Painting a road bike?
 

So I have this old road bike, it is nothing special, a Carrera Zelos (I believe 2013) that I kind of fell into owning.

I'm not a hard core cyclist at all, but just want to get out for some exercise once or twice a week, as well as the odd commute - and for this, the bike is completely suitable.
Will no doubt end up getting something a bit more up to date, but ultimately the Carerra isn't going to be worth selling.

What I would love to do is a project on the aesthetics. Turn this bike into something I have genuine affinity for.
Paint job, wheels, saddle, handle bar tape, a few stickers as well.

I've seen a few YouTube tutorials and have an idea of how to do the painting bit. But I'm worried about taking apart and putting back together. The YT tutorials seem to gloss over this as if they just assume anyone who has a bike can do this no problem. I have this concern / nightmare about turning up at a bike shop with a bike in a dozen pieces and hoping that the shop take pity on me.

Would appreciate any guidance on how easy it would be for someone who hasn't done it before (and hasn't done much more than change a tyre). Would I need specialist tools, other than allen keys and a spanner? What are the potential problem areas? I'm ultra concerned about the cabling and gears.

I guess I could leave a few components on and do a bit of masking but I'd probably very quickly reach a point of no return when disassembling it so I'm very cautious not to the start this until I know I will have a fairly good chance of being able to finish it.

Any help much appreciated.

ton of time. ton of effort. results will vary.
pay some local dude.
powder coating cheaper.
guy in nj color factory does good work.
affordable $200.00.

Disassembly and re-assembly are the easiest parts of the entire job. But you could probably pay a bike shop to agree to remove the components for you, and them put them back on when the paint is dry. If you do it yourself, yes 90% could be done with a couple allen wrenches, but you will probably need some specialized tools for the bottom bracket cups unless you are willing to just tape them off.

I hope you know how much work you are getting yourself into with painting a bike frame, unless you are a pro, or don't care how it turns out, you are looking at weeks or months of time spent on this. And if you are perfectionist, some moments of unbelievable frustration.

Thanks man. I've had a look at this and I can't see anyone near me that does this.
I'm in Scotland and perhaps there could be a gap in the market as plenty of cyclists about.

I guess I certainly don't mind if it's not perfect. It would be good if I managed to learn how to do it and got my knowledge up.

But if it costs loads in tools and things that I won't use regularly, then I guess best to get a bike shop to assist.

The only thing that would be difficult to remove and reinstall would be the crankset and BB. A chain tool is cheap enough to buy to remove and reinstall the chain. Everything else requires either a 4 or 5 mm allen wrench.

Thanks - that's helpful.

Quick Google search shows this is an aluminum frame and steel fork. Assuming that is correct, the a powdercoat is the best mix of cost and quality.
Google around for powdercoaters- its a common service at machine shops, auto and motor sport garages, etc.
then Google prismatic colors. Its a common powder and has thousands of options.
you have to strip the bike of all components, then either paint strip or have the shop sandblast the current paint away. Either way, the shop will sandblast to ensure a good surface for the powder. They they spray on the powder and bake it.

Another option is to use spray.bike paint. I have used it on 3 bikes and have another that will eventually be painted with the stuff.
Results are 100% dependent on your preparation and following the directions. The more prep time you take, the better the results. It has proven to be durable which is a common complaint for regular spray can paint jobs.

If you decide not to do it yourself, Bob Jackson in Leeds might, and their price is very reasonable.

Thanks. I had looked at the spray.bike site and nearly pulled the trigger, apart from my concern of not being able to dissemble and reassemble.

Going to see a second hand bike tomorrow, so that might allow me to tinker with the old Carrera and not feel like I am depriving myself of exercise if it is sitting in bits for a few weeks as I figure it out.

Appreciate I could go to a bike shop, but I guess it's partly about the process for me and ultimately if I can work out how to do this, then it will be a lot more satisfying.

Consider brush painting, the results I have seen posted here have been very impressive. Paint seems to come out quite smooth and glossy. No wasted paint, plus you can do it indoors. And one 15 dollar quart can could probably paint several bikes.

I don't know what types of aerosol paints you have available locally, but much of it these days is very poor quality. I have seen some Spray Bike paint jobs, and if you look closely at the texture, it's quite rough, flat, and bumpy, almost like stucco. I was not at all impressed, but some people find it adequate. I guess it depends on whether you're happy with what's called a "5 foot paint job", that looks good as long as you stay 5 feet away. :)

Wow, that looks great. :thumb: I had never seen a clearcoat applied to that stuff. Makes all the difference in the world.

Not sure what you mean? The primer is Max 2k primer/filler the colour was automative grade matched at an auto shop and put into a rattlecan.The clear was Max 2k high gloss glamour coat. All three cans cost $100 Cad. I can't put a price on the time and elbow grease. But it was a fun project.

Sorry, misunderstood. When I said "rough, flat and bumpy" I was referring to results obtained with spray.bike (not professional auto paint) which is what the OP had mentioned.

Which may not be the paints fault but the painters, as I mentioned earlier.

I see all these posts about people saying they have good results with a brush. But have you ever noticed in the photos there are no close ups.

Its as if this thread is missing half the posts.