Why do pros ride bikes with such paint jobs?

[IanSmithCSE]

Good afternoon,

Watching the grand tours this year has made me wonder why, as the title says, do so many of the bikes have such uninspiring paint jobs?

I remember when I was kid, Viking and Holdsworth both had UK based pro teams and I wanted a Holdsworth because of the Orange and Blue paint job, the one Planet X are using now, the Viking looked cheap.

Then there was the red Team Raleigh bike with the black and yellow downtube transfers, beautiful. I am sure many Raleigh Europas (non alloy steel frame, steel wheels and chainset etc) were sold because of it.

Given that these were all 531 frames so probably close to identical colour was the only thing to consider when choosing!

Looking at this years bikes many seem to be a single colour with a simple typeface that is too large for the frame, e.g. BMC or Canyon.

They don't make me want them, seems like a wasted opportunity?

Bye

Ian

 

[vickster]

It’s clearly what the designers think looks cool
And the marketeers think the bike buying public will want when lookalike bikes are released to the market

 

[jarlrmai]

Pros ride the bike the sponsors provide for them so that they advertise that bike maker, special riders who have won Olympics, world's, nationals or achieved other top awards will sometimes have a special paint job applied to the bike, like Tony Martin's Kraftwerk TT bike. Sagan has had a few. There may also be more subtle additions for some bikes like WC stripes etc. GCN's pro bike 'reviews' are a good place to see these.

 

[MontyVeda]

[QUOTE 5368283, member: 9609"]paint and transfers come with a weight penalty - the less the better[/QUOTE]
So that's why they shave their legs... it's to save weight!

 

[ColinJ]

[QUOTE 5368283, member: 9609"]paint and transfers come with a weight penalty - the less the better[/QUOTE]
All pro bikes weigh pretty much exactly the same - 6.8 kg! They are not allowed to weigh less so if the paint and transfers were taken off then they would have to add weight somewhere else to stay above the limit.

 

[Racing roadkill]

The sponsor’s colour schemes are king. Dull sponsors, dull bikes.

 

[midlife]

Still no beating Lagoon Blue, White and chrome

 

[Sharky]

Still no beating Lagoon Blue, White and chrome

View attachment 427906

That rider looks strangely familiar.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Still no beating Lagoon Blue, White and chrome

View attachment 427906

I Remember that exact model in the window of a shop near me. It was unusual for it's day as you hardly ever saw complete race bikes for sale with sprints and tubs as standard, most cyclists built their own. I spent a fair bit of time gazing in the shop window lusting after it.

 

[simonali]

What about this sort of thing?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features...sets-for-the-jersey-winners-in-paris-gallery/

 

[derrick]

So that's why they shave their legs... it's to save weight![/
Marginal gains

 

[Drago]

Bedause flash paintwork detracts from the main sponsorship billboards, AKA the riders clothing. It's difficult to get a meaningful logo that shows up well in tv on a bike frame, so it goes on their snazzy tight fitting lyrcra instead.

BITD this is why Hetchins used curly stays, to make their bikes instantly recognisable.

 

[midlife]

Bedause flash paintwork detracts from the main sponsorship billboards, AKA the riders clothing. It's difficult to get a meaningful logo that shows up well in tv on a bike frame, so it goes on their snazzy tight fitting lyrcra instead.

BITD this is why Hetchins used curly stays, to make their bikes instantly recognisable.

Yep, vibrant stays and diadrent forks

 

[wheresthetorch]

Celeste stands out . . .

 

[Sharky]

And EG Bates - see my avatar picture