Are looks important?

[snorri]

If the colour is the first thing I notice about a bike, then it is too bright by far for my taste.

 

[Accy cyclist]

If you want a bike to look good you have to look good yourself. That's not easy though if you have a coloured bike as you'll have endless problems matching what you wear with the bike. Get a black, white, silver or graphite/grey bike and clothes matching will be a lot easier.

 

[Roadrider48]

The blacker and stealthier the better! I even wear a full face balaclava to accomplish the "Shadow" look.

 

[Saluki]

When I was looking for a new bike, the ride was the most important thing to me and then the paint-job. Having said that, if I didn't like the look of the bike and thought that it looked odd, I didn't test ride it.
I ended up at Planet X and rode a Pro Carbon, loved it and then ordered it in that nice blue colour. When buying my CX, it was second hand, the right price and it was fantastic to ride so colour changing was not an option and not something I was going to fuss about at that price. It was a bit mucky and it was all black, including bar tape, pedals the lot. So I did buy it, brought it home and gave it a clean, added green bar tape, SPDs and a green bottle cage and think that he looks really nice.

 

[Drago]

Not all that bothered, provided its not pink with Dale Winton decals.

 

[Roadrider48]

When I was looking for a new bike, the ride was the most important thing to me and then the paint-job. Having said that, if I didn't like the look of the bike and thought that it looked odd, I didn't test ride it.
I ended up at Planet X and rode a Pro Carbon, loved it and then ordered it in that nice blue colour. When buying my CX, it was second hand, the right price and it was fantastic to ride so colour changing was not an option and not something I was going to fuss about at that price. It was a bit mucky and it was all black, including bar tape, pedals the lot. So I did buy it, brought it home and gave it a clean, added green bar tape, SPDs and a green bottle cage and think that he looks really nice.

Yes, you can accent a bike very nicely with a few small touches.

 

[Dan_Marshall]

I think I read on here (and tend to agree) that bike looks are important. Obviously bike fit and comfort are the most important. However, having a great looking (and clean) bike makes you want to go out on it more so!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder though, so as long as you love how it looks (and rides) then that's what's important

 

[T4tomo]

Looks are very important, particularly as as much as we'd like to think different, or the brands marketing departments would like us to think, one brands carbon sportive/ alloy aggressive / gravel *(as applicable) bike is very much like another, particularly the big brands.

So looks and style is a differentiator. And if you feel good about the bikes because of it looks, the bike will feel good too.

 

[3narf]

Of course looks are important!

Modern bikes are all superb; it takes full-time journos and professional riders to bring out any differences.

Buy the one you like the best and sod everyone else! You'll form a relationship with it anyway.

 

[wheresthetorch]

It has to be celeste, and only one brand does that properly ...

 

[User33236]

I shortlist by bikes I like the look of, then by the ride and component spec, even if that breaks any of the cardinal rules e.g. a non celeste Bianchi!

 

[ayceejay]

I don't think thesis any different from any other attractive item or one to pay attention to after all we didn't arrive at the co;our of traffic lights by accident.
In a line of bikes all black except one red one it is the red one that will draw the immediate attention but just like photography it is the black and white pictures that command attention to detail. In the end though it is psychological - have you ever noticed how smoothly your car runs after you have washed and polished it?

 

[ianrauk]

Anything but red (so common, so yuk) or celeste (Just yuk)

 

[Shadow]

I even wear a full face balaclava to accomplish the "Shadow" look

Oi !! That will be lower case 's' in shadow, pls!

 

[User33236]

I once bought a bike at Sora spec as I didn't like the colours on Tiagra and 105 spec bikes. When those bits wore out I stuck 105 on it myself.