Do aesthetics matter?

[DM]

Always.

But practicalities (£$€) sometimes take precedence on my everyday bikes if the "aesthetic" alternative would mean buying a new wheel or other expensive stuff.

But aesthetics is more about style and balance than bling.
A tatty old rod-brake roadster can have loads of style while a brightly anodized super-bike can be an aesthetic nightmare.

 

[Dhphat]

Who voted no?

The always matter to me, and are usually the spark of inspiration I need to start a new project.

 

[awaycaboose]

:roll: Me.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that. I like bikes and it really doesn't matter to me what they look like.

 

[Andy R]

Who voted no?

And me - I just like nice, clean functional builds. I'm not sure that you can call that aesthetics though.

 

[CTK]

Always has. But I'm the same with everything. Form follows function – Most things that are well designed and work well are beautiful. Bikes are no exception.

agreed...

For me aesthetics matter alot (you'd never guess to look at my bikes mind)

BUT

matching tyres, matching stem and post, all blue bits etc etc can sometimes still look crap!

I find bikes that look fit for purpose do it for me aesthetically.

 

[Archangel]

If the aesthetics matter highly, why do we get so many BOTMs with mismatch colored or mix of modern and vintage parts ???

 

[sq225917]

Mostly yeh. Whenever i buy anything the qualification hurdles are price, performance yada yada yah, but the final decision is always down to looks.

 

[greenZ]

For someone who actually ride and race their retro bikes, then function first.

For a garage queen, then it's all about aesthetic.

An example would be those Paul Components (derailleurs etc). I would NEVER, EVER use those crappy components on my race bikes or my casual Saturday morning riding bikes. People who pay ridiculous amount of money on them, do they even know how the components perform? They're junk. Piece of $hit. They don't work!

BUT, on a garage queen/display bike on the wall, I will put the Paul Components on for the "bling" factor and its uniqueness. They look very nice.

There's a saying at bike races: Don't worry about the guys in the flashy bikes. Keep an eye on the guys with the mismatched (parts) bikes or the conservative looking bikes.

 

[sinnett177]

They matter a great deal, second only to function.

 

[hamster]

Contrary to some opinion, asthetics does not always involve anodised bling. It's all about balance.

I hate stuff with too much anodising...less is more!

But bearing in mind the BOTM votes I'm in a minority of 2.