The history behind this is that when my SO was kind enough to give me a new bar and stem for a birthday present a year ago for my '83 Schwinn Prologue (a classic red and white fade job). I picked the most cheerful combination of colors I liked in Cinelli bar tape. They weren't that bad!!! Purple, white and blue confetti. Now that I work at my shop, instead of work in hi-tech and shop at my shop, I get to check out every possible combination of Cinelli handlebar tape in existence, and there are a lot of scary color combinations.
Even more history. My blue and blue paneled 1980 Trek touring bike sported pale lavender cloth tape and pale lavender cable housing.
Don't ask about the days of matching lycra helmet and seat covers... Remember "Henrietta's?"
So my beloved, and his rather conservative views about bicycle style (basically every bicycle should be lugged with very simple lugs and only painted in colors found in nature and all have white handlebar tape) might have a reason to be concerned. He is also a person who climbs in his big ring - so don't attribute sanity without knowing him better. I won't tell you what he said to me about my choice of bottom bracket either, but when I pointed out he was getting mad about MY bicycle, he got pretty miffed!
Anyway...
>>My post regarding my SO's reaction to my choice of handlebar colors...
>>LOL - I still wish I understood why my SO reacts so vehemently to my choices >> in color! I don't think they are that weird!
>Steven's reply regarding my choice of tape colors..
>Hi Ann, >Not having actually SEEN your choices, it's hard to answer the question. >There were some pretty tasteful, sort of multi colored bar tapes in the old days >(80s) that do look good on a classic. Maybe you could luck out and find something >from that period, and then you could tell him it IS classic tape. What colors do you >need, maybe someone on the list knows where you could find something? >How about some pictures posted somewhere of your tape jobs? >Stevan Thomas >Alameda, CA
Actually for my dark silver and red headtube and seat tube paneled Trek, I chose a simple black and red confetti. Tasteful and dirt resistant.
Now if you all had seen list member Mack Montgomery's robins egg blue Woodrup leave our shop today as a complete bicycle for the first time since it got repainted and properly reassembled, (I felt like opening a bottle of champagne on it's headtube, but that would have been bad for the paint) you might agree that some of that multi colored tape looks pretty good - even on an old Classic. I had to admire his choice of color coordinated pastels confetti on white tape - the colors are perfect and compliment the bike perfectly.
Me and my obnoxious color choice of tape for the Prologue can be found at:
http://www.bicyclesouth.com/
in the "Broom Wagon" section....
Raoul Delmare points out in his post...
Austin , Texas , U.S.A. circa 1982 ( still easily within that "Classic Content" era ! ) that wild Benotto Tape ( so thin , so shiny ) You take at least two colors , more if you are really patient , making sure that the colors are the wildest possible combination , and tape up your handlebar in some interesting manner . Stripes , as on a candy-cane , or as on a barber-pole , are easy . Diamonds take a bit more practice . Two bicycles that I will always remember : Italiano colors ( also Mexicano ) Red - Green - White & just simply shocking colors ( something like ) Pink - Turquoise - Lemon Raoul Delmare Marysville Kansas
****** And if you were looking for that bike in a pile of them at Ragbrai - don't you think the pink, turquoise and lemon would stand out?
Gosh, I remember that Benetto tape in such pretty colors, mmm barberpole!
Ann Phillips Atlanta Ga - where it is too darn cold today...