# Love the Bike, Hate the color, don't want to strip components and repaint. Options?



## drdocta (Feb 10, 2017)

Hey all. 

Let's say that someone has a bike that they love to death, but hate the color. Now let's say that someone doesn't want to strip the bike of it's components, and strip off the paint job from the carbon frame, and then repaint. 

How could this person take their miscolored bike and make it something more aesthetically pleasing? Are there some decal options that would work? Something that could be hand-painted over the original paint?


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

Hydro-dip?


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## drdocta (Feb 10, 2017)

Oh My Sack! said:


> Hydro-dip?


Doesn't that require complete dismemberment of the bike to do? If I am going to strip everything down I might as well just re-paint completely with Spray


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

Yeah....I missed that little tidbit in the OP. I read that as "stripping the paint". That indeed complicates matters. I got nothing under that criteria. Tearing a bike down to the frame is easy-peasy, though.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

Vinyl wrap like they do cars/buses. Just watch it with the heat gun around the carbon! Seriously, you probably could wrap some of the straight parts, depends on what the frame is. Pick a color that coordinates with the existing paint.

Or just ride it as is. Why'd you buy it?


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## Guest (Jul 17, 2017)

I wouldn't strip carbon fiber chemically and I wouldn't sand it very much. A light wet sanding with 320 to prep it for paint and degreasing with "Total Prep" or another similar product is as far as I would take a CF frame.


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Tinted glasses.


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## Cornfield (Apr 15, 2012)

If we could see pictures of this ugly colored bike, we might be able to offer more suggestions...


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## drdocta (Feb 10, 2017)

J.B. Weld said:


> Tinted glasses.


:thumbsup:

The bike is a 2018 Trek Slash 9.8 in "Rorange"... I know some may like it but that's not my cup of tea. Orange would rank near the bottom of all other color options for me. No project 1 option for this bike either sadly.

Honestly if there was some sort of coating or paint option that I could hand paint over the existing orange that would be a fun project. I just don't know if a such a product exists.

EDIT : I have not pulled the trigger on the purchase yet simply because of the color it comes in this year.


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## Cornfield (Apr 15, 2012)

This one?


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## LargeMan (May 20, 2017)

PlastiDip - You can tape off and do the downtube and top tube, easy. It also peels off without damaging the paint.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

Get over it, or move on.


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## Taildragger (Mar 13, 2005)

LargeMan said:


> PlastiDip - You can tape off and do the downtube and top tube, easy. It also peels off without damaging the paint.


This,,,


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

I've got two orange bikes, I figure when I go flying off the trail one day and don't get up, it'll make it easier to find my body.

Besides, it's not orange, it's Rorange!


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## drdocta (Feb 10, 2017)

Cornfield said:


> This one?
> 
> View attachment 1146857


Yeah that one. Sexiest "Rorange" bike I have ever seen but just not a fan of bright colors especially orange.

Going to look into this plastidip next, sounds promising.

If I do get one that is true that the orange does help with the safety factor a bit which is nice.


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## bachman1961 (Oct 9, 2013)

The bike I recently purchased looks red-ish orange most of the time depending on the light but labeled Satin Red.

It was not a preferential color but I decided the bike was "the" bike. I'm getting used to it now although I'm not really a fan of bright LOOK AT ME colors.

Nail Trails came in some nice colors and oxblood or rootbeer might be my choice if I went custom.


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## mahgnillig (Mar 12, 2004)

Take it to a shop that does vehicle wraps and see what they can do. Nice bike, but I agree the colour is pretty hideous! I had a bright orange road bike once... never did like it much. 

Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk


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## drdocta (Feb 10, 2017)

Possible dumb question incoming...

What's stopping me from just buying a pack of quality sharpies and going to town coloring in all the Rorange? I've seen custom paint jobs on cars and bikes that use simple sharpies and a deft hand to make master pieces.


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## mahgnillig (Mar 12, 2004)

I've tried the sharpie trick before and only had good results on really small areas like bolt heads. It tends to come out uneven and rub off pretty easily... but maybe I'm just crap at colouring 

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## Cornfield (Apr 15, 2012)

The other night I tried a sharpie on the giant yellow MAXXIS on my plus tire and it looked like poop. It re-wets itself and comes off if you try to give it a second coat.

I'm with the folks who mentioned Plasti-Dip.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

drdocta said:


> Possible dumb question incoming...
> 
> What's stopping me from just buying a pack of quality sharpies and going to town coloring in all the Rorange? I've seen custom paint jobs on cars and bikes that use simple sharpies and a deft hand to make master pieces.


Pretty sure you'd have a mess. I don't think colored sharpies would cover well on the Rorange and black would be uneven, as mentioned, and it looks purplish. Not sure it would ever soak into the paint, a lot probably would wipe off and you'd have stained Rorange. PlastiDip or vinyl would be a better bet.


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## MikeBurnsie (Jan 19, 2011)

Ride the bike, get it dirty, there ya go. New color scheme. :thumbsup:


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## bachman1961 (Oct 9, 2013)

Just a few last minute ideas;

1- Immersion Therapy;

Look up pics of the all time worst colors on bikes you can find. Stare at them and page through them daily or even more often. Maybe just before you go ride your bike. After a few weeks (2 -4 years at most), you'll get over it.

I know it's somewhat subjective (inconsiderate paint inventions) but descriptions like *vomit green* or *intestinal relief* *burrito brown* would definitely help. 
Not too long ago, there was flurry of Santa Cruz pics of a particular model. The bike must be fabulous in all important ways if you don't have to look directly at it.

Porsche, Bugatti and Rolls had some unfortunate crimes of color too but I always chalked it up to some sort of community support like; 
Homes for Un-wanted Schemes or Paints Gone Wrong-Tough Love

2- Rose-colored glasses might help if you can handle the embarrassment since any seeing you will instantly recognize your palette hostility.

3- Consider the Good Neighbor approach also. Riding only at night or on unlit streets will subject very few others to actually having to see that thing.

4- As a last resort, a hot pink frame bag might deter those nasty comments about the bike paint because they'll be too busy ranting, joking and making fun of that bright pink triangle. Probably won't even notice the paint color.


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## bachman1961 (Oct 9, 2013)

*You had me at; Pearlescent, Semi-metallic light blue .*

Inspired by a 1975 Ferrari 275. 

Why Your New Bike's Paint Color Matters | Bicycling


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## drdocta (Feb 10, 2017)

Thanks for all the responses. As per advice in my other thread and some inner battling I have decided on the Fuel Ex 9.8 2018 29 Eagle. Quicksilver and Slick Black. Sexy as hell and matches my car that will be moving it around. I am finally at peace.


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