Serious question about removing a sticker
#1
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Serious question about removing a sticker
Hi -
I am an infrequent visitor here, so please forgive if this is covered in another post (I looked and didn't find any). I have recently acquired a nice bike that previously belonged to a well-known person in cycling. In fact, his name is on a sticker on the frame. It appears to have been used (briefly) in competition and I think the sticker was a kind of a competitor ID for a team car?
My question is what is the protocol for removing / not-removing this sticker?
I have experience in the higher realms of music gear, and there are certain things you're really not supposed to alter. But I'm not a hardcore cyclist and just don't know if peeling that off is sacrilege or what. If it is, I won't do it out of respect.
Any insight welcome.
I am an infrequent visitor here, so please forgive if this is covered in another post (I looked and didn't find any). I have recently acquired a nice bike that previously belonged to a well-known person in cycling. In fact, his name is on a sticker on the frame. It appears to have been used (briefly) in competition and I think the sticker was a kind of a competitor ID for a team car?
My question is what is the protocol for removing / not-removing this sticker?
I have experience in the higher realms of music gear, and there are certain things you're really not supposed to alter. But I'm not a hardcore cyclist and just don't know if peeling that off is sacrilege or what. If it is, I won't do it out of respect.
Any insight welcome.
#2
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It's a piece of equipment used for exercise or racing or whatever. It belongs to you now. Do whatever you want. Choose happiness. In my personal experience, I've successfully removed old stickers by heating them up with a hair dryer. After heating, they peel right off. Be good. Have fun.
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Unless it's really obnoxious, it sounds like something that may be unique and interesting to have on the bike. You might should reconsider.
But if you just gotta yank it, depending on what it's made of, you can also try acetone, and even WD40, if it's kind of a paper-based sticker.
But if you just gotta yank it, depending on what it's made of, you can also try acetone, and even WD40, if it's kind of a paper-based sticker.
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Unless he is looking for the bike, or unless it is really ugly, keep it on if you like. If it doesn't mean anything to you, or speak to you in any way, remove it. If you keep it, and if the sticker doesn't look like it will hold up, you can clear coat it.
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Add “stolen from” in a matching font. Comments are guaranteed.
It sounds like you’re unsure about any impact on value. I would suggest if you have any intention of holding and selling in the future that you work on documenting provenance. If you remove the sticker you’ll diminish your ability to claim collector or even novelty value. It’ll just be another used bike.
-Kedosto
It sounds like you’re unsure about any impact on value. I would suggest if you have any intention of holding and selling in the future that you work on documenting provenance. If you remove the sticker you’ll diminish your ability to claim collector or even novelty value. It’ll just be another used bike.
-Kedosto
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...It sounds like you’re unsure about any impact on value. I would suggest if you have any intention of holding and selling in the future that you work on documenting provenance. If you remove the sticker you’ll diminish your ability to claim collector or even novelty value. It’ll just be another used bike...
You can remove it, if you'd like, but then, as others mentioned, it'd just look like an ordinary bike and probably wouldn't be considered worth as much (if you were intending to sell it).
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Yes. I also was thinking something similar. If a famous cyclist owned the bike and it was being sold with the name sticker still on it, it sounds as though it might've been meant to be a collector's item (if it's authentic and not a fake sticker someone made, to make it seem valuable).
You can remove it, if you'd like, but then, as others mentioned, it'd just look like an ordinary bike and probably wouldn't be considered worth as much (if you were intending to sell it).
You can remove it, if you'd like, but then, as others mentioned, it'd just look like an ordinary bike and probably wouldn't be considered worth as much (if you were intending to sell it).
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Does anyone collect this sort of thing? Honest question, I don't know.
I'd leave it on, you can always take it off later.
I'd leave it on, you can always take it off later.
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If the sticker doesn't say "Egan Bernal - INEOS", you're probably safe to remove it without financial penalty.
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#17
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How "well-known"? TdF winner? World champion? I agree with the suggestion above that it might be of value to some collector. If the person is that notable I suppose you could obtain proof-positive verification from his team that it was in fact his bike, used in competition, and there might be someone out there who'd pay top $$ for it (if you're willing to part with the bike).
Dan
Dan
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If the sticker is on top of the paint, I peel it off.
Under a clear coat? Well I'm leaving that alone unless I'm repainting the bike.
But then I've never bought anything from anyone famous or cool or have I bought anything that's been in an event that is famous or cool.
Under a clear coat? Well I'm leaving that alone unless I'm repainting the bike.
But then I've never bought anything from anyone famous or cool or have I bought anything that's been in an event that is famous or cool.
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I have recently acquired a nice bike that previously belonged to a well-known person in cycling. In fact, his name is on a sticker on the frame. It appears to have been used (briefly) in competition and I think the sticker was a kind of a competitor ID for a team car?
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If the frame is carbon fiber, removing any stickers can cause it to fail so I would advise against it.
The adhesive glue from the stickers bonds to the carbon which in turn changes the properties of the plastic fibers.
Hope this helps
The adhesive glue from the stickers bonds to the carbon which in turn changes the properties of the plastic fibers.
Hope this helps
Last edited by downhillmaster; 08-12-19 at 11:21 AM.
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Hey, give me my bike back!
I'm well-known, by me.
I'm well-known, by me.
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