View Full Version : painted my handlebars...
BleeckerSt_Girl
08-10-2008, 03:15 PM
I finally got around to painting my cork handlebar tape to try to match my Baggins "Little Joe" grayish olive canvas saddlebag.
I think it came out pretty well! I also varnished them and twined and shellacked the ends:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Strumelia/LunaBike2008
I've ridden about ten hours on them now and they seem quite durable. :)
Blueberry
08-10-2008, 03:24 PM
Beautiful!! I'm always impressed when I look at pictures of your bike:) It's lovely, and the bars look great!
CA
tulip
08-10-2008, 03:29 PM
Beautiful! I didn't know one could paint cork bar tape. Thanks for showing us that you can.
BleeckerSt_Girl
08-10-2008, 04:53 PM
Beautiful! I didn't know one could paint cork bar tape. Thanks for showing us that you can.
I didn't know if one could either. ;)
pardes
08-10-2008, 05:39 PM
Lovely job!
My Mom went through a contact paper stage when it first came out. Everything in the house was "contacted." I hid my bike.
BleeckerSt_Girl
08-10-2008, 05:51 PM
My Mom went through a contact paper stage when it first came out.
Everything in the house was "contacted."
I hid my bike.
That's like a poem! :)
Mr. Bloom
08-10-2008, 05:56 PM
Lisa, nice job!
My Mom went through a contact paper stage when it first came out. Everything in the house was "contacted." I hid my bike.
Hmmm, my mom went through a Telly Savalas stage...that was pretty scary for me too:eek:
Urlea
08-10-2008, 06:07 PM
I love the look of your bike. It's very fun!!! :)
Curious though, what kind of paint did you use?
BleeckerSt_Girl
08-10-2008, 06:15 PM
Curious though, what kind of paint did you use?
I'm a graphic artist/illustrator, and I used artist's oil paints with a few drops of Japan dryer added.
The paint sunk into the natural unfinished cork tape pretty well.
I picked three hot humid rainy days in a row in the weather forecast (not much riding to be had anyway). During those days I left my bike inside the living room for the whole procedure with our nice cool dry central air conditioning on and a small fan blowing directly on the bars 24 hours a day.
One coat of paint one morning, the next coat the second morning, third morning a thin coat of water-based polyurethane and twined and shellacked the ends.
By the fourth morning it was quite dry and ready to ride on.
Cute! I love how it goes with the more tan colour bits you have on the handlebars, too.
Is that your Nelson on the photo? How tall are you and how big is your bike?
BleeckerSt_Girl
08-10-2008, 06:20 PM
Cute! I love how it goes with the more tan colour bits you have on the handlebars, too.
Is that your Nelson on the photo? How tall are you and how big is your bike?
No, that's my Rivendell Baggins "Little Joe" everyday bag. The Nelson is bigger and more of a greeny olive, not grayish olive. I'm 5'5" and my bike is 'somewhere' around a 54cm though it's hard for me to know since it's not a production bike.
mimitabby
08-10-2008, 07:25 PM
that looks REALLY good. Amazing that it is paint!
Great color and a very nice look!!!
rij73
08-11-2008, 06:15 AM
Nice job! I just love your bike. It looks sooooo stylish.
Aggie_Ama
08-11-2008, 06:25 AM
Looks great! If only I had a drop of your artistic ability. :p
rachael24
08-11-2008, 06:42 AM
You are styling now! Fantastic job, I love it!
No, that's my Rivendell Baggins "Little Joe" everyday bag. The Nelson is bigger and more of a greeny olive, not grayish olive. I'm 5'5" and my bike is 'somewhere' around a 54cm though it's hard for me to know since it's not a production bike.
Couldn't find a Little Joe on Rivendell's web site but now I've discovered their Silver Hupe. Do you think that would work as well as a Bagman?!
So many beautiful bags out that. I've always been a "bag girl..."!
BleeckerSt_Girl
08-11-2008, 08:58 AM
Couldn't find a Little Joe on Rivendell's web site but now I've discovered their Silver Hupe. Do you think that would work as well as a Bagman?!
So many beautiful bags out that. I've always been a "bag girl..."!
No no!!!! I had a Rivendell Silver Hupe on my Rivendell bike, and it ate a nasty deep GOUGE in my paint all the way down into the steel where it hooks onto the frame seat stays. I mean a really nasty paint gouge that has substantially devalued my beautiful Rivendell bike. :mad: :mad: :mad:
The trouble is the sharp ends of the metal 'hupe' are dipped in rubber to supposedly protect the paint of your bike, but the sharp edges had eaten their way right through the rubber and were bouncing on and grinding into my paint as I rode mile after mile. From casual observance, it looked like nothing at all was wrong- from the outside the rubber looked intact as though it was doing its job, but you couldn't see what was happening on the inner side where the metal sharp edge was happily grinding into my paint. :mad: :mad:
Besides, the Silver Hupe was rather flimsy and can't hold nearly the secure weight of the Bagman. I feel sorry for others who use this Silver Hupe, I can't believe they have not changed the design of it due to this design defect.
You need to order the Bagman directly from Wallingford in England (wallbike.com). I got mine in one week for a total of $42 which included shipping to the US.
arielmoon
08-11-2008, 09:11 AM
I like your non plastic bottles!! What kind are they and where did you get them?
BleeckerSt_Girl
08-11-2008, 09:37 AM
I like your non plastic bottles!! What kind are they and where did you get them?
Kleen Kanteen brand. No plastic toxins. And because they are stainless steel, they don't need liners like aluminum bottles do. :) Great in the dishwasher, too.
mimitabby
08-11-2008, 10:05 AM
are you sure about walbike.com? don' t you mean wallbike.com out of Louisiana?
BleeckerSt_Girl
08-11-2008, 10:13 AM
are you sure about walbike.com? don' t you mean wallbike.com out of Louisiana?
OOPS sorry!! Yes of course- wallbike.com I fixed the post.
Wow thanks for the warning. That's too bad about the Silver Hupe. :(
I have emailed Carradice because Wallbike doesn't have bagmen right now, and I also want the Lowsaddle Longflap. No answer after a week. I'll try to give them a call later this week but with the 9 hour time difference it takes some effort.
AH! another detail girl!!! Your bike really does look great....in fact when I put my Ritchey's back on...today?.....our bikes could be sisters!!
or at least cousins.....;)
KLEEN KANTEeN....I use one of those, but I have the sports top and it drives me crazy because you can't tighten it...you try to find the tightest point and if you turn beyond that it loosens again...PLUS!!! When you pull on the spout to open it fully, the whole top pops off and ...water everywhere....grrrr
oh...and that was a useful detail about tucking yr tailbone in (on the handlbars thread...)
BleeckerSt_Girl
08-17-2008, 04:29 PM
AH! another detail girl!!! Your bike really does look great....in fact when I put my Ritchey's back on...today?.....our bikes could be sisters!!
or at least cousins.....;)
KLEEN KANTEeN....I use one of those, but I have the sports top and it drives me crazy because you can't tighten it...you try to find the tightest point and if you turn beyond that it loosens again...PLUS!!! When you pull on the spout to open it fully, the whole top pops off and ...water everywhere....grrrr
oh...and that was a useful detail about tucking yr tailbone in (on the handlbars thread...)
Cool that you put your old handlebars back on. How are the shims working out?
Kleen Kanteen tops- my DH is a minimalist so that's why we have the plain old fashioned screwtops- they close nice and tight. Not for people who like to drink while pedaling, but as for us, we enjoy stopping to rest in the shade to drink our water. :p
Tuck that tailbone, girl! :D
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.2 Copyright © 2025 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.