Should You Paint Your Bike - 5 Reasons Why & Why Not

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[@Galactico42]

As for the "you're not mechanically inclined" point, I went from never having done anything more involved than patching a tube to stripping, painting, and rebuilding a bike with mostly new components last year. I learned everything I needed from KZbin and bought tools as I needed them. It's intimidating at first, but it's not that hard once you get going.

[@pbjbagel]

This is my plan! I haven't even patched a tube before, embarrassingly.

[@Galactico42]

@@pbjbagel You got this!

[@pbjbagel]

@@Galactico42 Thanks! Still trying to figure out where I'm actually able to do it. Talking to the owner of a nearby art space, but not sure how well that will work out. Btw, is your name an ode to Hitchhikers' Guide? If so, love it. If not, I don't mind it.

[@Galactico42]

@@pbjbagel you strike me as a hoopy frood who knows where his towel is.

[@pbjbagel]

@@Galactico42 I need to read those books again!

[@nickmassey9104]

My son has just painted his first frame black gloss to matt fade .he lacked experience but learnt, watched and listened. And he achieved a great finish .its his bike his input, his result ,he's proud And it's a skill he can use .and it's taught him patience 😌 leave the klein . Richey love and ride. great video Rob

[@greenmiles9523]

That Gary Fisher paint job was a brilliant idea the end result is one of the nicest hardtail bikes iv ever seen. The new paint job along with the new components really make it a head turner

[@Spindatt]

We just tend to agree with each other on everything! Really great to see some content from you addressing the camera directly. Love it. .. I’ll be posting a response to this tomorrow which should make you shudder

[@isaachazim3589]

Your paint jobs are almost always awesome, I love them. That being said, I personally like the original scratched, dinged, faded look. Even a paint job to make it a rat bike appeals to me. As long as the bike is mechanically sound. I vote leave them as is. I have an 89 Merlin titanium road bike wich I refurbished myself, looks new ! ( Titanium is easy to redo.) I also have an early 90's Cannondale M900 mtb in purple that I left as is. The paint isn't perfect after many trails but unless I see corrosion it'll stay as is. Best to you sir, you always make my day ! 👍 ( I'm old, old people like old things. 63 and still shredding or trying to anyway.)😁

[@sean9374]

I'm a big fan of petina as well. 👌

[@jaegerists2172]

his paint jobs are like company like

[@leecollins390]

The main reason not to paint your bike is, It's only original once. Though having said that i've painted lots of bikes. As for Aluminium 6061, 7005 bikes, strip the paint. They look better stripped and polished..just sayin.

[@lioneldm5130]

One other reason not to paint a bike is lack of place. I live in an appartment, my wife screams at me when i repare my bike in the living room... a paint job will kill her!

[@thomaseisen304]

I think your painting skills are pretty advanced , especialy when it comes to style and colour sets ! Getting those results just with a can without a paint booth is realy awesome ! But to be honest I like the most how much attention to details you do , even if you use more modern parts on older bicycles ... that makes you special ! What ever the future may hold for you mate you got a lot of talent to make your way that's for sure !

[@philjungels7617]

ALWAYS good content - thanks for sharing!

[@themarinman8339]

Love this new series of vids 🤘🏼

[@shawnwakeman6324]

Yes! Paint your ultra and pulse Pro. I think that you will enjoy it and there is something really cool about doing a “back to stock“ restoration.

[@sean9374]

I gave up rattle cans years ago and only use HVLP sprayers. Infinitely better quality. Only way to get a good Kandy Koat (Kandy Apple, Kandy Grape, etc). Definitely worth looking into if you paint bikes more than once in a blue moon.

[@Stathis_Floros]

Greetings from Greece🇬🇷 You are the best!

[@2wenti4]

Just a thought about your “Niner”. Have you ever thought about vinyl wrapping it instead to change the look and color but preserving the original paint on it? Just a thought. Love your videos by the way. They really inspire me to give old bikes new life. Keep up the great videos.

[@shawngifford]

Sometimes, the wear and tear on the paint tell a story. I have a 93 Cannondale MTB that was well used and worn before I even got it. I’ve since added to the wear and tear and love it that way. It tells the world exactly what kind of bike it is. I would leave the two paint jobs as is mainly due to keeping them vintage, at least until they have to be repainted.

[@jp93309]

I painted my first restore project and spent more on spray cans than I did on the cost of the bike. And the paintjob wasn’t stellar either. Since then I’ve restored bikes with a simple wash and wax or clearcoat respray. The patina is definitely worth the story of that bike.

[@martindelgallego5809]

You are an inspiration. Very informative videos. Did a good resto and paint job myself on a 2011 Giant Tradist. Looks bnew now. Tnxu...

[@sagehiker]

My reason # 6 Not is knowing how much prep work is necessary to do the outcome I want. I have a set of four 1.2L steel canteens I am going to practice the masking craft on. Then move onto bike frame and fork that is going to need a lot of stripping and finish. Your videos have been an inspiration.

[@monkist]

A tough one. For the same reasons you mentioned I would normally say leave those two as they are - but knowing how awesome your paint jobs are, I would say give them a go because those bikes - although they are cool the way they are in all black - would definitely benefit from your artistic skills. The Ritchey in classic red-white-blue and the Klein in something fancy, multi-colored Klein style fade. The latter would definitely deserve a stunning paint job for sure imho, I mean hey that is one of Klein’s trademarks.

[@jezzarisky]

Berm Peak did a basic “how-to” though as his was sort of an intro on painting small parts, I felt it gave a good door into painting. Starting with small parts so you can experiment to see if painting is something you may want to explore further, so if the part turns out entirely wrong you’re not midway into a whole bike job frustrated on what to do. But I do like this on a, “so you’ve gained a painting itch, and want to personalize/restore a whole bike” second step after some initial experimenting with painting.

[@stevecrump1375]

I picked up a 1992 blue GT talera this weekend that had an amazing paint job the bike was all original and had been in storage. ..The paint job of those early GT bikes were amazingly colourful. ..

[@adrianoadriano4730]

It was my first MTB....a beautiful bike blue with whites moles....and the paint was very strong indeed....keep it original guy .....👽

[@stevecrump1375]

@@adrianoadriano4730 yes thats the one...Its like new...30 yrs old..vintage. ..Its a keeper

[@enricobenvenuti4591]

I'm Italian and English is a bit difficult for me, but I love bicycles and I'm trying to restore them. I want to congratulate you on the channel that despite my language difficulties, I understand quite well what you are saying. The best KZbin channel on bikes is yours. Thanks, I learn a lot from you. ✌️ PS: sorry for the mistakes

[@jameslloyd6632]

In the video when you mentioned the 10 year old you spray painting the entire bike I witnessed my little brother do the exact same thing just gold

[@1RunnerDad]

Your channel inspired me to rebuild an old Cannondale that I a literally found in the gutter. I bought spray.bike paint, and I am a convert. It comes out quite dry, so it’s pretty easy to get a nice, even application of the color. I do wish each can had one more ounce of paint in it. My 97 Cannondale isn’t a huge frame, but one can barely covered it.

[@3DFLEAA]

Thanks for sharing some interesting tips. I would respect the history of both the ritchey and the Klein but repaint them with a better paint material than what the production used back in the day. ❤️

[@CajusPruin]

For me the main problem is that most of the original paint jobs are powder-coated and therefore more durable than spray-can painting. Actually i am experimenting with 2k-coat to make the surface as strong as possible. But this could be a reason to remain the original paint, even if it has some scratches.

[@gerritlange6265]

90ies MTBs were mainly wet painted. And the higher durabiltiy of powder-coating is the main reason for me NOT to paint my bike. Otherwise you spend quite some money for high quality (wet) paint just only to spoil it more easily under real riding conditions. I don't say that powder coated frames don't suffer from scratches and stuff. But at the end of the day one has to balance the pros of wet paint such as artistic freedom in the appearance and the cons such as less durability. And in order to copy professional designs like Klein's colour fading or comparable you really have to do a ... good job. Otherwise it will always look like a "nice try". However, not everyone has necessarily that high standards.

[@clauscajuspruin2408]

@@gerritlange6265 Did not know that. I thought that especially most the single-coloured frames would be powder-coated. Thx for info!

[@willsansome1733]

Very valid points. I think you should do another Bob Ross inspired bike.

[@adrianoadriano4730]

Definately your garage is a truly jewelry guy........l ve just finished painting my KHS comp in its original grey colour....she looks gorgeous now ❤.....thank you for your jobs.....👽saludos desde Bs As ..chau

[@jaimegomezgarcia7599]

While I love your paint jobs (some more than others :) ), I think the design that both the Klein and RItchie have are very nice. At best, and as you rightly say, repaint them with the same design, to remove all the scratches, but keeping their original character.

[@johnthemainguy9059]

"especially those vintage bikes" X 100! Great video. Well said and thoughtful. An idea for your next video: Fades, masking, and vinyl graphics.

[@marcusathome]

I also tried myself out by repainting two bikes - and found out that it's not for me. One more reason to add against it: It's not for the impatient. It actually takes a couple of weeks for the paint to harden until you can start to re-assemble. But maybe there is yet another option: Strip the frame from all parts and decals, slightly sand down the old paint yet preserve the patina, put on new decals and seal with a clear coat. It's not as difficult as doing a full paintjob, it looks very cool and your frame is protected against the elements again.

[@godfatherofphil]

All your reasons why or why not are true-when i started to do paintjobs on old frames i did a lot of mistakes and burned a lot of cash😂, now i am more patient and take my time and i also love to give old bikes a new life. With your creativity and skills you inspire a lot of bike-addicts and its always a big joy to watch your projects👍😎 But In case of the KLEIN and the Ritchey i think leave them how they are, cause they are iconic for their aera. However i can‘t wait for the upcoming rebuilds. Thanks from Germany

[@simonm1447]

A couple of weeks ago I needed a replacement frame for my fitness bike (a road bike built with trekking bike and MTB parts). The old frame was unfortunately cracked, and I got a new unbranded and raw aluminum frame (probably 6061). I just left it like it was from factory, without any surface treatment. It's ridden just in good weather anyways, so corrosion isn't a problem here. It looks georgeous, without any stickers or decals.

[@stickmenkissarmy6907]

I agree 100% of what you sai. Have just got done stripping my first paint job off my bianchi, steal frame. I used the wrong paint now I am paying for, Now I'm going back starting all over back to steal. Going to use 2K primer And montana Paint, Two K clear coat lest hope for the best. The cost is not cheap. Plus now deals. Thanks for the videos

[@91rattoyota]

I stripped down a 1998 Specialized Hardrock FS and I had it powder coated in a dark metallic burgundy red which looks amazing. I restored the rest of the bike and put it all back together, making it run better than new. I thought about getting some new decals made up but then I changed my mind on that. Why? Because it's less advertisement for so called thieves out there. Nothing fancy about the bike now, and that's just the way I prefer it to be. Great video! I enjoy all of your content that you make :)

[@stevejohnson1231]

Definitely don't paint the vintage bikes. I picked up a red Specialized Hard Rock from mid 90's this summer and it would definitely spoil it to paint it.

[@robinrai4973]

I've rawed my mountain bike, and your videos have always tempted me to paint it! One issue though, I have no imagination :P ! One day I'll build up a gravel bike from my old hardtail, and I think i'll go with a dark navy green with tan wall tires and brown leather everywhere.

[@gregkellow4723]

You've hit on everything that I have struggled with...but patience is the biggest problem. My dream paint job was supposed to be on my Planet Earth Chronos. It was a funky silver and yellow fade. I hated it. The thick clear coat was chipping and it was bad all around. I wanted a purple 3 stage...silver base, purple candy and clear. After the prep , I was ready to paint. The silver went on perfectly. That's when my impatience kicked in. When the base appeared to be dry, the purple went on. Well, the silver ran into the purple and made a mess. I tried just laying more paint to cover it, but more mess ensues until it was a dripping sticky mess. I later read the can. I was supposed to wait 48 hours for the silver base to dry. Needless to say, I learned my lesson. It ended with a single stage purple blue and red fade that looks good, but I still dream of someday reviving the purple candy paint job.

[@jeremyabbott2829]

I’ve been trying to walk away and come back at another time when I start to get impatient. Sometimes that happens after 10 minutes and other times 2 hours. I tell myself that there is no time limit and not to rush it. It’s easier said than done and I’m still working on it.

[@coreyreeder3549]

You didn’t mention your amazing custom lettering that makes even an amateur paint job look pro. I’m tempted, but I’m probably not mechanically or artistically inclined enough

[@jonkennedy5063]

The pulse I would invert the colours 😁👍 Ritchie likes his stripes n mullet 🤣😂 great vid 👍

[@kimdavis5522]

30 years ago, I bought a Klein Rascal in the pink, blue, purple colors. After about 10 years I wanted to repaint it but I didn't. Now that bike worth about what I paid for it before and still is in great shape.

[@Mikemalone7873]

Great video! I think you nailed it. It occurred to me toward the end, how are you storing all those bikes? Any tips are greatly appreciated!

[@eucalyptusregnans7741]

Great video! And personally, I would leave the Ritchey and Klein as they are. Nice vintage patina on both.

[@jadherperez2026]

As I love your works, God bless you greatly. greetings from hazleton pa

[@kaesz00]

I'd love to see a video about painting tips and tricks!

[@turtlecrawford6468]

I bought a sc bullit frame on eBay and painted it and got original style decals. I used cheap paint and it looked great at first but is chipping here and there. I would have left it raw al but it had a small dent that I Bondo'd. I say leave the Ritchie and Klein as they are. I appreciate all the inspiration.

[@ola_vii]

Wise words.

[@beaterbikechannel2538]

I'm riding an 08 DMR Trailstar rigid. It's "Bone Grey" an exceptionally dull beige with scratches, dings and rust. I remember it brand new when my friend got it then it went around a few friends including me before coming back to me as a giveaway. I can't paint it as it wears it's history. On the opposite I have a 1980s cyclo-cross frame I built up. British made Reynolds 531 frame I got that was rusty and I cleaned it and powdercoated it 16-c-35 duck egg blue texture at work. Choice is yours. Sometimes patina works

[@John.M264]

I would definitely paint the Klein and the Richie like you said keep the paint original decals and all

[@CrazedCorgi]

thanks for the code, i need to print top of my fork. finish and some of the paint rubbed off from my cleaning.

[@ezghthrt7733]

Great, insightful clip. Sadly, all "why not"-reasons apply to me 😞 Two questions popped up in my mind: #1 Could you elaborate the first reason (frame in good condition/original paint in bad condition)? #2 Do you have ideas for aesthetic improvements (paint/decal/anything) on a budget/for novices?

[@medievilassassin]

I love restoring old bike frames and suspension forks , my main problem is decals , having to get them made is costly. I’m restoring an old Keewee and SWD frame at the moment

[@abandoneduniverses]

Yes absolutelly right..depends on condition of bike and era and of course skills.i have two factory painted with patina but i also have painted another three vintages...original of course..in the case of modern bikes i dont have an opinion..

[@toastyrides]

Awesome points as always! I love when a paintjob makes it resemble what you have in your head. I picked up an old GT Force recently and I just don’t like the colour, I want it a crazy blue/purple splotched look (the Spray.bike cling wrap Squid style) and that’s what it’s going to be 😎🫶 The bike is tidy and original, but that doesn’t change that I would love it a bunch more after the paintjob 🤌

[@burningatthetrailhead]

My favourite bike of yours is the Birchwood Casey super blue one you did a while ago

[@simonpowell2559]

The cost can spiral. Under coat at least 2 good coats. Colour then clear top. Best tip. Preparation. Paint stripper. Emary cloth. Finish by wiping with a degeaser white spirit. Takes away all dust even fingers prints. If you don't the paint will simply jump off.

[@darkuma1692]

being a rider in the 90's it was about the parts on the frame, yeah i had a few good frames back then, but it was always a focus on parts more than the colour of your frame.

[@yardsalecycles]

I usually like leaving the original patina buy their is sometimes where I'm just not feeling the paint..that being said it's a lot of prep work and I really have to be in the mood to paint a bike

[@madtownangler]

I once tried grit blasting a frame at work. The grit blaster actually didn't event get the glossy final coating off. Then I just did it by hand. The funny part was that some guy used the blaster on something else like a motorcycle part. He left paint chips all over the place and I got yelled at for it. I brought my frame in and asked my boss what color it was and he apologized to me.

[@GokkunGuru]

I took my 15 year old Devinci MTB, stripped off all the components and sold them. Then I had the frame painted a new color with my own unique, custom logo. Then slapped on all modern components. It’s an XC bike so geometry hasn’t really changed much. The bike is still relevant to todays standards now. I didn’t feel comfy painting it myself as I don’t have the tools or the experience, so I hired a pro bike painter/builder. The fun part was designing the new color scheme and logos and placement and seeing everything materialize before my eye.

[@cristianlandriel407]

Me causa gracia que te consideres un aficionado, un amateur... Tus trabajos son geniales e inspiradores! Quisiera conocer tu opinión respecto a la pintura epoxi en aerosol para pintar una bici... Saludos desde Buenos Aires, Argentina!🇦🇷😎🇦🇷

[@elrinconderoller1560]

I think like you about all that, if the original paint are in very bad condition thats better paint it like original, or if that bike are for a special gift you can create an alternative design...

[@kbc163]

I have an early 90s Mongoose Rockadile that I just started to turn into a gravel-ish Frankenbike and I have the same decision. The paint is dark purple, which is different in and of itself, and the decals are in decent shape. There are several deep scratches, however, and a couple of spots of surface rust that must be addressed. I'm leaning 75 percent to stripping and repainting everything, but once I do, there's no going back. I've never found a decal set online like the one I have -- white main color with lime accents. When they're gone, they're gone. So I keep looking at it, thinking maybe I'll just sand the surface rust, repaint that, and spray clear over the rest and leave it in "barn find" condition. 🤔

[@jramirezar]

Excellent advice, I was thinking to apply plastidip to my 12 years old road bike and then apply new paint over it, just in case I don't like the result... Do you think it could work? Thanks for any ideas. I love the paint job you did with the retro Look colors...

[@KevinAdams06]

How do you feel about a clear coat on a restoration?

[@dongkapuyawn5107]

Any chance you sell some of your restored bikes?

[@dougfromsoanierana]

Your masking and sticker skills are first-rate. Even watching you I don’t understand how you pull it off, much less plan them out. Maybe that’s a video - how you plan masking?

[@technomama1]

Thank you for the wonderful lessons. A question if I may: how to restore the chrome on chainstays? Tried to zinc and tin the rusty spots only with a hand-held electrode and orthophosphoric acid sponge, it does happen something to the chrome around those spots.

[@draggonhedd]

That gary fisher fade looks fantastic. I cant even think about how that was done so evenly Maybe instead of painting the klein, you get it professionally powdercoated in the same black so its super durable?

[@calcagnolibero]

Hello I’m from Italy. I’ve been following your bike builds for quite some time and painted my Salsa Fargo with Bike Spray thanks to your suggestion. I just bought a 90 Specialized Hardock and I want to try blueing like you did on the Kona but living in a rather salty enviroment ( on the coast and with salt on the roads in the winter) I was wandering if it’s still a good idea. Hope you read this comment and can give me a suggestion.

[@wmski]

I hope someone else comments on your question because I'm considering bluing a 1965 Raleigh cruiser and I also wonder how well bluing lasts. It seems to me that the clear coat applied after bluing should preserve it sufficiently. What I can say from first-hand experience is that the small bike parts I've hot-blued have remained in perfect condition so far - about a year for some of them. They were not even clear-coated. I applied a thin layer of grease to them and it's working.

[@calcagnolibero]

@@wmski Thanks

[@robbchastain3036]

I like your reasons for and against and whether to spray or not I'd say be sure to make it meaningful, more than just paint. But when the artist is ready to step up to the spray booth, blaze away, be true to your old school, customize, express yourself, be colorful, and I was always a big fan of Evil Knievel so what else can I say, maybe get matching leathers? And with your Klein and Ritchey, maybe have a bike paint pro do the job with the exact colors and graphics? Or just leave them or spray them yourself or sell them or do something, anything, that makes us tune in next time. :)

[@sergevallee6516]

I have a KLEIN Quantum, wanted to paint it a different color, but i think i'm going to let it to its original color. Black. Thank you!

[@bodilidily]

Another reason not to is I turned everything in my garage green spraying my charge grater! Bike looks cool though!

[@schadlarry]

Your paint jobs turn out beautiful. I have a 3 year old Surly and really considering the gun blue option or just a different spray.paint color. Just wonder how hard it is to strip to bear metal and have a gleaming finished product.

[@MrJonas2255]

It's time consuming, no getting around that. Using chemical paint stripper or paying someone to sandblast it are options

[@simonm1447]

I stripped an old steel frame last year. I used a wire brush for an 125 mm angle grinder, which was OK (even you can't reach all edges with it). I'm however not sure this would work with a steel wire brush on aluminum frames, since the steel wire is much harder than the aluminum. To get the best possible paint adhesive sand blasting is the best method, there's no better surface for paint (rough enough, without any grease or oil) than a sandblasted surface and you can reach all edges with it

[@schadlarry]

@@simonm1447 I think that's the way to go and outsourcing that job isn't that expensive.

[@glennpettersson9002]

Old steel with paint missing is a must paint situation but Toasty Rides had an aluminium Cannondale with rough paint and he polished the exposed metal which I thought look pretty good. Painting bikes is fun but 2K paint is very nasty stuff, PPE is always a must and that is an added expense.

[@simonflanders1296]

I've worked with bikes for over 30 years and I tend to just touch the paint up, flat the hole thing back with 800 grit wet n dry and clear coat it. But do what inspires you to ride the bike is always best

[@michaelhayward7572]

I've been in the motorcycle scene pretty much my whole life, custom, classic, vintage. Back in the day everything was a resto or restomod. Nowadays, its preserve the patina (and history) if at all possible.

[@joshuakirsch4072]

im sure this question has been asked before but i cant find it where do you get all your decals from to paint the bike

[@larryborkstrom3580]

What about touch up the chips and scratches I'm on the fence on 2 old USA Chicago made schwinn

[@multisilhoutte]

If possible, touch up paint dings and scratches, if they are minor, then wet sand it, clear coat later.

[@RedG8Bikes]

Hi! Where can I buy your mesh cap?

[@peterbaskind9872]

One more reason NOT to paint: stealth. I just finished a campus commuter that will live at the University of Alabama. I started with a 1996 Cannondale M200 frame and put on new components. It’s in great shape, but it has its share of scratches and chips. But if I painted it, it would scream “steal me!” You do not want to be the prettiest bike chained up outside the Student Union.

[@jeremyabbott2829]

What I really want to know is your secret to keeping your workbench clean and organized.mine has only looked good one time and that’s when I first set it up. Now about 90% of the bench top is covered in random bike parts and misplaced tools lol.

[@0pvo0]

Just hang everything back when you're done using that tool. That easy

[@jeremyabbott2829]

@@0pvo0 sometimes I’m using a few tools at once. I’ll also need a better storage system for parts like rear and front derailleurs, cable housing ends, bearings, zip ties, wheels, bars, cranks, frames… I have over 30 bikes I’ve upgraded and saved the old parts. I also have 6 frames that need building. It just gets away from me.

[@rogerhart612]

Love your work. I vote no to painting the Richie and the Klein. I personally prefer natural aged patina that comes with time and use. It says I've been around but still functional.

[@scottblack1591]

I dig your videos. Where can I get the replica decals for my 1988 Diamondback Ascent EX?

[@dougbrien9836]

Your videos inspires me to tackle a rebuild on a Ritchie frame. I used Casey's Gun Blue then clear Spray.Bike, 2 coats. The effect was very pleasing, until I leaned the bike against a metal pole. The clear spray.bike chipped off. For a paint that cost me $30 CDN per can after exchange and shipping, I am not impressed. I expected a little more durability.

[@mountainsmoore3657]

While I enjoy getting to see your paint jobs, I thought that the Klein turned out great without a new paint job. Just the right amount of patina. If it were mine, I would leave it as is, unless I started seeing more corrosion, rust or whatever.

[@mountainsmoore3657]

Are you still happy with those Molokos? I've been eyeballing them for a future project...

[@Nutamago]

hi, my bike frame is rusty. it's my father's 90s fujiwara. what chemical can i use to get rid of that rust? i really want to restore it

[@pdoherty926]

One alternative option which wasn't mentioned is clear coating an old bike in order to preserve its history and protect it for the future. I'm certain I've seen OS do this, so I'm surprised it wasn't mentioned but I guess it wouldn't fit with the binary narrative.

[@HW-75]

long time ago a guy at a pawnshop was saying never paint a bike because it wont be consider original and it hurts the resale value. I do not know if that is true or not.

[@rangersmith4652]

Vintage things should look vintage, but they should not look like junk. For me, as long as the paint can be touched up and still provide protection for the metal (which I'll assume is steel since it's a vintage bike), a full repaint should probably be avoided. One reason not covered here is the availability of a full set of original or reproduction decals. Unless you're doing a resto-mod, those decals are really important, and we don't all have the ability and equipment to make them ourselves. As for the bikes in question, they look OK as is. Leave them alone. If you repaint them, you could wind up paranoid over getting that first scratch, and your enjoyment in riding them will be crushed. I have a 1980 Motobecane inbound, and it will not be a regular ride. My current plan is to do a long-term, full restoration with only a few minor "updates," then display it. But if I find it to be a truly compelling ride, that full restoration plan makes a whole lot less sense.

[@MadMetalShop]

If you have a vintage bike it might not be a good idea to paint it because you could very well devalue the bike. Depending on the shape and how collectable it is for value collectors dont want repaints. If you never plan to sell it then thats a difrerent story. Although intend to want to leave nice things for my kids when im gone and i cant tell what they are going to do with it. So ill probably avoid doing anything to detract from the value and just do a very good conservation and some spot rust removal.

[@Korina42]

Reason not to No.6: It's a '90s Trek and that Imron paint is *NOT* coming off. Ritchy and Klein; clean the frame, touch up the paint or preserve the patina, and 2K clear coat. Done. :-)

[@VEXX5]

6:25 That's what I'm exactly about to do.

[@maskedmotorsdiy3575]

Nail on the head about some of those early 2000's bikes having some bland paint. I picked up an '06 bike that has tons of scrapes and the original paint scheme is too boring for my tastes anyway. Time for a paint session...

[@pauladrian83]

My reason to paint it is: it’s brand new and has some really ugly decals that are painted over and I want a minimalist look to it, maybe you have some tips on how to remove them and save me from painting it, stay safe and healthy!

[@durden.tyler537]

How about addressing polished crank arms? Sure, polished cranks look fantastic when they’re done, but the protective anodize layer is removed and the cranks tarnish within days of being polished. Could you address a means to add a protective coating to cranks that is resistant to oxidation and abrasion?

[@sheddski2942]

i was maybe 13or 14 i stripped my murry bike similar to stingray and everything came off no special tools needed back then just adjustable wrench and block of wood and something to pound out the steering chrome pieces crank was adjustable wrench hung it in the tree and sanded it untill most if not all paint was smooth or gone then primer then reddevil red spray let dry put back together red sparkle banana seat sissybar and matching pad and red sparkle grips chrome fenders new slick tire and im done best bike in the neiborhood 👍☠️🇺🇸😎

[@Dragon1165]

A good cleaning and waxing will do most bikes alot of good, as in your and Spindatts videos

[@tfmaus]

my vintage bike painting is all chipped and worn, bit it looks awesome, adds character... I say that is a reason why I should not paint it