To get started painting, you must first think of a design. My design is a two toned bike, black and silver.
Give your bicycle a makeover this weekend
Giving your bicycle a weekend makeover can be a great way to freshen up your ride and make sure it’s in tip-top shape. Here are some tips on how to give bicycle makeover: Start with a nice long ride It’s important to set the mood. Take your two-wheeled partner on a mellow and fun ride […]
Written by: Ron Johnson
Giving your bicycle a weekend makeover can be a great way to freshen up your ride and make sure it’s in tip-top shape. Here are some tips on how to give bicycle makeover:
Start with a nice long ride
It’s important to set the mood. Take your two-wheeled partner on a mellow and fun ride around its (ok, your) favorite stretch of asphalt or park.
When back at home, the first step in giving your bicycle a makeover is to give it a good cleaning. Use a mild detergent and warm water to wash the frame, wheels, and components. Be sure to pay special attention to the chain and gears, as these tend to accumulate dirt and grime. Here is some info on the different parts of a bicycle that might help.
Check and adjust the tire pressure
Check the tire pressure on your bicycle and adjust it as needed. Proper tire pressure will help to improve your ride and increase the lifespan of your tires.
The chain is one of the most important components of your bicycle, and it needs to be lubricated regularly. Use a high-quality bike-specific lubricant to keep your chain running smoothly. Here’s additional information on maintaining a bike chain.
Step 1: Materials
Here is the list for materials needed. This list doesn’t include tools because I used a pipe wrench on everything that didn’t want to come off correctly.
Paint – I used Rustoleum indoor/outdoor paint (I chose black and silver)
Sand Paper – I used some 3M wet/dry 220 grit and 400 grit paper
Paint Remover – I used some environmentally safe stripper I found at Rural King
Masking Tape – I used blue tape from 3M to mask my project.
Bondo – the brand shouldn’t matter as long as it is made to be painted over
A Mask – I used one I found laying around (has paint grade filters on it)
Polish – I used the Nevr-Dull from Eagle One on all of the chromed parts (including wheels)
An assortment of tools – I used my ‘Bucket O’ Tools’ located in my garage
A next door neighbor that knows more about bikes than you do
Add Tip Ask Question Comment Download
Step 2: Taking Apart the Bike
For this bike, I took off all of the parts. This requires only a few tools. I will not go too far into depth here because painting and fixing up the bike is what you are here for. I have a little description of what I did at each photo. These were mainly taken to help me remember what I did to take the bike apart in the first place.
Add Tip Ask Question Comment Download
Step 3: Stripping the Bike Frame
For stripping the bike, what I used was an environmentally friendly paint stripper. I used it because it was safer for me and the environment.
Once the stripper is dry (paint stripper that is), scrape it off with a scraping tool or a paint roll cleaner (I used the roll cleaner because it had a curve on it).
Add Tip Ask Question Comment Download
