What To Look For
Look for clear-coated carbon fiber frames. Many bike manufactures paint over their carbon frames, but if you want real beauty, look for a bike that has clear lacquer over the familiar black woven screen of carbon fiber. Other things to look for are gently sloping lines and smooth welds on aluminum, titanium and chrome bikes. For women's bikes, look for delicate woven patterns on the seat and fine detailed paint jobs.
Common Pitfalls
Common problems with bike aesthetics are designs that look like an experiment gone bad. Bikes that alter old-school geometry with radical springs, levers, and weird obtuse angles are not pretty. Simplicity is required to give bikes the aerodynamic look that is attractive. Squared-off frames don't look as good as sloping ones. Too many stickers and too many different colors of paint make a bike look busy.
Where To Buy
Buy the best looking bikes at your local bike shop. The salesmen there can steer you into the best bike for the money, and even customize it for you if you have ideas about bike fashion. Another good option for bike buying is REI. They have a great selection of name brand bikes, and they're big enough to have good prices too. Another buying option is online through Bike Nashbar or Performance Cycling. You also get a great selection buying online, and some good deals if you are willing to wait for delivery.
Cost
The best looking carbon-fiber bikes will set you back about $3,000 to $5,000. Get an aluminum bike with a good looking paint scheme that has a few carbon fiber parts on it for about $1,200. For entry level bikes with great paint and manufacturer's logos on the, plan on spending $600 to $800.
Comparison Shopping
Carbon fiber bikes look best because they have status. They cost more, but they ride smoother than aluminum or steel bikes. Painted aluminum or steel looks fine and you can choose your color, but with clear-coated carbon fiber, you always get black. You can also try burnished steel or aluminum bikes. They are shiny without any paint at all. There is no paint to chip like painted bikes, and no clear coat to scratch like carbon-fiber bikes.
Accessories
Buy some handlebar tape in different colors and do a custom wrap on the handlebars yourself. Do a marque or diamond wrap on your handlebars to give your bike that eye-catching one-of-a kind look. Another way to make your bike look great is to put a designer seat on it. These seats come in all kinds of colors, including two-toned that you can select to match your bike's paint. Another way to get your bike looking cool is colored tires. You can buy tires in almost any color now or with racing stripes.
Insider Tips
Good looking bikes are uncluttered. Fluorescent colored bikes tend to get on the nerves after a while. Stick with pastels, white, black, red or blue. These colors have stood the test of time and cyclists always go back to them. Real beauty in a bike is often in the design itself. For the best in bike design, check out Campagnolo or "Campy." This Italian bike component manufacturer is noted for smooth, graceful curves on handmade bike parts. If you're into fashion, status and beauty, look for bikes that are equipped with Campy parts.
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