Matte black or Gloss black conversion bike color?

[sal]

My first ebike will be an Orion 8 fat tire Crawler 750w 11/13 amp, 48v. bafang mid-drive, new (August month) upgrades. Want hydraulic tetra Dorado upgrade replacing avid 7 mechanical brakes. Now aesthetically, Matte black better than glossy color: Being a conversion bike, un sitely wires blend in better? Matte black best? And is bafang motor and chain guard glossy black or Matte black? I want color of all components to match as closely as possible, two or three colors doesn't look good...

 

[JoePah]

Most of the black accessories like motor and wiring are glossy black or satin black.. So you would be better off with a glossy black frame that will draw attention away from the conversion parts.

 

[Adrian]

Here's my BBS02 on my "silk matt" black Fatbike. Nothing really stands out.



FWIW you may want to consider a 42t Lekkie bling ring instead of a raceface - it's also a narrow wide but you may get a better chainline with the Lekkie as it has a large offset/inset that will take the chain inwards about 10mm I think. There's also an similar Italian chainring out there but I'm not sure if it's a narrow wide.

 

[J.R.]

My first ebike will be an Orion 8 fat tire Crawler 750w 11/13 amp, 48v. bafang mid-drive, new (August month) upgrades. Want hydraulic tetra Dorado upgrade replacing avid 7 mechanical brakes. Now aesthetically, Matte black better than glossy color: Being a conversion bike, un sitely wires blend in better? Matte black best? And is bafang motor and chain guard glossy black or Matte black? I want color of all components to match as closely as possible, two or three colors doesn't look good...

Parts that are anodized (a chemical process) like rims, seat post and handle bars are generally in a range of satin finish. Different manufactures use different finish grinds in the metal and cast is different still. The finish prior to anodizing is what determines the sheen which is just the amount of light the finish will reflect. With parts coming from a variety of factories it's impossible to say what would look best. Beauty is in the eye.... Few finishes are truly matte, even when a seller states matte, most are a degree of satin. True matte black and very high gloss black are more difficult to keep clean.

It's down to personal preference. Good luck!

 

[sal]

Here's my BBS02 on my "silk matt" black Fatbike. Nothing really stands out.

View attachment 3892

FWIW you may want to consider a 42t Lekkie bling ring instead of a raceface - it's also a narrow wide but you may get a better chainline with the Lekkie as it has a large offset/inset that will take the chain inwards about 10mm I think. There's also an similar Italian chainring out there but I'm not sure if it's a narrow wide.

Adrian, first of all, gorgeous fat tire bike. Thank you for the insight on the 42T Lekkie Bling Ring, seriously looks and sounds like a high end performer for seemless chainglide control. I called lectricycles.com today, Jeff ( the kid in Court's recent video, handling shift sensors) said bling would work fine, a substitute the raceface. However, since I'm using NuVinci cvt, not a derailed (like yours), then the bling ring wouldn't be advantages as in your situation. With internally geared hubs, raceface probably fine. They do the same job, narrow wide, difference is bling is made with lighter aluminum - I question durability? Nevertheless, 42t Bling Ring looks cooler, so if cost is marginal, I'll get the Bling Ring. Thanx again for your great advice Adrian.... : ) thanx JoePah and J.R., helpfull, I choose glossy black then.....

 

[MLB]

Here's my BBS02 on my "silk matt" black Fatbike. Nothing really stands out.

View attachment 3892

FWIW you may want to consider a 42t Lekkie bling ring instead of a raceface - it's also a narrow wide but you may get a better chainline with the Lekkie as it has a large offset/inset that will take the chain inwards about 10mm I think. There's also an similar Italian chainring out there but I'm not sure if it's a narrow wide.

How do you like your fatbike setup? I like the look a lot and they seem like a lot of fun WITH a motor boost to help out.

 

[MLB]

Adrian, first of all, gorgeous fat tire bike. Thank you for the insight on the 42T Lekkie Bling Ring, seriously looks and sounds like a high end performer for seemless chainglide control. I called lectricycles.com today, Jeff ( the kid in Court's recent video, handling shift sensors) said bling would work fine, a substitute the raceface. However, since I'm using NuVinci cvt, not a derailed (like yours), then the bling ring wouldn't be advantages as in your situation. With internally geared hubs, raceface probably fine. They do the same job, narrow wide, difference is bling is made with lighter aluminum - I question durability? Nevertheless, 42t Bling Ring looks cooler, so if cost is marginal, I'll get the Bling Ring. Thanx again for your great advice Adrian.... : ) thanx JoePah and J.R., helpfull, I choose glossy black then.....

Lots of motorcycles (dirt bikes) run aluminum sprockets and while they wear faster than steel those bikes are putting out 25-50hp!
Dont' think you're going to wear one out quickly on a 1.5hp (both you and the motor bike

 

[Adrian]

How do you like your fatbike setup? I like the look a lot and they seem like a lot of fun WITH a motor boost to help out.

It's great. Some of the roads I ride aren't exactly smooth though so at 40 kph it's hard on the butt even running 8psi on those 4.5 inch tires. Winter commuting is actually fun though but I had to spend 30% of the stock bike cost to put on Dillenger studded tires.

When I get around to it I'm going to order a body float I think to help with the pain - my new ISM saddle helps but not enough. I miss front suspension too so maybe I'll put on a bluto fork one day.

Here's a picture of what it looks like now with the new saddle and Lekkie chainring.