best color for a bike?

[bags27]

Few weeks back, I saw a thread at another site where two guys were arguing who had the faster Richard Sachs bike: red or blue!

I know: the best color is the one on your favorite bike.

So, if you were right now constructing your all-time and final dream machine, what color would it be? (I'm in line for that bike soon and have covered the whole rainbow in my mind.)

[flydhest]

blue

[bulliedawg]

Daphne blue, hands down. It's what I'm getting my CSi painted when the time comes to paint my CSi.

All these fender colors are pretty cool:

http://www.novaks.org/restors/FenderColors/index-2.shtml

[Ray]

Absolutely no question about it. Of course, it would have to say Merckx all over it too.

-Ray

[dave thompson]

Yellow! Or any color other than yellow, depending on my mood.

[Matt Barkley]

Cannibal Orange for sure.

[Climb01742]

i bounce back and forth between: molteni and pearl white.

[Matt Barkley]

Yeah, I was going to also say I like the white too - but figured I should stick to one. One of my friends had his DeRosa repainted a few years back by FreshFrames and had them do a AA Pearl White chromed lugs. Man that was one pretty bike!

[Climb01742]

sure, matt, sure you were gonna say white too. pathetic. :beer:

[Bill Bove]

PINK PINK PINK :banana: :banana: :banana:

[slowgoing]

I'm not painting my bike "daphne" anything or "big boy blue" no matter what those colors look like.

[flydhest]

blue.

[Ginger]

Blue, Red and White, or on other peoples bikes: pearl white.

Funny thing is I really really like my platinum CSi with the charcoal decals.

Naked Ti

[Sandy]

Sandy colored, like at the beach.

Sandy

[Sandy]

Sandy colored, like at the beach.

Sandy

[Bill Bove]

Oooh, Ginger said "naked" heh, heh.

[Sandy]

Which blue Flydhest?

1. Pretty Boy Blue
2. Blues Brothers Blue
3. I Feel Blue Blue
4. Bluebird Blue
5. Blue Blood Blue
6. Blue Cheese Blue
7. Blueberry Blue
8. Blue Chip Blue
9. Bluefish Blue
10.Bluegrass Blue
11. Blue-Collar Blue
12. Blue Jay Blue

Take a chance Fly Man and pick a blue!

Feeling So Blue,

Sandy

[vaxn8r]

All my bikes have yellow on them somewhere but only my Merkx is all yellow.

Carbon fiber...I don't need to show it all but you gotta leave at least some of it nude or clear coated.

As long as you got some yellow on it you can't go too wrong;)

[Sandy]

Bill,

I remember several years ago a cyclist riding a pink bike. It was really quite beautiful. Never thought that I would like that color on a bike, especially for a male, but it really did look outstanding.

vaxn8r,

I don't really like the look of most of the Trek OCLV bikes, but I remember a nude carbon fiber OCLV bike which I really liked, by far my favorite in the Trek line. It had a certain conservative, subdued, but elegant look to it.

I must admit that my all time favorite carbon fiber nude is none other than CARBON CALFEE KEVAN. He just has a certain radiance and beauty that is unsurpassed by all others.

Sandy

[TimD]

My favorites:

1. Sea Sprite Green, a mid-80's Cannondale color, approximated by Serotta 'Porsche Bebe'

2. Smoke silver

3. White

4. The blue used on the de Rosa Merak of a few years ago

Tim

[Sandy]

TimD,

What about the celeste (spelling?) green that Bianchi has had forever. I always liked that and I don't really like green colors (except at a stop light and on $1,000 bills).


STill Serotta Sandy

[TimD]

Hiya Sandy, yes, I'm a fan of Celeste, I just didn't think of it. I think it goes great with the yellow and black trims on some of Bianchi's newer models.

The Cannondale green was a sparkly metallic which reminded me of really clear and warm ocean waters. Must have stimulated the memory of my distant ancestor crawling out onto the beach :)

[Kevin]

If painted, two-tone. Red and white.

If carbon, clear-coated.

Kevin

[bulliedawg]

Would it be a cycling sin to Celeste a Serotta, Sandy? Thought only Bianchis could wear that color.

BTW, I knew a girl names Celeste and she was fine.

[dbrk]

I'd be happy with any of these:

French blue, like a Rene Herse.

Black with red decals, like Alex Singer.

White with yellow decals, like a Masi.

Molteni, like Eddy.

Red with white offset, like a Sachs.

Silver with orange or creme decals, like Nagasawa.

Any color that Grant Petersen picks for me.

For Serottas: Big Boy Blue (not yellow decals) or Frost White (blue decals or anything calm), but that Candy Apple red with blue decals is all that too.

dbrk

[bags27]

Like I (should have) said, everyone gets to pick ONE final bike, except, of course, dbrk, for whom one means "nine" and dnovo, for whom it means 15 or 20!:)

[Elefantino]

Serotta: White, fade to yellow. Is there any argument? No.

Otherwise, all bikes should approximate the old colors of Formula One:

Italian: Red ... with white lugs.

German bikes should be all silver.

French bikes are blue.

British bikes are green.

[Too Tall]

In 1972 I ordered a Hetchins and ask them to create the most gawd-awful electric green they could devise. This was a reverse strategy to thwart a rash of bike gang thefts. Gotta admit, it was interesting and fun to own something that "out there".

Funny you should mention Fresh Frames. When I found this guy painting frames in his mom's basement I was blown away with his skill. Brian helped me decide on a color by spraying samples on the wall and smearing them with various pearls. What we ended up with is now my all time fav. and trust me you have to see it to understand....BATTLESHIP grey with either a purple or a red pearl clear coat.

Don't ask about my wife's Lois Lane / Serotta. The sight of the bike makes Smiley cry.

[keno]

flydhest with candy apple green lugs

keno

[keno]

So what's this about not liking green? It's not easy being green. Money is green. And then there are Oh Bebe and Grey Bebe.

Do we have a problem here?

keno

[Sandy]

Keno,

I guess I am just green with envy. Your Porsche Bebe Concours is certainly one of the most appealing bikes that I have seen. That color green and celeste green are two exceptions.

Have you taken your Spectrum out yet or are you still too busy staring at and admiring it?

The Jolly Green Giant,

Sandy

[djg]

the color I had my CSi repainted. Told the guy I liked the blue on the recent model Ford Thunderbird. "Daphne" didn't come up.

[amg]

There are a few bikes, in various color schemes, that are the source of most of my bike daydreams :) They are:

1. As someone mentioned before, a pearl white De Rosa Primato EL-OS with chrome head lugs, fork crown, DS chain stay and F/R dropouts and with simple black letter outline of De Rosa on the down tube with the trade mark red heart. De Rosa and red heart engraved on fork crown as well. Ugo, if you have one in 59-60 stashed away somewhere in the factory, give me a buzz. I speak Italian.

2. Richard Sachs in the color scheme of Red Turbo's bike or pearl white with red panels.

3. A Chris Kvale in any metallic blue that highlights Chris's amazing workmanship.

4. A slightly more modernized Molteni-like metallic orange (ala Pinarello Prince from a few years back) with dark blue panels for contrast. The current De Rosa Neo Primato is kinda what I'm getting at.

5. Red. At least one bike you own at somepoint should be red. :)

Antonio :beer:

[flydhest]

blue!

[MartyE]

Big boy Blue or Azure blue.
Bare Ti with Blue panels and white Serotta decals classy.

Marty

[Bruce K]

I have always favored dark blues on my bikes and on my old race cars.

Chevrolet Midnight Blue Metallic was one of the coolest colors ever.

My Concours was Midnight Blue, but I decided it was too dark. The bike is now the new (2003) Cobalt Blue. I also like the Saphire in the current colors.

BK

[BumbleBeeDave]

Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow & Black & Yellow!!!

BBDave

PS . . . Sandy said "NUDE!!" (Tee-Hee!)

[Climb01742]

i bet ben doesn't realize he really makes children's bikes. :bike:

[Ginger]

Sure he does.

And so do we.

[jl123]

Got to go against the grain here, and I supose against the grain of Serotta colors in general. That is, I say, flat. FLat, no gloss, little shine, pure singular color, just like mercedes used to paint their's in the 60's. Pure flat, beige, navy, olive, grey etc. Let a great machine's design do the talking, and let color lay calm, as nature does (on whats left of) on earth.

[Jeff N.]

"I wanna see it painted, painted, painted....painted black! Yea!"
- Mick Jagger

[gaxi]

Blue or - let me think maybe blue ?
Blue like my old CSI - BBB with Competition red (fork / decals)
Blue like my brand-new Legend - arctic blue with platinum (fork) and decals in titanium/charcoal

[Ozz]

No question: Blue (Serotta Sapphire Blue)

With white seat tube panel and head tube - yellow trim.

Classic
subtle
slightly nautical...

[SPOKE]

as Fly keeps reminding us...........Blue!!

if you can find the old image gallery you can take a look at my CSi.
Quick Silver with Cobalt blue in the team paint scheme. the silver and blue are separated by a red accent stripe!

it took me 2 hours to get all of Sandy's finger prints off of it after our visit to DC last summer!