What's with the multicoloured tape on seat tubes?

[neocaligatio]

My bike has a multicoloured band/tape on the seat tube, as do loads of other bikes I've seen on here and other forums - was this just a fad?

(Not my bike.... although wish it was) Example of double bands:

 

[red_riviera]

it's the arc-en-ciel (rainbow) colours denoting World Champion. Many frame manufacturers put them on once they have a rider win the Worlds on one of their frames.

 

[neocaligatio]

So on my old Townsend it's just for effect then! :roll:

 

[mudcow007]

i've got olympic rings on mine....or is it the Audi badge/ logo?!

 

[mattsccm]

Did Townsend get a world champs in the early days? Just wondering. They were a class brand many years ago.

 

[pigman]

we used to put em round hub centres too

 

[fiks]

I suppose some use it as decoration, and the others cos they've built a frame/bike which won a world champs.

 

[mattsccm]

Just aquired a wheel with the centre decoration. looks quite nice.

 

[bm0p700f]

My ALAN has got those colours too.

 

[Old Ned]

Did Townsend get a world champs in the early days? Just wondering. They were a class brand many years ago.

I seriously doubt it. I must admit that personally speaking, I've never considered Townsend to be a 'class brand'. Perhaps I'm a snob

The rainbow bands as a frame decoration are just that - decoration (in the vast majority of cases). However, strictly speaking, they cannot be worn on clothing unless the wearer has been a world champion themselves. You can see this in major professional races where ex-champions have the right to wear their sleeve and neck trimmings in rainbow bands. A friend was the recipient of a real 'telling off' from an official when spectating at a continental cyclo-cross because he was wearing an old world champions jersey under his jacket.