Any idea how many bikes a year get re-painted in the UK?

[PurpleFrog]

By professionals, I mean. At a reasonable rate - say £60-£100? There might well be something a LOT tougher than powdercoating and I'm trying to get an idea of the market size.

 

[hoegaardenadds1]

i would say a fair few, but to make it a successful venture it would be best to open it up to all sorts of things. for instance the mobility market is king huge! wheel chairs need the same kind of toughness of finish as a bike.

 

[PurpleFrog]

i would say a fair few

But is that...

A couple of hundred?

As many as a thousand?

More?

but to make it a successful venture it would be best to open it up to all sorts of things.

Sure.

for instance the mobility market is king huge! wheel chairs need the same kind of toughness of finish as a bike.

That gets really complicated - electrics tend to become obsolete and sickly and are replaced by those affluent enough to afford decent re-painting, while folders tend to be chromed and not something people spend much on. (My father is pretty old so I know quite a lot about mobility appliances.) Plus the electric models are a pain to strip.

Bikes are something of a special case because

- They can last almost forever, retaining their functionality

- People develop a strong emotional attachment

- They live hard lives and a super tough paint would really help

- People would probably be willing to pay more for custom effects that pain allows but which powdercoating doesn't seem to, if the paint could be as tough or tougher than powdercoating.

 

[hoegaardenadds1]

mentioned the mobility thing more for commercial work than private restorations. although people who need chairs for sports or full time users spend fortunes on customising them. didn't spin and spinergy make wheel chair wheels?

 

[perry]

skyway certainly do . people think they went under during the 80s but they just didnt make as many mags for bikes and concentrated on that market

im pretty happy with brushed gloss . only problem i have is i have 4/5 of a 1litre tin left over . i can see me having quite a few bikes the same colour

 

[PurpleFrog]

mentioned the mobility thing more for commercial work than private restorations. although people who need chairs for sports or full time users spend fortunes on customising them. didn't spin and spinergy make wheel chair wheels?

Some people do, I'm sure. But I've spent the past month plus in a town that's so full of old people that it's the Near Death Star and I haven't seen one.

As for commercial work, hospitals buy these things and then use em until they barely wheel any more - "handling" goes before the paint. Again, I speak from recent experience.

But I appreciate the suggestion!

 

[hoegaardenadds1]

as i say more to suggest that bikes may limit your market too much, as there are lots of already established companies out there doing it already.

 

[cchris2lou]

a few thousands bikes get painted for sure .

 

[Andy R]

By professionals, I mean. At a reasonable rate - say £60-£100? There might well be something a LOT tougher than powdercoating and I'm trying to get an idea of the market size.

It's probably fairly easy to find tough(er) alternatives to powder coating - thisis one that comes to mind.
Bear in mind however that what might be ideal on a Land Rover chassis (and it is..) might not be so good on a bicycle frame. Some of these surface treatments add quite a lot of weight. Powder coating is also typically heavier than wet painting.
These things matter to some people - I don't necessarily mean myself here......

 

[legrandefromage]

early GT paintwork is very tough, still chips but is way tougher than Argos paint job.

Problem is, any magic tough coating is probably banned in some way due to its toxicity or environmental damage.

in the late '90's a lot of problems were caused when the automotive industry was forced over to water based paint. So many warranty issues with rust on panels!