Bike for the MRS help from the girls...

welkman

Hi All,

Im trying to sort out a touring bike for mrs welkman using her current bike as a donor. Its going to be used for summer rides and touring. I have narrowed the frame choice down to a Surley LHT in 42 or 46cm guise, but welcome other frame and fork suggestions around the same price point.

There is a big problem here. I am keen to make the bike look a little feminine, and need some design advice. There are two frame colours to choose from bike radar blue or deep black. I reckon an old school black and leather theme could be nice or maybe black with some hints of pink, but I really dont have a clue!

So calling all girls or interested guys....help me put together a colour scheme that wont make her look like mad max.

Cheers

Welkman

Kieran_Burns

What? Someone else will eventually if *I* don't :P

welkman

Does that fix to bike or rider?

Kieran_Burns

welkman wrote:

Does that fix to bike or rider?

bike - handlebar tassles - no self-respecting girlie can ride without them.


(God I am going to die when the wimmins on here get to see that post)

deptfordmarmoset

As a ''bachelor'' my advice is of limited use. But I'm not going to let an incidental and inconsequential fact like that stop me so here goes...

See if you can find a colour that matches her eyes/hair/favourite dress and then let her know that you chose it specifically with her eyes/hair/favourite dress in mind. If she has a preferred little black number that she wears with brown leather boots, then a black frame with a Brooks saddle might work nicely...

welkman

Hints of leather are good I think, but I will try and avoid the full bondage shop look. On the topic of the brooks saddle, its a big risk, I may put her off riding for life (mine took about 6 months to fully break in and Mrs welkman has limited time for such hardships).

Cheers Welkman

Cafewanda

Kieran_Burns wrote:

welkman wrote:

Does that fix to bike or rider?

bike - handlebar tassles - no self-respecting girlie can ride without them.


(God I am going to die when the wimmins on here get to see that post)

Get the coffin ready :twisted:

Can't help on girlifying a bike as that makes me think of pink and flowers which I'm not keen on. Unless you count spokeydokes

Cafewanda

Calling ITB to the thread! He's just refurb'd a bike so he'd be good for colour schemes.

SimonAH

Seems an evil thing to do to a brand new frame but why not (whilst it's still a frame) get it powdercoated? Should cost around £65 and the range of colour is then limitless. Down here in the Principality there are a load of places to go - have a look at the South Wales Powdercoating (in Swansea) website.

I reckon the brownie points gained by presenting her with a bicycle RAL matched to the colour of her eyes would leave you raw and bow-legged for a month!

stevec205gti

Speaking as a single male with one failed marriage under his belt I'm sure I can be full of useful suggestions.... On the other hand, I do like to have a colour co-ordinated bike

Definately try and go for her favourite colour, then look at detailing the bike with bits of that colour to stand out from the black frame. Saddles, handlebar tape and cable sets can be found in most colours, and some pedals, hoods and tyres too. I personally wouldn't go for the blue frame unless she really liked the blue, as trying to get other 'individual touch' items to compliment it will be a lot trickier.

edhornby

how about this for a crazy, crazy idea.....

ask her what she likes 8)

the bob jackson site has colourcharts of standard spray shades they do, if you go down the respray route, or if she likes the stock frame colour then ask her what 'accent' colours she would like to go with it

charge do a tan spoon saddle and matching bartape if you want brown but not brooks

lost_in_thought

Why, oh why, oh why are you trying to deal with the aesthetics without her input?

Schoolboy error

Oh and bikeradar blue is a truly awful colour for a bike. Sorry bikeradar.

essex-commuter

I bought my GF her commuter. It's matt black with a black saddle, a black rack, and a black pannier. I did buy her a yellow skid lid though, and a pink buff!. She thinks it's cool...I think :roll:

tgotb

Wicker basket

Time to make myself scarce...

welkman

Well the favorite colour is the same coulor as the current surley cross check frame, and building that up with brown saddle and bar tape would be cool, however she would need it in 42cm size which to me seems too small to be running 700c wheels, unless any other 5 ft 3 female disagree?

As far as asking her what she likes, she wants to leave design ideas in my hands; i fear this is some kind of test (after 10 years).

I dont really have funds to go down the respray route.

Thanks for your input so far, im liking the charge saddles, but the basket is out, i'll leave that for my mums pashley.


Welkman

Cafewanda

Get the Mrs to test-ride the Cross-Check so both you and she will know for certain.

650c wheel-sized bikes are less common but I managed to find one (road bike) for my 4'11, short-arms/long legs self. My commuter is a hybrid with standard wheels and, once tweaked, is now ok.

welkman

Desision made,

42cm crosscheck in robins egg blue, charge saddle, bar tape to match frame.

Will post pics when built. Its also about time I posted some of my bike.


Welkman