Paintpots and Letraset

On looking at all these old(er) bikes, you know, one thing stands out to me...the aesthetics of the finish.

A consistant smile maker in the unveiling of all these machines seems to be the paint jobs and respective graphics being so much nicer and more aesthetically pleasing than modern ideas of taste and appearance.

Now I know that makes me sound like an old fogie (and I'd agree with that) but I'd also consider myself a bike aesthete and I just can't help thinking it's about time it all came round again.

Plain, glossy good primary colours with simple tasteful typefaces for logos and all wording/ branding to be in proportion to the frame. That last rule seems so crucial to me too.

I know frames are getting bigger and bigger with their abuse proof (or at least appearance of abuse proof) tubes, but the branding has got so ghastly, (hideous graphics for the sake of hideous graphics), but making the logos even bigger just compounds the problem.

The answer for those of us that want a modern ride (and a retro rig), is to re-appropriate a retro bike and or buy custom - a sparcely populated land of a few likeminded souls, where sense and taste still appear intact.

At least it all keeps our little world special and desirable and rarer by the year, but it makes for a greyer, matt paintier, 'core'ier, jumpy world. And I for one think the world is jumpy enough.

Here's to the Orange Orange's and the Mango M2's and the apple green Fat's of this world - I salute you.

well said

Very well said, though I must admit to preferring nice deep metallic finishes to plain solid colours.

I remember the horror and disgust when I first saw the "splat" style Kona logos and the paint jobs that went with them.

"Modern" bikes look plain and plain awful to me, as a rule. I'm beginning to have difficulty in telling an expensive, quality bike from a cheap and horrible one without checking the groupset level of the drivetrain components these days...

Cheers,

AJ

That's spot on Gus and interesting that some new brands have successfully adopted older, cleaner graphics e.g. the panel on the Cotic Soul and Roadrat, the Planet X Kaffenback (Allegro beige and Burgundy panel - how cool is that?). I'm not sure I particularly like either mind, just a good colour/look.

I've also thought that Specialized (and I know I'm a bit obsessed with them at the moment) have had great and simple graphics, in the main - look at their current Allez roadbike which looks both 'right' and so much more expensive than it is while also being clean and calm. Very sweet.

It works the other way of course - I'm risking a lot but I've always thought that the Independent Fabrication graphics are just awful and seriously detract from very handsome looking bikes. Would it stop me owning one? Probably not but it would give me serious pause for thought if that isn't completely ridiculous.

I thought that to Ed, those indy frames look f ing awsome, but the graphics just look to "youth club" for me.

Less is more, why the hell do they have www.imakebikes.com or whatever on the frame, they never used to put their telephone number on the bikes!

Stick Legs":3ueh5dd0 said:

Less is more, why the hell do they have www.imakebikes.com or whatever on the frame, they never used to put their telephone number on the bikes!

Click to expand...

Although wouldn't it have been great if they put their whole address on with postcode! And you could date London builders by whether the phone number was 01 or later.

Strange you mention the Cotic graphics, I have done them for Cy for a number of years and they are just looking at updating them

Going with a more modern "grey" theme, not sure they will be to everybodies liking :?

i agree that the aesthetics are the single biggest factor as to why i really dislike most modern bikes - its not just the frame colours and graphics either - the huge amount of text and logos squeezed onto everything looks awful. im surprised they havent started printing useless technical data onto valve caps. it just makes everything look crowded and horrid. and as for the new xtr stuff.... vulgar! (hehe - sound like laurence bowan man!)

as was said, to an out of touch eye, its very hard to tell the cheap bikes from the expensive ones as they all have the same generic looking black componets, just different logos on them.

we went in several bike shops in new york (mostly courier type shops) and a lot of them had really nice paint jobs - several bianchis with the white panel you guys mention. theres some really interesting artist cross overs going on as well - futura and stash just did colnago frames that look pretty nuts. be-bike in japan has been doing an artist series for years with some really nice results.
i really like the look of some of the cotics too but would have to get rid of the headbadge!

gil_m":3tnq4sl1 said:

Strange you mention the Cotic graphics, I have done them for Cy for a number of years and they are just looking at updating them

Going with a more modern "grey" theme, not sure they will be to everybodies liking :?

Click to expand...

Yep, have seen the new graphics on the Cotic website and am very underwhelmed, especially with the wraparound one.

Keep classy and don't update I'd say - look at Kona (no not that argument) and Merlin, very cool and understated and changed to the current ones that look just a mess to me.

Apart from ones mentioned above, any others graphics that people rate?