Ynotnow

I've always been a fan of bare metal/black components, but I do enjoy the look of raw carbon as well.

The finish that I'd never personally own is the newer style paint that looks like the candy coating on a Skittles
It's pervasive in the mountain bike world and I've seen some, shall we say, rather unique colors out on the trail 😂.

Polaris OBark

Polaris OBark

The GRX silverized components were so limited that I have only seen it in pictures, never in person, and certainly never for sale.

But even with that, they had a black inner chain-ring. WTF?

Sy Reene

IMO, it's about balance.. you take the dark, you take the light, and what you got, the facts of life

Darth Lefty 

Contrast helps

smd4

I wasn’t responding to the OP. I was responding to you. Hence, why I quoted you.

Fahrenheit531 

Fashions change. When a tipping point is reached due to [insert your preferred reason here] things will circle back to silver/polished. Or they'll move on to whatever may come next. So...yes?

rsbob 

100%. The marketing types will say something like, “Well since the market is now saturated with black, we need to introduce our new high end bikes with subtle colors and steel/chrome colored wheels and gruppos and everyone will then have to start buying the latest trend.”

Germany_chris

this isn’t 40 years old…

You have to go down market on shifting and upmarket in the rest to get silver. This bike is still not a good example of modern though

mstateglfr 

I am aware you were responding to me.

OP asked a question.
Wildwood didnt answer the question or even address the point the OP is presumably trying to make, and instead posted pictures of bikes with silver components that are 30-40 years old.
I pointed out that Wildwood didnt answer the question and didnt further the discussion.
You came in and responded to me that wildwood's point in posting those pictures is that silver is better than black.

Ok cool, but that was never in question here. That wasnt the OP's question and it hadnt become a secondary question. I point this out and you now tell me you were responding to me.

Seriously, are you this bad at conversation in person too? Do you manage to argue with this high a % of people in person?

Koyote

I didn't mention Paul directly, but did offer this much earlier in the thread. (Paul was one of the brands that I was thinking about.) Deda still makes a few silver alloy components, and plenty of smaller boutique companies in the US make headsets, hubs, and bottom brackets in silver and other colors. Oh, you can get a White Industries crankset in silver...probably a couple other companies off them, too.

But as you've noted, many posters would rather show off their bikes than actually answer the poster.

Steel Charlie

Boring on boring. The invisible black bicycle with the invisible black components. Yawn !

It seems like there are more and more un-black bicycles in the peloton so maybe that will have some influence.

Darth Lefty 

Some of this is generational and some of it is price point. Carbon is black and more expensive, aluminum is silver and less expensive, and riders living through that change make that association. Just like they did before with skinny tubing and chrome vs fat tubes and ano components

I just bought a pink Canfield. I think it would look great with a lot of blue ano but most of the stuff I've bought for it is black.

You can get most cockpit components in polish. Harder for controls and no one has yet made a silver polish dropper post that I've seen

Black is definitely the default color for suspension forks. Ten-fifteen years ago when more frames were still alloy, white was popular. On a previous bike I had a Y2K-vintage Rockshox Duke that was a gorgeous blue but I can't remember now if it was painted or anodized.

Special editions show up in color. Check out this Mastodon

https://hayesbicycle.com/collections...-ltd-snow-camo

KerryIrons

Yeah, and I'm also growing tired of the abundance of apostrophes. Just saying.

Fahrenheit531 

Well if we're just getting pedantic now, one inappropriate apostrophe hardly qualifies as an abundance.

tomato coupe

Did anyone grow tired of the abundance of bikes with silver components before carbon became common?

Wildwood

yeah, bought a mtn bike with black fork, headset, chainrings, stem, bar, levers and seatpost back in '91.

Fredo76

IMO, four pictures of silver bikes contributed far, far more to the thread than the tiresome, argumentative, and insulting post below.

Maybe come back when you're feeling better? Soon, hopefully!

mstateglfr 

Its a reply to smd- nothing more than what was posted is deserved.

My post you quoted wasnt intended to move the thread forward, it was intended to point out to smd that once again, he was missing the point and creating an argument where there neednt be one.
The post where I move the thread forward and directly respond to to the OP had already taken place. Perhaps you should encourage wildwood or smd to actually reply to the OP's question instead of taking the thread as an opportunity to divert focus away from the OP's question and onto how old bikes look better with silver components.

Nobody is arguing that old bikes with silver components look bad.
And I love old bikes- I have probably 8 frames in various stages of build that are all 35-45 years old. But I didnt post pictures of all my old silver components because that isnt the point of the thread.

Wildwood

When threads request things that do not (or not commonly) exist = think broadly, as it's a big cycling universe.

Does one need 11/12 cogs? Or, think broadly; will the range of 9 be adequate? In silver Campa, some might say, "nearly Paradise."

Veloce/Racing T 9sp (triple)

edit for the Record: I've been lovin the feel of carbon levers + carbon bikes for ~2 decades. "Just match it, baby'


......and then....there are some terrible components that can't decide if they are silver or black?...!

....hehehe...somebody pull my finger to make me stop, I got more of 'em, maybe....

Shadco 

I’m thinking about a satin black wrap for the downtube, when the proper stem and washers come in the cockpit will be right but what to do about the cassette and chain?

Kapusta

I’m all for CF stuff when I can afford it, and what I want is available in CF. For my uses in road/gravel and MTB, there is really no practical downside for me.

But yeah, black everything has gotten really old. Paint the CF and steel stuff more interesting colors, and I really wish silver was more common for Al components.

mstateglfr 

All this continues to miss the point, as I understand it. And actually, it highlights the issue instead of solving it.

The OP recognizes silver components exist- both old and new. You continually posting examples doesnt actually address anything.
And saying 'well just use lesser tech(9sp)' doesnt really address the question or issue either.

The OP cited GRX silver, so they are talking about modern components which are disc specific and upper tier. You showing rim brake bikes with 9sp is great if this were Kindergarten show and tell, but its a discussion between adults.



Here is the first question, though the OP doesnt end with a ?...
Here is the second question, though the OP doesnt end with a ?...
So, have you grown tired of the abundance of bikes coming with carbon and/or black components?
And do you think bikes will ever come back to polished components? <--knowing this clearly means modern mid-upper drivetrains and cockpits, so not old 9sp.


​​​​​​​

Wildwood

One can't please all of the people any of the time. Full stop.

Speed thrills, regardless of the colors served or the technologies employed. Think broadly, build smartly (or not) and just match it baby!

I luv me some variety

just take it with pasta, made in Italy - for guys like me.

...and Roll On, any way you please. Yes, even with a bunch of hidden batteries.

It IS a big cycling universe.
Experience it bigly.
(and without prejudice for black or silver)

Clear your handlebars and your mind will follow, , minutiae melts.

Yelbom15

Shadco I would look up the company RideWrap. They offer clear matte & gloss finishes so you can stick with the original color being seen. I do appreciate a nice Look frame.

And Campagnolo drivetrain is definitely limited especially with the free hub body being campy only. I would go ahead with a black chain. KMC DLC11 specifically will provide a nice contrast with the rear cassette!



And just so we’re all aware. I feel like a forum is a place for everyone likeminded to share their opinions. I do not mind anyone pitching in pictures and thoughts on their bikes, components and so forth even if it strays off the question. This forum is my escape from the already serious world that surrounds us.

Quick photo opportunity. The frame color deserves some silver. I have Ritchey classic components coming in soon.