Classic & Vintage - Help me with aesthetics: bartape/saddle colors, Look 753 La Vie Claire

This time I'm really confused, just too many color swatches on this one.

The saddle and King headset is gone, and the hoods will be black Ergo. So what do you say? Just good old black maybe?

http://www.fivenineclimber.com/images/cinelli/look753/full1.jpg

Cool frame. That was Thrifty Bill's wasn't it? I'd go with black seat and red tape. A Google search showed that Andy Hampsten had red tape. Looked cool to me. Be sure to post pics of the final build

for a bike with so many black accents, i'd go with a black saddle, but red or blue bar tape, in that order of preference.

I think red tape would look good.

This time I'm really confused, just too many color swatches on this one.

The saddle and King headset is gone, and the hoods will be black Ergo. So what do you say? Just good old black maybe?



I think that good old black might be the ticket with this (or maybe a dark blue - but have fun matching the saddle with that). Here is what a web image search brought up of other color combinations on your frame (which I think are all less aesthetically pleasing than a black saddle, tape and cables) :

http://gallery.roadbikereview.com/data/roadbike/500/753_front.jpg

http://www.thinkcooper.com/bicycle/Look_full_sm.jpg

http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq29/abarthbikes/IMG00010.jpg

http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq29/abarthbikes/IMG00010.jpg

Lol...That's Abarths bike! Can't miss the bar angle, cable housing length or saddle bag! That there bag has treats in it that he kindly shares with me after beating me up on the trail...

I say play with the colors. It's bright and the accents are primary so that dictates fun! Someone should photoshop a yellow perferated Concor and yellow Benotto cellotape on there with a red bottle and cage...Red Looks are hawt too! Please get rid of the black post too...Go Aero Campy!

Embrace the brightness...

Awesome frame Jan! The pics don't do that pearl white justice!

I used to run blue & yellow diamond benotto weave on my matching frame back in the day. Thought it looked pretty cool but I need something softer on my hands these days.

I bet Fizik yellow would match well. It wouldn't be period correct, but I once found a Fizik Pave HP saddle in yellow and it looks stunning on my Ironman.

ETA: I think the black should be more subtle than what most people are suggesting.
I'd do yellow saddle/tape and maybe even tires.
Then keep the black seat-post, do black stem, black bars, black housing and black rims.

black, black and black

I bet Fizik yellow would match well. It wouldn't be period correct, but I once found a Fizik Pave HP saddle in yellow and it looks stunning on my Ironman.

ETA: I think the black should be more subtle than what most people are suggesting.
I'd do yellow saddle/tape and maybe even tires.
Then keep the black seat-post, do black stem, black bars, black housing and black rims.

He's close...yellow tape, black saddle...RED tires.

Personally, I'd go with white.

All red, or all yellow. And either way, I would also have the cable housings to match as well. I would probably go with the all yellow combo, as it is my favorite.

Depends how much you plan to ride it, as the yellow will tend to get dirtier faster. White would be my last choice, as I prefer a contrast color, and since white is the main color of the bike, I would not pick it. On contrasts, you have yellow, red, black and blue to choose from. Also it would depend on the wheels you use. Lots of options!

On my white and red Prologue (with black logos), I lucked out and had a white saddle with red and black contrasts sitting on my shelf (take off from a Specialized road bike). It looks great. Then I went with red bar tape and white cable housing. So I guess I violated my own rules. So with the right saddle, you might be able to mix a few colors. I need to round up some white SIS housing to finish my Prologue, the black SIS housing looks like crap...

I would have some fun with it and try a few combinations. If you can find a good multicolor seat, I would probably go with white housing.

Man, I wish that frame was my size, or even close.... But I am a 55/56cm frame size....

All red, or all yellow. And either way, I would also have the cable housings to match as well. I would probably go with the all yellow combo, as it is my favorite.

Depends how much you plan to ride it, as the yellow will tend to get dirtier faster. White would be my last choice, as I prefer a contrast color, and since white is the main color of the bike, I would not pick it. On contrasts, you have yellow, red, black and blue to choose from. Also it would depend on the wheels you use. Lots of options!

On my white and red Prologue (with black logos), I lucked out and had a white saddle with red and black contrasts sitting on my shelf (take off from a Specialized road bike). It looks great. Then I went with red bar tape and white cable housing. So I guess I violated my own rules. So with the right saddle, you might be able to mix a few colors. I need to round up some white SIS housing to finish my Prologue, the black SIS housing looks like crap...

I would have some fun with it and try a few combinations. If you can find a good multicolor seat, I would probably go with white housing.

Man, I wish that frame was my size, or even close.... But I am a 55/56cm frame size....

That frame is a head turner!

Yes, this was in Thrifty Bill's queue. Thanks for the deal!

No consensus from the panel this time...but all good suggestions, with the edge so far going to jtgotsjets palette, quite Mondrian.

Although the classic 'Look' would be Abarth/Hampstens red tape/black saddle.

Dave Hickey's Look nails it:
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showpost.php?p=2416386&postcount=22

Dave Hickey's Look nails it:
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showpost.php?p=2416386&postcount=22

+1 That bike looks really sharp! The red pedals really top it off!

I think the black saddle and Red tape would look good also.

Nice grab Jan!

-Jake

Wow.

What a nice find you have there.

All of the options mentioned here would look outstanding.

If you decide to go the red Regal route, and you should happen to find two, please pm me with details.

My son wants one for his new bike, and I said I"d start looking. I could use one as well, but we'll be happy with one.

I don't want to pay $130 as advertised elsewhere on the web.

Thank you.

I like it!

you should match colors to the opposite of where they are on the frame:

I'm thinking Yellow bar tape, Red wheels/tires, Blue saddle

White tape, white saddle.

I think if you can pick up any of the accent colors with a bar tape that truly matches, it will look good. So far I haven't seen any images that do that, although in fairness I couldn't view OFG's link. If the red matched, red tape/black saddle would look best to my eye, with all black being the fall-back. Mismatched black is somehow easier on the eyes than a mismatched primary color.

Jan, I know you saw the post about my LOOK (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?652839-My-rebuild-story-1986-LOOK-Equipe-quot-Bernard-Hinault-quot-%28Reynold-753%29&highlight=my+rebuild+story). Maybe I inspired you to get your frame on the road. Personally, I went back & forth on black vs. white saddle. I originally had a black saddle but decided to go with white for the rebuild to match the brake hoods and white lettering. As far as handlebar tape, most of the original La Vie Claire team ran either red or white Benotto tape. I prefer the cork style tape, but the Cinelli colors just don't match. I found that the SOMA brand is a pretty good match if you decide to go with something softer and in either red or blue. Btw, I'm still on the lookout for the right sized yellow silca impero pump (which I would fit between the seat cluster and the rear quick release since I had waterbottle cage bosses added to the seat tube, but you could run against the yellow on the seat tube).

155766155767155768

my two cents (you know you want it...) but you'd be hard pressed to get a white saddle that would sit well on that frame, mis-matched whites burn retinas, it's a fact. i think the vittoria rubinos are a good choice on tyres, with the two colour stripes running down them, in either yellow or red would look mint on that frame. black saddle, and either black or red tape. Actually, red tape. red tape, black seat, yellow tyres.

my work here is done.

PS: i love the colours and paint job on this frame, it's awesomely of it's time, but while looking dated, looks very cool. the good kind of dated!

I say a black Flite or Concor Light with blue Cinelli cork or Fizik tape.

+1 Hard to match the white of the frame, as it is more of a pearl white, while most white saddles I have seen are appliance white.

My vote is for black. Reason being that the red, yellow and blue areas all have black borders. And since there are five colors total, white being the most, red, blue and yellow being about equal, and black being the least, then to me it would make more sense the even things up a bit by going with a black saddle and black bar tape.

Lol...That's Abarths bike! Can't miss the bar angle, cable housing length or saddle bag!

What's wrong with my bar angle? The bar is so comfy, I spent about 50% of the time on the drop on this bike.

I switched out the black seat post and the saddle with a Chorus polished post and a red Flite saddle. Here is a pic:

155824

I do like the white hood/red Benotto tape combo. Regarding saddle color, you can't go wrong with black, and when you are riding, no one will see the saddle anyway.

...and when you are riding, no one will see the saddle anyway.

very true, but we all know that passing the initial BF critique is the rite of passage for any build....

btw, like yours, incl. bar angle

selle noir, bande jaune