Bikes are getting uglier

[marathon marke]

still ffffffffffffugly tho - only a mother (read designer) could love that change in tube proportions.

Yup. Didn't like it then, like it even less now.

 

[TigerFish]

I hate to say it cuz I'm a fan of their Titanium rigs...but the Archon C3 could/should join the Roubaix...

Where the top tube, down tube, seat stays and seat tube comes together reminds me of the head on the beasts in the Vin Diesel movie Pitch Black. Maybe that is where they got their inspiration.

 

[L'arriviste]

Where the top tube, down tube, seat stays and seat tube comes together reminds me of the head on the beasts in the Vin Diesel movie Pitch Black. Maybe that is where they got their inspiration.

After 15 years away from cycling, I found this unnervingly trashy look to be a bit of an assault on my increasingly conservative tastes. When I left cycling, we still had beautiful chainsets and curvy brake levers and intricate lugwork. Lots of beautiful, small touches.

Aesthetically the only real problem I have with this example, and the same goes with a lot of bikes these days, is the total wrongness of the decals. Could they find a worse type to use than a fat, characterless rendering of Bank Gothic?

Pinarello and Cervélo have done similar with eyewatering type sizes that ruin the curves of the frame. It's almost like they want you to know that it's one of theirs even from the helicopter view.

 

[Anonymous]

gulp

recently cited on ebay... said made by a custom builder in New Zealand..

 

[transontung90]

Where the top tube, down tube, seat stays and seat tube comes together reminds me of the head on the beasts in the Vin Diesel movie Pitch Black. Maybe that is where they got their inspiration.

i totally agree with you

 

[RedheadDane]

recently cited on ebay... said made by a custom builder in New Zealand..

The only thing right about this is... the... saddle! (And maybe the pedals...) The rest; just plain old WRONG!!!!

 

[Michielveedeebee]

The only thing right about this is... the... saddle! (And maybe the pedals...) The rest; just plain old WRONG!!!!

It looks like something Big Mig would use

 

[mimi28]

The only thing right about this is... the... saddle! (And maybe the pedals...) The rest; just plain old WRONG!!!!

I have to agree....wow, very wrong!

 

[Gaear Grimsrud]

"We're going to put oversized plastic lugs on the outside of the frame, make it with machines, and charge you top dollar."

Agree with comments above regarding curved/bent chainstays and forks, especially the Specialized Zertz inserts -- goofy shoe sole technology for your bike frame.

 

[tubularglue]

well in Retailer they wrote that one pair of hands touches it during the build process. from one machine to the next, i think.

Soon, the factory will run on its own. who needs people

 

[momogee]

I might get flamed for this, but here's my submission for ugly bike of the year.
I was hoping it would grow on me, but alas, I am still waiting.

 

[Cliveds]

"We're going to put oversized plastic lugs on the outside of the frame, make it with machines, and charge you top dollar."

Agree with comments above regarding curved/bent chainstays and forks, especially the Specialized Zertz inserts -- goofy shoe sole technology for your bike frame.

That BMC looks great and I would guess it rides great as well. You could always stick to steel and lugs in pearl white, looks great but get's boring.

 

[BroDeal]

I might get flamed for this, but here's my submission for ugly bike of the year.
I was hoping it would grow on me, but alas, I am still waiting.

Boy howdy. That "P4" on the downtube could not be made any larger or uglier. The huge Zipp decals on the wheels make it even worse. And then to top it off, SRAM feels the need to plaster their name on the friggin chainrings.

I don't mind the BMC. I would take the logo off the fork and take at least three out of four "Easton" logos off the wheels (Four out of four would be even nicer). I also don't care for the red seat post and stem; I would make them black.

 

[L'arriviste]

Boy howdy. That "P4" on the downtube could not be made any larger or uglier. The huge Zipp decals on the wheels make it even worse. And then to top it off, SRAM feels the need to plaster their name on the friggin chainrings.

I don't mind the BMC. I would take the logo off the fork and take at least three out of four "Easton" logos off the wheels (Four out of four would be even nicer). I also don't care for the red seat post and stem; I would make them black.

+1. I think I said it before on this thread, but a lot of times it's just the bad graphics that ruin things. I suppose stickers are cheaper and easier than decent paint jobs.

 

[flyor64]

+1. I think I said it before on this thread, but a lot of times it's just the bad graphics that ruin things. I suppose stickers are cheaper and easier than decent paint jobs.

In general I agree. But I think even if you "blacked out" the P4 it would still be pretty ugly.

A case of function over form I'd venture.

 

[L'arriviste]

In general I agree. But I think even if you "blacked out" the P4 it would still be pretty ugly.

A case of function over form I'd venture.

Yes, you're right. In this case, it wouldn't save the machine from Uglytown.

 

[Finbouy]

Hate to say this but those Chippo bikes aren't the best looking things on the planet, all ungainly and blocky.
The P4 is just form/function, all those graphics are just there for advertising, it's moving billboard.
I'm still not a huge fan of bent front forks, classic or not I like the staight blade types, whether on a steely or carbon..

 

[ApplemanBicycles]

hope for ugly bikes

I can't help if I'm ugly... but I certainly can choose a beautiful ride!

Fortunately there are a few people making decent looking bikes... without eyesore paint and graphics!

When designing a bike... one really needs to pick your battles. Generally "matching everything" doesn't add to the aesthetic.

Matching stems and saddles rarely add value to the beauty bank.

-Matt Appleman

 

[momogee]

I might get flamed for this, but here's my submission for ugly bike of the year.
I was hoping it would grow on me, but alas, I am still waiting.

What I find ugly about this isn't so much the graphics but the massive waterbottle above the BB and the curved seat tube.

I think the P3 was a bit on the ugly side already, but looks awesome without wheels where you can see the smooth lines and sweet shape. But the steep seat tube angles add to the ugliness. The seatpost is nearly perpendicular to the ground!

 

[L'arriviste]

Well, I think the stickers do make a difference:

 

[Benotti69]

personally i find time trial machines unnecessary. they add nothing to bike racing.

 

[Polyarmour]

What I find ugly about this isn't so much the graphics but the massive waterbottle above the BB and the curved seat tube.

I think the P3 was a bit on the ugly side already, but looks awesome without wheels where you can see the smooth lines and sweet shape. But the steep seat tube angles add to the ugliness. The seatpost is nearly perpendicular to the ground!

Perpendicular seatposts are more aero than slanted ones, that's why they do it. Plus it gives them the opportunity to curve the seat tube around the rear wheel enabling the wheel to be protected in the wake of the seat tube. Personally I like this aspect of TT bike design and I believe the same progressive thinking should be applied to road bikes.

 

[momogee]

Perpendicular seatposts are more aero than slanted ones, that's why they do it. Plus it gives them the opportunity to curve the seat tube around the rear wheel enabling the wheel to be protected in the wake of the seat tube. Personally I like this aspect of TT bike design and I believe the same progressive thinking should be applied to road bikes.

Cannot deny that. Cannot deny that it's ugly too! Either look dumb going fast or look good going slow. No win scenario.

I would have to say though, adding the stickers on the P3 compared to the barren one, is better. The tiny logo looks strange on the extra fat downtube.


But better this than a cycleball bike:
http://izismile.com/2010/11/26/meanwhile_in_japan_cycleball.html

 

[usedtobefast]

personally i find time trial machines unnecessary. they add nothing to bike racing.

really? nothing?

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

I tried enlarging it but still have no clue

krebs, it's a massive cadence sensor. Look at the zip tie around the crank arm. Actually it looks like a wireless sensor that's usually on a front fork, so both sensors are clumped together.

Yeah, that's a wireless transmitter. I don't see any cables anywhere.

Mr. RDV4ROUBAIX is correct. I have one of those. It's a Cateye double-wireless speed/cadence unit (model CD300DW). That massive thing on the left rear chainstay has a magnetic pickup on the inside of the stay (with magnet on spoke) for the speed/distance, and also has a magnetic pickup (with magnet on the left crankarm) for the cadence.