# Bike Color - should I go white



## ucla94 (Oct 14, 2009)

In your experience how does a white bike hold up over time? I'm trying to settle on a road bike and I've narrowed it down to a few that are basically even when it comes to price, fit, components, ect.... One of the bikes is all white and I'm wondering how much time I'm going to spend trying to keep it clean.


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## Tommy Walker (Aug 14, 2009)

I had a white bike a long time ago; I don't think the frame is a problem, but the bar tape will probably be hard to keep clean and then I think the bar tape color and the seat should match.

A white fram and black tape and black seat would look sharp. White bar tape and a white seat would look classy.


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## terry b (Jan 29, 2004)

I have a couple of white bikes and honestly, I could care less if they're dirty or not. Relative to other colors - they all show the dirt. If a clean frame is important to you, it's not going to matter if it's black, blue, green, white or red.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

On an everyday bike, I probably wouldn't want the white bar tape, but frame and seat aren't too difficult. The seat should remain clean unless you.........you know.  The frame may get dirty, but it makes it easier to tell if/where you missed a spot.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

I gots a white frame- Merckx Corsa SL, Faema team colors- (mostly pearl white with red accents)

White frames get dirty. Every speck of road dust shows up. They are hard to clean, because the white doesn't let dirt hide. You can see it in every hard-to-reach crevice behind your brakes, around the bottom bracket, etc. Paint chips don't hide either. 

Mine has got to be 20+ years old, it's been ridden hard and put away wet and it still looks great.

It's just a be-yotch to clean. 

White tape and saddles are pretty much impossible to keep clean as well. If yer OK with that, go for it.


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## olr1 (Apr 2, 2005)

Just clean it when it's dirty; it's a bicycle, for riding on.


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## muscleendurance (Jan 11, 2009)

ucla94 said:


> I'm wondering how much time I'm going to spend trying to keep it clean.


As much as you can be arsed no? simple answer.

however the answer you would prefer to hear is probably: white bikes comes with a forcefield and weather making machine built in.
Between the layers of carbon fibre there are nano particles which can sense the prevailing atmospheric conditions and adjust the air pressure in your/bikes locality accordingly, like the way cloud seeding works for tornados. This means that you will never have to wash it as the bees flying by will drop micro-particles of pollen onto the frame and the chemical reaction will cause a new cleaning/polish compound to form on the surface of the tubes like condensation and as you ride the bike the dry air will make this evaporate...you didnt think that a white carbon framed bike cost thousands of $ for nothing did you? - theres alot of NASA thechnology under the hood so to speak.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

In my opinon, black is the hardest color to keep clean..... 

All colors show dirt but white hides dust better than most..

I have a 3 white bikes and don't spend any more time cleaning them than my others


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## maximum7 (Apr 24, 2008)

I had a bike that was black and white. The front half and fork were the white portion. 
I didn't like it at first and thought it'd be a bear to keep clean, but in actuality it wasn't that bad. It definitely looked better when I wiped it down with Pedros or 303, but it's didn't look all that bad in between. 
Now I miss it dearly. I had a ton of compliments on it and it was hard to see it go. 
I will own another one some day.


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## newmexrb1 (Aug 16, 2009)

I have a half white bike--also half purple. It stays looking surprisingly good, but it seldom rains and I rarely lubricate it...The BB area is the area that shows modt dirt--mine is an internal BB, maybe less an issue with external cups. In any event, I wouldn't hesitate to get another white one. OCD I'm not. YMMV.


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## cpark (Oct 13, 2004)

Yes, and Fizik white tape is easy to keep it clean.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

I like white. I don't know if it's shows the dirt more than other colors. The bikes I've owned that were partly white were no prob to keep clean.


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## martinrjensen (Sep 23, 2007)

*I guess I'm weird*

Because I clean my bike (mostly) after every single ride. Actually, most of the rides don't need it so I don't do it but I do check the bike over 90% of the time. 
I rode my winter bike today because it, well, its winter and it rained last night. The bike got filthy. When I got home I hosed it down with a garden hose then blew it of with my compressed air.
So, basically I check and clean my bike (s) after most all rides. I know it doesn't make me go any faster but that's just me.
From having a white car, I would say white hides dirt more than any other color. Someone else with a white bike says otherwise, and I will not argue with them as I never had a white bike. White handle bar tape, now that's another thing. I think you will just have to get used to it darkening up, or don't use it. "Used" white handlebar tape doesn't really look bad, but it does look used.


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## tom_h (May 6, 2008)

cpark said:


> Yes, and Fizik white tape is easy to keep it clean.


++1. The Fizik Microtex stays remarkably clean.


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## tom_h (May 6, 2008)

I've owned white and black cars. The white is far more tolerant of dust and dirt; black shows everything.

I don't see why bike colors would be any different. My most recent bike is white (mostly). No regrets, and I'm very obsessive about bike cleanliness.


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## brucew (Jun 3, 2006)

Of course the real problem is that you can't ride a white bike after Labor Day...


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## bane (Aug 30, 2006)

rim shot


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## maximum7 (Apr 24, 2008)

> Of course the real problem is that you can't ride a white bike after Labor Day..


Awesome...


I have a gold Honda Accord. I can never tell when it's dirty. It hides dirt amazingly well. 
Why aren't there any gold/tan/ taupe bikes. I know those are slower colors but still...


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## tom_h (May 6, 2008)

maximum7 said:


> ... I have a *gold* Honda Accord. I can never tell when it's dirty. It hides dirt amazingly well.
> Why aren't there any *gold*/tan/ taupe bikes. I know those are slower colors but still...


Last years (2009) model :
https://www.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/2009/bikes/7790-24_SW_TMSL2_Gld_l.jpg
Not being carried forward, however. Colors come and go ...


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## old_fuji (Mar 16, 2009)

maximum7 said:


> Awesome...
> 
> 
> I have a gold Honda Accord. I can never tell when it's dirty. It hides dirt amazingly well.
> Why aren't there any gold/tan/ taupe bikes. I know those are slower colors but still...


doesn't surly make a squirrel vomit color, similar to the one you describe?


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## Hank Stamper (Sep 9, 2009)

Dirt doesn't discriminate by color.

I have a white bike. It's super easy to keep clean because I can see the dirt and oil. It's difficult to keep a clean appearance. It depends if you're concerned with actually keeping your bike clean or giving a false impression that it's clean.


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## nor_cal_rider (Dec 18, 2006)

I was going to get a white bike....then I realized how common they had become the past few years. I just ordered a new Project 1 Trek a few weeks ago, and I went with metallic purple. Few friends and one of the LBS wrenches have all given me crap about it, but I could care less - they don't have to ride it. If for some reason my 5.2 isn't damaged (sent back to Trek last week for evaluation of visible crack in headtube), I'll request the paint be stripped and an orange frame returned. Again - not super popular, but as long as I like it.......

Get what YOU want.


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## brewster (Jun 15, 2004)

Surly Long Haul Truckers come in beige, tan or taupe or whatever you want to call it.....then again, owners are not concerned with looking fast.

I have had white bikes. They do show chips and scratches more than other colors. I don't care for white especially at the bottom bracket area. Grease and dirt are on display for all to see. 

brewster


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## old_fuji (Mar 16, 2009)

brewster said:


> Surly Long Haul Truckers come in beige, tan or taupe or whatever you want to call it.....then again, owners are not concerned with looking fast.
> 
> I have had white bikes. They do show chips and scratches more than other colors. I don't care for white especially at the bottom bracket area. Grease and dirt are on display for all to see.
> 
> brewster


would you describe that color as:


> squirrel vomit color


?


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## Kappaccino (Jun 21, 2009)

White with small, solid colored accents looks niiice. Do it. 

My only gripe is white bar tape that shows grime.


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## digitalorange (Apr 18, 2007)

I have a white bike. I just wipe it down every so often with a damp microfiber cloth and it gets out most of the dirt/grease. Doesn't even need any cleaners, just water on the cloth. If it gets really dirty I'll give it a good cleaning, but that doesn't happen more than once every 2-3 months.


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## Guest (Nov 6, 2009)

I like white bikes. I don't see myself on one though...


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## charliethetuna (Jul 11, 2009)

you like the white? go with the white.
you dont like the white? go with another color.


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## aking legs 2 (Sep 30, 2009)

White continues to be a popular color, although it has been losing to silver. With the economy slow, folks are less likely to go with flashy colors that might devalue their ride.


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