Should you paint a vintage bike?

[@gam1471]

It's good to see people taking an interest in preserving and using 'vintage' bikes - there are some wonderful machines out there which handle and perform beautifully, and for sensible money. I would like to add something. In these days of easily obtained reproduction decals, beware of fake frames. I've seen a 'Colnago' which definitely wasn't a Colnago. It looked like a good quality frame, but it definitely wasn't the real deal - so do your homework before buying.

[@vintagevelos9517]

Definatly - don`t take the decals at face value, Dan

[@Unwavering137]

That Battaglin is a great bike. I recently bought a new old stock Battaglin Stephen Roche 30th Anniversary frame. It's the same or very similar to the one you have. It's a hand-built frame with steel lugs. It's decked out with a new Campy Chorus 12 speed groupset. I love it. It has an incredibly smooth ride quality. I think you'll love this bike once it's built up and ready to ride. I would take it any day over a carbon bike with Di2 and disc brakes.

[@vintagevelos9517]

Glad you like it - should be building it back up in a week or two, Dan

[@newoldsteel]

I agree with the points you made but particularly why I precisely haven't resprayed/repainted any of my vintage frames because it just would cost MORE than what it's worth. I'm not a super high end/race replica/team collector, just the average middle range steel frame collector, and deciding that I try my best to score a frame that is in the best "original paint condition" I can find which definitely exists due to people riding it for a few weeks and then storing it for decades never touching it again!

[@rangersmith4652]

What it's worth" is of course quite subjective. Just the acquisition and shipping costs for the Motobecane I described in my original comment probably already exceed its resale value, but I have no plans to resell it. It's worth more to me than to 99.9% of vintage bike collectors/riders.

[@splashpit]

I’m the same but only having 2 old bikes but always on the lookout for more.

[@dennisspors7530]

before I make this decision I use a paint cleaner for cars and hand rub with a cloth to get the dirt out of the paint. Then I ceramic coat it. Then I really look it over. Most times it looks pretty good. There maybe some chips to attend to. If it has a little petina, that is okay. I restore bikes from 1999 to 2004 vintage (Bianchi) Most are still pretty good.Also powder coating adds a lot of weight.

[@vintagevelos9517]

Good advice - and your correct, powder coating is a thick way to paint a frame, best avoided if possible, Dan

[@vintagevelos9517]

Great tips - if in any doubt don`t re-paint, most frames I do have already been painted or are just knackered (or really ugly white with green splodges...) Dan

[@dennisspors7530]

Once you get all of the metal cleaned and polished, the saddle restored, new handle bar tape etc. It is amazing how much better the whole packa ge looks. I have an auto body shop that has painted parts of a frame and blended it in. For me the frame would have to be in such bad shape to repaint it completely, I probably would not buy it. This is just how I look at it after restoring 12 or so bikes. This is a great channel for all of us that restore bikes.

[@josemontano7767]

I painted my old Atala SL. It came out ok. But in about a month I was already tired of the bright Green and orange colors.

[@johnphillips5301]

Interesting video with good advice in regards frame restoration. Likewise, hope to see more vintage riding and restoration stories. Thank you.

[@ollieh98]

Love your advice at the end. I’m going to fully service my bike first, deep clean everything. The paint/deals are in poor condition, but I may think it’s fine after a proper wash down.

[@vintagevelos9517]

Maybe just replace the decals if the paint can be saved, Dan

[@rangersmith4652]

Happy to have discovered your channel, and I hope you keep it up. I recently acquired a 1980 Motobecane Grand Sprint, an entry-level Vitus 888 bike, rather mundane as vintage machines go but important to me because my first "real" bike (stolen in the late 80s) was a champagne-colored 1979 model very much like it. Its original coppery-red paint isn't in too bad shape overall, but I've decided on a sand blast and respray in a very non-original deep metallic green. The "original" value of the bike will not be affected at all because it's already not a bike anybody else wants.

[@vintagevelos9517]

Sounds like a fine project - one day I`ll do a light metalic fawn green frame myself...

[@geraldwilliams8425]

Great video, be great to see more of your collection

[@KeithHeinrich]

Nailed it. Great video.

[@davidbee9563]

Are you aware of sources for new forks suitable for vintage frames? The fork for my Raleigh International was damaged in the process of replating. To buy an almost 50 year old fork seems like a bit of a risk. It would be nice to find something in 531 to match the frame...The fork has such an influence on the ride/handling balance of the original bike.

[@vintagevelos9517]

Ah, re-plating can damage a fork - its the stripping chemicals I believe - I`d be scouring ebay for the correct set, Dan

[@DonnachaHennessy]

I have a Trek 5500 commemertive edition from 1999 with some chips - it's gorgeous but has a few paint chips. I am starting to research into how I could fill those patches - any thoughts/links/resources would be very welcome.

[@Taliesin-jafo]

Sound advice.

[@vintagevelos9517]

Thanks, still can`t make up my mind on the orange Motebecane - starting to like the patina... Dan

[@Taliesin-jafo]

⁠​⁠@@vintagevelos9517 looking at it onscreen it does look ok, I have a 68 Gitane Hosteller that was once the candy red that Gitane used but it has turned an interesting burgundy shade which although is interesting the rest of the frame is far to rusty, as it’s just a gaspipe frame though I’m of 2 minds about spending any real effort on it as I could probably get a better one for $50, I really like the bike though so will probably bare metal and re do it. On the subject of paint I have an 80s Scapin that has been resprayed and has Santa Maria on the downtube and Record Uno on the seat tube with a 1 on the head tube, apparently it was painted by Santa Maria shop but I can’t find any information about them online. I have found a Giovanni Losa made Santa Maria frame with the exact same livery but that’s all I can find. As an aficionado of all cycling things Italian are you able to shed any more light on this Santa Maria shop Dan?

[@vintagevelos9517]

Alas thats new to me - post up on the vintage section of the BikeForums forum, Dan@@Taliesin-jafo

[@Taliesin-jafo]

@@vintagevelos9517 I managed to find out through one the guys I source parts from that the shop is in Milan and has been in operation since 1972 and has its own team. Its Biciclette Artgianali S.Maria Milano.

[@splashpit]

No No No l would never own or buy a repainted bike but yes what people do with their stuff is their business.

[@tongalizia3175]

Do you have any contacts that recreate decals…..

[@vintagevelos9517]

yep, get in contact with velocals - if its not available in their libary they can do custom one offs

[@tongalizia3175]

@@vintagevelos9517 thank you in advance