Repainting a vintage bike
Do you have an old 1990s road bike gathering dust that's starting to get all rusty? Do you want to give it a fresh look with a new paint job? Then follow our tips carefully to repaint your vintage road bike.
Repainting an old bike takes time. Allow around 2 days of work (but it's worth it).
Why? Because you have to almost completely disassemble it, sand the bike (better that way) and then apply the layers of paint, allowing it to dry.
What you will need:
-
Disassemble your bike
- an Allen key / socket wrench / screwdriver kit (I recommend the Bosch one) + a adjustable wrench (for the crank puller) or a few open-end wrenches (9 to 13 mm)
- (CRANKSET): a 14 mm socket wrench
- (CRANKSET): a crank puller
- (CHAIN): a chain breaker (otherwise the chain stays in the bike frame)
- (FRAME): a delta sander for the tight corners of the frame (absolutely necessary to avoid spending 8 hours sanding the frame by hand)
-
Protecting yourself from paint
- A disposable painting overalls
- An FFP3 mask
- A tarp (3m x 4m)
- Painter's tape
Budget around €20
-
Paint
- 1 can of Spray bike paint (enough for several coats)
- 1 can of Spray bike varnish (1 can is enough for several coats)
Budget around €25
Step 1
Disassemble your bike and then sand it with a delta sander
The really important parts to remove:
- All the cabling (take the opportunity to renew your cables), the saddle, the derailleurs, the brakes, the wheels (obviously) but not the cassette
- With the chain breaker tool: the chain
/! Make sure not to remove the pin entirely from the chain, but to leave the end of the pin in the flat section, otherwise you will not be able to reassemble it /!
- With the 14 mm socket wrench and the crank extractor: the bottom bracket (impossible to paint otherwise)
Put all the parts of your vintage bike in a glass jar so as not to lose anything.
Remove rust with white vinegar and baking soda, then lubricate them.
Less important parts to remove (you can cover them with masking tape): the handlebars, the bottom bracket shell, the fork (make sure to apply the tape carefully).
Step 2
Applying the layers of paint and varnish
Before starting, make sure to protect yourself with a mask and coveralls, and to protect the surface you will be working on.
Drying time: the paint and varnish are dry to the touch in 10 minutes, but they are fully dry in 2 hours.
Step 3
Let it dry and reassemble your bike
No tutorial 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 the brake cables and housing, and to oil / grease / strip all the parts that come to hand!
And enjoy the ride on your brand-new bike!
PS: don't forget the finishing touch — your Shapeheart mount for easy access to your GPS and other phone functions directly on your handlebars.
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