Day 3: Painting my Bike

Once in a blue moon, I actually do have to go to school on a Sunday, but not this time. Since I have the day off and the weather is slowly getting warmer (but not quickly enough!), I probably would have gone for a bike ride today, but I couldn't. That's because I've completely disassembled my bike in order to repaint it.

I put the primer on two weeks ago and the color coat last week, and today I finally had a chance to put the clear coat on. I don't necessarily know what I'm doing, since this is the first time I've ever painted a bicycle. Nevertheless, I've watched several videos and read a lot about the process and am pleased with the results so far. Granted, there has been a bit of trial and error regarding my choice of primer and paint, but that's to be expected.

I've been very fortunate to be able to use the professional painting booth at my car repairman's shop. I guess the only negative about that is that I'm only allowed to use the booth on Sundays and holidays, so painting the bike has taken a lot longer than I had hoped. Ultimately, however, that's really not a big deal.

In case you're wondering, the color I chose is called "marine blue" and is for cars and trucks manufactured by Isuzu. Since blue is my favorite color, I'm happy I found such a nice shade to use on my bike. I'm using acrylic-based paint, rather than urethane-based paint, which I've read is more durable, because urethane paint is apparently too dangerous to use without the proper breathing apparatus.


When I had all the paint stripped off and was ready to spray the primer on, I actually considered leaving the bike as is, with the steel exposed for all to see. The plan was to paint the bike, though, so I stuck with the plan. Maybe some other day I'll go with the all-steel look.

Anyway, here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure. Take a look for yourself and tell me what you think!