It's not about the bike.... thank Christ!

[pedaling squares]

I tried to find an existing thread that fit this topic, but no luck. This ain't bike porn.

I want to hear opinions on the paint scheme on the Shack team Madones. Not a bad looking bike, considering Trek usually rank style last on their list of priorities. But this paint scheme gives me a headache. Too busy, too many colours, not that they go well together, and what's with that RS symbology? Reminds me of the disastrous yellow symbol-laden bike that Armstrong rode into Paris in 2005. My bike would look like that if I gave my 3 yr old a magic marker. I expect Tom Cruise to ride this to scientology meetings.

Compare this to the Sky bike, very simple and sharp looking. Or is this yet another style trend that I have missed? I am pretty square.

Edit: should clarify - I know there has been some discussion about this bike on the RS video thread, but didn't want to ask a specific question that could take that one so far off topic.

 

[Andrichuk]

It is busy but I do like it allot. My only problem is when the black and white meet each other. I'm not how i would change it myself to make it look better but i know for a fact it could be done much better.

It looks crowed around the Trek logo, when you look at the E and the K. Also the same thing where the bottle cage is located. I think they use varied sizes of black circles with an off center R. The smaller ones look like skulls from this distance.

Other than that I enjoy the paint job.

Edit: The white stripe on the brake leavers is pretty stupid looking from this angle. Looks like a white stripe down the seat too. I need to see it from another angle.

I would really like to see the bike with a white seat, bar tape and even hoods. Although if the seat and break leavers were fully black it may also look better(getting a little sick of white).

Edit #2: When they fade the grey to black where the Nissan sign is it looks to bland but where they fade grey to black at the Trek sign it looks to obnoxious.

If I was designing the bike I would play around with the colors a bit more and make it so when grey fades to black it would be consitent through out the whole bike.

 

[Publicus]

It is the NASCAR-fication of cycling. Hopefully it dies with the Radio Shack team.

 

[Mickey]

It looks like a rip-off of the 2009 Rock Racing Kit.

 

[Anonymous]

It is the NASCAR-fication of cycling. Hopefully it dies with the Radio Shack team.

Brilliant!

The first pic I saw of it was full on from the side. I couldn't focus on it all at once - my eyes kept switching between the front & rear wheels. There's way too much going on. I don't like the colors, but the gray should make a nice drab background for whatever Armstrong rides.

 

[Hugh Januss]

It's a pretty dreadful look, and I sell bikes. Here is how I see this question shaking out. Almost nobody who doesn't like Lance will like this bike. 70% of people who like Lance will not like this bike, 20% of people who like Lance will be ambivalent about the look of this bike. The 10% of Lance fans who like it will LUUUUUVV it and will be very loud about this love.

 

[Tangled Tango]

It's a pretty dreadful look, and I sell bikes. Here is how I see this question shaking out. Almost nobody who doesn't like Lance will like this bike. 70% of people who like Lance will not like this bike, 20% of people who like Lance will be ambivalent about the look of this bike. The 10% of Lance fans who like it will LUUUUUVV it and will be very loud about this love.

I think you're underestimating the LA fanbase in the US. I suspect we'll see a lot of these paintjobs on the public roads come 2010 or once they're available to the public.

 

[Mellow Velo]

It will sell big, but really shouldn't, as it's a mess.
"Busy", was mentioned and that is the polite way describe it.

If you want a classy looking machine, check out Sky's Dogma.

 

[Beech Mtn]

They need to change the shade of grey on the front wheel. In daylight it looks purple. When I saw the picture of the bike leaning up against a garage door, it looked like someone had stuck on a lavender front wheel that didn't match the rest of the bike. My first thought was that after riding around on that pink butterfly bike last year, why in he!! has Lance picked lavender wheels for this year's team bike? The grey color in the stylized Trek photo doesn't look anything like the color in the "real life" photo.

The yellow Livstrong part also looks a lot more garish/mismatched when you see the bike full on sideways.

 

[Dominar]

It's a pretty dreadful look, and I sell bikes. Here is how I see this question shaking out. Almost nobody who doesn't like Lance will like this bike. 70% of people who like Lance will not like this bike, 20% of people who like Lance will be ambivalent about the look of this bike. The 10% of Lance fans who like it will LUUUUUVV it and will be very loud about this love.

I'm ambivalent about the whole topic. Matters of artistic taste are about as subjective as they come. Who cares what the paint job looks like? Does it affect how the bike performs?

But for whatever it's worth, I showed the pictures to my teenage son and several of his friends out of curiousity -- 3 out of 4 thought it was cool.

 

[Kazistuta]

Me think it's "tres cool"!

Always loved the black, red and white combo (why I also loved the CSC kit)...My own Trek has more red, and I understand the Nascar parallel, but imo this bike has a modern ring to it. Don't you guys think it's more of a nostalgia question? I mean, I absolutely hated the turquois Bianchi bike, but all the "seasoned" riders embraced its "elegance"....

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

I actually like it, but more as a "boutique bike" not a race bike. It's too busy and gaudy for a race bike. I didn't mind Lance riding the "art bikes" last year because I knew their purpose, but this might be taking it too far. I would prefer a gray on black with red accents and subtle logos. This is just a bit too flashy for my tastes.

I wonder....will Lance ride this or will he have his special bikes and helmets this season? That always bothered me. He never really looked part of the team.

 

[Deagol]

The new Shack bike is REALLY UGLY (IMO of course). The pic I saw of the proposed new Shack team jersey with the grey & red is also ugly, so maybe they will match? I hope the statement about there being a lot of these on the road in the US come springtime is wrong. I’m sure the bike will perform very well, but given the choice, I would keep the one I have since I would hate looking at that new bike.
On the other hand, Sky’s Dogma is beautiful.… very nice, no visual clutter, great color scheme. I would love to own one of those Pinarellos.

 

[Hugh Januss]

I think you're underestimating the LA fanbase in the US. I suspect we'll see a lot of these paintjobs on the public roads come 2010 or once they're available to the public.

I'm afraid you are correct.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Trek seems to have backed off their integrated seat mast concept. They seem to change designs constantly and each year they boast about how this is the ultimate evolution of the bicycle.

I think the orange bike they had last year was pretty nice, but this one is absolutely FUGLY. So, a bunch of Lance fans are now going to pay thousands to be moving billboards for RadioShack. Funny stuff.

 

[Wallace]

It seems to me that the initial design for the bike, the black fading to grey with red accents is actually really sharp--by far the best design for a Trek paint job I've ever seen (I realize that's not saying much). But then someone went and dropped a whole wheel-barrow load of Rs on in and a few too many Treks, cluttering up and totally botching the design, turning it into one of the ugliest bikes in the peloton. Maybe as the season progresses Radioshack will start to feel a little less insecure and allow the majority of the R-pimples to be excised from the frame's complexion.

 

[hfer07]

I tried to find an existing thread that fit this topic, but no luck. This ain't bike porn.

I want to hear opinions on the paint scheme on the Shack team Madones. Not a bad looking bike, considering Trek usually rank style last on their list of priorities. But this paint scheme gives me a headache. Too busy, too many colours, not that they go well together, and what's with that RS symbology? Reminds me of the disastrous yellow symbol-laden bike that Armstrong rode into Paris in 2005. My bike would look like that if I gave my 3 yr old a magic marker. I expect Tom Cruise to ride this to scientology meetings.

Compare this to the Sky bike, very simple and sharp looking. Or is this yet another style trend that I have missed? I am pretty square.

Edit: should clarify - I know there has been some discussion about this bike on the RS video thread, but didn't want to ask a specific question that could take that one so far off topic.

I believe the horrendous pain job is part of the RS strategy - they simply want to disturb/annoy the peloton so much with those disgusting colours/designs so nobody would like to ride along with them at all......

 

[Mellow Velo]

I'd rather invest in one of these............


The Trek just looks like a billboard. All it's missing is an: "Eat at Joe's".

 

[US Patent Exploding Cyclist]

I don't mind the colors of the bike. I have issue with the number of Radioshack symbols littered everywhere, that has to be what bothers me the most about the design. The bike would look pretty sharp minus some "TREK" symbols and only having one of the big red "R"s on the front instead of two.

 

[Publicus]

I'd rather invest in one of these............


The Trek just looks like a billboard. All it's missing is an: "Eat at Joe's".

An oddly dressed Brit or the Dogma?

 

[eleven]

I think the color scheme and basic layout are fantastic - but the aggressive use of "r"'s is annoying. As someone else said, as a boutique bike (or a one-off) it's great. But as a team bike? Too much.

 

[Beech Mtn]

The "real life" view of the bike (image posted by Dimspace on another thread):

They have some kinks to work out with the exact shading of the colors, especially the lavender front wheel.

 

[Publicus]

The "real life" view of the bike (image posted by Dimspace on another thread):

They have some kinks to work out with the exact shading of the colors, especially the lavender front wheel.

Frankly, I think they need to a couple of nike swoosh's somewhere on the frame and maybe the UCI emblem/moniker. Wait, and a picture of Lance and his kids... That should pretty much cover the last remaining blank spots on the bike.

Who ever said less was more!

 

[eleven]

Frankly, I think they need to a couple of nike swoosh's somewhere on the frame and maybe the UCI emblem/moniker. Wait, and a picture of Lance and his kids... That should pretty much cover the last remaining blank spots on the bike.

Who ever said less was more!

There are about four square centimeters of blank space where the seat tube meets the top tube. It should all fit nicely there....along with some of those now-defunct 10/2 icons.

 

[hfer07]

I think the color scheme and basic layout are fantastic - but the aggressive use of "r"'s is annoying. As someone else said, as a boutique bike (or a one-off) it's great. But as a team bike? Too much.

do you mean "a boutique" like this?