I took this beast out for it's first glimpse of daylight on a ride to the Far Rockaways yesterday with Lyle of Projekt B. It was a harrowing experience filled with many perils. Such as mounds of glass and hooked bars- D'ho! Though photos were taken, chairs were thrown and we made it back alive... and there was much rejoicing. Looking forward to the next ride!
6 comments:
Can you provide any insight into how you painted the wheels?
I'm looking into painting a True Temper Alpha Q fork, and I want to make sure it's not just going to look amateur...
Well, first of all you want to start off in a nice dust free environment where you can eventually hang the wheels from the ceiling. You can hook a wire through the air valve hole to do so.. First thing you need to do is lightly scuff up the surface with a scuff pad. Then clean everything throughly with alcohol and some non-linty wipes. You also want to make sure your hands are really clean during this initial process. Latex gloves are a big help. Once they're clean hang em up, get em' all masked off and ready to paint. You'll need some nice bright grey or white primer, color of your choice and some clear coat. Make sure you keep the paint flow even and constantly moving. Don't hold the cap down for more than a second or two at a time. Quick bursts at 8-12 inches depending on your nozzle is best. Def do a quick test on a piece of cardboard or something to see how much paint comes out per burst at which distances. This will help you gauge the distance you should approx be painting at. This prevents pooling/dripping of the paint. Take your time between coats. Don't worry if the first one isn't perfectly even. You'll get it with the next couple of coats. Just make sure you look the entire wheel over for any spots you may have missed. Once you're satisfied, hit it with the clear. BTW, you should use at least an entire can for each of the painting steps. Most importantly, TAKE YOUR TIME. There's a good chance that rushing it will give you horrible results and you'll be wicked bummed. Once you're all done, leave em up to dry for about a day and then you're good to go! Keep in mind while the paint will look pretty good, rattlecan jobs are def no where near as durable as high end paint jobs. Touching up scratches etc is pretty easy though.. Hope that all helps man! Be sure and let me know if you have any other questions..
I must say that, despite my general lack of interest in fixed gears, that thing is shit-hot. I wish my BJ road bike was as nice.
Why is the little thing that protects the bars from scuffing the frame so far back away from where the bars would hit- or is that what that thing is?
Those are S+S Couplers!
http://cyclingwmd.blogspot.com/2008/10/and-dkny-bike-saga-continues.html
Ah. Now I see.
I'd only read a few posts by that point but I'd seen enough to determine that you didn't seem like the type who'd stick a tube-protector-thing in a place where it serves no purpose on any bike- especially not a bike like that.
Those couplers are a clever idea.
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