Vintage bikes - respray or not to respray?

SimonLyons

I have a Viking Severn Valley which I have had for a couple of years which I am looking to do something with in the next few months.

I am looking to make it single speed - storing all the original components.
New wheels as the old ones are 27" steel rims - again keeping the old ones.

The paintwork is a bit tatty, but the transfers in the main are in good condition - apart from the Reynolds sticker.
I took it to Mercian a while ago to get quotes for full respray etc...

From a purists point of view with the frame+forks would it be better to "recover" the paintwork and leave the original transfers on as far as possible or just get the whole thing redone?

bagpusscp

First off check here if repro transfers are available.
http://www.hlloydcycles.com/ListFeb09html.htm

If so I would respary.Why ride round on a tatty bike :?:

Stellite

Sympathetic respray, a lot of the places also can source decals for you so it will be retrned to you like new

valerian

Personally I prefer the lived in look with the little knocks and scrapes of time borne with pride.
Fine if you want a pristine museum piece, but I love to see an old but well - maintained machine which gives a hint of it's true age.
I don't like surgically enhanced, ageing "stars" either. Far better to grow old gracefully IMHO.
At the end of the day it's up to you what you want: both routes are fine and depend on personal preference.

Monty Dog

Definitely a respray - just having my Gios Aerodynamic redone and taking the opportunity for a few custom touches. Depends on the frame though - no point on spending £300 on a respray / new transfers if the frame has no intrinsic or sentimental value. I would strongly suggest you ditch the steel rims though.

bagpusscp

Simon you have a PM

lae

I like both tatty and pristine frames. Depends on the character of the bike, I think. A Pashley Princess wouldn't look right if there were chips all over the downtube, but a stripped fixie with drop bars could look really purposeful and characterful with some chips, a rip in the saddle and a bit of rust around the dropouts.

Same thing with classic cars and antique furniture.

Good luck with the project, it's good fun. I've made a few posts on here on how to do a decent respray with spray cans too, so have a look out for those if you want to do it on the cheap.