match 'em up!
As a longtime titanium bike owner, I’ve always been jealous of a beautiful painted frame but Ti and carbon frames don’t need paint like a steel frame needs paint. But I want some painted beauty. It’s like buying a white car; I can’t do white, need some color. So between a Ti frame and a carbon fork…I got nothing.
Well, a little knowledge is dangerous and throw in a compressor and an automotive spray gun and the potential for mayhem goes up. You want to paint your fork celeste green? Good luck with that as you go into your local auto refinishing paint store and try to describe Bianchi’s celeste green or De Rosa pink – blank stares. They will hand you huge stacks of paint samples all related to cars. Celeste green is a big problem, the nearly celeste green of a 1981 Fiat, no problem.
I found a used, top-end Trek Madone frame on eBay a few years ago, to bring my wife out of the Ti age and into the Carbon age. It was a project one frame, meaning it had been custom painted at the Trek factory. When we had the frame in-hand someone pointed out it was Subaru Forester green. Yep, that is correct. Who wants a bike painted Subaru Forester green? I was not ready to take on that repaint so I had it done somewhat professionally, at the local surfboard fabrication and repair spot. Years later the front fork needed to be repainted and I knew I could handle it. I practiced on an old alpha-q carbon fork and decided the Merlin’s fork was going to get it too.
Who wouldn’t want to match the stem to the fork? There are no Rules about this, but visually I think it works. Stems like paint. If I was going to paint forks I was absolutely going to paint some stems too. I think the secret to this might be the clear coat that goes on after the color coat. It is a catalyzed product, tough and flexible. It’s why your car still looks good after a few years on the road.
You can do all this with a rattle-can of color paint from the hardware store but you can’t spray a catalyzed clear coat on top so it might not hold up well. And this spraying is nasty but fun when it’s done, if it goes well.
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@Steve Trice
In a word. Nope. I can't help wonder where the outlet goes. If you have solid floors then you will have to route the outlet through the kitchen units to exit the wall at ground level. Seems much easier to go through the ceiling space and if you have an island unit you're kinda buggered. Plus I like the lights above the hob with a ceiling extractor and I kinda like the spaceship hovering over the hob in the middle of the room.
@RobSandy
I make my own gel & I've been considering mixing up my own chamois creme. While the gel saves tons of money and lots of trash, not sure if the creme will save much. But, it might be fun to mix up!
Oh, and I'll second homemade food both on and off the bike. I don't really like going out to eat. Such a waste of time, in my opinion. And I can't sit still for that long. And I've been a server and a sous chef, so I know what does/can go on back there.
But, more importantly, most restaurants, even fancy ones...put so damn much salt and butter into things. I go home feeling like I've been walking in the desert.
Teocalli - I feel much better about myself when I eat Gummy Bears, as opposed to Jelly Babies. You weirdos over there!
Gianni - only a Velominatus living in HI goes to a surf shop...to get a bicycle painted! You nut.
@Ron
I've no idea about the cost aspect of making your own chamois creme, but not being a fan of gels I suspect it would be possible to make your own chamois creme that tastes better than most commercial gels.
@chris
Chamois cream? I use drugstore Vitamin A&D ointment. Does the job just fine. As for how it tastes, no idea and no desire to find out! Somethings are just better bought commercially.
@Ron
How do you package the homemade gel? Flapjacks I can understand - some aluminum foil or greaseproof paper. But gel? Do you use one of those wee squishy bottles meant for your shampoo etc when you fly? That might work.
Standard on my custom Shand Skinnymalinky, the latest steel pave, rain and winter bike - matching painted frame, forks and stem. Quality. Reynolds 853, Columbus mix, Wound Up carbon forks. I wasn't sure I would like the painted stem (or that Brookes Cambium C17) but I was wrong.
@chris
Hey! Hey! That's my wife's erectile dysfunction stem. Actually with that angle one couldn't call it E.D. and it's 90mm, could be worse.
Thank god you didn't read the post. It's a Madone with a somewhat short headtube. Wife didn't want to be too slammed on the stem. Maybe I'll flip it and see if she notices.