Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Thinking of painting my frame...

So I'm thinking the other day that my early 90's Centurion might need some repainting... right now it is a lovely purple and white which the ladies love... but it looks a little too fem for me now.... I'm thinking of a primer grey with maybe some glossy blue to black pinline flames near the tops of the tubes...

my question is... should I go all the way to the bare metal ? or can I just rough up the paint that is on there now, and primer over it ?

here's a pic of what it looks liek now... well except last weekend I put some sweet ass Nitto Albatross city bike bars and the Rivendell Cork grips... both from momovelo in Berkeley

http://uploads.fakeleg.com/files/bikeatbeach1.jpg

lemme know what ya think

jeff

I've repainted a few frames, and I always find I go right to bare metal whether I try or not. I think you get a better finish starting with bare metal, but only if you do it right (lots of coats, lots of sanding). If you're going for a quick color-change or a primer-only finish, just rough it up with some 150-200 grit paper (primer is porous so it'll still rust unless you leave the paint underneath), but if you're doing a serious job on it (or powdercoat) take it all the way back with 60-80 grit first, then smooth it up with 200.

I'm thinking a nice hot pink would look good on that bike.

I'm thinking a nice hot pink would look good on that bike.

ack it's nearly there as it is... my wife is starting to question my sexuality with that color, and those handlebars

:D

jeff

How about a nice flat black...if you want some sweetness out of it, put on some glossy black flames!!

pink is the new black, didn't you know?

How about a nice flat black...if you want some sweetness out of it, put on some glossy black flames!!

that is what I was thinking...either a flat black, or a primer gray... with glossy pinstriped flames...

I hope my rattle can skillz are still up to par... it's been awhile

jeff

pink is the new black, didn't you know?

this is true...

I work in the surfwear industry... All I gotta say is that the 80's are coming back in a big way this summer.... nothing but hot pink, and turquiose blue... my photo studio looks like an episode of Miami Vice :p

jeff

How about painting it in undercoating spray? Thick, rubbery, tough, theft proofish.

How about painting it in undercoating spray? Thick, rubbery, tough, theft proofish.

naw... this is sorta my fixie, city bike... I mostly use it at lunch to ride to the beach, and cruise around... not too worried about it being theft proof... besides it is heavy enough as it is.... that undercoating stuff has got to be heavy

jeff

black with flames. nuff said.

naw... this is sorta my fixie, city bike... I mostly use it at lunch to ride to the beach, and cruise around... not too worried about it being theft proof... besides it is heavy enough as it is.... that undercoating stuff has got to be heavy

jeff



Well Jeff, if it's just to cruise around, weight should not be a huge issue. But, if looks are a concern, I'd say that undercoating is just about as ugly as it gets.

of the frames i have rattle canned, i've stripped the paint completely using a paint stripper. you know, where some sexy naked lady takes your paint off for you while you just watch... who would've thought you get so much from that little bottle. thank you lucky stars. if you are going the sanding route, i would take johnnyb's advice.

as for the color, i think you should go for a penis pink and adorn the frame with images of rainbows, hearts, poodles, and kittens.

Well Jeff, if it's just to cruise around, weight should not be a huge issue. But, if looks are a concern, I'd say that undercoating is just about as ugly as it gets.

yeah.. I don''t want no ugly bike ! :-)

it doesn;t have to be beautiful... but it should look cool

jeff

of the frames i have rattle canned, i've stripped the paint completely using a paint stripper. you know, where some sexy naked lady takes your paint off for you while you just watch... who would've thought you get so much from that little bottle. thank you lucky stars. if you are going the sanding route, i would take johnnyb's advice.

as for the color, i think you should go for a penis pink and adorn the frame with images of rainbows, hearts, poodles, and kittens.

yeah I've used the stripper when I was restoring my old Microbus... that is some nasty stuff...

jeez... if I paint my bike that.. the wife will really think I've jumped teams

jeff

Gloss black would be my choice. But here are a few ideas that are a little "out there".


Can't choose a color. Why choose ? Paint each tube a different color. Use funhouse or "Fisher-Price" colors.
White or Yellow reflective paint like they use to paint the lines on the road.
John Deere Green. Use PhotoShop to produce a John Deere logo for the headtube. You could use this idea with any consumer product that uses a color scheme (Tide, PowerBar, IBM, etc)
Polka-dots or stripes.
Use silver cyclone fencing paint. This is known as "Hillbilly-Chrome".


Dan

go pink

go pink

I've been looking for [bubblegum] pink, its a bit harder to find at least in off-the-shelf automotive cans it seems.

this is true...

I work in the surfwear industry... All I gotta say is that the 80's are coming back in a big way this summer.... nothing but hot pink, and turquiose blue... my photo studio looks like an episode of Miami Vice :p

jeff

Blech! God damn i hate the 80s! That sucks that it is now in style. I see wayyyyyy too many guys wearing pink right now

Blech! God damn i hate the 80s! That sucks that it is now in style. I see wayyyyyy too many guys wearing pink right now

yep... it's all back... wristbands, and pink, and turquoise... I'm just happy the trucker hat is starting to get phased out... I hated them as a kid... I hate them now

jeff

my wife is starting to question my sexuality with that color

...So?

my wife is starting to question my sexuality

Stay neutral for the time being by stripping the frame and by gray battleship primering. Maybe add a couple racing numbers in white for accent. Just leave it primered.....your frame ain't gonna rust in SoCal. Then decide later which way you wanna go...

George

Stay neutral for the time being by stripping the frame and by gray battleship primering. Maybe add a couple racing numbers in white for accent. Just leave it primered.....your frame ain't gonna rust in SoCal. Then decide later which way you wanna go...

George

Get some different shades of primer and paint is zebra style like they did ships in WW2. That'd be interesting..

Stay neutral for the time being by stripping the frame and by gray battleship primering. Maybe add a couple racing numbers in white for accent. Just leave it primered.....your frame ain't gonna rust in SoCal. Then decide later which way you wanna go...

George

yeah.. I dig the one you had up here the other day... I think that is where I got the idea... did you strip it all the way down ?

jeff

yeah.. I dig the one you had up here the other day... I think that is where I got the idea... did you strip it all the way down ?

jeffyes....down to bare metal....

Blech! God damn i hate the 80s!

But you were only six when they ended. Must be all that VH1 the kids are watching these days.

Get some different shades of primer and paint is zebra style like they did ships in WW2. That'd be interesting..

Wasn't that called Razzle-Dazzle paint scheme? I seem to recall R. Lee Ermey talking about it on Mail Call.

Just a few additional ideas.
Woodlands Camo - Always a hit in Idaho.
Crinkle paint (Wal-Mart paint isle) - You know the stuff that when it dries looks like 100 year old lead based house paint.
Yellow and Black Check - You could give it that Toxic Waste look.
Desert Camo - Always a hit with Republicans named Bush.
Electric Yellow with Volvo logos - Call it the safety bike. Claim is has 6 airbags and roll over detection sensors, but the AC is all crapped out and the dealer wants $3K for repairs.
Bio-Hazard - Cover it with bloody gauze you get from dumpster diving at the downtown free clinic. That one's theft proof.
Rainbow Pride - That's for you to decide if it is appropriate.
NASCAR - That's for you to decide if it is appropriate.
Parkerize it - Take it to a gunsmith and have them hot dip it in potassium nitrate, iron flakes and acid. It is the same finish that they put on guns like the M-16. It wears well.
Truck Bed Liner - This has been discussed elsewhere here at BF.
Decopage - Wrap it in personal photos or porn and then clear coat them to the frame.
Hippie - Get 10 friends high and hand them each a bottle of model airplane paint and a brush. Keep your dog safe during this time.
HVAC - Wrap all the tubes with foam pipe insulating wrap and electical tape. Call it a Vo-Tec project.


Have fun whatever you decide.

But you were only six when they ended. Must be all that VH1 the kids are watching these days.

Yeah, i know, but the reprocussions of the 80's have lingered in my family. Its pathetic. I also do watch a lot of VH1 and it made me ashamed to be alive in that horrible, horrible era.