When do you say, "Enough is enough?"

[Iwasgoodonce]

Whilst my old bike is in bits, I though I would sort out a couple small issues with the paint. The fram is a 1990 one and has suffered the usual knocks and scrapes. It has a little chainsuck damage so after cleaning any oil and grease I'm taking out as muck rust as possible and treating the area with Krust. Can't be bothered with masking so I'm brush a little primer on and using a touch up paint. A little lacquer finishes it off. Trouble is the more I do the more I notice.

When do you treat an old friend to a respray?

 

[tintin40]

After reading that most certainly 'Now'

 

[utahdog2003]

I am doing everything I can to not respray my white EWR. Don't want to lose this little guy...

Opinions vary here, but I think for some bikes, paint should really be considered the protective layer only, and the chips and dings of use are like wrinkle lines on the face of a wise old man. Would Hemingway get a facelift?

So, on bikes which symbolize speed and efficiency, like a steel Serotta or Fat or IF or what have you, then I'd spray it. But if you have a bike that's built for pure business, then the 'wrinkles' tell others, and remind you, what bikes are really for...

 

[J i m s t e r]

I was considering this very dilemma on Sunday after making a bodge of spraying the previously rusty chainstays on an old Claud B. It looks OK but there are thicker runs on the bottom of the stays as I don't have anywhere decent to hang it to spray it.

But as it's just going to be a hack and will actually get hammered, I'll live with it. T-Cut and Wax I am sure can work wonders. Otherwise, to take it to the sprayers, there's the hassle of getting the crank and BB out, getting the chain & mechs off, headset out, then that'll want bearings no doubt...

Plus the cost of spray, on a hack worth less than the paint.

Best to ride it and not look down.

 

[boxxer]

Otherwise, to take it to the sprayers, there's the hassle of getting the crank and BB out, getting the chain & mechs off, headset out, then that'll want bearings no doubt...

On the other side I had a 15 year old Crank / BB combo slip out like butter last night - really surprised myself as the seatpost was the devil it'self to get out........... no new bearings needed and slipped back in like a charm

 

[Iwasgoodonce]

Sage advice as always chaps. I think Utahdog has it. It's original Saracen powdercoat so what's left is very strong. Also some of the scratches are old friends in themselves. That bit of missing paint is from the barend crunching around when an unexpected drainage channel leapt up and smacked me up on Dartmoor. That one is Fiat Punto. I have the corresponding chunk out of my face with that one! Etc, etc.

I will see what it looks like after the attempted epic ride I am planning.

 

[barry2017]

So long as it works, it's fine by me.

 

[jango]

I'd never respray a frame sporting it's original paint, especially if I'd had the frame from new........every dink tells a story and a bit of patina is cool.

if however it has already been refinished then no problem, go wild :twisted:

 

[tintin40]

I'd never respray a frame sporting it's original paint, especially if I'd had the frame from new........every dink tells a story and a bit of patina is cool.

if however it has already been refinished then no problem, go wild :twisted:

So true

 

[chromemember]

respray

I have just got my bike back from argos, and i must say I am glad i had it done, it looks fantastic.