Vintage bikes - respray or not to respray?

SimonLyons
SimonLyons Posts: 203
edited November 2009 in Road general
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?

Comments

  • bagpusscp
    bagpusscp Posts: 2,907
    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 :?:
    bagpuss
  • Stellite
    Stellite Posts: 544
    Sympathetic respray, a lot of the places also can source decals for you so it will be retrned to you like new
  • valerian
    valerian Posts: 36
    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
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    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.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • bagpusscp
    bagpusscp Posts: 2,907
    Simon you have a PM
    bagpuss
  • lae
    lae Posts: 555
    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.

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