Colour Theory for Bikes

As someone who deals with colour all the time - taking pains to get it "just right" for paintings and photography setups - I am fascinated by the role of colour in bicycles. Choosing colour is not just a matter of "what matches what." It is a matter of understanding the psychological mechanisms involved in human colour perception and processing - which to me has always been interesting. But taking it down a notch from the realms of art-speak and neuro-psychology, here are some thoughts on colour choices as they pertain to setting up bicycles:

Handlebars and saddle
My go-to standard for handlebars and saddles is the brown family. The reason I like to use brown as opposed to black, is that brown enhances the colour of the bicycle frame, whereas black tends to "deaden" it. Being neutral, brown will not compete with the frame colour, just as black will not. But it will make the colour more vibrant, more emphatic - whereas black will leave it flat.

This works especially well on "cool" frame colours - such as blue and silver. And using twine and bits of leather on other parts of the bike (chainstay protector, kickstand, waterbottle, saddlebag straps) will further enhance the "warming" effect.

Brown can also make a black frame look less intimidating and more "personable" - as well as bring out the details in what would otherwise be an expanse of black-on-black.

But of course, black has its place as well. Black accessories make a bike seem more aggressive - which can look good on some bicycles. And depending on the "personality" of a particular bike (lady's military bike?), you might not necessarily want the frame colour to be overly vibrant.

And when it comes to racing bikes, an aggressive or sporty look is usually more fitting than an "earthy" look. This can be achieved either with black, white, or brightly-coloured saddle and tape combinations (ideally in a contrasting colour to the frame). Bright and high-contrast colour schemes are exciting and suggest high energy, fast movement. If that is what you want your bike to communicate - go with it. And if not, you can tone it down with browns and neutrals, as I have done to this bike.

Tires

It goes without saying that performance and not colour should be the first consideration when it comes to tires. But assuming that you can get equally well-performing tires in a variety of colours, it can be nice to play around with that element as well. While I do not hide my crazed preference for cream tires, I do not suggest that they are "the best" option.

Cream tires can look elegant if you are going for a delicate look and have taken pains not to include any black on your bike. Here they make the bicycle look a lot more "serene" than had I used other tire choices.

And they can also look elegant as a contrast to the frame. But there comes a point - and for some it arrives much sooner than for others - where cream tires can be just too much and overwhelm the rest of the bike (I think that here I am dangerously approaching that). I also don't think that cream tires look good on a cream or white bicycle. It is too low-contrast and reminds me of "ghost bikes." Achielle does the cream-on-cream look better than others, and if you go in this direction adding prominent brown accessories to break it up a bit is the key.

A good, traditional option if you are looking for classic tires, are "gumwalls" - which are tires with back tread but tan sides. The tan fits nicely into the "organic" saddle and handlebar colour scheme, without the tires competing with the rest of the bicycle for prominence. I also like it how the alloy rims, the tan sidewalls and the black tread create the visual impression of 3 circles, one inside the other.

Bags and accessories
I am very conservative when it comes to bicycle "luggage," so perhaps I am not the best person to ask about this one. Mainly, I don't like it when bicycle bags are too distinct in relation to the bicycle itself - whereas the trend now (especially for accessories targeted at women) seems to be brightly coloured luggage with prominent graphics. It's not that I am "against" flowers, polka-dots, curly-cues, and the like. It's more that I want my bicycle to be the main focal point and not the bag. So I prefer to get subtle, classic accessories in neutral colours. As with saddles and handlebars, I think that the brown/olive family works well for a nature-exploring sort of look, whereas black works well for a more aggressive or racy look.

Decorations
Unless intentionally using decorations to distract from the rest of the bike, the colour of the decorations should not stand out too much from the other colours on the bicycle. Otherwise, the eye will get drawn to the decoration itself, with the rest of the bike an afterthought.

Frame Colour
If you are getting a bicycle frame re-painted, or are trying to choose a colour for a custom bike, the colour selection is of course a matter of personal preference. But based on my own experience (and conversations with others), keep a few things in mind:

1. Speaking very generally, super-bright colours work better on sporty bikes, whereas subdued colours work better on touring and transportation bikes.

2. True white is very harsh and almost never looks good. Even if a bicycle you like appears white to you, the actual colour is almost definitely a pale cream, a very light gray, or an off-white. Think twice before asking for a true white paintjob.

3. If you are getting the paintjob (especially powdercoat) done at a "budget" type of establishment, beware of asking for metallic colours. They are easier to mess up, and flaws in them are more visible than with regular colours. Flaws in lighter colours are also more visible than flaws in darker colours.

4. Prepare yourself for the fact that the colour never, ever looks the same on the bike as it does on the tiny colour chip, let alone on the online colour sample. I have seen some pretty amazing discrepancies, where after the person spends a month wringing their hands about the "perfect" shade, the colour on the bike does not even look like the same colour family as the chip they chose. One thing you can do, is give the painter a sample of the colour you want and ask them to find the closest match. They have experience with the way the colours actually looks on a bike. Alternatively, you can find out the colour code of a bike you like, and ask for that exact one.

There are those who take bicycle aesthetics very seriously and start to pull their hair out in despair if they cannot find the exact shade of orange handlebar tape they wanted. And there are those who could not care less about the details, and just use whatever components and accessories are available. I see myself as somewhere in the middle, leaning perhaps just a tad towards the former. (What? You think it's more than just a tad?...) While I enjoy setting up my bicycles in a way that is aesthetically pleasing to me, I do it quickly and intuitively, without dwelling on it too much. Then I ride the bike and get it filthy beyond all recognition - which is part of the fun, at least for me.

Cream Tires Directory

It is no secret that I like cream bicycle tires. If you are a fan as well, you will find this recent thread on bikeforums a real treat - loads of pictures of classic and vintage cream tired bicycles. And, since I am asked about this all the time, I have compiled below a directory of cream and white tires in various sizes that are available on the market. My criteria for these selections were reasonable availability and all-over colour (as opposed to white sidewall on a black tire). Unless noted otherwise, all tires listed are puncture-resistant.

Cream Tires for City Bicycles

28"
Schwalbe Delta Cruiser (28 x 1 1/2")
Vredestein Classic  (28 x 1 1/2")*
*available in EU only or from Dutch bike dealers

700C
Schwalbe Delta Cruisers (700C x 35mm)
Kenda Kwest (700C x 35mm)
Specialized Nimbus (700C x 35mm)*
Electra Amsterdam City Tire (700C x 40mm)*
* may not be puncture resistant

26"
Schwalbe Delta Cruiser  (26 x 1 3/8")
Schwalbe Fat Frank (26 x 2.35")
Geax Tattoo (26 x 2.3")
Kenda Cruiser (26 x 2.125)*
Electra Retrorunner (26 x 2.125")*
Electra Vintage Diamond (26 x 2.35")*
Electra Blossom Trail (26 x 2.125")*

* may not be puncture resistant

Cream Tires for Road Bicycles 

650B
Grand Bois Hetre (650B x 42mm)

700C
Panaracer Pasela (700C x 28mm, 700C x 23mm)
Vittoria Randonneur (700C x 28mm, 700C x 23mm)
Vittoria Zafiro Pro (700C x 23mm)
Origin 8 Elimin-8er (700C x 23mm, 700C x 25mm)
Schwalbe Durano (700C x 23mm, 700C x 25mm, 700C x 28mm)

27"
Cheng Shin CST C-740 (27" x 32mm)

The selection is not huge, but there is something to be had in almost every wheel size. If you know of other cream or white tires I have omitted, please let me know and I will add them.

Full Fat Cream! In Love with My Grand Bois Hetre Tires

Notice anything interesting about this picture?

Here is a closer look - And yes, the bicycle is standing in the sand without a kickstand!

The Grand Bois Hetre tires are 42mm wide and the Velo Orange "Zeppelin" fenders fit over them nicely.

Made to resemble the French randonneuring tires of yore, Grand Bois Hetres are available with either white or red tread, and they are made for 650B wheels only. The white tread version is really a cream colour with tiny little caramel specs, and the red version is really a brick colour. Both look beautiful. The picture above is the only one I have of the tires looking shiny and new.

After 1800 miles, this is what they look like now. Considering that I haven't washed them, I don't think that's too bad actually.

And this is what they look like after going through sand in the rain - though all that caked sand comes off almost immediately once you start cycling on a paved road.

The ride quality of the Grand Bois Hetre tires is truly superb. Better than Schwalbe Delta Cruisers. Better than the famous Fat Frank and Big Apple tires. Faster too. It is worth getting 650B wheels just to get these tires. They are cushy, stable, have excellent puncture protection, and are just as fast as narrower road tires, yet can go off-road. Almost too good to be true!

Also, keep in mind that the width will enlarge your overall wheel diameter - making 650Bs nearly as large as 700Cs with standard, narrower tires. Something to consider if the only thing keeping you from 650B is their slightly smaller size. With the Grand Bois Hetres, they will no longer be smaller.

Grand Bois tires are hand made in Japan and are of extremely high quality. Aside from the fat Hetres, there is a range of other models available, suitable for various wheel sizes. In the US, these can be purchased from a handful of bicycle shops (if you are in Boston - Harris Cyclery had some the last time I was there), or from here directly. If you love the idea of a go-anywhere bicycle that is fast on the road and perfectly at home off-road, the Grand Bois Hetres are surely as good as it gets. Of course, it doesn't hurt that they are beautiful - even after 1800 miles!