COLOR!  Finally, a bike forum topic to which I can speak with some degree of expertise.  Thirty-four years of my adult life was spent working for a major paint company.  Color was my business.

I've never had a custom-built bike with a custom color (and probably never will), and I've never asked a bike shop to order in another color of a bike I wanted.  I've always bought my bikes off-the-rack.  As a color specialist, I'll share a little secret: the best bicycle color is usually whatever color is on the frame of your newest bike.  That was true throughout my cycling history--my fire engine red tricycle, my forest green hardware store stingray, my frost white ten-speed, my subdued gold Motobecane road bike, my jet-black hybrid, my bronzed god Trek mountain bike, my coal black and silvery silver roadie bike, and my Pearl hued The Reckless Mr. Bing Bong.  I loved all of the colors.

I had no color in mind when I walked into a River Falls, WI bike shop in early 2022.  I only saw they were the only place that had a Surly Disc Trucker in-stock during those supply chain problems in the Covid years.  (My first choice, a Surly Ogre was nowhere to be found in the tri-state area.)  At the time, color didn't matter to me at all, but when I saw the bike had the same color as my favorite Hot Wheels car from the 1970's, I had to have it.

I like the idea of a svelte and sexy bike, but I'm already worried enough about my pride and joy being nicked, particularly as I'm generally a solo tourist. So I don't want her to attract attention, and have therefore also avoided encumbering her with rear spoilers, lowered suspension or a racing exhaust.

Also, my bikes tend to take a beating when I'm travelling, and if I get too hung up on the looks aspect then I honestly think I'd spend a lot of my time feeling slightly upset at every new dink and scratch. I don't know why the damage constantly appears, by the way, it's not as if I fall off regularly, or wear cowboy spurs, but bicycle paint does seem to be a lot less resilient than car paint. Is that just me?

So I went for black for my tourer, which I think is suitably anonymous. I do love the look of those streamlined and shimmering carbon things that occasionally buzz past me. But then I read posts on other forums from owners panicking about hairline cracks or paint imperfections on their expensive frames, and I feel glad to have a fulfilling relationship with a slightly less preened steel beast. I love her for more than her looks, and who wants to be in a high maintenance relationship?

Coloured socks are a good way to demonstrate individuality, though... 😁