rr99

Hi Guys,

I have a major dilemma concerning the color of the Trek 5900 OCLV 110 USPS edition, ridden by LA on TdF 2000.

Back than, Trek used to produce exactly the same (factory) bikes for both pro and amateur riders. In other words, you can get to ride the same bike as pro riders. However, the color of the Trek 5900 varies a lot from bike to bike, and its slightly different from the one used by LA and the one that I found online.

As you can notice, the color of LA bike is extremely grey and it looks like its not the same as the one below which is for mass production. Am I crazy or these two bikes have different color?

Thank you!

indyfabz

Yes.

canklecat

May just be color correction problems. Web browsers vary in color management, so some colors can appear different between different browsers, computers or handheld devices, even between different viewers.

Open two or more browsers and compare the photos. Chrome, Firefox, whatever Windows calls its latest browser that nobody uses, Safari, etc., will all differ somewhat in color management. Ditto if the device isn't color managed, although it's generally best to use the default sRGB. Handheld devices vary all over the place in color rendering.

My early 1990s Trek 5900 is very definitely purple. Trek called it "Abyss". But in some photos it appears blue.

My smartphone JPEGs render the purpose reasonably accurately in most lighting. But my Nikon JPEGs and default raw files render it blue. I need to make color corrections in Lightroom to get the correct purple without shifting all other colors until they're inaccurate.

And when my Android phone and laptop shift to night mode, which cuts blue, color management goes to h311.

But this isn't really new. In ye olden dayes of film, many color negative and slide films had trouble accurately rendering blues, violets, purples, etc.

Below: Same bike, different days, different cameras, times of day, white balance, etc. Bottom photo is closest to the bike's true purple color.

Mark Swofford

Actually no. The lower OP photo appears to be similar to the team issue bicycle, lacking the number plate hangar on the top tube. The upper photo is similar to my 2000/2001 Trek 5900 with its Roval wheels and different stem, handlebar, tires, sear post etc. The frame color of both bikes is likely to be what mine has, which is a clear coat with sparse silver metal flakes and both bikes have really cheesy thick vinyl USPS Trek decals and Shimano on the right chain stay and Volkswagen on the left. Team issue bikes also have other cosmetic differences. The 5900 has OCLV 110 and are suppose to be climbing versions vs the 5500 with OCLV 120, or so I have read.

Iride01 

What's the major dilemma? You either like the bike you can obtain, or you don't. A bike that looks like a bike they rode in the pro grand tours still isn't a bike that was ridden in the pro grand tours. No matter how well everything matches.

shelbyfv

Seems as if every other rider had one of those BITD. Can't remember that last time I saw one on the road. Evocative of a time for sure.

TiHabanero

Those models are proof that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder!