How important is bike color to you?

[singletrackmind]

My first mtn bike was neon yellow with black splatters, it was appalling. The second is dark blue and I found I missed my squinty-eye bike. I made up for it with the third, a bright easter egg green. My road bike is white (bleh) and my tandem black/silver/grey (super-bleh). I don't regret any of them because they had what I needed at a price I could deal with.
But that's just me.

[JulieG]

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.

I love this bike! The graphics might be a little much, but I love the colors!

I purchased my first bike in forever over the summer (trek hybrid) and while it wasn't my first concern, color definitely played a part. I just wanted something low-key and not flashy. I'll save that for my first road bike!

[3for3]

When I was looking for my bike I categorically refused to get anything pink or purple or excessively "girlie." I wanted something black and sleek...kind of like the one you are looking at (but I agree with whoever it was that said the handlebars and seat should be black). However, while helping me research, my husband came across an amazing deal on a Bianchi Volpe....The bottom line was it offered the versatility I was looking for at a great price. The catch? I pretty much thought it was hideous. Until I found out the NAME of the color is gang-green. I decided that was awesome enough to overcome the ugliness. While patting myself on the back for managing to get over that hurdle, it arrived (we ordered it online) and I was horrified to realize it has leopard print on the back of the seat!!! (SO not me) I suppose I could switch that out if I really wanted to, but I've come to be proud of my girl and I now derive a strange sort of pride in her colors. SO...if it's the bike you want for the price you want, you can get past the color and even come to LOVE it.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

3for3-
I too love the name of that Volpe color...."Gang Green". How cool can you get?

I bought a banjo a few years ago because it was a great bargain by a known maker and I knew I could resell it for more. It had a formica fingerboard- white 'kitchen counter' with little gold flecks. Ugliest banjo I ever saw.
Played it, fell in love with it over the months. Now it's one of my favorite banjos and I think it's beautiful. People want to buy it from me all the time.

[ms pepperpot]

I didn't think I cared, but I went to the bike shop today to discuss my surly LHT. I thought I'd just have a choice between the weird blue they have at the moment and dark cherry red and thought i'd be happy with either. They only had in stock the blue, but also an old green.

I went for the green, but now I'm having doubts and thinking I should have chosen the blue, and am also disappointed they didn't have the cherry red. There's so many other more important things I need to be thinking about chosing for this bike, and I'm worrying about the colour

[Skierchickie]

I have to admit, when I bought my mountain bike, I was really unhappy about the anodized pewter paint. I'd been lusting over a beautiful blue lower end model, which was what got me looking in the first place. A fantastic deal on a fantastic close-out bike, and I've never regretted the choice.

I also have to admit the heart flutterings I felt when I first laid eyes on what is now my new Jamis Xenith Pro. I wasn't in the market for a new roadie. She was soooo beautiful! The ride quality matches, so I was a goner. I tell her she's the most beautiful bike in all the world! I tell my dog she's the most beautiful puppy in all the world! I sigh as I pass my old road bike, and tell her.... tell her... I'm SORRY!

[teawoman]

Just about any color scheme is fine with me if the components are right and there are no weird large curlycues or patterns, like that polka dot one.

[tennisgirl43]

I have to admit, color is important to me. One of the things I love about my bike is the way she looks. Blue has always been a favorite color of mine, so I'm happy to have a bike the color I love.

[fastdogs]

I think bike color was partially responsible for me getting a mountain bike. Someone on here posted a photo of a giant rincon that was OD green. 20 years in the army and I'm drawn to OD green things, I thought it was the most beautiful bike I'd ever seen.
Later, I'd started looking at mountain bikes, and thought how neat it would be if I could get one in OD green. There were the Trek 4300 bikes, all OD green and black, I loved the color. But the bike just didn't fit me right, I tried the different sized frames and it just didn't feel as good as a gary fisher marlin disc I'd ridden (out of my price range). Then they bike shop guy remembered a wahoo he had, and when he brought it out, the brown color wasn't bad, but it wasn't OD green, and really didn't do anything for me. When I rode it, though, I knew it was my bike, and the brown color looked like chocolate out in the sun. So I didn't pick it for it's color, but color was a part of the consideration when I was bike shopping, although the fit trumped color.
vickie

[Blueberry]

I didn't think I cared, but I went to the bike shop today to discuss my surly LHT. I thought I'd just have a choice between the weird blue they have at the moment and dark cherry red and thought i'd be happy with either. They only had in stock the blue, but also an old green.

I went for the green, but now I'm having doubts and thinking I should have chosen the blue, and am also disappointed they didn't have the cherry red. There's so many other more important things I need to be thinking about chosing for this bike, and I'm worrying about the colour

I really like the Surly Green, but that's me. You'll love her, no matter what, I'm sure

CA

[Meg McKilty]

This reminds me of this thread:
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...ight=Dear+Bike

We had huge anger issues about people caring what color was appropriate or tacky during the thread. Very interesting how people deem what colors are "fru-fru" or "girly" and what colors are not.

[wildhawk]

I think all bikes are interesting - regardless of color. However the year we purchased my bike - the ladies version of it was a deep, dark purple and the men’s was a cool black and red. Eventhough my previous mtb was black, the men’s version could not be fitted to me in my hybrid. So purple was the choice for me. I did not like her at first, but now have grown to like the deep, dark purple. She looks almost black in certain light and I am more into function than looks. The prettiest bike in the world does not mean squat if it causes you pain and is not the right size for you. Just ask my knees - that mtb had to go… I love my purple hybrid bike!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Very interesting how people deem what colors are "fru-fru" or "girly" and what colors are not.

What colors are 'girly'?....Just walk into any Target or Wal-mart or JCPenny little girl clothes section and you'll see that 90% of all the clothing there is either pink or lavender.
Not saying girly is good or bad, but pink & lavender are definitely viewed these days as 'girly' colors by our society.

Interestingly, 25 years ago when my two daughters little, I remember there being a lot more primary (Sesame St. type) colors in the little girls departments...more reds and yellows and greens and blues mixed in with the pinks and lavenders. But now it's like a solid WALL of pink and lavender that greets you. As an artist I notice these things. Hmmm...what direction are we headed in?

[Biciclista]

what is OD green? Overdose?

Lisa, funny you mention the pink and purple. A coworker of mine was telling me that his middle daughter at the age of 3 told him that he couldn't wear pink, pink was for girls!

That was before she'd ever been to school and she already knew.

[fastdogs]

OD green = olive drab. The non shiny olive color, my 4 year old calls it "army color".
He also has a distinct idea what is "girl stuff". anything pink or lavender or purple.