JunkYardBike

Recently acquired this 1988 Bridgestone RB-2. The paint, as you can see from the pics, is rough, and it looks worse in person with the two different color touch up paints used by previous owners. However, from a distance, who can tell?













Looked a while for some period 105 or 600 components, but everything I found was either in poor condition or out of my price range. So, instead, I got pretty good deals on new octalink 105 crankset, 105 brakes and Cane Creek SCR-5 levers. But now that I have them, it seems foolish to put new components on such a beat up frame.

I can have the frame bead blasted and powder coated for $200.

I need your opinions. Help me!

late

Hi,
I would paint it. I had a powdercoat done last winter and I really wish I clearcoated it now. The paint job is really pretty beat up and it's only been a year. So if you do paint it, get a clearcoat.

spider-man

I guess it varies from city to city, but the powdercoat price you were quoted sounds high to me. I paid $100 to have a Raleigh USA frame and fork done a couple months ago.

If your bike is a commuter or even a tourer, I probably would not paint it if I were in your shoes.

new_dharma

sell me the bike, then you don't have to worry about the decision!

just kidding...i say paint/powder coat the thing!

ollo_ollo

Your powdercoat price is way high for our area, should be closer to $100. You could get a good single color paint job for $200.

Blue Order

Powdercoat is $100 in Portland.

Paint it, I say.

JunkYardBike

The powdercoat is about $125...the bead blasting is another $75 at the same location. I might be able to get a better price on the blasting at an autobody shop. But now, if I take the advice of ~late~ and get a clearcoat, the price goes up even more.

As an alternative, if I sold this bike, then wouldn't the sale price + $200 get me a much nicer frame with a decent paint job?

What is this frame, anyway? Ishiwata? It does ride nicely on the very short test runs I've taken with the wobbly wheels and stripped right pedal, and it's relatively lightweight.

JunkYardBike

Selling is not completely out of the question...

Dr.Deltron

But if you want to keep it, I can PAINT it a single color ( many to choose from and includes blasting) OR powdercoat it AND clear over that with paint. $200 + shipping.

JunkYardBike

Tempting, but I'm in NJ. Shipping 2 ways would cost about $120!

peripatetic

JYB,

Don't sell it. It's a nice find, esp. for this area. The price sounds about right for this region: the South and Pac. NW are of course going to be cheaper than here. I guess you could cut some of your costs by hand-sanding, but that's always seemed like waaaay too much work to me.

I say you fix her up a bit more, at least get the wheels trued and that pedal fixed; take her on a few longer rides (maybe go see some nice foliage colors), then decide how much you like it. I just installed some SCR-5s on my Nishiki, BTW, and they are a vast improvement with my Dia-Compe sidepull brakes. They also have some very nice ergonomic features, like the Q/Rs and extended ramps.

blickblocks

Indeed. My bike frame was in immaculate condition, but over the past few months it's got chips and scratches all over it. It's inevitable if you lock your bike up.

Serendipper 

I say paint it in a nice Rivendell color scheme, add a Brooks, and enjoy it for awhile.

After you get bored with it, any number of us will gladly take it off your hands. Nice bike!

Dr.Deltron

Just curious, what shipper is charging that much? Seems pretty steep. I don't need the whole bike, just the frame & fork. Dr.D

cyclotoine

I am of the understanding that over time powdercoats become brittle and in the long run powder coats are less durable... in the long run is a long time though.... Dr. Deltron, is there any truth to that?

Little Darwin

Are you buying it a seat in first class?

Rich Adams in Wilkes-Barre will strip and powder coat for $150.

https://www.bicycleframes.com

JunkYardBike

Ok, I'll admit not having much experience shipping. I was basing that on UPS oversize 2 to LA. It just seems difficult to fit the frame oversize 1, but again, I have no experience - just estimating based on dimensional limits listed on UPS.com.

What is your estimate for shipping from NJ to CA, and what service do you use?

JunkYardBike

I was lured by the Rivendell/Bobish sirens to this frame. Should have done more research - this bike has almost identical geometry to my 1993 Aluminum Cannondale SR400. So much for Grant Petersen's marketing ploy. Organic my arse! Of course, it does have "Racing Series" printed on the top tube!

I'll put a Brooks saddle on it when someone donates one or I win the lottery!

JunkYardBike

But gas 2 ways would be $240 (well, at least after the election).

Seriously, what better options are there for shipping besides UPS?

peripatetic

My understanding is UPS ground is $35 one-way for a full bike, perhaps less for a frame. That's also supposed to be the most reliable and secure.

JYB, why contemplate a full re-paint if you're not happy with the fit/geometry?

JunkYardBike

I just sold my first bike on eBay and oversize 2 shipping to Austin, TX was $50. It was packaged and shipped by a LBS which does this regularly, so I assume they know the best rate (unless they are intentionally undermining eBay sales!)

Is there a special rate for shipping bikes?

As far as the geometry, I don't necessarily dislike it. True, I was experiencing discomfort with my Cannondale (my first and only road bike). But a new saddle, and adjustments to the saddle height and bars have made it more comfortable.

What I'm trying to figure out is what the hype is surrounding Grant Petersen and his bikes. He even admits on his website that steel isn't necessarily more comfortable, but then I can't tell from this sales material how his bikes are more comfortable:

"There are innumerable good things about the Rambouillet bike, but the one that smacks you in the face on your first ride around the block is their comfort. I’m not talking about the “sweet ride of steel,” since I don’t believe steel is inherently more comfortable than any other material. I’m talking about the relative position of the saddle and handlebars—specifically, how high you can get the handlebars. Because if your handlebars are considerably lower than your saddle, as they are on most bikes, then you’ll be carrying more weight on your hands, and stressing your neck and back more, as well.
So the Rambouillet is designed to allow you to get the handlebars as high or even a bit higher than your saddle. All you have to do is follow our sizing chart, and this will happen."

If it's all about bar height, then get a tall stem. Or is the head tube angle different?

Admittedly, I know nothing about modern road bike geometry, so I imagine the Rivendell bikes are more for actual riding vs. racing. And I'm not saying Rivendell doesn't make nice bikes - they do. I'm just trying to figure out how to get on a comfortable road bike, and Petersen's marketing isn't helping me understand it.

So, my rationale for painting the frame is as follows: It's a well respected frame from a well respected company. Am I really going to find a better frame? Currently, with the multi-tone touch-up job, it really, really looks ugly under sunlight. The only way to know if it is really comfortable - if it's not about the frame alone, but more about the tires, the saddle, the bars, and the positioning of these controls - is to build the bike up, which means spending money on it. Do I want to spend all this time, effort and money building up a frame, only to tear it down later to repaint, if in fact I do come to appreciate it?

I do think your advice is probably the most sensible route to take. But currently, the bike needs a major overhaul, and it will require money to do so - more than I've already spent on a few key components. So why not go whole hog and do the thing now?

Or, should I sell this frame and buy one like this to build up, at nearly half the cost of a new paint job?

peripatetic

I see your quandaries. But save your money, or at least spend it elsewhere. NYCBikes is around the corner from me, and not only do I dislike them enormously, but they are universally reviled by the bicyclists of Williamsburg. Total jerks, really. To satisfy your curiosity about them more, I recommend a search, esp. on the fg forum (they sell a lot of cheaper fixie parts and frames). The antithesis of a good LBS, one of the worst businesses of any sort I've ever encountered.

I'm curious as to what discomforts you're suffering with your current rides: are you cramped at the top, or wanting to get your hands higher?

It can take quite a while to figure out what you like in terms of your posture on a bike, but I'll tell you that now I've ridden so many different bikes, I can tell over a very short ride if a bike fits me well or not.

Dr.Deltron

Hot Rod builders usually save paint for last. So do the Tuetuls on American Chopper. After all the fab and fit, the vehicle gets taken apart and sent to the painters, chromers & anodizers. That way they know it should all go back together perfectly.
Once you have made your RB fit your needs, then consider paint. If you go to the Classic & Vintage and check the "Spraypainting a frame" thread by jgedwa, check posts #30 & #33 for info on painting it yourself. Rattle can paint is the best bet for a first time paintjob. If you decide to use auto paint, expect to spend as much, if not more, for the smallest amounts of paint/catalyst, than it would cost to have a professional paint job done.

JMTCW=just my two cents worth!
In case you end up keeping it and the poor touch-ups finally get to you.

garagegirl

This thread is confusing. It seems powdercoat and paint are being thrown around interchangeably.
Powdercoats are much more durable, yes? If the bike is to be a commuter, or new components will be put on it eventually, that shouldn't matter, as the powdercoat would be tough enough to withstand such things, right?

schooner

Another thing I would reccomend is getting a local frambuilder to remove those top tube cable guides and getting some split stops installed. Should be fairly cheap and that is one place that paint gets looking pretty crappy pretty quick.