# Changing the colour of your bike.



## acrybb (3 Apr 2012)

The bike im looking at comes on one colour. Matte black with red.

I quite like the idea of either complete matte black or matte white.

Does anyone know the approximate cost of changing the colour of your bike?


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## acrybb (4 Apr 2012)

Anyone?


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## smokeysmoo (4 Apr 2012)

Just contact a few powder coating or car body shop type places and ask for a quote. Powder coating gives a harder wearing finish but I'm not sure if you'd be able to get s matt finish this way?
There are bikes already available in the colours you mention though.


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## acrybb (4 Apr 2012)

Cool I'll check. I would buy a bike already these colours however I'm buying a pre built bike which comes with matte black with red as opposed to just matte black the only issue being is that I'll no longer have manufacturers stickers on it. However this might give a cleaner look. I believe you can buy the stickers which I could put on before a clear coat. If I was picking I would have white with black bits n bobs


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## smokeysmoo (4 Apr 2012)

I've no idea what your budget is, but two bikes I know off the top of my head that come in matt black are;
Cannondale CAAD10 Dura Ace
http://www.cannondale.com/gbr/2012/bikes/road/elite-road/caad10/2012-caad10-1-dura-ace-19991
The official library picture doesn't actually do it justice IMO, the decals are actually gloss black against the matt black frame 

Here's my own bike which shows the bike in natural light;




and the Pinarello Rokh is also available in matt black but has silver decals;
http://www.pinarello.it/eng/rokh_carbon_559.php






Neither of these bikes are cheap, so depending on your budget it may be cheaper to buy the bike you've seen and get it re-finished, but there must be others available too


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## PpPete (4 Apr 2012)

I've has several (steel) frames on which the paintworks was tatty, stripped down and powder coated black. The natural finish seemed to be a "satin" (sort of semi-matte) which looks a treat, althought not quite in the same class as the bike smokey pictured above, but then they only charge me £40 for stripping and coating. I've also had one done in gloss white, which looks nice but chips a bit more easily round any threads.


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## acrybb (4 Apr 2012)

As Mentioned I have a bike in mind it comes in the stated colour matte black with red. No other colour. it has been picked to suit budget and needs. £700 give or take. I'm going for a hard tail MTb. Due to the fact it wi be needed to commute and for off road purposes too. I will be fitting road tyres When on road.


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## perplexed (4 Apr 2012)

Dumb question alert...

Would I be correct in thinking that you can powder coat alluminium bikes, or is it just steel?


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## Chris S (4 Apr 2012)

City Powder Coaters in Birmingham charge about £30 to sandblast and powder coat a frame. I'd have thought it would be about the same in the Glasgow area.



PpPete said:


> I've has several (steel) frames on which the paintworks was tatty, stripped down and powder coated black. The natural finish seemed to be a "satin" (sort of semi-matte) which looks a treat, althought not quite in the same class as the bike smokey pictured above, but then they only charge me £40 for stripping and coating.


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## acrybb (4 Apr 2012)

How anal do you think the Bike 2 work scheme would be if i changed the colour of the bike? As i understand its a hire for a year with some options at the end i think we will be offered to buy the bike the lease + buying will be cheaper than buying outright in the first place so i dont think it should be a problem.


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## acrybb (4 Apr 2012)

Also would i be able to get Manufacturer decals to put back on the bike. I dont mean a sticker i mean the proper jobs you need to put on with water and all that.


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## Boris Bajic (4 Apr 2012)

acrybb said:


> How anal do you think the Bike 2 work scheme would be if i changed the colour of the bike? As i understand its a hire for a year with some options at the end i think we will be offered to buy the bike the lease + buying will be cheaper than buying outright in the first place so i dont think it should be a problem.


 
I used the Ride2Work scheme (or similar) a couple of years ago. I changed the saddle and pedals within days for items I had lying around.

They never saw the bike, never asked a single question about it and had no idea what colour it was. 

I don't know what the legal position is, but from experience they had no idea whether I was commuting on a bicycle or a carrot.

As to replacing the decals (your later post) I am astounded that anyone wants to do that. Even the coolest ones look to me like the stickers in the rear windows of cars advertising the supplying dealership. But that's just me. 

A part of me thinks that if I need you to know which brand of bike I ride, I may have other issues too.


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## acrybb (4 Apr 2012)

point taken f**k the stickers and get it coated.  would i clearcoat it or would that ruin the matte finish? 

Im thinking white frame black handlebars the rims are black Black DMRv8 (as recommended by a mate) need to swap the saddle for a black one. your mud guards etc are usually black anyway.


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