Mtracer

I'm looking to buy an Ultegra 12-speed crankset. And I'm seeing them sometimes listed as "grey". Yet as far as I know there are no color choices. Shimano lists the color as "series color" (?). The basic model number is "FC-R8100" of course the crank length must be specified.

Anyone have an info on whether there is in fact color differences? What I want is just a plain old black crankset.

Shadco 

They are dark gray.

calamarichris

Aka asphalt camouflage. Perfect choice.

Lamont Cobb

Shimano saves money by offering only one finish.

Iride01 

The colors don't necessarily match exactly between the different series and groups. Sometimes it's a glossy finish and sometimes a flatter or satiny finish. Gray could be a charcoal grey which is almost black for all practical purposes. But will not look black when next to a truly black crankset.

Seems like the days of polished aluminum are definitely gone. Even the lighter grays and silvers I haven't seen in over a half dozen years. But they might be there. I haven't had reason to look lately.

Mtracer

The Ultegra crank set I already have, I can't think anyone would call it grey. I even held up other items I have that I think anyone would call black, and the crank set still looked black against those items. Of course, real-world blacks are never a true black. So, I guess you could call any black a dark grey.

I the cranks set I already have, the rings are a gloss black and the crank arms themself a satin. Also, Shimano does not refer to it as grey, though they may some other crank sets. They call it "series color" whatever that means. In any case, it seems there is only one color. And as far as I'm concerned it is black.

Thanks to all for your input.

Chris(NJ)

Id call it a dark grey too. The chainring that comes mounted is black and the two colors are clearly different.

PeteHski

Maybe it is light black 😂 jk

Mtracer

I've ordered the new cranks and just received them, and not surprisingly they are what I expected. To me, I'm calling them black. And yes, at what point does dark grey become black?

NumbersGuy

That's great, so your cranks are unsurprisingly the 1 color the Ultegra R8100 series if offered in.... aka the "series color" which most vendors and owners of the group set call gray because that's what it is and is more descriptive for those not familiar with the R8100 series. Yet you feel some odd need to keep telling us you're going to call it black. Great, enjoy your special black edition Ultegra 8100...

indyfabz

Get it Cerakoted.

smd4

Just as there are different shades of white, so there are different shades of black. I'd say that color is far closer to a shade of black than a gray. If I asked any "normal" person, they'd call it black. Why the defensiveness about calling it black?

NumbersGuy

Actually it's a lot more common to refer to the many shades of gray than black. Your definition of "normal" person must not include the many vendors who actually have and sell the parts or the people such as myself who own the stuff and call it gray. The OP was convinced that the "gray" parts couldn't possibly be right because he defines the color as "black" and even after receiving the parts still won't accept they're the color they were sold to him as, but rather are black. I'm just not understanding the need to call it black, especially since the crank arms in question are not even an extremely dark gray. If you took the 256 shades of gray, I doubt it's in the 40 darkest....

smd4

Because it looks black? As a working artist since 1991 (oil on canvas), I would characterize it more black than gray. But whatever. You still seem a bit defensive that someone would call it black.

NumbersGuy

Well I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express once and I would characterize it as more gray than black...

smd4

Sounds good. You clearly are trained in color theory. But like I said, whatever.