I picked up a 2007 Specialized Epic Expert in gold—mainly because it was the cheapest full-suspension bike that fit my project needs. It had been neglected outdoors, with rusted components, faded paint, and sunburned tires, but it was within budget and local. The biggest concern was whether the shocks still worked, since they’re considered obsolete now. Luckily, they held up, making this restoration worth the effort.
The first step was breaking it down completely, taking apart as much as possible. I wet-sanded the frame to remove some of the clear coat and then resprayed it. Spray painting isn’t my best skill, so there were some drips—but at least they ended up on the bottom of the frame! Next, I cleaned up all the parts, focusing on making everything look fresh again.
The brakes needed a refresh, so I taped them off as best as possible, spray-painted them black, and clear-coated them. For the tires, I went with a more XC-friendly setup. The fork was extremely faded, so I taped it off, wet-sanded it, and gave it a clear coat. Unfortunately, I ran out of clear coat at the last minute, but it’s good enough for now.
After all the work, the bike looks way better than when I got it, and it’s finally ready to hit the trails!
2 Comments
I picked up a 2007 Specialized Epic Expert in gold—mainly because it was the cheapest full-suspension bike that fit my project needs. It had been neglected outdoors, with rusted components, faded paint, and sunburned tires, but it was within budget and local. The biggest concern was whether the shocks still worked, since they’re considered obsolete now. Luckily, they held up, making this restoration worth the effort.
The first step was breaking it down completely, taking apart as much as possible. I wet-sanded the frame to remove some of the clear coat and then resprayed it. Spray painting isn’t my best skill, so there were some drips—but at least they ended up on the bottom of the frame! Next, I cleaned up all the parts, focusing on making everything look fresh again.
The brakes needed a refresh, so I taped them off as best as possible, spray-painted them black, and clear-coated them. For the tires, I went with a more XC-friendly setup. The fork was extremely faded, so I taped it off, wet-sanded it, and gave it a clear coat. Unfortunately, I ran out of clear coat at the last minute, but it’s good enough for now.
After all the work, the bike looks way better than when I got it, and it’s finally ready to hit the trails!
I think you did a very good job.