Behold my 2008(?) Niner Sir 9 mk1. Once my 8spd alfine clad answer to winter clag in the south downs of England. Reynolds 853 steel and a head angle that looked like I'd ridden into the back of a bus. Then it got retired and abandoned. In lockdown I conceived it had a new use - a 'world tourer' heavy weight tour bike and sort of utility beast. It got stripped and hit hard with the brazing torch and sprouted a bunch of new bosses for racks, guards and extra bottles and guides for roholoff cables. Then lockdown ended, I moved and the old girl got abandoned...again.
6 years on and the damn thing won't die and this year I WILL TAKE IT ON A TOUR! The parts bin is embarrassingly full of roholoff drivetrain, velocity chiffhanger rims, Hope brakes, a Son dynamo hub, a Koga Denham bar (odd, but kinda cool), tubus racks and a thomson finishing kit. It's not going to be poverty spec.
But time and a damp workshop have not been kind. She's looking tired.
Option 1 - the safety king route - rub it back, find a colour I'd like (it's been root beer and then a burnt orange in the past) and spray it a simple flat colour.
Option 2 - hit it with some emery cloth and a wire wheel and lob it in the grit cabinet with some glass bean shot. Then a clear coat of 2 pack for a shotblast steel vibe.
Option 3 - embrace the 'patina'. Go for the industrial decay/wabi-sabi look and leave it as it. Just a few layers of clear coat to lock in the rust at this stage of self-destruction. Possibly knock up some vinyl stencils and mask up then shot blast on a logo. Or just black decals maybe - not sure. Then built it up with quality components for a 'sleeper' bike that the untrained eye will think is ready for the recycle centre.
What would you do? I'm tempted by option 3.....
Get it painted! It's making me sad!
Cold blue it!
Keep the look and clearcoat - or hit it with a blowtorch, then clearcoat.
Then build it up as a cafe cruiser/klunker
Warm it with a heatgun and rub a mix of linseed oil and real turps in with some 0000 wire wool.
Warm it with a heatgun and rub a mix of linseed oil and real turps in with some 0000 wire wool.
I was going for the zoolander derelicte meme but it isn't to be.
Leave as is as a pub bike/klunker.
Option 2. That or powdercoat. It is still a great frame.
Warm it with a heatgun and rub a mix of linseed oil and real turps in with some 0000 wire wool.
What would that do?
If the outside of the tubes are that rusty despite having various costings over the years, what must the insides be like?
Option 2 had the benefit of finding holes.
Option 4: A thick coat of hammerite.
Warm it with a heatgun and rub a mix of linseed oil and real turps in with some 0000 wire wool.
What would that do?
Darken the metal up. Darken the rust make it less rusty red. Add a limited protective layer to stop flash rusting bit allow ot to slowly age. And you just keep adding to it. The turps and heat is just to thin it so you apply a thin layer rather than end up with a horrible thick varnish
I dunno. You do itt on old machinery. It might be interesting on a bike frame.
Clearcoated (paint or powder) bare steel will develope little rust veins over time which os also quite cool.
If the outside of the tubes are that rusty despite having various costings over the years, what must the insides be like?
Option 2 had the benefit of finding holes.
Thats just surface rust insides are probably similar. Its probably not even pitted yet.
That's gorgeous. Gibb's penetrant and leave it alone.
As an aside, it's given me a fresh pang for my clearcoated Kona Explosif that got stolen. 😥 😥 😥
I'd polish it up and clear coat, but that's my favourite look for any bike so I'm a bit biased 🙂
I would give that a coating of renaisance wax (used for protecting armor and weapons) and leave it.
Agree with the clear coat ideas, protect it as it is and then use it and keep using it, especially with all those great spares you can utilise!
A bit rustier, but I love this look (with maybe a bit less gold)
it looks awesome, so i could be tempted to try and freeze it at that point, get a coat of clear coat over it.
how about vantablack-ing it would that work?
Your all insane. It looks shit, like its come out of a canal. (sorry!)
Get it painted. Glossy, shiny, bright, metallic maybe.
Its a lovely frame that deserves more.