Coronavirus has forced us to move away from public transport due to the fear of infection. The best alternative to public transport is a cycle. We all have our old cycles parked somewhere in our backyard. The old cycle’s paint is mostly chipped. However, you don’t have to dismiss it.
Covering it with a few coats of paint is an excellent way to give it a brand-new, radiant look. Luckily, you don’t have to pay an expert to refurbish a bike for you. With the right tools and some time on your hands (COVID Lockdown has it covered), you can paint a cycle that will turn out looking custom made and polished.
Let’s paint it baybay.
- Disassembling the Bike: Remove the two wheels, the bottom bracket, the left, and right cranks, the rear and rear front, the brakes, the chain, the front forks, and the seat. If you have any accessories on your bike, like a cell phone holder, remove them.
- Rub the frame of the bike before you sand it. If there’s any glue residue from the decals, wipe off the leftover with a cloth.
- Sand the block of the bike so the fresh coat of paint can stick. If the frame has a glossy or thick color on it, use rough sandpaper to shed a lot of the old paint. If the structure is entirely bare or has matte paint on it, use fine sandpaper.
- Build a makeshift garage. Prepare a well-ventilated garage in your backyard. Lay a newspaper on the ground to catch any paint that dribbles.
- Fasten the bike frame by connecting rope or wire through the head tube. If you’re painting in your backyard, look for something to hang the wire or cable from, like a rafter or tree branch on an enclosed porch. If you’re working indoors, attach the rope or wire from the ceiling.
- Mount the frame on a desk if you can’t hang it. Put a dowel or broomstick through the head tube and place it onto a table so that the structure is securely raised in the air off to one of the table’s sides.
- Use high-quality spray paint to color the frame. Look in your local hardware store or online for spray paint, mainly made for use on metal. Avoid general brands that will leave the coat on the frame looking rough.
- Spray-paint the initial coat on the bike frame. Keep the can of spray paint around 0.3 m away from the frame while you’re sprinkling it, and keep the box in continuous motion. Avoid constantly spraying in one area, or you will end up with paint marks. Make your way around the complete frame until the whole surface has been coated with paint.
- Let the first coat dry for 30 minutes before you utilize the second coat. Once the first coat is fully dry, redo the spray-painting process, making sure you get extra thin, even layer on the frame.
- Go on applying coats of color until the old structure is fully covered. Always wait 30 minutes in between coats.
- Let the bike structure dry for a day. Do not touch or move the cycle during this period.
- Reassemble the cycle. Put back on all of the pieces you separated from the frame earlier, including the chain, the bottom bracket, the wheel, the rear and front derailleurs, the seat, the front forks, and the brakes.
Your cycle is ready.
