I just bought a used DH bike. The bike is really nice and in good mechanical condition, but the paint is super scratched. I think I want to try stripping the paint to bare aluminum. I like how it looks after mocking it up with ai. Is it worth the trouble? I know I would lose logos but that’s fine.
by Own-Restaurant-4818
6 Comments
I’ve done it before. Not worth the effort. You can’t leave it raw aluminum either, you have to at least clear coat it.
My two cents – it’s a DH bike. The paint is going to get messed up. Don’t worry about it.
My extra two cents – you are posting about this bike too much. Fix things as they come up and stop thinking so much about it.
If you’re going to strip it down to bare metal, why not custom paint it? Or clear over it. Spice it up a little.
Stripping paint out of every corner and crevice will be tedious, but it’s possible. There are chemical paint strippers too but you’d have to make sure you get one safe for aluminum.
If you do this, the best option is to polish the aluminum to your desired finish and use aluminum wheel ceramic coating. I used one from Adam’s Polishes and it held up well. Bare aluminum will oxidize and the oxidization will get all over you when you ride. Clear coat will chip like that paint, and because it doesn’t adhere well to aluminum the frame will oxidize under the clear coat and cause it to bubble and peel.
I’d just wrap it. There are so many cool wraps out there now you can practically achieve any look.
Also way easier than stripping and repainting.
Have you painted a bike before? Because it’s a long, long process to do it right. Surface prep is really critical.
I would consider finding a local media/sandblasting outfit and then have it powder coated. They can do loads of colors.
I have painted a lot of things. A repainted bike frame will easily scratch and chipped. Power coating will be much much more resilient.
Source, I’ve painted two cars and loads of other things.
I repainted my DJ and even that was a pain. Can’t imagine stripping a DH bike. As someone else suggested, I’d go with a wrap. Some very cool options out there and it will protect the frame better than a new coat of paint.