Jom Johan

I removed the paint off a Raleigh alloy bike before. I wanted to personalize it for my son. It was not an easy job because we did not use the right paint remover. I was told that it would be easier if I had used aircraft paint remover.

The alloy frame looked very good after the paint has been removed but before we could do the next step, a customer bought it. So, if yours is an alloy bike and the current paint work looks bad, maybe you may just want to strip the old paint off and leave it be.

I found this article "How to Strip Yer Bicycle for a Raw Finish" on Instructables.  The instruction is very clear and there is a photo of how an alloy bicycle will look like with its paint stripped off.



If you are still keen on repainting your bicycle, cover up parts that should not be contaminated with paint. We had difficulty removing parts while repairing bicycles for owners who repainted their bicycles.

Other than painting, there are other ways to decorate your bicycle to personalize it. You can stick washi tape on it and seal your creation with mod podge or decorate it with duct tape or stickers for a more interesting look.

Here is how a bicycle decorated with washi tape looks like. You will have to choose colours and designs that will make it looks less girly.



You do not have to strip the paint off your bicycle if you plan to use tapes or stickers. Just use sandpaper to remove any rough surfaces and you are good to start taping.

Here is how one of my customers' bicycle looks like with stickers on it.



Personalising your bicycle this way, may deter a thief from stealing it as it will be more difficult to change its looks to sell it without being caught.