colors

[Miranda]

The colors of both my bikes changed as I was buying them in the fall when the companies were switching between two model years.

My road bike originally was a misty purple. I thought I loved that. When the lbs owner told me I couldn't get it anymore, and the new color was white, black, and brushed silver. I initally thought 'ick'. Now I am so glad it is! It is very neutral looking, yet clean, crisp, and the white can still be fem looking without being OTT girly. I can chose any type of print/color jersey without it clashing with my bike.

Some shops will still have close outs of this years model. If you find a model you like in the color, you might be able to use the dealer locator to seach out of your area. Look at the type of frame and component package the bike has you like. Google search for wsd bikes, and compare packages. Then locate a dealer from there.

Good Luck

[arielmoon]

Color was important to me when I was looking for a bike. When I found the Madone 5.1, I briefly considered waiting for the 2009 5.2 model to come out but then I saw what they looked like and the decision was made. Fit and comfort are more important but color is right up there for me!

Good luck!

[Bluetree]

Purely anecdotal... but when it comes to women's bikes I've found that the higher-end the frame, the more gender-neutral the color. (Well, except for Cannondale's flagship... that one's just odd)

I would personally not buy a bike with stereotypical "female hues" and have ended up buying a higher-priced bike to avoid do so. Maybe that's what the manufacturers had in mind?

[xeney]

Is the Dolce Comp the red one? It's lower end than the Elite, right? Too bad, because it sure is pretty. Saw one in the bike shop yesterday and thought, man, I need a shiny red bike. Then I remembered that I already have one.

[Biciclista]

Color was a big part of what made me go custom. No one was selling Orange bikes. (Now there are several available ) but there was no way I would have purchased a girly blue or pink or the very popular dark grey.

[mary9761]

I've been talking to my buddy Jimmy at the Bike Line about this very subject for a couple years now. I fell in love with a lava red women's pilot 1.2 and there was no way I was going to be able to purchase it at that time, but when the next season's bikes came in nearly ALL the bikes were pastel (not the word I actually used to describe them but it'll do). The last couple of seasons they have continued the trend.
I've also talked to another buddy at the shop and he told me that he didn't understand it either. He said that nearly all the adult women who came in looking for a bike had the same reactions. It appears that some of the bikes are finally coming around for this season, but it stinks that you might need to go to either a high end bike or men's model to avoid the pastels.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Kitten-
There's a very long recent thread on TE about the importance of bike color when shopping for a bike, you might like to read it:
bike color importance