Originally Posted by
beicster
My 84 Trek 500 came to me with an ugly color powder coat about ten years ago. Since then I have rattle can painted it school bus yellow and then red with beige panels. (Sorry, no pics of the red) One of the things I like about rattle canning is that I can change the color whenever I get the urge. That urge has struck again.
Every now and then, I come across a pic of a steel bike that has clear coat over the bare tubes. I love that look. Has anyone ever done that successfully with rattle can clear coat?
I have two True Temper tubed Trek touring frames that I keep raw and occasionally rub down with boiled linseed oil. They are developing a light oxidized patina that looks pretty nice. It's not for everyone, though. I didn't clear coat them as I heard that it is tricky to prevent cracks and as they are on loaded touring duty I didn't want to mess with chips.