A couple of days ago I checked out Bianchi's '04 Pista and I was immediately struck by how beautiful I thought it was. The thin steel tubes reminded me of the first ten-speeds I saw my parents ride when I was a child. The simple drivetrain seemed understated .. yet elegant. And the chrome plating had me drooling. It was very much like the aesthetic attraction I have to Apple's powerbook line. Simple, smooth, sleek.
I've always preferred the simple look. Bikes with multiple colors and stays in weird shapes, like some Colnagos, sort of freak me out.
So forget stiffness and feel and weight for a moment. Break it down to pure style: what sort of paint jobs to people like on their bikes: wild colors and team stickers or solid and paint free simplicity? And what material: old fashioned, thin tubed steel, smooth, flowing carbon fiber, big tubed aluminum, or sleek, shiny titanium?
I've always preferred the simple look. Bikes with multiple colors and stays in weird shapes, like some Colnagos, sort of freak me out.
So forget stiffness and feel and weight for a moment. Break it down to pure style: what sort of paint jobs to people like on their bikes: wild colors and team stickers or solid and paint free simplicity? And what material: old fashioned, thin tubed steel, smooth, flowing carbon fiber, big tubed aluminum, or sleek, shiny titanium?