To fade or not to fade [Archive]

ericspin

12-15-2005, 04:57 AM

soulspinner

12-15-2005, 05:13 AM

you gotta trust the best painter out there, go for it.

ergott

12-15-2005, 06:17 AM

Fades can be very stylish!

Too Tall

12-15-2005, 06:55 AM

Ericdewd - "JB mentioned that he had done a pretty cool fade with black and red." end of story. There is a reason they get paid the big bucks ;)

victoryfactory

12-15-2005, 07:35 AM

Ericspin:

Fades can be very tricky. Not all colors successfully fade well together.
Some combos produce an unpleasent tonal "interference" in the fade area,
This usually can only be determined through experience.

If you want a fade, listen to your painter, he's got the experience. If you
don't dig black/red, ask him about other combos that work well.
Also consider both directions! Dark over light and light over dark

VF

davids

12-15-2005, 08:27 AM

Too much contrast - With black and red, you should do panels!

The "Paint Your Frame" (http://www.serotta.com/pages/paintit.html) application on Serotta's website is a great tool for this kind of thing. And as I opened it just now, I see it's been updated for 2006!

Here's a black-red fade, and panel:

Smiley

12-15-2005, 09:03 AM

serotta painted a black red fade for one of my dealers at the time. It was a floor unit and IT NEVER sold without a steep discount. Unless you like this combo Don't do it and I saw it and I would not do it. Don't care what JB says , I saw one done by Serotta and the fade was good but the colors on the frame just did not do it.

Kevan

12-15-2005, 09:07 AM

to hand over the canvas with the only instruction being, "I want different. Enjoy whatever you do. If you like, I'll like it too."

dirtdigger88

12-15-2005, 09:31 AM

A black to red fade can be cool if done right-

I would assume JB would do it right-

Then again- I spelled out every detail on my Kirk to JB- not that I didnt trust him- Im just anal like that-

In the end- ya gotta go with your heart- What's it telling you?

I know I wasnt much help- But I did ride my Kirk 35 miles this morning- you are in for a treat!!!!

Jason

Tailwinds

12-15-2005, 11:09 AM

I like the panel idea that David S. suggested. The red/black fade doesn't grab me, FWIW.

Are you getting lugs? I think a black bike w/red pinstriping would be eye-catching.

JB really tried to nail down my likes/dislikes so he didn't have to do too much guesswork, even though I was trying to get him to throw in some of his creativity. He did manage to do that a little bit by picking out the blue decals (on the pearl orange paint that I picked out), and I couldn't have imagined a better combo.

I don't think you'll be disappointed!

vaxn8r

12-15-2005, 12:38 PM

This one isn't exactly red black but it is red clear coat carbon. Ought to give you an idea. Not my bike.

Well, I was going to show it but I can't upload the files. Sorry.

JeffreyG

12-15-2005, 01:05 PM

Imho fades, if done right can be stunning. Just look at the bikes that came through Ten Speed Drive Imports during the 80's and early 90's. Breath taking all of them.

PeterW

12-15-2005, 03:35 PM

unless it is 1984 and the colors are pink to lime.

Climb01742

12-15-2005, 03:46 PM

i gotta side with smiley on this. JB is a genius, no question. and any opinion on this is purely personal and subjective. I.M.O., fades aren't terribly elegant or classic. a fade draws your eye to the paint; the paint dominates the frame. for me, the frame should be what your eye sees first; the paint should re-enforce/compliment the lines and design (and lugs, if applicable) of the frame. particularly on a frame like a terraplane, where the curve of the seatstays is such a dramatic shape and focus of the frame, to have any paint scheme compete with that design element would, I.M.B(iased).O., be a mistake. let mr kirk's creation be the visual focal point. chose a paint scheme to flatter, not obscure, that dramatic creation. :beer:

Marburg

12-15-2005, 07:03 PM

Me? I'm a strong believer in the fade:

http://ur.notetofutureself.org:2080/wiki/wiki.pl/Aaron/download/IfPlanetXPic

Kirk Pacenti

12-15-2005, 07:17 PM

"it's better to burn out than fade away"..... :rolleyes:

And I remember reading an article by some bicycle fashion-ista who claimed "fade paint jobs are the cheap brown suit of the bicycle industry".

I agree with both of them.

Tailwinds

12-15-2005, 07:20 PM

Here is one fade I do like. Not exactly red/black, though...

rpm

12-15-2005, 09:24 PM

There is a picture of a red to black fade Waterford on the Waterford message board. Scroll down until you see it and you be the judge.

http://www.waterfordbikes.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=13&sid=866312a7131b8af635d94c89ac0ef744

Sandy

12-15-2005, 09:37 PM

to hand over the canvas with the only instruction being, "I want different. Enjoy whatever you do. If you like, I'll like it too."

I guess that your dad must have told your mom "I want different." They sure did a good job.. I mean they sure got different....and I have been paying for it ever since.... ;) :D

Sandy

Kevan

12-15-2005, 09:44 PM

I was the pick of the litter.

Sandy

12-15-2005, 11:34 PM

Must have been a litter of one. :) :)

Sandy

shinomaster

12-16-2005, 02:30 AM

I love the Green to white fade on My Atlanta. It is absolutely beautiful. A flawed work of art.
Black to red sounds terribly ugly...sorry Some things should just not be done.

victoryfactory

12-16-2005, 07:31 AM

Here is my 2000 Atlanta. Blue over Blue fade. I hope you can get the
idea from this picture, in real light it't pretty nice and subtle.

VF, also pretty nice and subtle....

Climb01742

12-16-2005, 07:33 AM

William

12-16-2005, 07:40 AM

I love the Green to white fade on My Atlanta. It is absolutely beautiful. A flawed work of art.
Black to red sounds terribly ugly...sorry Some things should just not be done.

There was a guy back in Portland that raced on a Black to red fade Serotta. If I remember correctly it had white lettering. Anyway, what it sounds like and what it looked like are two different things. I thought it looked pretty nice myself.

Do what you like, don't worry about the rest.

William

dbrk

12-16-2005, 07:43 AM

First, you should do what you like no matter what anyone thinks.
Second: no, no, no. Don't do it. Solids, discreet panels, no fades, ever.

dbrk

davids

12-16-2005, 09:12 AM

First, you should do what you like no matter what anyone thinks.
Second: no, no, no. Don't do it. Solids, discreet panels, no fades, ever.

dbrk
I agree with everythin dbrk says!

palincss

12-16-2005, 11:12 AM

JB is awaiting my decision on paint colors and scheme to start work on my new Terraplane frame. I have decided on the main colors. Same as my Concours - black frame with red accents. JB mentioned that he had done a pretty cool fade with black and red. My Comotion Americano is painted in a fade but the colors kind of naturally melt together - champagne, lemon lime and orange. I am not sure what I think about a black to red fade. I value the opinions of most on this site, so what do you think?

There was a time when fades were the stylish in-thing of the moment. What do you think when you look at those paint jobs today?

It's the same with all fashion, really. Classic designs, styles, colors, etc., may not be the stylish fads of the moment, but they tend to look good forever.

victoryfactory

12-16-2005, 11:44 AM

There was a time when fades were the stylish in-thing of the moment. What do you think when you look at those paint jobs today?

It's the same with all fashion, really. Classic designs, styles, colors, etc., may not be the stylish fads of the moment, but they tend to look good forever.

Back in the late 60's early 70's Panels were in ( Schwinn, raleigh etc)
In the mid 70's panels were out and we all wanted the panel-less look
(masi, Benotto etc)
Now if you look at examples on the Serotta site and other places,
panels are back in!

VF, fading fast

Kevan

12-16-2005, 11:53 AM

but I think it's funny all the nixing going on for a brand of bike well (maybe best) known for their red to yellow fade.

I know of a certain pink to yellow-orange fade that worked better than any other.

shinomaster

12-16-2005, 02:14 PM

My friend bob Grummel sold his Serotta team O bike to a cat 4 guy which he re-painted it that exact same way. I saw him crash it at PIR about 5 years ago.

shinomaster

12-16-2005, 02:17 PM

also like any color combinations a red to black fade can be done well...but the potential for disaster is very high....Use metallic or pearl paint rather than opaque, it will fade better.**

** remeber I don't know anything..

David Kirk

12-16-2005, 02:42 PM

Way, Way back in the day..........when I first started working at Serotta I built myself a mountain bike. The boys in the paint shop had just gotten some cool new paint in. Neons!

So they talked me into a neon orange to neon magenta fade. I came out so cool..........I loved it.

At that time I was living in a one room apartment and the bike was stored against the wall and was the first thing I saw every morning when I woke up.

About two weeks into ownership of the bike I woke up one morning and came to the realization that it was one of the nastiest bikes I'd ever seen. Oh well. The only bike I ever saw that was worse was a bike that was a fade from canary yellow to gold metallic. The transition color was a wonderful metallic poop.

Fades can be very cool and they can be the worst. I'd trust the painter.

Dave

vaxn8r

12-16-2005, 10:39 PM

Not a fade but just an idea with Black and red:

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=3115&highlight=Nishiki

jerk

12-16-2005, 10:47 PM

imho bro fades are mad painful.

jerk

William

12-17-2005, 05:43 AM

My friend bob Grummel sold his Serotta team O bike to a cat 4 guy which he re-painted it that exact same way. I saw him crash it at PIR about 5 years ago.

This would have been back around 93 - 95.

William

ericspin

12-17-2005, 05:46 AM

vaxn8r - THAT'S IT. That is the closest I have come to what I want. Now if DK only had a red decal. But I am betting JB can find a way around that. Thank you so much for this post. I knew if the thread stayed alive long enough something would emerge. I really enjoy that aspect of this site. I have seen what seemed like senseless threads turn out great information and insight. BTW, gorgeous bike. I know dbrk would approve of this much more than a red black fade.
Thanks, Eric

rpm

12-17-2005, 10:41 AM

Here's one more model for your consideration, much like the Nishiki, but with some extra touches--A vintage black and red Motobecane Grand Record. I remember how I lusted for one of these back in the day. Note how the lettering and trim set off both the black and the red:

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/France/Motobecane/Motob_moos.htm