aesthetics advice
 

So the Shogun clean-up continues, and it's nearly finished. I got the brake calipers all pretty today, and cleaned the rear sprocket as best I could, considering it was still attached to the wheel. It's the only component of the bike that didn't shine up nicely. It's still very black, but now sort of piebald, since I managed to clean off some of the darker color. Anodized? Oxidized? Anyone know? Suggestions on easily shining it up are welcome, but I'm not bothered too much.

Anyway, the bike is nearly ready to be built up again, and I need to ponder one more aspect: bar tape color.

Here's the bike as it was:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4090/...421c98ea8a.jpg
shogun4 by snarkypup, on Flickr

The frame is now clean and pretty. Yes, I have a new stem (and may end up with an even newer one, if I decide that it needs a Technomic Deluxe, as my Panasonic did). It will have stainless cables, a white ladies' Turbo saddle, and gumwall Panaracers. I have gum colored hoods for the new dia compe levers.

Originally, I had planned on a brown suede Turbo and brown tape, but with the white Turbo, I'm thinking I'll need white tape. The thing is, it's going to be a rain bike. I'm going to put silver fenders on it and a rack and ride it where the Panasonic doesn't dare to show its pretty face. The frame is pretty rusty, so why not?

I'm pondering pale grey tape instead, to hide dirt a bit. There will be no black on the bike, except for the tire treads. The decals are white and gold, the paint is blue and cream and the pinstriping is yellow and red. White tape is fine, I'm just pondering other ideas too.

Thoughts?

I'm partial to the white Turbo - white Bike Ribbon Professional myself. I would think if you've got fenders the tape shouldn't get that much crud from the road - but then I live over on the "dry" side of the state so don't have a lot of need for fenders and could be totally wrong.

To clean up a gunked up freewheel -

Hose it with WD-40
Take a welder's wire brush, and scrub around it. the long, stiff metal bristles clean deep down between the cogs
take a rag, insert it into the spaces between the cogs, and shoeshine it.

It's messy, but easy. It will end up looking like new.

Cream. It would look fantastic. I'd never pass up a chance to match that steertube. I'd consider a black seat though - white would clash.

Try to duplicate the color of the head tube.

i think i would like brown saddle and tape here

I agree on matching nthe HT color, but I like black seats, light colors show dirt to easily.

UH the FW was likely black or very dark to begin with

+1

You might be able to duplicate the cream color of the head tube by clear shellacking white cork or cotton bar tape. The thing is, if you get close to the color but not quite, it can look bad. Contrasting colors are easier and more forgiving. Plain white can look good given the decals and the white saddle.

Deda Elementi makes a Ivory bar tapa that should match the Shogun head tube color. The only thing I dislike about Deda tapes is that they are thin and hard unlike other cork tape. Oh, they've adhesive back which I hate. If you are going to use the Shogun as your commute/rain bike, then I would suggest a darker color tape.

I think I should be able to get that cassette loosen for you. You can scrub the bejesus out of the cogs then. They were probably black when new.

I'm glad someone finally picked that one up. I kept trying to convince someone who would fit it to buy it! Glad to see it got into good hands though. The shoguns do have their charm.

I think any light color will be a bad choice if it is going to be a rain bike..... In such a case I would go with a black saddle and black bar tape.

For cleaning freewheels, I soak them in an old tupperware container submersed in concentrated simple green, overnight. The next day I scrub them with a toothbrush under warm running water. The water rinses away all the simple green and loosened crud. This method also ungunks the internals without disassembling them. After thorough rinsing under warm water (while spinning the freewheel body), I dry the freewheel in the oven at 200 degrees for 1/2 hour to evaporate away all traces of moisture. Then I lube it. They always look like new after this treatment.

Freewheels with a dull black color are usually "parkerized" - a process which leaves a corrosion resistant coating of black iron phosphate on the surface. If you want shiny your only hope is to come up with a freewheel with silver- or gold-colored plating (no idea... nickel and titanium nitride, maybe?).

I'll also put in a vote for matching the headtube color - looks pretty snazzy in my head.

Hmm... I veto headtube matches :). I veto them because the photos are deceptive. The headtube isn't exactly cream. It's a really pale yellow. I think really pale yellow bar tape would be very hard to replicate nicely. It's actually almost a pale lemon yellow. Besides, the vintage ladies Turbo in white is staying, because vintage ladies Turbos are what my butt prefers, and they are not easy to find.

Tomio, I think you're thinking of the other blue-and-"cream" Shogun on Seattle's CL. I bought mine over a year ago, so that wasn't me. The one on CL now is newer than mine, and nicer, in terms of the condition of the paint.

Guess my freehub is staying black-and-silver. I got most of the gunk off with hard-core scrubbing and swishing with the sink sprayer on high. Seems to have worked, and I disassembled it enough to clean out the area where the bearings go. I just can't get it off the wheel itself. Guess Abarth can help me there, if it still needs it.

Thoughts on white vs. grey bar tape? I'm thinking the fizik dark grey (not light as I first said, sorry). It's very pretty, and I thought it would look rather smashing with the stainless cabling. I'm not sure about the gum hoods, then, but I can always get black hoods.

Not sure if I'd go with grey. Since you will have gumwall tires, you can always go with tan bar tape. But I do like the idea of white tape to go with the white saddle.

I would not go with gray, because it will dull down the vibrant blue frame colour. With a "cold" frame colour, I'd suggest either a "warm" handlebar tape, or white. If you are worried about white getting dirty, coat white cloth tape with clear (not amber) shellac. I did this to mine Bianchi and have ridden it several times in absolutely filthy, slushy weather with no fenders. Spray all over the handlebars, but I simply wiped it off with no long-term effects. The clear shellac will make the handlebars look cream, or off-white, depending how much you apply.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5043/...ff8ecce8_o.jpg

Sounds like the powers that be (and that's especially Veloria, whose bikes are always stunning) think white. I sent the Panasonic off to the shop with a box of white Fizik Microtex. I'll see how I like it, and then...

I like the idea of gum-colored tape as well, though. Darker tan won't clash with the headtube. I think I'll get it built up without tape (I need to see if I need another tall stem on this bike anyway), then it will either be white or tan. Thanks guys! Of course I'll post many pics when I get it finished.

+1 Khaki would look great with that color combo, and stick with a black saddle. And skinwalls.

http://velospace.org/files/P1090558.JPG

I can't believe I'm giving you advice on accessorizing.

I also agree that the freewheel is likely intended to be black. I've seen a few like that.
I have a black 7-sp cassette, and it's definitely clean.

Black was the old black before it was the new black.

You started me on these Selle Italia ladies' Turbos. It's not my fault that the only one on eBay was white.

<hysterical Mommie Dearest moment>

NO BLACK SADDLES! NO BLACK SADDLES!

I repeat, the saddle is white. It's white. It's gonna stay white. It's not getting any darker! :) Unlike some of you, I don't collect extra saddles... And now I'm broke, so it's definitely going to be the white one.

I like white saddle, white tape okay, but I'm just not sure on this bike. I also like the idea of gum-colored bar tape, sort of natural corky light brown, perhaps? Don't know if that would work or not. A warm light brown, not cream.

But NO BLACK. no. no. no.

But what would you ride to a cocktail party?

Well, if you go with a white saddle, it brings out the SHOGUN lettering. You can go with khaki wrap to accent the head tube, and use white finishing tape (white electrical tape from WalMart, comes in the 5-color pack) to add a touch of white up front. The same pack of tape comes with a blue about like the rest of the frame, and you can overlap it a bit to create a a blue/white stripe at the sleeve...... just saying..