Vintage steel bike colors (what do you think looks best)
08-31-22, 12:00 PM
#76
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Andy Antipas is an unrecognized cycling god of drillium crank excellence. Monsieur sans égal.
Zeus drilled is his contribution from that bike.
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08-31-22, 12:41 PM
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08-31-22, 01:10 PM
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No "Cinelli = Laser blue", or "SOMEC = whatever Mario Martini thought the given day" yet?
Red-white stripes for (certain) Bottecchia would also work for me....
Lattz
Red-white stripes for (certain) Bottecchia would also work for me....
Lattz
08-31-22, 02:54 PM
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08-31-22, 02:59 PM
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08-31-22, 03:01 PM
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08-31-22, 03:04 PM
#84
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03-04-24, 05:15 PM
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Schwinn ........ Campus Green
From Paramount down to Varsity's and on to their Racers and cantilever frames, Campus Green is the color that is Schwinn in my mind.
This is a repaint with paint from Koolest Kolors.
From Paramount down to Varsity's and on to their Racers and cantilever frames, Campus Green is the color that is Schwinn in my mind.
This is a repaint with paint from Koolest Kolors.
Last edited by Velo Mule; 03-04-24 at 05:19 PM.
03-04-24, 05:49 PM
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Can't go wrong with rosso corsa purely on an Italian bike. The official racing color of Italy. Rosso corsa is noted color option in the Chesini brochure of this era.
03-04-24, 06:31 PM
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Honda Basque Red that I did not get to pick out. 
Glad it really grew on me and gets nothing but compliments.
Glad it really grew on me and gets nothing but compliments.
03-04-24, 06:56 PM
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Gitane - Blue
Peugeot - Pearl White
Bottecchia - Red
ALAN - Black
Peugeot - Pearl White
Bottecchia - Red
ALAN - Black
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03-04-24, 09:01 PM
#92
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To summarize what I've learned over the years:
Celeste should never see the light of day on anything other than a reparto corse Bianchi.
Red De Rosas are the fastest.
Red Masis look good, but champagne Masis look better.
Pretty much any Cinelli color is the bee's knees, but dusty rose is the bee's kneesiest and the Cinelli silver is as iconic as it gets.
Blue Gios Torinos are gorgeous, especially when ridden by Roger de Vlaeminck in Brooklyn kit.
Molteni orange looks great on Merckxes and pretty good on almost anything.
Legnano green is similar to Bianchi celeste - iconic on a Legnano, should never be used on anything else.
Schwinn had a bunch of great colors available for Paramounts, but there is something special about the chrome ones.
Lavenderish Merciers from BITD (think Poulidor era) looked great.
The best looking Zunows are the ones that look like they survived an explosion in a paint factory.
Williers have to be copper-colored cromovelato. The paint is fragile as hell but drop dead gorgeous.
Silver/mink Raleigh Pros, No further description needed.
I think all of my bikes look better than any of your bikes, you think all of your bikes look better than any of my bikes, and we're both right.
Celeste should never see the light of day on anything other than a reparto corse Bianchi.
Red De Rosas are the fastest.
Red Masis look good, but champagne Masis look better.
Pretty much any Cinelli color is the bee's knees, but dusty rose is the bee's kneesiest and the Cinelli silver is as iconic as it gets.
Blue Gios Torinos are gorgeous, especially when ridden by Roger de Vlaeminck in Brooklyn kit.
Molteni orange looks great on Merckxes and pretty good on almost anything.
Legnano green is similar to Bianchi celeste - iconic on a Legnano, should never be used on anything else.
Schwinn had a bunch of great colors available for Paramounts, but there is something special about the chrome ones.
Lavenderish Merciers from BITD (think Poulidor era) looked great.
The best looking Zunows are the ones that look like they survived an explosion in a paint factory.
Williers have to be copper-colored cromovelato. The paint is fragile as hell but drop dead gorgeous.
Silver/mink Raleigh Pros, No further description needed.
I think all of my bikes look better than any of your bikes, you think all of your bikes look better than any of my bikes, and we're both right.
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03-04-24, 09:14 PM
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Rene Herse - light blue, and chrome works, too!
03-04-24, 11:33 PM
#94
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You have to admit that Centurion definitely tried to add a little spice of life with their offerings.
03-05-24, 09:04 AM
#95
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I must say I love all my blue bikes, Gazelle Bruxelles Blue or Baikal Blue is never wrong but while thinking about repainting a Chesini I found this amazing green colour. Really '70s it made me feel!
03-05-24, 10:45 AM
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03-06-24, 12:11 AM
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Any votes for a preferred color for a Mercian? I've got a possible restoration candidate here. It's black, but black isn't my favorite color for lugged steel frames. I know that they're known for their "barber pole" treatment on the seat tube, but how about the base color?
03-06-24, 12:51 AM
#98
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Any votes for a preferred color for a Mercian? I've got a possible restoration candidate here. It's black, but black isn't my favorite color for lugged steel frames. I know that they're known for their "barber pole" treatment on the seat tube, but how about the base color?
Speaking of which, I am not a huge fan of the barber pole look. It's okay, I guess, but I find it kind of detracts from the appearance of the frame. That's just my opinion, and it's worth exactly what you are paying for it. It certainly would add expense if you are paying for a respray and PITA masking if you are painting it yourself.
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03-06-24, 01:54 AM
#99
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Some time ago (10+ years), I saw a VW bettle convertible in a color quite similar to the Paramount. The driver told me that the car had been repainted to the original color, which was Olympic Blue. Both VW and Porsche had cars in Olympic Blue.
I checked https://paintref.com/index.shtml . Paintref shows that both VW and Porsche have Olympic blue (wet paint, not powder coat) as Ditzler-PPG #2579 and duPont 42712L and 42712DH.
A visit to a car paint store, or a local car body repair shop may be well worth a look. Browsing thru their paint catalogs will help nail down the color you want. Whether it's available in power coat is another story.
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03-06-24, 02:19 AM
#100
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I don't know about anyone else, but I don't associate Mercians with a particular color, although I do think of them having basic single colors (English understatement, don't'cha know) with contrasting white or maybe light grey head tubes and seat tube panels if there is no barber pole treatment.
Speaking of which, I am not a huge fan of the barber pole look. It's okay, I guess, but I find it kind of detracts from the appearance of the frame. That's just my opinion, and it's worth exactly what you are paying for it. It certainly would add expense if you are paying for a respray and PITA masking if you are painting it yourself.
Speaking of which, I am not a huge fan of the barber pole look. It's okay, I guess, but I find it kind of detracts from the appearance of the frame. That's just my opinion, and it's worth exactly what you are paying for it. It certainly would add expense if you are paying for a respray and PITA masking if you are painting it yourself.
...where the panel on the seat tube has the three horizontal bands on the top and bottom. That paint there is worn, but it was obviously beautiful in its time. The lugs on mine aren't nearly as fancy as this, though!