Fine Tune Cycles

In late November I was contacted by a local family, they were looking to get a bike ready for their daughter as a Christmas present. They had purchased a well loved islabikes 14 and enquired about the possibility of customising it to turn it into her dream bike. I was given a few requests: pink, purple, rainbows and sparkles and then given artistic licence to bring those requests to life

After a full strip the frame was wet sanded and then a layer of primer was applied, in readiness for the base colour and final finishes. Now it’s time to get creative! Using a number of different shades of pink and purple, gradually adding and fading between each area until I was happy with the final result.

When I was happy with the base colour I moved onto decals and graphics, adding the islabikes logos in paint and the rainbows by using some decals. With the decals and rainbows in place I was ready to add the sparkle! I used a clear coat that has a rainbow colour spectrum of reflective sparkles within the paint. It instantly made the paint come alive. Once the sparkle coat was dried and cured I used a 2K lacquer to give a high gloss and incredibly durable top coat. This high gloss finish really makes the colours pop and sparkle in the light.

After fully reassembling the bike it is ready for collection and I’m over the moon with how it’s turned out, I am certain the new recipient will be too. The process of taking someone’s ideas and turning them into a beautiful, functional object is one I really enjoy and can’t wait for my next project.