The final step, was to componentize the bike, ride it to vet the build, then to strip the frame down completely for painting.

I sent the frame to the venerable Toxik Harald in Richmond, BC. Harald was Brodie's in-house paint guru in the 90s, and now runs his own shop where he does custom paint jobs. He uses single-stage aircraft paints (color and finish in one), and a custom low-pressure, high-volume gun.

Harald's standard service includes frame stripping, rust removal, and minor frame filling. I asked him to shoot my frame in gloss black. The joint where the frame coupler meets the frame completely disappeared.

And that's the end of the project! I've been riding this bike for a few months now. It's light, it's smooth, it's clean, and it's quiet.


(Click to enlarge)