Repainting a  vintage bike

Do you have an old 1990s racing bike lying around that is starting to get all rusty? Do you want to give it a fresh new look with a new paint job? Then follow our tips to repaint your vintage road bike.

Repainting an old bike takes time. Expect around 2 full days of work (but it's worth it).

Why? You need to disassemble almost everything, sand the bike (better), and then apply the coats of paint, allowing it to dry.

What you will need:

  • Disassembling your bike

    - an allen key / socket wrench / screwdriver kit (I recommend this one from Bosch) + an adjustable wrench (for the crank extractor) or a few open-end wrenches (9 to 13mm)

    - (CRANKSET): a 14mm socket wrench

    - (CRANKSET): a crank extractor

    - (CHAIN): a chain breaker tool (otherwise the chain stays inside the bike frame)

    - (FRAME): a delta sander for the small corners of the frame (absolutely necessary to avoid spending 8 hours sanding the frame by hand)

  • Protecting yourself from the paint

    - A disposable paint suit

    - An FFP3 mask

    - A dust sheet (3m x 4m)

    - Painter's tape

    Budget around €20

  • Paint

    - 1 can of Spray bike (enough for several coats)

    - 1 can of Spray bike varnish (1 can is enough for several coats)

    Budget around €25

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Step 1

Disassemble your bike then sand it with a delta sander

Let's go!
Time to sand...

The really important things to disassemble:

- All the cabling (take the opportunity to replace your cables), the saddle, the derailleurs, the brakes, the wheels (obviously) but not the cassette

- Using the chain breaker: the chain
/! Make sure not to remove the pin entirely from the chain, but to leave the end of the pin in the flat part, otherwise you won't be able to reassemble it /!

- Using the 14mm socket wrench and the crank extractor: the crankset (impossible to paint otherwise)

Make sure to put all the parts of your vintage bike in a glass jar so you don't lose anything.

Remove rust with white vinegar and baking soda, then lubricate.

The less important things to disassemble (you can cover them with painter's tape instead): the handlebars, the bottom bracket, the fork (apply the tape carefully).

Step 2

Applying the coats of paint and varnish

In theory
My recommendations

Before starting, make sure to protect yourself with the mask and the suit, and to protect the surface on which you will be working.

Drying time: the paint and varnish are dry to the touch in 10 minutes, but they dry completely in 2 hours.

Step 3

Let it dry and reassemble your bike

No tutorial needed for this part — you've already taken apart your vintage bike, so you know how to put it back together 😉

Take the opportunity to replace your brake cables and housing, and to oil / grease / clean all the parts that come through your hands!

And happy riding on your brand new bike!

PS: don't forget the finishing touch — your Shapeheart mount to easily access your GPS and other phone functions directly on your handlebars.

BIKE COLLECTION

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