What's with all the black?

[gelfy666]

i like the black colour scheme of my Bird....But..... if it was available in white with white decals that would have been the one for me

 

[OskarTennisChampion]

i like the black colour scheme of my Bird....But..... if it was available in white with white decals that would have been the one for me

Well,I have plenty of Brilliant White Gloss ,so I could paint it for you if you like ?
My work doesn't come guaranteed though

 

[mikeymustard]

My genesis that I bought last year has a white with royal blue frame and all black components (even bar tape soon to be replaced with black - or maybe blue!?), and it looks really good. OTOH my steel bikes are dripping with chrome and polished alloy and I love them. So there

 

[RichardB]

I agree with you Richardb. There seems to be a bit of a Magpie in us that likes bright shiny objects. If you saw your old bike in a shop looking all shiny and new you would probably buy it again.

You're probably right there.

I disagree. Blacks and greys can be very beautiful and subtle.

Agreed. I have no problem with black frames, saddle, tyres, bar tape etc. What I am not keen on is the trend for everything on the bike that isn't painted to be matte black, and in my case with white or multi-coloured decals on it. It just looks ... naff. Black wheels, stem, bars, seatpost etc are just too much black.

I'm not a fan of black but then again I don't really like shiny aluminium (too close to chrome for me). What I do like is when it has dulled slightly through oxidation and being rubbed over with an oily/waxy cloth to clean it, more purposeful somehow.
Patination they call it.

You could get all your ally bits vapour blasted and then wiped with WD40 to stop corrosion. It looks far better than polished IMO

That's the best look. Older motorcycle engines look great if you strip off the lacquer, polish and then oil the alloy. Back in the day of alloy components for bicycles, it was Solvol every weekend and then left to mature. I could never be bothered to get it as shiny as chrome, but the dull silver of clean alloy is lovely.

 

[steve50]

I like my black bike, with just a hint of yellow, very tasteful imo

 

[22point8]

I like my black bike, with just a hint of yellow, very tasteful imo
View attachment 123390

Hows this for you?

 

[OskarTennisChampion]

Hows this for you?
View attachment 123401

Whassat ?

 

[steve50]

Hows this for you?
View attachment 123401

Whassat ?

Kind of, vaguely resembles a bike, wouldn't want to spend any length of time sat on that saddle.....or whats left of it.

 

[22point8]

Kind of, vaguely resembles a bike, wouldn't want to spend any length of time sat on that saddle.....or whats left of it.

Actually that saddle is rock solid to the touch when you're not on it, but its surprisingly comfortable when riding it. The saddle is a Lycett Swallow, still sold as Brooks b15.

The bike is an Elswick lincoln imp 1958, missing decals.

 

[Daddybus]

Not just the black thing , everything's got to be covered with lettering & labels, wheels, tyres, seats, bars, brakes, no subtle chrome highlights or lean graceful lines ..even racers look like chunky MTBs. ...I think I'm getting old.

 

[mikeymustard]

Not just the black thing , everything's got to covered with lettering & labels, wheels, tyres, seats, bars, brakes, no subtle chrome highlights or lean graceful lines ..even racers look like chunky MTBs. ...I think I'm getting old.

I may have mentioned this before (I'm getting to that age where I find myself repeating myself) but not long after buying my Genesis, I realised that what I had chosen was the most retro bike I could find, and what I really wanted was a "proper" bike like they made in the good old days of British cycle manufacture, which is what started me on this insane hobby

I still like it as a bike, both in ride and looks.
I ride this and my [shiny chrome-bedecked] Mercian more or less equally, at the moment. When I ride the Mercian I feel special, and kind of honoured, while the Genesis just feels like a bike, even though the genesis is probably the better ride in every way except comfort.

 

[RichardB]

Not just the black thing , everything's got to be covered with lettering & labels, wheels, tyres, seats, bars, brakes, no subtle chrome highlights or lean graceful lines ..even racers look like chunky MTBs. ...I think I'm getting old.

You're saying what I am thinking, only better.

 

[Spokesmann]

I'm not too bothered by the all black 'stealth' look, however the sheer ugliness that is deep section wheels are another matter...

 

[Milkfloat]

I have no problem with black components, but am not a fan of black frames. If the 11 bikes in my garage - only one has a black frame and that can be excused as it is a Pashley.