Scott,

You make some pretty good points. Yeah, the frame color is something that could the cover of a Fortune 500 bond prospectus. But then you see that it has a very, very fine - it took me a while to consciously recognize this - gold metal flake in the paint. And then the gold rims and trim. So there are these two themes going on as you noted. Flash and conservatism.

What's fun then in a light customization like I'm doing w/this one, is to sort of get into what was in the original designer's mind, and where would he have taken the vision if not constrained by the dreary realities of a strict price point and production cost per unit. Would he have asked for gold hubs instead of the ubiquitous Sunshines or some other color of brake cable housing, etc, but had no more budget?

The ride on this bike is very, very nice as well. Lively and responsive. This one has a lot of potential all around.