, its simply "cycling" of one kind or another but for others, of increasing number, it's "must be a nice frock to impress those I wish to impress with my attractive and socially superior image".

If you be a-one o' the latter, the colour decision is easy: whatever is currently most fashionable amongst the cycling fashion-victims. If you be of the former breed, then the colour doesn't matter.

Easy, eh!? :-)

Cugel, multicoloured i' the bicycles (the colour came with a bargain price, generally).
“Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”.
John Maynard Keynes
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freiston
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Re: What colour should my new bike be?

Post by freiston »

I don't think it's all about dressing to impress or fashion victimry. I think just about all humans have a sense of aesthetic taste. It's like culinary tastes, some people will eat anything (that functions nutritionally) and not have a preference as to what they're served, some people will eat anything but enjoy picking something, possibly a favourite, from a menu. Some people are fussy eaters and hard to please, some will eat anything as long as it's not black tomatoes. Then you get some that always order "black food" because it's trendy.
Disclaimer: Treat what I say with caution and if possible, wait for someone with more knowledge and experience to contribute. ;)
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Vetus Ossa
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Re: What colour should my new bike be?

Post by Vetus Ossa »

I have always favoured shades of light blue for frames myself.
Here is one of mine.
Image
Beauty will save the world.
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Vetus Ossa
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Re: What colour should my new bike be?

Post by Vetus Ossa »

Yes I know the cables are too long :wink:
Beauty will save the world.
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Cugel
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Re: What colour should my new bike be?

Post by Cugel »

freiston wrote: 12 Aug 2022, 3:17pm I don't think it's all about dressing to impress or fashion victimry. I think just about all humans have a sense of aesthetic taste. It's like culinary tastes, some people will eat anything (that functions nutritionally) and not have a preference as to what they're served, some people will eat anything but enjoy picking something, possibly a favourite, from a menu. Some people are fussy eaters and hard to please, some will eat anything as long as it's not black tomatoes. Then you get some that always order "black food" because it's trendy.
Sussex-teasing, I was, only.

On the other hand, you've got to admit that there's an awful lot of cycling stuff made and bought primarily for promenading on. Even some of the retro thing can be as much about the look as about the technical history, ride-feel or other more cycling-centred motives for making a handsome bike-steed of the kind we all rode about on in yesteryear.

I'll admit that I personally have a terrible tendency to go about in 60s and 70s cycling garb as worn by racy folk of that era (no greenspot, mind!) rather than the stuff seen on most cyclists aboard a modern bike. All my bikes are modern or current designs, though, as I sold the now-retros a couple of decades ago as being far less functional, especially in the comforts. Proper clothing in winter, mind. The clothing then becomes purely functional, with not an emblem in sight.

Then again, as you say, why not get all the function you want in a bike then overlay some aesthetically-derived decoration? After all, it has to be one colour or another. Some paint schemes are, though .... well, imminently dated, let's say. I recall a fashion for bubblegum-pink and snot-greeny-yellow bike frames of some years ago, as well as those splatters of psychedelic mishmash like a Pollock gone wrong. (I suppose they're all wrong, really). Does anyone want one of those now? :-)

The last bespoke bike I had was built in 1981 - a pure road racing bike of 531SL painted in a mix of greys like those employed by battleships. I fancied I'b be less noticeable jumping some breakaway group. It never worked, though. Since then the colours have been whatever was on the best off the peg bike for my purpose that I could find with a hefty discount on the price. Pay for a "special" colour!? As if!

Cugel, probably a groat-counter.
“Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”.
John Maynard Keynes
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