How important is bike color to you?

I've been bike shopping for a few months and it looks like I'll be getting a 2009 Felt. I have a great connection for an awesome price. So they just put up the new 2009 website and unfortunately, I really dislike the color on the bike that would work best for my budget (they don't have prices posted yet, but I'm trying to estimate based on last year's pricing). What do you think of this color combo?

http://www.feltracing.com/09-catalog...9-zw3-int.aspx

I don't know about that gold...it's just not me. I hate to let bike color influence my decision too much, but if I'm going to spend a good chunk of change on a bike that I plan to ride for several years, then I want to LOVE the color!!! Am I being petty? Or will I learn to love a new bike no matter what color it is?

I like the B&G combination, but it's just a personal bias. (GO STEELERS!)

It looks like an awesome bike. Look at those 650c wheels! Woohoo!

Years ago when I bought my mountain bike I decided to sleep on it for ONE night. The next day when I went back to buy the bike the really cool color I wanted had been sold. The only other bike they had in my size was the same model but was a horrible color. The color was called "citrus green" but it was more like a pissy metallic Gatorade yellow.

I was less than enthused about the color, but I bought the bike anyway.

I fell in love with the bike the first time I took it out for a ride.

That bike is still with me 10 years later, and although it's been more of a utility bike recently, I still love this bike, warts & all. I love how ugly the color is and how out-of-style the geometry is. And good lord it is heavy! This essentially means that the bike is theft-proof, which is very important to me these days.

If I ever decide to get another bike I'm gonna buy the ugliest thing I can find. . ;)

Color is nice, but I could live with a color I wasn't totally ga-ga over if I got a nice deal.

And there are aftermarket bike painters. If in a year or two you still don't like the gold accents, have the frame repainted.

I have one bike I LOVE the colour of, one I like pretty much, and one which is really ugly. I use the ugly one every day and am kinda charmed by the thought that it looks awful but works so well. I see your point but I think you'll like it anyway, and if not you can get it repainted any colour you choose.

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Originally Posted by jocelynlf

I like the B&G combination, but it's just a personal bias. (GO STEELERS!)

It looks like an awesome bike. Look at those 650c wheels! Woohoo!

Years ago when I bought my mountain bike I decided to sleep on it for ONE night. The next day when I went back to buy the bike the really cool color I wanted had been sold. The only other bike they had in my size was the same model but was a horrible color. The color was called "citrus green" but it was more like a pissy metallic Gatorade yellow.

I was less than enthused about the color, but I bought the bike anyway.

I fell in love with the bike the first time I took it out for a ride.

That bike is still with me 10 years later, and although it's been more of a utility bike recently, I still love this bike, warts & all. I love how ugly the color is and how out-of-style the geometry is. And good lord it is heavy! This essentially means that the bike is theft-proof, which is very important to me these days.

If I ever decide to get another bike I'm gonna buy the ugliest thing I can find. . ;)

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I just had to post seperately about the bomb theft proofness of bikes:). That's a funny way to put it, but true. One of my bike buds has a nice new carbon, but rides it only for certain things. He rides his 30somthing old Schwin race/road bike complete w/well broken Brooks in race saddle. To ME it is a gorgeous bike because I know what it really is. To anyone else as he says, "who would want to steal my old bike outta the rack?". Recently I had a theft attempt on one of my new bikes. They only picked mine because of what it was, gheez. I have a very old bike myself I've considered refurbushing that's about like this and heavy as can be... maybe I'll take her on now, vs getting new;).

Just IMHO :o I don't care for the gold either. It makes the bike "different" which can be good in some ways, but in others maybe not so good. The biggest thing is will you have what I call "eternal buyer's remorse".

I have learned that if I settle for something that is not quite right, then I only continue to lust after what I reaaallllyy wanted until I get it. If you truly are bothered by the color, do you really want to tell your bike story over and over again to people who comment on your bike, "yea, it's a nice bike, BUT, the color is not what I really wanted, etc.". Maybe enough cool comments of people who love the color would change your opinion over time? Now, my own bike color story is this...

When I went to buy my road bike, it came in a misty purple. I loved it, and thought I really wanted it. By the time I ordered it, they had the year end model change, and it was only offered in white/brushed silver/black. At first I was so disappointed. One of my friends said, "omg, who would want a white bike?".

Well, the shop owner's wife pointed out to me that having neutral colors would not limit my choices so much if I wanted to match my riding outfits to my bike. Yes, I know this is a vain roadie school of thought, but it is what it is:rolleyes:. NOW, I am so glad I have the white bike. It still looks very feminine, but clean looking. I never have to think about what colors to match it... everything goes. I've been saddle/pedal shopping lately and I'm having a really hard time chosing things that have a tinge of color accent to them because it messes up my whole clean bike theme:(.

I like the gold. It looks like an old gold not a screaming gold, but like everyone else says, it's a personal choice. I like my bike to be different. I don't want to see it every time I go on a ride. That's what really bugs me about color choices. Pyannyplayer had her bike painted after she had it for a year. You could think about that too! You definitely wouldn't see your bike again.

Can they get the 2008 for you? I know a lot of suppliers ran out...or maybe save save save and get the next step up? Personally, if I didn't like the color, and didn't want to get it painted, I wouldn't get it because I've done that and I was unhappy. I kept seeing bikes I liked better. It's obviously important to you too. Maybe you could ride other bikes until you find your true love? There is more than one bike that will fit you ya know!

Edit: By the way, bikes went way up in 2009. Are you sure about the pricing? There have been several threads about it.
another edit: Have you ridden that bike? That top tube (545) seems kind of long for a 50cm women's specific bike.

I do let color influence my choice. I start with a budget and shop for the right color.

It's not black or gold....it's "Sunset Pearl & Gloss Carbon" ;)

If the bike fits, the deal is right, and you like the bike, meh....color is tolerable. It's not like it's red with orange and pink polka dots, right? Besides...when you're sitting on the saddle, looking down the road at a ribbon of fresh asphalt, just waiting to be ridden, do you really look at the color of your bike??

I like the colors.
Those were my HS colors.
When you said gold I immediately thought cheap,tacky, and bling, like a chain license plate holder.
What really bothers me is the HUGENESS of "FELT"

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Originally Posted by Zen

When you said gold I immediately thought cheap,tacky, and bling, like a chain license plate holder.

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LOL! :D

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Originally Posted by 7rider

It's not like it's red with orange and pink polka dots, right?

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You mean like this?
Attachment 7061

If the bike fits and I love how it rides, I don't worry about the color. You aren't going to be looking at the color most of the time you ride it.

I would describe that bike as black, with gold accents or highlights if you wish. When I got my Felt F70 2005 it only came in bright yellow with some red & black details. I had been hoping for the F75 which was blue that year, but I couldn't get one small enough, so I went with the yellow F70. I've ridden 4 Pan-Mass Challenges on it, so with the training it's got a lot of miles. The PMC gave me a new perspective on its color. In the morning, before dawn, when you go onto a large field packed with 4000+ bikes, it is really nice to have an unusual color scheme! I no longer think twice about its color.

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Originally Posted by 7rider

It's not like it's red with orange and pink polka dots, right? Besides...when you're sitting on the saddle, looking down the road at a ribbon of fresh asphalt, just waiting to be ridden, do you really look at the color of your bike??

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Hey.. what's wrong with red with orange and pink polka dots??? :D

Actually I think it's a nice looking bike. But as others have said, if you like riding it, the color might improve by magic.

7rider, the thing I stare at if I ever get bored is the handlebars. Therefore I won't get basic black bar tape. That part of the bike has to have some color. :)

I don't think I'd buy a bike I didn't love. If the color bothered me, I wouldn't buy it. I know myself, and it would bother me every time I rode it. I know some folks aren't like that, but I am... Good luck, whatever you decide:)

CA

I really think sometimes, for me personally, the color of my bike affects me. I love the color blue, but the shade Specialized chose for their 2007 Dolce is not my blue. I ride that bike a lot, but I don't enjoy it as much as I would if I liked the color more. Plus the bar tape is white. I know I can swap it out or paint the frame, but I don't really have time.

I also hated the 2007 Trek series in Pepto pink. Bleh!

As an artist, I find I am very much emotionally keyed into colors and textures. Not so much bothered by something that is old, scratched up, or 'ugly' (ugly can be beautiful), and there are lots of colors I do like....but if I detest the color, or if it has huge screaming logo brand names, then I'd just feel yucky riding it. Can't help it, it's a curse. :rolleyes: I'm willing to pay extra for a look that makes me happy, and I realize I'm lucky in that I am able to have the choice.

Margo at Luna cycles was very cooperative when it came to choosing components and colors for my custom bike- she understood that I wanted subtle, and I am grateful to her for putting up with my quirks. :)

I remember spending a l-o-n-g time carefully removing the large stubborn logo stickers from my nice new black rims. :D

Thanks everyone for your input. The more I look at the bike color, the more I think I just cannot buy that bike. I know I would definitely regret it and always lust after prettier bikes!!!! I agree as well about the humongous FELT logo...why do they have to do that? I don't like being a huge rolling advertisement. However, I'm looking at a 40% discount here, so I can live with the logo. Unfortunately, Felt is sold out on the all their 2008 women's bikes and in order to get the discount, my "source" has to order direct from Felt. So no 2008 for me!

I think the geometry of the men's Z bikes and the women's ZW's is similar...I'm going to check into that a little further. The women's Felts all come with a double and I already know I want to switch that out for a triple. Looks like there's at least one of the men's that comes with a triple. So maybe I can go that route and then switch out the handlebars, etc. to make it more like the women's sizing. Sigh...all this shopping is exciting, but it's also frustrating!!!

I have to agree that bike color is really important. You HAVE to love the bike. It is too expensive, and you spend too much time on it not to love it completely. Granted, I like that particular bike, but if you do not, you should not buy it. Unless of course you have the resources to buy new bikes whenever you want!

Have fun! New bikes are awesome!

I would love to say that bike color is not important to me, but I can't. I was looking at a great deal on a bike, and I loved the bike, but it was powder blue. I really tried to get over the bike color, but I couldn't. I ended up buying another bike, which I love. It's black with very light pink detail.

I care a lot about bike color as well. If I find the color ugly, I won't buy it. But then again, i'm not too picky about colors either, as I like a lot of color combinations.

Bike color is very important to me too. I have already had a lifetime of blue bikes. I didn't want another blue bike. I wanted ORANGE. so that's what i got.
Mimi

http://www.sersale.org/bike/cavalletta.jpg

And it inspired you to paint a beautiful watercolor painting. :)

yes, several. :cool:

I understand! The first two bikes I tried, I not only disliked, they were UGLY--black and silver, and black and pink!

When I rode my "Lightning," I didn't dislike the color, but didn't love it either. I bought it anyway and it has grown on me. Now my husband wants to paint his bike to match!

I agree-sleep on it--if you don't love it, don't buy it!

(Do people ever repaint bikes? Is that too expensive? My DH's is black carbon fiber, so he is going to paint white stripes over the top.)

I agree that bike color is important.

BUT, have you seen this bike in person? Or more specifically, the paint job in person? I ask because it may not be what you think.

I fell in love with the PERFECT bike for me. It was a great deal, the right size, all the components I wanted, the right frame material, etc. The problem was...I didn't like the color. In fact, I was tempted to get the newer version of the same bike in the lower quality frame material and lower level components just because I liked the paint job better. I told myself that was silly and agreed to order the bike in the paint color I didn't love. Turns out, when it arrived, it was MUCH prettier than I had expected. It wasn't even remotely gaudy like it looked in the photos - it was beautiful. Now I LOVE my bike and I get compliments on it all the time (it really is pretty).

Before you decide, can you find a place to view the 2009 paint job in person?

And yeah, the first thing I thought when I looked at it was 'Pittsburgh Steelers'. :p

I hafta admit, I really like the colors of that bike. What I don't like is the gigantic logo. When you actually look at the colors, there is not that much gold on there. & half of the white is the logo.

Admittedly, I have been coveting my neighbor's grandson's vintage Trek in an antique sort of gold.

I am going to have to agree on the logo...

How much would it cost to paint the frame?

not that it matters now... But the zw3 retails for 21-2200.00
I'm a felt dealer as well.
Felt is currently out of road bikes. The last I called them they told me no bikes till the end of September. I've pretty much given up calling them for availability.

As for color, must be something in the air this year. Giants Avail 3 is gold and white. They also have a lot of orange throughout their line this year??

I suppose in the real world, you are the only one that can answer that question. As others have mentioned, the 2009 bikes are on their way and of course prices will be significantly higher... maybe that will be another factor in your decision. Color schemes for these bikes are all over the place.. from brights to some more subdued... depends on the line. But like most everything, everything happens in cycles and color choices have always followed suit.

Good luck in your search ... it's a fun time to be buying a new bike!!:D

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Originally Posted by RolliePollie

What do you think of this color combo?
http://www.feltracing.com/09-catalog...9-zw3-int.aspx
I don't know about that gold...it's just not me.

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It looks like a really nice bike to me... and I love the gold! In fact the only thing I would change is to replace that white saddle with a gold carbon seat, and maybe a golden wheelset like the khamsin or the shamal. You can give the final touch with the handlabar tape... It's going to be a hot bike!
:)

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Originally Posted by Running Mommy

not that it matters now... But the zw3 retails for 21-2200.00
I'm a felt dealer as well.
Felt is currently out of road bikes. The last I called them they told me no bikes till the end of September. I've pretty much given up calling them for availability.

As for color, must be something in the air this year. Giants Avail 3 is gold and white. They also have a lot of orange throughout their line this year??

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Ooooh, maybe can you please tell me the prices for the ZW2 and the ZW25 too? I was estimating around $2,200 for the ZW3...since the ZW2 has Dura-Ace, I'm imagining it's quite a bit more. I was hoping they would be offering an Ultegra equipped bike...carbon with Ultegra or maybe even the aluminum/carbon with Ultegra like the 2008 FW25. For some reason, I kind of like the green ZW25. And the black/blue on the ZW2 is much nicer than the gold on the ZW3. I wish I wasn't so picky...I guess they can't possibly please everyone! :o

I, for one, am glad that I "love" the color of my bike. It's not an amazing color ... it's black, silver and white ... but because it's neutral, I can do anything with it. I choose to do PINK with it, of course. :D

I do wonder, however, if you have seen that bike in person and, if not, if you would like it more than you think you do based on the photo. Just a thought. But, ultimately, if you know you flat out don't like the color ... I'd keep shopping until you do. Someone like my husband would think that's ridiculous and that's not how you buy a bike. But my belief is, the more you love your bike, the more you're going to want to ride it. He loves his bike for what it does for him and color is not a priority. But, there are so many options out there, there certainly ought to be an awesome bike in your price range that is a color you like. You just have to figure out what YOUR priorities are and see what your options are. Good luck!

Funny thing about this thread, when I first read it I forgot that I HATED the colors of pony when I first bought her. It was between the GF Tassajara and the Big Sur GS. I liked the colors of the Tass but the Big Sur was a better fit, and more aligned with my wannabe racer goals. I ate ramen to pay for that bike, it better be good!

So yeah, she came home with me, and I despised her colors for weeks until we rode together enough that I loved her despite it. Then something clicked in me and I thought she was cute as a bug's ear. It didn't hurt that she fetched TONS of compliments and is the reason I have more blue jerseys than brain cells. I feel a little sad looking at her now, I miss her so much.

http://fisherbikes.com/archive/model/86

I like the gold, a lot. It's really classy and different! I say go for it. Can you imagine with leather bar tape? Oooooh! I say your bike must be at least this ugly before you can complain about color:

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g5...ke/beasty3.jpg

I don't object to that color scheme. However, I would not put white tape and seat with those colors, regardless of how trendy white tape is. The bike will look much more subtle and sophisticated and sleek and stealthy with black seat/tape, imo.

BTW here's the bike for those of you who are too lazy to click on the link (I would be some days):
Attachment 7066


(And I really like the look of white tape generally and even have it on my roadbike).

That said, I am of the school that would probably buy the bike, if I loved the ride and the price/components were right, even if I didn't love the colors.

Heck, I don't love the color scheme on my Bianchi cx/commuter bike. Now I really like celeste -- I do -- but the graphics on my model year are just kind of ugly in my opinion.

Attachment 7064

I've had the bike two years and I haven't changed my opinion on this. However, it's the little engine that could. It's just such a workhorse. And the geometry is so comfortable. I love riding it. The fact that it's not what I would ideally choose aesthetically somehow doesn't bother me.

My road bike... I'm constantly fussing over whether I like this or that on it... are the pink tires cheesy... does the black seat with white center stripe work acceptably well with white tape? and I'm just never satisfied... even though up close, the quality of the finish job on my road bike is beautiful (whether or not you like the graphics -- and I'm okay with them, though I think Cervelo, for instance, has nicer graphics).

Attachment 7065

I guess my point is, it's more complicated than just the colors. I would give the bike a chance. At least wait until you see it in the flesh.

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Originally Posted by RolliePollie

Ooooh, maybe can you please tell me the prices for the ZW2 and the ZW25 too? I was estimating around $2,200 for the ZW3...since the ZW2 has Dura-Ace, I'm imagining it's quite a bit more. I was hoping they would be offering an Ultegra equipped bike...carbon with Ultegra or maybe even the aluminum/carbon with Ultegra like the 2008 FW25. For some reason, I kind of like the green ZW25. And the black/blue on the ZW2 is much nicer than the gold on the ZW3. I wish I wasn't so picky...I guess they can't possibly please everyone! :o

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No prob-
ZW2 3400-3599, and ZW25 1529-1599. The low # is the lowest felt will allow you to sell it at, but the high number is msrp.

I'm dating myself, but the name of color scheme REALLY makes me think of the scene in "Ghost" (w/ Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg) where Whoopi Goldberg, as a fake psychic, is channeling an older lady's dead husband, and she says, "damn baby, what'you do to yo' hair?" and the woman gets all flustered and flirtatious and says, "you like it? it's AUTUMN SUNRISE." (yup, orange).

sorry, carry on...

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Originally Posted by Running Mommy

No prob-
ZW2 3400-3599, and ZW25 1529-1599. The low # is the lowest felt will allow you to sell it at, but the high number is msrp.

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Thanks RunningMommy...it helps to have the pricing. All three are around what I was expecting, so no big sticker shock at least! If only the ZW2 was $1,000 cheaper! :rolleyes:

I agree, Liza, that the white bar tape doesn't look quite right with the black and gold. On the Felt website, it says the bike comes with yellow bar tape. Now that sounds really scary to me...gold with yellow? But like everyone has said, seeing it in person might make all the difference.

My current bike is a Trek 1000 WSD in a really pretty shade of blue. I love the color. It's made me more fond of the her even though I know she's an entry level bike. So I think I have come to the conclusion that color matters a lot to me. Hmmm...now what do I do? :confused: