Obsessing about Celeste, again
 

I know, I know. Bianchi Celeste is a range of colors. There is no match. I know that. But I'm planning to have a Bianchi powder coated and I want to pick a color I'll be happy with. Picking a color that I will look at and think, "Yes, that's Celeste" is pretty easy. There are a lot of choices. What I'm shooting for is picking one that I won't look at and think, "That's not exactly the shade I'm looking for."

Challenges:

1. There are many shades of Celeste that vary from year to year and bike to bike, even in the original
2. Pictures of colors on computer monitors introduces at least three more degrees of variability
3. Powder coating seems to allow some variation of color based on base material and depth of powder, maybe other factors

I'm just putting that out there so no one else has to say it. I know. I acknowledge. I accept the risks.

Now then, I've narrow it down to three candidates from Prismatic Powders and ordered swatches. Here's a picture, with a Hudz "Eroica Celeste" brake hood and a tube a Phil Waterproof Grease for reference.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...b8738846_c.jpg

On my monitor, that's a reasonably close approximation of what my eye is telling me. From left to right, that's "Sea Foam Green", "Pearled Turqoise", and "Tropical Breeze".

But wait, there's more! Here are some references cherry-picked from the Internet, because these uniformly don't look like the swatches.

Sea Foam Green

https://images.nicindustries.com/pri...63243&size=650 https://images.nicindustries.com/pri...59842&size=650

Pearled Turqoise

https://dottiethetrailer.files.wordp...w5t5nxwhia.jpg https://dottiethetrailer.files.wordp...xesnefsr9w.jpg
(The above are the same wheels.)

Tropical Breeze

https://images.nicindustries.com/pri...18324&size=650 https://images.nicindustries.com/pri...94643&size=650


Helpfully, Tropical Breeze (top) and Sea Foam Green together

https://images.nicindustries.com/pri...67843&size=650

I think what I want to end up with is this:

http://aberrance.com/bikes/giro/2014...ished-4134.jpg

Or maybe this:

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b30366fc4a.jpg

What do you think? Any suggestions?

I kept switching between swatches one and two. I think something in between is closest to "true" celeste. If I had to pick, I'd pick 2, I think. FWIW, I don't think the hood or tube is true to celeste as seen on my Bianchi. For that matter, Jagwire celeste brake lines are noticeably darker and more turquoise than bianchi's originals.

The little Fiat cars had a nice shade of Celeste. You might be able to get a good match for that.

So long as the finish is good that bike will look good in any colour.

I agree. The tube is too green. The hood might match some shade of celeste, but it's not quite what I usually picture. Then again, most Bianchi bikes, even in their original paint, aren't quite what I picture.

This is one of the reasons I'm obsessing about this. I can imagine myself wanting to match accessories: cables, bar tape, saddles, water bottles, bottle cages, jerseys, gloves, you name it. But they don't even match each other, so I think it's a losing proposition.

my vote is the tropical breeze

as for accessories go white and then you are cool :)

The other strong contender is RAL 6027, but I couldn't get a swatch of that.

https://images.nicindustries.com/pri...24025&size=650

https://images.nicindustries.com/pri...38824&size=650

That's what I thought about a week ago, but I'm starting to think maybe it's tool teal.

You maybe right about white accessories.

The powder coater I plan to use has me buy the powder and have it sent to them (for reasons that are at this moment all too obvious). So I don't think color match like that is an option.

A friend of mine who has a thriving (20+ years) business as a graphic designer (print and web) said that the first thing she tells her clients upon delivery of samples is, "prepare to be disappointed," because the sample never looks exactly like the proofs. I think once you satisfy yourself that you've considered all of the important options, you'll be happy with whatever you choose.

I purposely went low-key on my Bianchi as I didn't want to "over Celeste" the final result. YMMV.

DD

Yours is definitely setting the gold standard for how a Bianchi should look! The blue bar tape picks up the decal color. Maybe I could do something similar with the cables. Your gray cables look nice. I don't think either black or white would. I do think I can stick with a black saddle and bar tape. Classic bare metal bottle cages are a good choice. That would definitely ease some pressure on getting the right shade.

The Reparto Corse coloured frames are slightly different shades of celeste than the mid range frames,; it seems to have a metallic sheen to it.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...becf607335.jpg

I've got leftover paint if u want a pint :D

Based on the rims and color swatch, tropical breeze looks the best/closest to what I think of for Celeste.
...at least thats the case on my phone's screen.

Although I like the first (bluer) celeste bike more, I feel the second (greener) celeste frame/fork are more Bianchi.

I vote for green.

This:

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a47b482e8.jpeg

Not this:

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...92ac7bcff.jpeg

Hope this helps!

I lean that way too, but the first photo has the advantage of being the same year and model as the frame I'm powder coating. I had almost decided but then in a discussion on Facebook several people mentioned that they knew a certain frame was from the late 80's (same time period as mine) based on the shade of the paint, and now that has me feeling pulled back to trying to match the original color. That's where the computer problem really kicks in, because I can find pictures of these that range from this:

https://www.picclickimg.com/00/s/MTQ...bus-SLX-_1.jpg

to this:

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7d656ea61f.jpg

and I can't shake the feeling that those are probably both the same color in person.

That's another thing that Google shows me:

http://classiclightweights.net/wp-co...Mondiale-3.jpg

I don't know if that's original paint, but it's definitely not what I'm looking for. Prismatic Powders says the Pearled Turqoise is metallic, but it doesn't look that way in the swatch or any photo I've seen.

I think Tropical Breeze might be more like the modern Celeste that Bianchi uses.

https://thumbnails.mtb-news.de/cache...E4MzMuanBn.jpg

Metallic and pearl are really difficult to photograph unless the flakes are huge, or the the subject is close. They also excel under a clear, which adds needed depth. Someone said to keep looking at actual samples, and I'm going to echo that.

The human eye can differentiate more shades of green than any other color, which I don't think helps you here.

If you're looking for the bike to look "right" you should look at examples from the era it was built. You already know that Bianchi celeste is a moving target.

In between Pearled Turquoise and Tropical Breeze is what my eye test sees...closer to the pearled turq...

So Pearled Foam Breeze.

I've had the swatches on my desk for about a week and a half. I think I need to start carrying them around to see them in different lighting. The fluorescent light in my home office is very different than the way I'd usually be seeing the bike. It also just occurred to me to bend the swatches.