lyeinyoureye

I recently picked up an 22.5" 84 Trek 610 https://www.vintage-trek.com/TrekBroc...84Sport.htm#16 in fair shape. It's in need of the usual things a bike that's been sitting for a few years needs (adjustment of brakes/derailuers, new tires, trueing wheels, new seat, grip tape, chain, and possibly lubing... although everything feels smooth enough) but for the most part it's in good condition. I'd like to strip it and get the frame clear-coated/paint the wheels, but before I start dropping more on the bike than I paid for it I'm wondering if there's anything I should watch out for with these bikes specifically? I'd like to avoid 'prettying up' the bike only to find out it has some horrible mechanical problem that can't be fixed later...
Also, for most automobiles, every pound of unsprung weight added is the equivalent of ~4 lbs of sprung weight iirc... would a half pound of paint on the rims result in too much of a weight increase on a bike? I'm using this as a commuter so I wouldn't notice a couple pounds, however something like 5 or 6 pounds of additional weight would bite...

nirvanaschains

Painting the wheels?...i wouldn't do that, your brakes will just rub it off. They will look ugly from that.

lyeinyoureye

Hmmm... even with properly applied clear coat? If they're going to streak then there is no point, however painting the spokes might not result in nearly as much weight and would probably look just as good.

operator

If you want your wheels in a colour, you buy coloured spokes or rims already in that colour replete with matching hub. Don't paint them unless you want to look like a clown on a clown bike.

Don't kid yourself about light wheelsets, they do nothing for you unless your'e doing uphill timetrials or racing the tour de france. Especially useless is the boutique "few spoked" wheels that are out there common for poseurs nowadays. Get a solid 32h box rim wheel, stainless spokes, decent hub and it'll do you fine. You want something that's nearly bombproof for commuting.

This is of course assuming you aren't riding on steel wheels. In that case you should get rid of those asap.

rmfnla

[QUOTE=...would a half pound of paint on the rims result in too much of a weight increase on a bike? I'm using this as a commuter so I wouldn't notice a couple pounds, however something like 5 or 6 pounds of additional weight would bite...[/QUOTE]



A half a pound of paint? Can you get that much paint on a rim?

rmfnla

[QUOTE=
Also, for most automobiles, every pound of unsprung weight added is the equivalent of ~4 lbs of sprung weight iirc... would a half pound of paint on the rims result in too much of a weight increase on a bike? I'm using this as a commuter so I wouldn't notice a couple pounds, however something like 5 or 6 pounds of additional weight would bite...[/QUOTE]
Unsprung weight in a car is a suspension response issue, the speed with which a wheel can react to road input. Wheel weight on a bicycle is about rotational inertia, although operator is correct that too much is made of this.

Spokes flex, so paint would probably chip off fairly quickly which would look really bad. Factory-colored spokes are powder coated to avoid this. Colored rims are also not painted, they are anodized.

Back away from the spray paint...

lyeinyoureye

It seems like what I should do is to paint the spokes with a few thin coats of yellow/glowpowder, then have them powder coated along with the frame. I suppose I could try to anodize the rims, but that seems like too much of a pain, and anodizing alloys seems to produce some bleh results.
Thanks for the suggestions.

The1

OK, I'll bite...exactly WHY do you feel the need to paint your wheels?

rmfnla

Those weren't suggestions, they were reasons not to do what you are proposing.

Having stuff anodized or powder coated is expensive; mucho labor involved. I'm not even sure if anyone would PC spokes. I think The1's question is a good one; "Why do you feel the need to paint your wheels?"

lyeinyoureye

They can't be both because? Anodization can be a diy project, but then it's a crap shoot as to how it's going to turn out. I want to paint my wheels because I think it would look good to have the wheels act as a complementary color to the frame. Also using colors that stand out in the day and night respectively seems wise. I'd like to powder coat the frame to maximize the amount of time I have between paint jobs, the spokes because I'd like them to be a different color and in order for them to last I'd need them to be powder coated. The only way I'll find out about the cost is if I call around, I can post the best price if you'd like.
In short, because I feel like it.

Dr. Moto

This whole thread is a joke, right?

Painting bicycle wheels? Ridiculous!

They make tires in all sorts of colors now, why not just get a bright set of rubber and leave it at that?

rmfnla

There are also anodized rims out there as well.

Al1943

My commuter is a black 1980 Trek 510. It is equipped with Shimano 600 components. I rebuilt the wheels with black Open Pro (36h) rims and Revolution Spokes and black alloy nipples. Entire bike comes in at just under 22# and the wheels look very good.

No way would I paint wheels or even spokes. Powder coating the frame sounds like a good idea.

Al

lyeinyoureye

I'm sorry if this offends you on some level, but I'm just a big ***, I want to have my bright yellow spokes compliment my metallic or electric blue frame. I also think having them glow slightly at night would be novel. Besides, bright yellow tires (the ones I've seen) are damn ugly.

Come to think of it, this might be a really fun (and not too expensive) diy project, at least for the spokes.
https://www.powderperfect.com/diy.asp

FarHorizon

Sound advice for sure! I second operator's comment wholeheartedly.