What's with all the black?

[youngoldbloke]

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

 

[raleighnut]

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.

 

[derrick]

...try telling that to Henry Ford.......

Things have moved on since then.
I do like black but it has to have a bit of red and white to set it of.

 

[OskarTennisChampion]

My Rourke will very soon be a black component free zone ....

Me likey Rourke.
Whatever the colour

 

[further]

I am with the OP I dislike all the mat black on modern bikes,not that I have one.

 

[contadino]

I think that black can be used to accentuate shiny stuff. The frame of my bike is gold. Having swapped the brown saddle for a black one and replaced the white bar tape and beige hoods with black, it makes the frame seem a bit more glitzy. To my eye, at least.

I'm planning on getting replacement brake callipers for touring and might try black ones.

That said I black rims, hubs or drive chain always look wrong to me, even on flashy CX bikes, so maybe I'm just being a hypocrite.

 

[PenttitheFinn]

This is probably the wrong place to post this, but at least I reckon I'll get a sympathetic hearing.

I've been back into cycling for a couple of years now, and have bought two new bikes in that time - a Dawes Galaxy which was returned as there were too many things about it I didn't like, and its replacement a Dawes Galaxy Cross. The Cross is a nice bike and rides well, but both the 'new' bikes have left me a bit unsatisfied when I stand and look at them. It was only last weekend that I realised why.

I took off the ergo grips from the Cross, as they added nothing to comfort and efficiency, and looked like something off the orthopaedic ward. I replaced them with normal lock-on grips and some bar ends. The bar ends I chose were the ones from Halfords with the little tool kits hidden inside, which I thought was a great idea. Looking at the bike now, they are the bits on it that give me the most pleasure. I've just realised it's because they are nice polished alloy. Everything else on the bike - chainset, wheels, bars, stem, seatpost, rack - are in matte or gloss black, with lots of graphics plastered all over.

While I appreciate that there is a fashion in these things, I just find all of this very ugly. If there was a quick and non-damaging way to strip all the black off and have just plain alloy that I could polish when I felt like it, I would do it tomorrow. But I suspect the coatings are bonded pretty securely, and it might be better to just replace components with alloy equivalents - the total cost of which could be significant (and a bit of a waste, as everything functions perfectly).

I'm not asking for advice, really, just having a moan. When I was looking round for a new bike last year, I was in a position to put the best part of a grand into a new steed, and nothing I saw in the shops or online really made me think "I have got to have one of those". Now I realise why. I went for a Dawes because of a good experience with a Galaxy in the 80s, but of course the fashions and even the country of manufacture have changed.

Rant over, thanks for listening

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

 

[booze and cake]

I agree with OP, we're finally moving into summer and a bit of sunshine reflecting off some shiny bits looks so much nicer than dull black.(shameless shot of readers wife pending....)

My Rourke will very soon be a black component free zone ....

ooh looking forward to seeing this, we will have to set up the spangly disco glitter ball Rourke club. I was out on mine in the sunshine the other day and it was on full dazzle mode, zing!

 

[velovoice]

I don't mind black frames, provided the rest of the build provides strong contrasts. I have a piano black Surly Cross Check but felt from the beginning that it was crucial for components to be shiny silver. Finishing kit e.g. seat post, head tube and stem are black but after several years I changed the black saddle and bar tape out for red. The important thing about the colour scheme, for me, is that the chainrings, cranks and both mechs are silver.

The Surly Pacer I had for a few years also came with black finishing kit etc and it was just hideous -- all that black sucked the life right out of the British Racing Green frame. First thing I did was swap out the finishing kit and entire drivechain for silver stuff and fit Brooks saddle and bar tape in honey.

What I hate is the dull dark grey of so many modern components, especially the Shimano Ultegra in recent years. Talk about fugly! I've gone out of my way to find alternatives e.g. Stronglight, Specialities TA, etc -- okay, mostly in order to get the gear ratios and crankarm lengths I want but definitely also to get shiny silvery stuff!

 

[OskarTennisChampion]

I agree with OP, we're finally moving into summer and a bit of sunshine reflecting off some shiny bits looks so much nicer than dull black.(shameless shot of readers wife pending....)



ooh looking forward to seeing this, we will have to set up the spangly disco glitter ball Rourke club. I was out on mine in the sunshine the other day and it was on full dazzle mode, zing!

That's what I'm talking about !!!
Serves as a reminder that Britain is awash with highly skilled,highly recommended frame builders

 

[mjr]

Phew! I thought this was going to be another special clothing request!

I'm not a big fan of black on bikes, mainly because my eyes play tricks on me and I can't tell if it's black or blue or brown! Partly because the evil spesh are often black too, though.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

apart from the tyres & optional gurds & rack, my Birdy is a Black free zone. My Brompton however is black frame and my 25 odd year old Dahon is red framed but all posts, the bars etc are done in black, so it's not a new fad.

 

[midlife]

I remember the black first gen dura ace...........

Looked good against the pink bike I had at the time

Shaun

 

[OskarTennisChampion]

All black isn't all bad I hasten to add.
Have a look at @gelfy666 ' s Bird Zero AM.A fine specimen of Stealth build.
But all black components on certain colours can look generic.

 

[PenttitheFinn]

I am keeping my black components black. Anything bright makes it look like I can keep up a fast pace