Classy or In Your Face?
 

I crossed posted this in the Classic & Vintage Forum, see what you guys think over here...

I'm planning a vintage to fixie/SS conversion, and starting with the easy stuff first, new bar tape, stem, seat and soon after going with different brake levers, long arm brakes and for 700c wheels. I really like the look of the "bash guard" on this bike, sort of like rims on a Porsche or something.
I've been my fair share of Googling to inspiration, and I feel a little torn. I like the "classy" look, but then I also like the "in your face" boldness of coloured deep V rims.

Starting with an '85 Norco Avanti SL - graphite colour. Trying to decide to decide to black saddle, tape, and go gold wheels (for example) or go brown saddle and tape, with some white wheels. I threw a couple examples below.

Interested to see the different opinions. TIA.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3b4e34b07f.jpg
Starting point
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...cf946eaaef.jpg
ugly brakes and bar tape
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4ca6635168.jpg
Boom, deep gold
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4e9017036c.jpg
more shiny stuff
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...96b7ad2a50.jpg
Classy AF
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...922f769022.jpg
also quite classy

White Vs look like crap in about a week. Just go black rims, black saddle, black tape. No gold anything.
And lose that awful bashguard -- have you no dignity?

Each to his own taste, but if I had that classic looking (1980s?) frame, I'd keep it as it is, put a decent saddle and pedals on it and some traditional-looking wheels. That frame is crying out for plain aluminium rims with a shallow section.

If I had to choose from the colour options you've posted, I might go for the blue one at the bottom, but as Rolla commented, white can be difficult to keep clean.

The bike has 2 period features I'd get rid of. First, the outer guard on the chainset. Those were ugly and impractical at the time, and if the chain comes off it can jam between the cog and the guard. Second, the disc that is there to keep the rear mech out of the spokes. You don't need it for fixed/single, and if you have derailleurs, get decent ones and adjust them right.

I was never impressed by the idea of gear levers on the stem. My first few-derailleur equipped bikes had down tube-mounted friction shifters and I still prefer that to all the modern nadgery and gimmickry of clickity stop levers, for a low maintenance bike that isn't going to be raced.

Both of those wheelsets look horrendous. And deep aero rims on a vintage frame just doesn't match.

I agree with the above. Silver components, box section rims and black accessories. Even the original charcoal grey paint on the frame looks okay and can be preserved. You may experiment with gumwall tires if you want to harken back to the good ol' days.

Here's what I did with an early 1970's French Mercier:

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...bda617ef01.jpg

Both of those deep section wheels are barftastic. Some deep section stuff can look good but that stuff really miss the mark for me. I would go with something like the H+Son TB14s either polished or my favorite Hard Anodized Grey which was common in the 80s. If you wanted a bit more modern go with the Archtypes and if you are really looking for deep section go with Velocity Deep Vs in polished. Tan wall tires look good but also tend to get dirtier faster but I love a good supple ride and typically a lot of those tires are a little softer if not really nice supple open tubular designs.

Box rims. Always.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4e9017036c.jpg
The more you look at this bike, the worst its gets.

Totally agree, but....

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...2f89c32e65.jpg
One of the only deep section wheel sets allowed on vintage tubes hehe, op, the bikes you used as example are very cheap looking , those deep section wheels are impractical and heavy, like others have said, check out H plus son, they have good vintage looking rims with nice spec's.

Yeah I've seen those, I believe that's 90's era but I didn't like that look even then. I will say polished isn't too bad. But those colored rims they have now are just.... no.

I'd see if the existing rims are worth keeping, if they're aluminum. Like the others, I also prefer the aesthetics of the lower profile rims. It's not completely hopeless to find 27" tires. Still, I wouldn't build new wheels on 27" rims.

I like the deep polished look. Thanks for posting

There isn't a whole lot of 27" stuff out there, and what their is, is $$$. Just for ***** & giggles, i "borrowed" the no name wheels and tires from my wifes bike. They're 700c with oversized tires (don't like the tires), but it gives an idea of lower profile black wheel. I think i would prefer to go a full polished wheel on there...so the hunt continues. At least these ones aren't wobbly, with cracked tires and bad bearings. Fit right on, just had to lower the brake pads.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a5e76ff5a4.jpg

Keep those wheels until she notices. ;) Those would look great.

I like your idea to keep the ‘brashguard’....it does have a sort of angled-out Porsche Fuchs look to it. The cranks (and brashguard) are matte? How about tie that in with matte silver box rims and replace the crank dust cap with something in anodized deep blue.

I discovered that the bashguard is the main frame for the chainrings, so I can't just "get rid of it" like other have suggested. No bashguard, no chainrings. Only other option would be to replace the whole crankset....maybe someday, low on the list.
I was going to try polishing the guard, and bring the shine out in the black parts.

The crank/brashguard and the original paint really define the bike so I’d vote for working with those as is to get to where you want to be....but with the dark frame a fully polished brashguard and crank arms would also look sharp. Maybe leave a bit of black to define the 5 spokes of the brashguard. Poor picture below but you can kind of see how the new Fuch-copy rims leave a bit of black to define the 5 ‘spokes’.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...58867e657f.jpg

I do dig the bash guard. And who is to say you can't be both classy and in your face. I would say start off with a good wax and polish, i mean get it sparkling and see what you have. Maybe strip off what you can to clean the look up too. You brought up Porsche so use that as an idea. Classy and in your face
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1bc610c122.jpg