How to Upcycle your Bicycle

Before buying another new thing, sometimes it is worth considering whether you might have something within your reach that can be easily upcycled. In just one afternoon, you can create a truly unique item that will bring you joy for years to come. If you cannot find anything in your garage or basement, it is always worth visiting your local flea market or online websites that sell second-hand items. You never know what gem you might find!

If you already have a bike that works but needs a little refresh, read on to learn how to paint it and make it look new again.

Whether you’ve always wanted to customise your bike, or you’ve just dusted it off because it’s gotten a little warmer, giving it a fresh new look is an exciting idea.

The key to achieving a great end result is preparation. There is a lot to be done before painting a bike frame. First of all, take the weather into consideration. Painting in dry weather will guarantee the paint dries properly and form a protective shield against corrosion when exposed to oxygen and moisture.

Next, get your painting equipment ready! You will need some masking tape to cover areas of your bike that you do not want to paint. We recommend Deltec Tape Quick Mask Outdoor which is specifically designed for exterior surfaces. To achieve a smooth surface of the bike frame, and clean canvas for the paint coat, you will need a primer designed for metal. Our anti-corrosion Tikkurila Rostex Super Akva primer is a good choice. Lastly, picking high-quality paint that is suitable for exterior metal surfaces is essential. We recommend our Everal Aqua Gloss 80 - the latest generation. What’s more, it is available in over 13,000 colours, so check our Colour Directory to select the best colour for your bike.

Prepare

Step One: Clean

To clean your bike, you can use an alcohol-based agent or our Tikkurila Maalipesu alkaline cleaning and degreasing agent that cleans surfaces by removing dirt and grease.

Step Two: Sand

Sand away the old coat of bike paint and any uneven patches with fine sandpaper.

Step Three: Prime

Next, move on to the primer. Our anti-corrosion Tikkurila Rostex Super Akva primer will prevent the bike from rusting and provide a base for your paint.

Paint

Step Four: Paint

Once the primer has absorbed and dried, paint the bike frame with Tikkurila Everal Aqua Gloss 80glossy enamel. We chose two colours: Pink J319 for the whole frame and green M442 Fjord to create the fun, dotted pattern. The lovely pastel pink finish was achieved with two coats of paint.

Step Five: Finishing Touches

We didn’t stop there. To complete this total transformation, we used Tikkurila Taika Pearl Paint in gold on the metal spokes. If you like what you see and want to try it too, explore the colour range of this opaque pearlescent paint here.

Step Six: Clean your Tools

Once you are done painting, clean your tools with water and with soap or our Tikkurila Pensselipesu tool cleaner for more in-depth results. Make sure to follow the instructions on the label.