Well last week I picked up my wheel. Fixed flip flop, but the fixed sprokette was for a different chain, and my LBS guy said it was better to wait for a better gear at this point.

My former all original 72' Nishiki Kokusia has been stripped completely of all parts. I used some Jasco paint stripper and removed all paint. That stuff took the paint off, but I don't recommend using it: it's more toxic than the chicken adobo on my first ship!!! I cut off all the cable runs and filed them down and have been painting the frame. Pictures soon!

What are you using for paint? I'm stripping my Pista frame now and trying to decide what color to use. Thinking of burnt orange....something different... Other color suggestions welcomed and appreciated.

Hi George,

I am using smooth finish hammerite and rusteleum. I've used hammerite on tons of things and love it. However, for some reason, this time, it's not drying hard, and it actually is problematic. The rustoleum is doing well. I've picked blue, white and some gray for the bike. The horizontal bars are white, the vertical bars are blue, the rear triangle is a fade, and the lugs are grey. It looks great up until about 1 foot away. But it was fun to play with and come up with the scheme and do the work. It cost a few pennies (paint stripper, primer, two cans paint, and model paint for the lugs), and really, for about 130 more I could have gotten a pro paint job that looked better.. but the bike is gonna be my fun bike and I'm not all that image aware anyway.

I'm not sure what went wrong with the hammerite, probably a bad application. Usually it's the best spray paint you can find. Takes for ever to harden up though...

Hammerite makes a really cool jade green, as well as a deep green and some good blues. Their white is a very true white (not slightly tan).