Decal (bike)
Decal is the name for the lettering of a wheel with the logo or the writing of the manufacturer. Decal is a short form of engl. decalcomania ; from French. decalcomania of décalquer "transferred". In English, decal also means decal or sticker.
Bicycle manufacturers label their bikes with the lettering and sometimes with the company logo. Particularly with high-quality racing bikes in the 1970s and 1980s, the manufacturers attached great importance to good lettering, as it has a brand-forming effect. In some cases, engravings of the logo or other motifs were also embossed into the frames. On old bikes, the decals are important indicators to identify the specific model of a brand. Often companies buy frames and add their own decals. Sometimes names are used that are known in the cycling scene. Bikes from the German cycling dealer Brügelmann have been fitted with “Colnago Sport” decals. Colnago initiated a legal battle over the identity of the names.
With higher quality decals, the logo is printed on a special foil and then cut out with a plotter. Clear varnish is applied in one or more layers over the lettering on the frame .
photos
Bianci -Decal ("Bianchi-Adler")
The frame of the German company Epple with Pinarello decals at the factory
Decal on a Brompton folding bike
Decals and engravings on an ALAN aluminum wheel
“Colnago Sport” decals on a Brügelmann racing bike
