Ferrari Red – everyone knows what’s meant by that.
Not too many bicycle manufacturers have their trademark color, however, some do. And like with so many other emotionally loaded aspects of bikes and biking, the Italians have been at the forefront of the „trademark color“ business:
63 years of age - and still a heavenly Bianchi Celeste
To aficionados, only a „celeste“-colored Bianchi is a real Bianchi, worthy of that name.
To me, though, it as always been a myth why this greenish blue (or, at best: turquoise) Bianchi has selected as trademark color had been named „celeste“, i.e. sky-blue.
But why does, say, Diamant bikes are painted a color called „Himmelblau“ – which means „celestial, sky-blue“, but looks so different from Bianchi’s version of the color that goes by this name?
Because Diamant bikes are made in Germany. And, even in the midst of winter, German skies can look like this:
Winter trees and Summer skies
Forget Italy!
German skies and bikes alike are warming biker’s heart and soul just like the Southern variants.
Forget Celeste, ride "Himmelblau"
Image of 1951 celeste bike: courtesy of Mike’s Bikes
© Copyright 2014 bxa, All rights Reserved. Written For: bxa's Greetings from Germany
Nice article!
About the „celeste“ – really, really old bianchi bikes actually *are* sky blue; rumour has it that a shortage in supplies during WW1 forced Bianchi to use the colour that now everyone associates with the brand. The team’s jerseys were „sky blue“ long after the bikes took on a shade of green:
http://www.bianchistore.de/bilder/produkte/gross/Bianchi-LEroica-Polo-Shirt_2.jpg
Whatever, at least it saves us the discussion whether this is a green or a blue – it is blue, by definition 🙂
And let’s not forget that the blue of blues comes from Italy, too, the „blu cobalto“ the iconic Gios bikes are painted.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ET0z48y345s/T8jZcblpm0I/AAAAAAAAWIE/ITN9JbIGONg/s1600/gios_paris_roubaixb.JPG
That is almost as blue as a summer sky, in Germany or Italy 😀