Bike colors

[flydhest]

So, as we all know, paint choice is one of the most important decisions one can ever make about a bike. Paint choice determines if a bike planes. Can make the bike disappear under you. Can allow you to climb your normal hills in two higher cogs. Will prevent flats. Will give you an additional 37 watts at 25 mph.

OK, so maybe not, but it is important to most of us. The wife has a bike coming and we'll have to figger out the paint. It will be a classic road bike. Lugged steel. Steel fork. Her first road bike.

Although not a serious cyclist yet, the wife has narrowed her choices to dark blue or orange. I almost fell over when she said that, as those are clearly two of the most classic colors for old school road bikes. The current thinking is a navy blue bike with orange highlights (and some brown Handlebra). Anyone have photos of similar bikes? Anyone have thoughts to share, especially if they can be accompanied by photos?

I realize that color in photos, especially through the webbernet is subject to variation, but it seemed worth asking.

[FlashUNC]

Sounds like she likes the Rabobank team paint scheme.

[Aaron O]

I'm extremely partial to orange bikes...though I used a shade of purple (at least I think it's purple, I stink with colors).

http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad205/aolk67/Photo0581.jpg

[palincss]

Something like this Ebisu, perhaps?

http://www.jitensha.com/eng/images/03ebisupics/ebisurdsid2.jpg

[eddief]

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=merckx+molteni&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1128&bih=542&tbm=isch&prmd=ivns&tbnid=clvUdzUMaCH6AM:&imgrefurl=http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/q6E_uVx5c9YqtC-EvTtkPQ&docid=TAVgllFqXGogkM&w=1200&h=797&ei=_1orTqL0KISWsgPhk_WQAw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=125&page=1&tbnh=112&tbnw=169&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:0&tx=53&ty=77

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=merckx+molteni&hl=en&sa=X&tbm=isch&prmd=ivns&tbnid=clvUdzUMaCH6AM:&imgrefurl=http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/q6E_uVx5c9YqtC-EvTtkPQ&docid=TAVgllFqXGogkM&w=1200&h=797&ei=z1srTvGfL4GCsQP-6em7Cg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=672&vpy=98&dur=1234&hovh=183&hovw=276&tx=104&ty=77&page=1&tbnh=112&tbnw=169&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:0&biw=1128&bih=542

or even this plain old diagram makes orange and blue bluetiful. google images for "merckx molteni."

[rice rocket]

Almost all Rivendells I see are orange or blue. Google some of that up.

[rounder]

I bought a bike recently and went with light blue with orange panels (kb), but my second choice was a dark blue. I recommend that you show her how to find pictures of other bikes at builders sites, velocipede salon, serotta etc. Serotta has a really good site where you can mix and match colors. She should pick the colors, but you should help her. My 2 cents fwiw.

[godfrey1112000]

I never had a White bike and then came a Ti finish, both are equally fast and climb very well

[flydhest]

So the Merckx Molteni look was part of what is so classic for me about orange. What I think she is leaning toward, however, is reversing the emphasis, making blue the dominant color and orange the accent.

Thanks, guys. Keep it coming.

[thwart]

Like this... ?

[DRZRM]

Or this?

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f302/drzrm/DSC_0002-1.jpg

[eddief]

ouch

Kirk

see item #30

http://www.kirkframeworks.com/photogallery3.htm

Steelman - just stumbled onto this one and find it an amazing looking thing to behold.

http://www.steelmancycles.com/Ray%27s%20SR.html

[vsefiream]

How about the colors on this CSI:
http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr273/vsefiream/Bikes/serotta_csi_road_bike_1000_winston-salem_8914000.jpg

[buldogge]

I'm partial to the whole Merckx Molteni homage myself:


http://forums.thepaceline.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=81913&stc=1

-Mark in St. Louis

[nova]

my commuter/track bike is a khs flite from the late 90's, the paint job would be almost perfect. //sorry at work so google is the best i can do.

http://www.google.ca/search?um=1&hl=en&biw=956&bih=644&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=khs+track+orange&oq=khs+track+orange&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=31359l34078l0l34375l7l7l0l6l6l0l266l266l2-1l1

and i was at a race in new york a couple months back, this guy racing for adler had arguably the most beautiful paint job i've ever seen.

http://fairwheelbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3110

[nova]

those pictures don't do justice to the ridley.

[August]

Dave Kirk had two bikes at this year's NAHBS, one orange with powder blue accents, and one candy blue with orange accents:

http://www.embrocationmagazine.com/images/3134.jpg

http://www.embrocationmagazine.com/images/3128.jpg

Dave Wages has had a few of his frames finished in the same gorgeous shade of burnt orange:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-affnoGD-x1k/S9p_ZnB8RdI/AAAAAAAAEpc/PK_uF73Pw0s/anew%252520004.jpg

JB and Jason Sanchez are the two best painters working right now, I think.

[djg]

My old CSi, pictured here somewhere as a fixed gear bike, is light blue, with dark (saphire-ish) panel and head tube.

Honestly, I'd hit maybe three web sites or so for nice pics. Dave Kirk's, Vanilla, and maybe this one (used to be lots of bikes in "big boy blue," etc., and maybe a search for that paint name and one or two of the orange names will pull things up).

[Brian Smith]

The challenge with choosing a paint scheme to evoke classic ties, for the people in the world who can place that, is that the componentry has to step up to the plate as well or else it's mostly for naught. I'm not talking bar tape and saddle colors here. Choose a set of metal stuff that is silver and a scheme that looks good with silver, and you're good. Without that, I'd say just let her be the boss and you do what's required to make the rest compliment it fairly.

Some nice examples in this thread for starters, I'd say...

[leooooo]

those pictures don't do justice to the ridley.

agreed. far more stunning in person

[William]

I've got the Orange part covered..... :)

http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h420/SodaFuel/Fixie%20wheels/IMG_1330.jpg


My dirty Zank.





William

[flydhest]

Big Willie,
That is such a hot bike.

[Climb01742]

i love orange. and there are certainly two, totally viable ways to go with orange: dominant color or accent color.

here is how i went recently:

http://www.kirkframeworks.com/photogallery19.htm

#186. in the flesh, er, i mean in the metal, the orange pops in a cool way. whatever you and the mrs. finally select, picking paint is one of the real joys of a custom bike. good luck!