How to Paint a Bicycle
If you found an old bicycle that you love, or simply want to freshen up your trusty’ bicycle’s look, painting over it is the quickest way. Make the old seem new again using these steps:
Materials
Painter’s tape
Standard grease
Degreaser
Knifing putty
Sandpaper
Paint
Newspapers
Clear lacquer
Coat hanger
Goggles
Mouth mask
Gloves
Procedure
Put on painter’s tape on pieces that you don’t want to be painted or should not be painted. These include the bottom brackets, the parts with the threads and the bolts themselves.
Make sure that you know exactly how to put back the bike when you take it apart. Take pictures and make notes. Be organized when taking your bike apart.
Apply grease to the bearings and internal mechanisms as you remove them. You will have a more thorough job in greasing them this way. Use your hands.
Use a degreaser all over the bike.
Use sandpaper to get rid of all the old paint and to make the surface smooth. Give a thorough wipe afterward to ensure that all the grit is removed. If your bike has a carbon frame, do not sand the carbon.
Repainting your bike is also a great opportunity to fix dents. Use knifing putty to fill in dents. Sand it down afterward.
Use an old and sturdy coat hanger to hang your bike from the head tube where you have a 360 degree access to the bike.
Put on your protective gear.
Spray on the primer in thin and even coats, starting from the joints and the bottom bracket. Wait for 15 minutes before putting on another coat.
Once you’re done with the primer, allow to dry for a full 24 hours.
Use a 220 grit sandpaper to sand the primer. Make the surface smooth so that the paint can stick to it.
Wipe it down with a clean rag to make sure no sand is left on the surface.
Put on the first coat of paint, applying it the same way you did the primer. Put on thin, even coats as before. You should have a uniform coat of paint in four couts.
Use 1200-grit wet-or-dry sandpaper to sand down the bike after the paint dries. Put some Windex on the wet-sand and finish. Alternate with dry, but make sure you finish with wet. This is to make a matte finish for the lacquer to.
Apply the clear lacquer in the same way you applied the primer and main paint. Put on at least three equal layers of coating.
Let the lacquer harden for a week and put the bike together again.