womens bike colours... do women really want pink?

[e.e.cummings]

Try a Ferrari red with metallic - that would look hot! Or try a take on roadster colours - like you see in the tweed rides - black or green body, with tan leather seat, tan leather handle tape.

Personally my ride is a Giant Avail (green and silver - I like it - nothing cutesy-pie). My Kona Dew hybrid is pretty bland, dark navy with orange-bronze script, which was pretty plain, a little too plain, so I dressed it with bronze handlebar extensions, looks cool now.

Don't like bubble-gum colours - just went through that searching for a heart monitor watch in Polar. Almost everything for women was pastel or bubble gum. Finally found one in black.

[kimikaw]

Last month when I was shopping for my bike, the guy at the LBS pulled out the black model of the Dolce Sport for me to try. After I rode it, and had decided this was the bike, I told him I wanted the white/berry version.

He looked at me and said, "Well, you said this was your first real road bike, I assumed you wanted it in a serious color." I had a moment of WTF, and then pointed out he had just what I wanted in the proper size out in the rack. Once he realized I was serious about the apparently fluffy color scheme, there was all kinds of backpedalling about how pretty the bike was. Really like having a white bike and the feminine touches of deep purple suit me.

That said I'm not a huge fan of pastels, love magenta/fucsia/bright pink, esp. with black. Absolutely covet the Komen edition of the Ruby Compact Elite. Someday..............

[MommyBird]

Being the only female in a house with three men I need to get an occasional dose of femininity. (Husband & two teen sons) My default color for personal items is pink.

I am typing this on a pink covered MacBook. My phone is pink, I carry a pink pen in my purse, and the list keeps going.

I rarely wear pink and I do not decorate with pink. My home is on the masculine side. There is so little in my life that is ubber feminine that my own sister is surprised when I opt for pink and I have to remind her about the guys out numbering me and my need to stake a feminine claim when I can.

So, of course I wanted pink on my bike! My #1 choice was white w/ pink accents but that was not available this season. I settled for a girlie-blue with white accents. (2010 Cannondale Synapse) I have pink Speed Play pedals, a pink helmet, pink jacket and a pink saddle bag. I always check to see if an item comes in pink before I buy.

My suggestion for someone designing women's bikes is to always offer an option for the "girlie-girl" and one for the "black-goes-with-anything-girl."

[Brandy]

No. No. No. No. No. Oh, and another no from my nine year old daughter, who refused to ride her purple Specialized Hot Rock because it was "too girly"...lol.

[Owlie]

My baby (2009 Avail 3) is teal, white and aluminum, with black saddle and bar tape (doesn't show dirt).
Black with a pastel, if done right, can look pretty good. Would I buy a pink bike? No. I've also come to realize that while I like certain colors, they aren't necessarily ones I'd put on a bike. For bikes, I like bold colors and high contrast. This means that despite the fact that I like the Bianchi signature color, I probably wouldn't buy one. Blues, reds, black, and a darker green are high my favorites. The bikes I'm drooling over are some combination of black, white and red--looks good and and it's an easy combination to match.

[Bluetree]

If someone offered me a pink Orbea or Lightspeed or Seven or IF, well, I wouldn't turn it down.

Neither would I.

But I wouldn't ride it, either. I'd sell it as quickly as possible and get myself something fierce.

No. No. No. No. No.

Have to disgree with you, Brandy. You didn't have enough "no"s!

[tctrek]

I love my White Trek. White bar tape and white saddle complete the picture. A little swirl of silver on the frame, but very subtle. I can wear every color of the rainbow in jerseys on this bike and never clash!

[e.e.cummings]

I agree with MommyBird - do one that's a bit flash, and another one that is the equivalent of the 'little black dress'.

[MomOnBike]

My bikes are blue. I happen to like the color, so most of my Stuff is blue. That being said, I don't think I'd do well with a pastel blue. Ick. I prefer my bikes to be of the "Yeah, I'm blue. Ya wanna make somethin' of it?" variety.

I fear that a pink color scheme would be a deal-breaker with me - but I'll admire other people's pink bikes. They just aren't for me.

I'll try to be polite if it's pastel.

[katieliz]

I like feminine accents esp in pink. I've ridden with some guys who make a snap judgement based on any feminine accessories, but they're quiet real fast after the ride It's all in how you rock it.

[shootingstar]

Being the only female in a house with three men I need to get an occasional dose of femininity. (Husband & two teen sons) My default color for personal items is pink.

I am typing this on a pink covered MacBook. My phone is pink, I carry a pink pen in my purse, and the list keeps going.

I rarely wear pink and I do not decorate with pink. My home is on the masculine side. There is so little in my life that is ubber feminine that my own sister is surprised when I opt for pink and I have to remind her about the guys out numbering me and my need to stake a feminine claim when I can."

It probably is safer for a bike manufacturer in terms of maximizing bike sales that a frame has pink accents instead of all over pink, unless done as a customized ordered bike.

Wow, Mommybird, the pink-hearted godmother/fairy. However it is understandable, given family composition. I don't have real interior design sense, but our living rm. loveseat is a deep purple-pink rich magenta colour. Set against sleek, black contemporary coffee table, etc. After all, see my avatar, that's my mixed media art work that I did with red, pink, purple and blue shades.

So pink in the right way, can add a slash of drama against black, deep purple, etc. A better way of expressing this is: I don't like pink roses since they aren't as visually dramatic as pink orchids or amrallyis. (I can't be against orchid.....it's my middle Chinese name in translation.)

And I agree with katieliz that pink needs an owner, colour-bearer who can wear /ride the colour with flair. Like our TE member, gnat, with her pink hair, pink-black skort jumper, etc. doing the Death Valley ride.

[crazycanuck]

Ugh..Pink I don't do pink as it's too girly.

Give me a black bike.

[tprevost]

My road bikes are both black/white/red combos but my mtn bike is black w/pink chris king hubs and headset... I do like a little pink on what is traditionally a more 'dirty' riding option... don't think I'd want a pink frame though

[Skierchickie]

NOPE! I did my pink phase (hot pink, at that) in the late '80s. I tricked-out my teal Trek 560 with pink tape, a funky pink & other colors lycra seat cover, pink toe clip straps, and myself with a hot pink Vetta helmet, shaped like a bowl. Hot pink was in. Now - I avoid it. Although I've been told a peachy-pink (or pinky-peach?) color suits me. Now a PEACH bike - that might be nice. Metal flake peach. So I guess I'm not completely anti-girly color.

I love color - just not pink-for-the-sake-of-being-pink. A pink paint accent is okay, if it fits with the rest of the bike. I certainly wouldn't pick a bike that was primarily pink or powder blue (although I'd go for the blue first). I'm turned off by the whole "pink is for women" thing, like "Here - this is the women's version. See - it's pink! Otherwise identical." I'd wear it before I'd ride it. I think I'd feel more kindly toward pink if it weren't seen as the universal "girl color". My DH had a huge (he's 6'-5") pink Diamondback road bike from 1992. By 2000 people were telling him how he must be very confident in his manhood. He had a hard time selling that thing!

I see my bike computer comes in pink now - clearly the "for the women" version. I like my white one. I did see one on someone's primarily grey, drab bike, which had just a touch of pink in it - it belonged there.

My bikes:
Road bike: Jamis Xenith Pro: Kind of an electric blue & white. GORGEOUS. Very vivid, and the paint scheme isn't "busy" like some seem to be now. I don't get some of the paint jobs lately.

MTB: Trek Fuel EX 9: Ugly anodized pewter color. I was looking at a beautiful vivid blue color EX 7 at the time, and I wanted THAT COLOR - just fell in love. However, this was a way nicer bike, a way better ride, and a closeout. I looked at the one I bought many times, lamenting the paint, and dreaming of the other one. Ultimately, it doesn't matter.

Touring bike: Trek 520: Black. It only came in black. You can accessorize that with anything at all. I don't think this bike is beautiful or anything, but I've got silver fenders, brushed aluminum cages, pump, etc on her. Went for the stealth look, and I think she looks sharp, but not heart-flutteringly so, like the roadie. Although the front panniers are yellow, for visibility.

[redrhodie]

I'll always associate pink with Team Telekom.

Ooh, this is nice: http://www.tearsforgears.com/2007/09...eam-bikes.html