And yet there are eBay sellers who seem to think that this paint job makes a frame worth MORE! (And I won't make any snarky remarks about Colnagos never having been "as good as they used to be".)

It's kinda interesting to me how fade paint jobs are making a comeback. But in a way it's a nice change from the monochromatic colors most bikes are these days.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...434132bada.jpg
Pic borrowed from google 1989?
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9953d5c72c.jpg

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e05bca7bff.jpg
No, just no.



https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...81b9ea719c.jpg
Better. Rides much more smoothly

I've seen vintage bakery bikes with headtubes that slack that were well over 80 years old. So if it was welded properly it could be fine.

your can see some interesting paints jobs on customs check out kirk frameworks.

I am pretty sure Dario Peggoreti did the paint on this dave kirk custom
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c4817900f6.png
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1ce6e9bc57.png
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...03c9638779.png



and here is a maple leaf and spider theme

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6c7483f307.png
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e6e0694ad7.png

Per the OP's comment of "things that should never have been done and should never be done again" one could argue that custom paint jobs are one-offs and would never be done again (at least not exactly).

Those graphics were originally used at Cannondale when they were having trouble with their heat-treating process; frame tubes ended up slightly but visibly warped. The alignment of those frames was perfect, the sales rep assured us; the warping was only a cosmetic problem. The splotches of paint were meant to distract from the warping. Dubbing the paint "custom graphics": classic "it's a feature, not a bug" end run.

Well I'm gen Z so i can confirm that only thing offensive about that Serotta is the triple. Most of the stuff in this thread is awesome:love:

TIG certified welding of easy-to-weld AISI 304 steel under factory conditions by certified welders for pressure vessels and apparatuses. A guarantee that nothing will fall off. You will immediately lose the bet.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c8e933ec98.jpg

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...737d5d3bee.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4968c50f96.jpg

I bow to your expertise, well done.

I'm honestly surprised how many people on this thread seem to share your opinion to some degree or another.

the "measles" Serotta must have been for a King of the mountain tribute bike.
Actually I would write to Ben Serotta, oddball enough that the backstory is probably interesting.

Those Colnago airbrush dot extravaganzas just don't do much for me, but some are willing to pay the big bucks.

Even more interesting is the gear ratio: (48T/17t)x(53T/22t)=6,8. In inches, this is 6. 8x26"=177! The theoretical maximum speed in this gear should be 98 km / h. I have already tried to drive it and accelerated to a maximum of 47.5 km / h. It's a pity that it was at the end of the cycling season and prevented COVID-19, I just didn't have time to roll it out.

My '87 Paramount painted by Richard Schwinn. The wheel decals were a bit too much and were quickly removed.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...601b345afc.jpg

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e94f4215f4.jpg
The current generation does not yet know what happened. Here is the very first bike in the world with a new transmission "NEWFIX". It has already become a rarity and a priceless thing a priori. Descendants will see new designs based on this transmission, which will take their rightful place in the cycling world. For example, here is such a design, while in the draft version:
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6cf6dcb41c.jpg


As you can see, the ergonomic calculation of the landing on the Rudge Rotary Newfix has already been carried out.
Gear ratio calculation. The first overclocking gear is 1. 5x54=81". The developed speed is 46.5 km / h. The second high-speed transmission is 1. 5x2. 5=3.75. In inches, this is 3.75 x 54=202.5". The developed speed is 116 km / h.
For a high, the pleasure is enough.

I can confirm that the KoM connection is explicit.

https://live.staticflickr.com/4854/3...5f4105fe_c.jpg

It seems a bit odd that they left off the 's' -- maybe a trademark issue?

When I ride this bike, I like to imagine myself as a rouleur for one of the minor teams in the Tour who got the points over a couple of Cat 4 climbs in a breakaway on stage one. Taylor Phinney got the KoM jersey like this in 2017 on stage 2 before finishing 146th on the day. I was inspired.

There is at least one other one like this, The owner of the other one had it repainted and kept the polka dots but changed it to "Jester of the Mountain" -- https://thepaceline.net/forums/showthread.php?t=117821

The biggest thing keeping me from having it repainted is that I would feel silly having the polka dots recreated if I did, but I feel like the polka dots ought to stay as a piece of this bike's history.

I've got a Colnago from that era, but it's like they forgot to finish painting it. It has the air brushed graphics on the top tube, but it's all white aside from that. Not even worthy of being pictured on this thread.

Andy K - is that a CSi or Atlanta frame? Wish I had been smart enough to keep my '97 CSi.

I honestly don't know enough to properly identify it. I think it was built in 1987 (purely numeric serial number, starts with '7'). The fork crown looks like this:

https://live.staticflickr.com/4836/4...f75342bd_c.jpg
(Just a larger 'S' on the other side)

So, what does that make it? Colorado (without additional qualifiers)?

Afraid I cannot answer with any authority. Especially as most any fork could be ordered with any frame.
Serotta made (makes?) nice bikes. I understand that Ben Serotta has the name back and is making Ti, only, bikes. At the prices I see for bespoke bikes these days it is probably something he could not resist.

So, the graphics covered the defects ***AND*** they charged more for the privilege!

111 posts and no one has mentioned Pegoretti? Yeah, yeah.... he was one of the best ever, and beauty in the eye of the beholder and all... But these look like the frames he used in order to wipe his paintbrushes on...
https://www.sefiles.net/merchant/240...nsorium21s.jpg
https://www.thebiketailor.com/conten...g-Leg-Emma.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8c/7f...c1d59f2873.jpg

yeah... it's definitely a matter of personal taste. I haven't warmed up to many of his paint schemes. I do kinda like the white one w/color splotches that you used as an example (shown below)

I've only seen two Pegoretti's in person.
One was at the 2009 NAHBS, as part of the Brooks booth (it had a fuzzy Brooks saddle on it, IIRC)

https://live.staticflickr.com/3413/3...cb13a2_c_d.jpg


the other Pegoretti I've seen belongs to a local fellow. It's much more subdued... almost stealthy, really. Maybe the outrageous Pegoretti paint schemes are just show bikes?
https://live.staticflickr.com/1817/4...1dacc2_c_d.jpg

Steve in Peoria

As I recall, Cannondale didn't charge extra for the custom graphics at first, when the objective was to distract from the warped tubes.

Post #96 Dave Kirk frame with Pegorreti paint :beer:

Sorry if this is too much BMX stuff but here's a odd 80's FAD that was cool and completely dorky at the same time. BMX Grand Prix / F1.

There was another BMX fad at the time called GPV or Gravity Racing. Where kids were going to the top of a mountain and riding down it as fast as they could on a BMX using gravity. Well to go faster you obviously had to make your bike more aerodynamic!!! Here is some armature GPV racing in action.
But what if you don't want to risk your life going down a mountain on a 20" bike at break neck speeds? Even worse is what if you don't even live by a Mountain??? Well with the bike companies BMX sales slowing down they got together and created a new sport. BMX Grand Prix!! with the bikes ironically called F1. They took the aerodynamics of downhill BMX bikes and created one of the most boring bicycle sports in history.

Here's the Ultimate F1 the Hutch HPV. believe it or not but the fairings actually do make it go faster.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...23fb6ec7c6.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9ef43c9443.png

There was other non-fairing designs.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b08d1aa2b9.png
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ab82a3168e.jpg
Pic borrowed from Google

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1df3e7e6e1.jpg
Pic borrowed from Google

The bikes looked fast and futuristic but the racing was kinda dorky. It was basically a 10 min heat/sprint around a road course often set up in a parking lot. Didn't have the jumps and excitement of BMX/MTB and didn't have the speed and distance of road racing.

Funny cars!

I fear the '89 Raleigh Appalachian frame I'm in the process of building up falls into this category...


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7b589d23c3.jpg