Explain To Me Why You Can't Just Spray Paint Brakes?

I saw this on Craigslist and I am almost 100% positive that spray painting your brakes is like asking to get your face smashed in a car window. But would someone with a more technical background give us less knowledgeable folk a little schooling as to why this is a bad idea?

Vintage Single Speed - $65 (Humboldt Park)

Date: 2010-03-06, 8:41PM CST
Reply to: sale-fbhbm-1632190097@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

Up for sale is a stripped Allpro 10 speed bicycle single speed. Features: Orange/Blue New Your Knicks colorway, spray painted blue wheels and seat post, JUN stem, Schwinn seat, Trek grips, cut&flipped bull horn style bars, mid-city gear setup. Bike is in working order with working brake, tires that hold air and tight components. Ready to ride and a perfect commuter for a great price. Get your ride on while the snow is gone! 

Wheels: 26in. 
Size: M (fits rider 5ft 6' to 5ft 9') 
Standover height: 30in. 
Gear: 42x15 

Big pic here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/riskyrax/4412701460/ 


  • Location: Humboldt Park
  • it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ali on March 7, 2010 at 6:56am
Try to brake in the rain and the answer will dawn upon you pretty darn fast...

-Ali
Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on March 7, 2010 at 7:05am
There is no reason you can't spray paint a bike although with that as your example I am not sure why you would want to..
Permalink Reply by mfa cycle factory on March 7, 2010 at 7:09am
there is nothing wrong with spray painting a bike,as long as you have know how and understanding of how to spray paint a bike.

Metal can be painted.period.

however,if not primed and painted properly it will crack or peel.

Prime the surface,sand evenly. Apply base coat,sand evenly. Apply clear coat,wet sand or color sand evenly,and then polish and wax.

It's best to use automobile painting systems when it comes to spraypainting. Systems like dupli color and plasticoate ensure
proper color matching, and prevent bad chemical reactions,which
a lot of people encounter from mixing different brands and forms of chemicals.

However,grafitti paint,such as Montana and Molotow are very durable and tough,and they have some kick colors .I know a guy from England that uses Montana to paint bikes,and with his techniques and know how, his paint jobs are awesome..

you have to have to have patiences and be willing to put in some hardwork,because that is the difference between a shitty paint job
and an awesome paint job....also you have to let the paint cure for a long time.I'm talking at least 1 month before it is ridden or exposed
to outside elements.

btw, that paint job and colorway on that bike is total crap.....no offense,I'm just being honest.
Permalink Reply by Spencer "Thunderball" Thayer! on March 7, 2010 at 8:29am
Gabe & MFA please note that my question was, "Why You Can't Just Spray Paint Brakes?" Everything else I am pretty sure is fine to spray paint. And aside from this person doing a terrible job and most likely the paint job on the brakes looking terrible. I would like to know a non-aesthetic reason.
Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on March 7, 2010 at 9:48am
Spencer, looking at the pictures, a few things coming to mind:

1. As Ali said, the paint is going to make for a horrible braking situation, especially when wet.
2. Adjusting the brakes is going to be fun with a bunch of paint all over the nuts and bolts.
and
3. It looks like the guy spray painted the spoke nipples as well as the spokes. Happy wheel truing! A spoke wrench is going to make those nipples look terrible, if the paint doesn't prevent the wrench from turning.


Spencer "Thunderball" Thayer! said:
Gabe & MFA please note that my question was, "Why You Can't Just Spray Paint Brakes?" Everything else I am pretty sure is fine to spray paint. And aside from this person doing a terrible job and most likely the paint job on the brakes looking terrible. I would like to know a non-aesthetic reason.
Permalink Reply by Jessica on March 7, 2010 at 10:22am
Most rims intended for rim brakes have a machined edge on them. This gives the rubber pad a little something to 'grip' onto. Spray painting covers that 'grip' up, and like another poster said, good luck in the rain! I'd also imagine that would encourage that horrid squealing (that I intentionally have in my front brakes to forego a bell. *SQUAAAAAAAK!!!* haha).
Permalink Reply by igz on March 7, 2010 at 12:45pm
spraying the brakes themselves is fine...as long as they were dissasembled prior to spraying and not while mounted. and hope that the pads werent sprayed (looks the the latter of the two is the case). and yes...buh bye to the machined finish walls. whats left of the pads will grind that painted surface away, but i dont think you can make that bike much uglier, anyway. is the chain spraypainted, too?

tho quite the 'instant hipster' hack for $65!!
Permalink Reply by Vondo on March 7, 2010 at 3:24pm
This brings back memories. I have an old bike in my garage I tried to spray paint when I was a kid. Needless to say, total botch job. I always wanted to restore it, but its a department store cheapie and so paying $300 to powder coat it doesn't make fiscal sense. Still, I'd like to get that baby shiny and running again.
Permalink Reply by cutifly on March 7, 2010 at 3:48pm
That is the bike that got stolen from me last week, before it was all black. He can keep it now ..
Permalink Reply by Spencer "Thunderball" Thayer! on March 7, 2010 at 4:39pm
You're kidding right?

cutifly said:
That is the bike that got stolen from me last week, before it was all black. He can keep it now ..
Permalink Reply by Ron on March 8, 2010 at 2:31am
Another reason Chicago made the sale/purchase of spray paint illegal.

The good news is that crap should wear off in a few hundred feet of braking. Hopefully. the rider wont really need the brakes before that period.
Permalink Reply by Primitive Don on March 8, 2010 at 3:31am
Ron said:
Another reason Chicago made the sale/purchase of spray paint illegal.

XD

Looks like Extreme Rattlecan is the next new trend! They even rattlecanned the freakin spokes and the freewheel. Looks like they forgot the cranks and saddle though.

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