What colour should a Winter bike be?

sparquin
sparquin Posts: 69
edited August 2019 in Road buying advice
I've got a late 80s vintage steel frame, to which I plan to attach my extensive collection of spares to make a Winter bike - it has clearance and eyelets for mudguards, which my Roubaix lacks. It needs a re-spray/powder coat, so what's the preference: something in the 'Ow, my eyes!' red/orange/yellow range, or something more subdued but plenty of retroreflective details? It will be ridden almost entirely in the dark.

Comments

  • craigus89
    craigus89 Posts: 887
    A colour you like would be a good start. Why would the bike need to be bright and vibrant?

    If you're concerned about being seen you are better off addressing that with clothing and lights.
  • super_davo
    super_davo Posts: 1,229
    Royal Blue:

    https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-7 ... GIQAvD_BwE

    Ribble following the Henry Ford school of colour options for the ubiquitous and classic winter bike...
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    Sparquin wrote:
    It will be ridden almost entirely in the dark.

    In which case, I would say the choice of colour is mostly irrelevant...
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,866
    It'll get covered in muck and ridden in the dark, colour is irrelevant. Lights and proper reflectors, those 3M spoke reflectors light up really well even when quite mucky.
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • Matthewfalle
    Matthewfalle Posts: 17,380
    hot pink a la Madone. May as well be fun and cool and annoy clubbies.

    #rockin'
    #annoytheclubbies
    Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am

    De Sisti wrote:
    This is one of the silliest threads I've come across. :lol:

    Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour :D
    smithy21 wrote:

    He's right you know.
  • step83
    step83 Posts: 4,170
    Matthewfalle wrote:
    hot pink a la Madone. May as well be fun and cool and annoy clubbies.

    #rockin'
    #annoytheclubbies


    Pfft beige you heathen

    As Mr V said reflectives work much better an still work when mucky. Just have something in terms of bright clothing, lights and reflective's, you could have a matt black bike an with those it wont matter.
    Titanium Px Spitfire
    Easty commuter
    Tripster AT
  • pilot_pete
    pilot_pete Posts: 2,120
    Sh1t. Then it won’t look like you haven’t washed it after a particularly shitty winter ride. :)

    PP
  • Matthewfalle
    Matthewfalle Posts: 17,380
    Step83 wrote:
    Matthewfalle wrote:
    hot pink a la Madone. May as well be fun and cool and annoy clubbies.

    #rockin'
    #annoytheclubbies


    Pfft beige you heathen

    As Mr V said reflectives work much better an still work when mucky. Just have something in terms of bright clothing, lights and reflective's, you could have a matt black bike an with those it wont matter.


    all Madones are beige or magnolia on the inside. it makes them what they are.

    #insipid
    Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am

    De Sisti wrote:
    This is one of the silliest threads I've come across. :lol:

    Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour :D
    smithy21 wrote:

    He's right you know.
  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    Can you get it resprayed in reflective paint ? that would look fantastic.

    I think Planet X had a luminous bike once ?
  • joe_totale-2
    joe_totale-2 Posts: 1,333
    If you're so worried about visibility whack a load of fairy lights on it like some people do on Dunwich Dynamo.
    Otherwise wear some bright clothes and use decent lights.
  • step83
    step83 Posts: 4,170
    Fenix wrote:
    Can you get it resprayed in reflective paint ? that would look fantastic.

    I think Planet X had a luminous bike once ?

    They actually did a glow in the dark on one 456 at one point, Niner did a whole swathe a few years back, normal looking frame that glowed in the dark.
    Titanium Px Spitfire
    Easty commuter
    Tripster AT
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,866
    Volvo Life paint? I think it’s called that, made the news a couple of years back. Made anything reflective, even elk.
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • sparquin
    sparquin Posts: 69
    Some good ideas here, so I'll probably go with some suitably bright colour PLUS a load of stickers.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Sparquin wrote:
    Some good ideas here, so I'll probably go with some suitably bright colour PLUS a load of stickers.


    On my old fixie I just whacked 3M tape all over it. Looks awful but fantastic in headlights.

    It's the moving bits that really catch your eye though so reflectives on the wheels pedals cranks shoes calves..
  • Matthewfalle
    Matthewfalle Posts: 17,380
    whatever colour you do it all the MFs heartily recommend that you powder coat it - cheaper, more durable, etc etc. All colours available as well.

    Triple S in Bingley are brilliant and do excellent postal service, naturally there are brazilians of places that do it.

    This is assuming, of course, that your frameset is metal!

    #brightpinkrocks
    Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am

    De Sisti wrote:
    This is one of the silliest threads I've come across. :lol:

    Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour :D
    smithy21 wrote:

    He's right you know.
  • StillGoing
    StillGoing Posts: 5,211
    Sparquin wrote:
    I've got a late 80s vintage steel frame, to which I plan to attach my extensive collection of spares to make a Winter bike - it has clearance and eyelets for mudguards, which my Roubaix lacks. It needs a re-spray/powder coat, so what's the preference: something in the 'Ow, my eyes!' red/orange/yellow range, or something more subdued but plenty of retroreflective details? It will be ridden almost entirely in the dark.

    WTF?
    I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.
  • sparquin
    sparquin Posts: 69
    philthy3, for reasons he knows best, wrote:
    WTF?

    Should I repeat the question in larger print? :lol:

    Thank you for your question. It's very simple, I'm hoping for a few ideas or anecdotes to gauge the relative merits of conventional bright colours or an overdose of retroreflectives. I've had some very good advice, plus a timely reminder to ask myself, WTF?
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,108
    I'd go with white or white and another colour if that's an option - or red might be nice. Personally wouldn't go with dayglo colours but it's really a matter of personal taste. I wouldn't go blue either just because if that period when everyone had a blue winter Ribble.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    Sparquin wrote:
    philthy3, for reasons he knows best, wrote:
    WTF?

    Should I repeat the question in larger print? :lol:

    Thank you for your question. It's very simple, I'm hoping for a few ideas or anecdotes to gauge the relative merits of conventional bright colours or an overdose of retroreflectives. I've had some very good advice, plus a timely reminder to ask myself, WTF?

    I suspect philthy wrote that because there is no conventional logic behind your supposition that bright or dayglo colours will have any effect if the bike is to be ridden 'entirely in the dark' as you put it. It would make more sense to concentrate on reflective clothing or suitable lighting sets instead.
  • craigus89
    craigus89 Posts: 887
    oxoman wrote:
    When my winter,wet hack gets sprayed it will be a dayglo orange with reflective specs in. That way there is no excuse for not seeing me and no one will want to knick it either. It will pixx a few of the local clubbies off as I frequently pass them on my way home after work. Either way sparquin just go with what you want and stuff what others think.

    How do you know they are clubbies, are they riding a chain gang? Why would riding an orange bike pi55 them off?
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    oxoman wrote:
    It will pixx a few of the local clubbies off as I frequently pass them on my way home after work.

    Fair play, you sound awesome...
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,120
    Red.

    All my bikes are red.
    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    Check out colour burn studio and ooey custom on Instagram for inspiration.

    Do something awesome, but whatever you do, do it properly.
  • mrfpb
    mrfpb Posts: 4,569
    It should match your favourite cycling socks.
  • darkhairedlord
    darkhairedlord Posts: 7,180
    Get some brown green and black rattle cans and paint it on a cold day.

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