Chombi

It seems like that unless the component has some gold accent with the black anodizing and are known to be super limited production items, they don't really command any special added value compared to silver/clear anodized versions. and sometimes sell for cheaper even at NOS condition......Am I correct?
I always thought the opposite, even back in the 80's but I guess I might have been wrong all that time??...
Asking cause I've gotten a couple of black anodized components in the last two years for much lower than what I expected their prices would end up to be and it seemed like they did not attract as much bidders as I supected I had to possibly compete with to get them.....
Maybe black anodizing just do not look that classy compared to the clear/silver to most C&Vers.

Chombi

BluesDaddy

I love black ano!


If I came across a suitable crankset for this bike (for short money) I'd be all over it!

Also, Matrix dark anodized rims are my favorite!

ScottRyder 

I think the black/silver Suntour Cyclones are exquisite .... if they were all black I don't think I'd like them. I like black chainrings but not crank arms .. nor bars or stems. It's like salt and pepper, used sparingly.

Scott

ColonelJLloyd 

What Scott said.

20grit

+1

I'm a big fan of mixing.

NukeouT

They look great untill they get scrached by something or raked across a surface exposing the metal underneath. While silver components are less 'fantastical' in the beginning, its much harder to notice major 'beausage' on them in the long run.

I still like black components though, and am always on the lookout for more to make my bike special.

sced

I never put black components on a classic except for maybe a saddle. I put black on newer bikes because that's just about all there is now. I like my bikes to coruscate.

ColonelJLloyd 

Picchio Special

Depends on the bike. I have a Cuevas that's a metallic pewter color, and it has black ano Modlo brakes, a black ano headset and Campy seatpost, and it looks pretty cool - not over the top on the blacked-out department. It wouldn't look good on every bike, though ...

Picchio Special

My bikes only coruscate when they're on a power play.

sced

bicycle coruscation - would make for a good thread

ScottRyder 

Then again, there's the Vent Noir:



Scott

auchencrow

+1

Though I am not about to install any black anodized parts on my 70's/older bikes, I think that many 80's bikes with black accents look great.

-One drawback though is that unlike polished alloy that you can take a file to and re-polish, there is not much you can do with black anodizing, once it's buggered up .

Charles Wahl

I avoid black components, though black accents (Campy SR , Suntour Cyclone rear derailers) are OK. I'm not a fan of blackwall tires, either, or lever hoods. Saddles, alright, but I insist on chrome rails when looking for acquisitions, and I prefer saddles that have a brownish patina showing through the black. Stems and seatposts, forget it. I have a fair number of gray ano rims (Mavic G40, MA40) and a few black with machined sidewalls (Velocity AeroHead, Mavic MA3); but as far as what I'm on the lookout for, it's aluminum.

clasher

I sharpie minor scratches in the black ano, not perfect but better than silver see-through.

I would totally black-out a vintage bike if I ever acquired enough black parts to do so. I think silver parts are seen as more traditional, like straight top tubes.`

noglider 

coruscate

bionnaki

I like black and silver like this: https://revelocycles.blogspot.com/200...elo-retro.html

Oregon Southpaw

In my opinion this is one of the ugliest (somewhat high-end) rear-derailleurs that has ever been introduced.

Compare this one to tri-color or arabesque and you wonder what they were thinking.

I just cannot get excited about the new black 105 at all either. I can't get over the thought that bike parts should be shiny jewelery.

Gary Fountain

People went nuts over black stems and bars in the latter part of the 80's and 90's. I don't mind black bars and stems on bikes of this era.

gomango

I like them quite a bit as well Gary.

I just found a super duper nice nos Cinelli Model 66 "Top Ergo" double grooved handlebar today in a rich dark grey ano, that will go perfectly with a new in the box 10 speed grey Campy Centaur gruppo I have here.

I picked up a set of grey Centaur hubs last winter to go with a nos set of dark grey ano Mavic GP4 tub rims.

I'm still looking for a nice grey or black Cinelli 1a or thereabouts in a 26.4 clamp size.

I've found a couple of different 26.4 Cinellis, but they are usually gouged up quite a bit.

I have a couple of silver 26.4 1a's, but not the visual I'll be going for this time.

A Campy seatpost in grey will be a good trick, no doubt. If anyone has any brainstorms on this matter, please let me know.

I've got just the right De Rosa frameset lined up for these goodies next time we visit my wife's cousin near Bolzano.

Gary Fountain

Wow - This sounds like a very interesting project with the black and grey components...and...a De Rosa frame. I wish I could help out with the 'missing' parts but, unfortunately I can't.

gomango

Hi Gary,

The frame will be the most interesting aspect to some folks on the board, no doubt.

I've paid for her, but she'll come back in a large load of family belongings shipping next summer.

Well worth the wait, and I am enjoying this Easter egg hunt for parts.

FWIW The frame is unusual in that it is labeled a Nuovo Classic, yet is EL-OS.

White, a 58cm, and all mine.

Pics on Flickr one of these days.

I'm in zero hurry though, as I just picked up a very pretty Nivachrome framed Colnago that is much nicer than I deserve.

Drillium Dude 

I had one piece - a black Super Record crankarm pair - and I only kept it a couple months. I put it onto the Sparrow, thus pretty much completing the black/silver/orange theme. However, it bottomed out on the spindle to the point there was barely 2mm clearance between the small ring and the fat driveside chainstay.

Looks are one thing, but function is another. I ended up getting $177.00 for them on Ebay. They were used, not really abused, but there was light toestrap rub and some deeper gouges on the pedal end of both arms. In this case, looking to past auctions of silver ano Campy arms in similar condition, they hit the jackpot.

DD

Wogster

I think what happens for C&V is that, if a bicycle came out in 1975 with plain AL components, then a lot of people want to rebuild it with the same, if it came out with chromed steel components, then you can use plain AL components without changing the look very much. The frame colour has a lot to do with it, a frame that is lighter colours would probably look better with black components, although if it's actually old enough to be a classic or vintage, then it probably had chromed steel or plain AL components originally and would look weird with black.

cudak888 

I'll take any and all black-anodized Campagnolo components you can ship my way.

-Kurt