MattoftheRocks

Cherry picked? I’m sorry, these clean modern understated black hardware adorned BSO’s have been littered all over urban wastelands of North America for over two decades. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and imagine that you’re either from Europe and they somehow didn’t get these $100 DUI bikes there or you’re from a delightfully affluent area of North America that is at least 80 miles from the nearest Walmart.

3 out the first 4 listings in Rochester filtered at $40-260.


I guess the argument could be made that black hardware on one’s Cervelo or S-Works makes it as Theft Bait-ey as a GMC Denali road bike and that would be a benefit if you frequently lock it up outside.

I’ve honestly been waiting some years for Shimano, Campy, and SRAM to release “copper” (rust) colored chains to complete the look.

tomato coupe

Are all these ads for older low-priced bikes supposed to convince us that modern black components evoke a sense of cheapness?

smd4

Don't need older lower priced bikes for that.

Koyote

Silly me. I choose bike components primarily by their functionality.

smd4

Indeed. The looks of bike components used to be a selling point. Which is why Campy was always lauded for its fine polished finishes, which were the envy of the industry. Or don't you remember those days?

MattoftheRocks

so, you like having straight chainline on only one cog in the middle of the cassette and having whacked & grindey chainline on a climbing gear or while cruising on a flat and your fondness for 1x has nothing at all to do with the fixie-simplistic looks?

tomato coupe

Crazy you.

tomato coupe

ftfy

smd4

Instead of taking the low road and "fixing" what I wrote, why don't you just address the question? Or maybe you don't remember either?

Koyote

I'm not sure why you're posing that question to me; please explain.

I'm not sure why you're posing that question to me; please explain.

PeteHski

Let me guess, you are a big 3x fan right?

smd4

Sorry, pal. Can't help you there.

Koyote

I just don't understand why my ability (or inability) to recall Campy's alleged aesthetic golden years is relevant -- especially given that I stated my preference for function over form. Hence my request for you to explain why you're interested in my response.

PeteHski

That’s a lot of effort to say that you basically prefer shiny drivetrains. I’m from the UK actually, where the shiny look went out of fashion several decades ago. Even my dad’s 1983 Ford Escort XR3i had black window trim. Occasionally chrome trim makes a comeback, but usually on the less sporty trim options. Tesla notably tried chrome trim, but eventually changed to black, which I think looks better.

tomato coupe

Do I remember when shiny groups were the norm? Yes.
Are shiny groups still the norm? No.

MattoftheRocks

I don’t work for Velo Orange or Jan Heine, so I’m not trying to convince anyone of anything.

It’s just a discussion. My contribution is that the design and finish on these premium priced components do very much evoke a crystal clear sense of the opposite of premium componentry.

If I’m being non-rhetorical and 100% honest, they don’t evoke cheapness- they do just look cheap.

The only way I can understand anyone intentionally kitting their bike up with this stuff is if they intentionally do not socialise with anyone who takes home less than $250k/year, have never driven past housing with rent under $6k/month, and just don’t know what cheap is.

Imagine Maserati releasing a new for 2025 car with two doors, blue-ish clear windows all around, a 95” wheelbase, 5’8” tall, 16” wheels with plastic hubcaps, lift back, single 1.5” exhaust tip, and chrome-backed clear lens Altezza-style lights, but it has a fully carbon unibody & doors, a ZF magnesium-cased 10 speed transmission, and a 3 cylinder engine that revs to 18k rpms. Imagine Gibson selling a Les Paul with an OSB top on a pressure treated green streaked poplar body but has a neck made of certified “old growth” mahogany & rosewood and is priced the same as their Custom Shop instruments. That’s where I’m at with these more-expensive-than-Origin8 components. They don’t look not-cheap at all.

Looks aren’t everything, but they’re not nothing either.

If you love compromised functionality & durability and the look of poverty, that’s very hipster of you and I applaud it so long as you’re fully aware and still just fully in love with the concept of irony. There’s nothing wrong with manbuns, pirate moustaches, lumberjack shirts & boots as office attire, or $10,000 bicycles that look like $100 bicycles and will sound like $100 bicycles after 2k miles of riding in any type of gritty terrain.

At best the concept of black painted blingparts is like that of the VW Phaeton: Stealth Wealth… but nobody bought those.

I cannot fathom what aspect of Ekar GT is, as stated in post #3, a step in the right direction. It seems like a step in a dumb direction. Thirteen ultra thin cogs. At least they gave it a fittingly dumb name.

MattoftheRocks

you shouldn’t need to guess that I’m a big Basic Mechanical Principals fan, lol

tomato coupe

That's a pretty long post for someone that's not trying to convince anyone of anything.

I still don't understand why you're posting pictures of old low-priced bikes. What's the point?

MattoftheRocks

So cheap bikes are fashionable in the UK. Noted.

I would be a terrible fashion designer.

Koyote

I'd still like to know why you posed this question to me. Seems pretty weird, given that I don't own a bike with a 1x drivetrain...Unless we're counting my single-speed.

Atlas Shrugged

Is the C&V forum so dull and self-congratulatory that its regulars feel compelled to engage in arguments on any Bike Forum thread, regardless of the topic, especially when discussing innovations or technologies developed after 1975 in cycling? These same back-slapping traditionalists often hijack and divert conversations. However, outside of these forums, the C&V community remains virtually invisible, both in terms of active participants and market presence. Even a pristine vintage Cinelli struggles to find a buyer on various sales platforms, eventually getting purchased for an unexpectedly low price and stashed away in a garage or basement, joining numerous other C&V bikes acquired by so-called collector/hoarder.

We have a local club dedicated to cyclists aged 55 and above. Some regular members are in their mid-70s and older. Despite many owning vintage bikes, they rarely ride them unless it's a special event or a themed ride. Typically, they opt for modern bikes with top-tier equipment for regular rides, why is it only on these forums this anti new bike passion is so represented..

PeteHski

So just because YOU think shiny parts look more expensive you now conclude that everyone else thinks cheap bikes are fashionable. Funny funster 😂

smd4

I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were the Forum Police, and got to determine on which subforums one could participate in, and what opinions were allowable.

Where do I pay my fine?

Atlas Shrugged

Having been scolded over in C&V a few times when calling out their silliness and over-the-top folklore I naively thought the rules go both ways.

smd4

I don't recall, myself, ever telling you that you seemed compelled to engage in arguments, regardless of the topic, or calling you names like back-slapping modernist, or telling you that you often hijack and divert conversations. If you know who directed these kinds of comments to you, then perhaps you should take it up with them?