painting spokes

In message <[email hidden]>, dailuggs <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

im tempted to give my hy6brid a new look- buyt quite like the look of the frame so was wondering if
its possible to paint the spokes- how should i go about it- spray on or brush on paint? could i
paint the wheel aswell, and what about the tyre?

Ever thought there might be good reason why people don't on the whole try this....?

No, this is extremely dangerous. A bicycle wheel is a carefully balanced object, meddling with it
like this can cause untold problems. The extra weight of the paint on the spokes, can, in extreme
cases cause the wheel to disintegrate.

Also there have been cases where the colours on the spokes once the wheel was rotating have caused
strange effects on observers, who's aesthetic sense centre in the brain has overloaded . The first
court case on this matter (in the US of course) is wending it's way through the system, it seems
likely that the offending cyclist could be sued for some millions of dollars. (it seems they have
started decorating their house with pink and lilac fake fur, their wife has left them).

However, if you wish to try this risky activity yes I guess you can paint them - not the braking
surfaces though of course. nor the contact area of the tyre.

Easiest way would be I guess just to spray it all. However, it would be nice to paint some bits in
different colours, maybe you could pick out alternate spokes in a contrasting colour by hand.

My daughter has a good collection of glitter and sparkly sprinkles she uses for sticking on bits of
paper (and liberally sprinkling around the place....), I reckon sticking some of these onto the
painted spokes would really look the biz.

--
Chris French, Leeds

Chris French wrote intelligently in message ...

Quoted message said:

The extra weight of the paint on the spokes, can, in extreme cases cause the wheel to
disintegrate.

Not if he uses the special spoke paint which is formulated to be a drying thickness of 17.75
microns, so that doesn't put the wheel out of balance.

Quoted message said:

Also there have been cases where the colours on the spokes once the wheel was rotating have caused
strange effects on observers.

That can happen with new shiny spokes in low sunlight too, so it's best to let them get dirty and
stay dirty.

Quoted message said:

You can paint them - not the contact area of the tyre.

It actually prolongs the life of the tyre and gives them more grip, if you paint them with that
sticky black pitch stuff they paint on the bottom of steel boats.

Quoted message said:

it would be nice to paint some bits in different colours,

Agreed there ... much safer too.

Quoted message said:

My daughter has a good collection of glitter and sparkly sprinkles

Only if it says on the tin " Dries to a thickness of 17.75 microns" otherwise it could spell
"Dangner".

"chris French" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

No, this is extremely dangerous. A bicycle wheel is a carefully balanced object, meddling with it
like this can cause untold problems. The extra weight of the paint on the spokes, can, in extreme
cases cause the wheel to disintegrate.

So that great big heavy plastic reflector thingy I took off my spokes was an essential wheel
balancing item was it? Bugger, where did I put it.

Andy P said:

Quoted message said:

No, this is extremely dangerous. A bicycle wheel is a carefully balanced object, meddling with
it like this can cause untold problems. The extra weight of the paint on the spokes, can, in
extreme cases cause the wheel to disintegrate.

So that great big heavy plastic reflector thingy I took off my spokes was an essential wheel
balancing item was it? Bugger, where did I put it.

I hope you put it opposite the valve. Obviously it weighs more than the valve, even with the
dustcap and lockring on, but then it's much closer to the axle so its rotating weight counts for
less. If you don't have cloth rim tape, with a double layer near the valve (and of course this
weight is right at the rim so is most significant) to help with the counterbalance, you should
break off a corner of the reflector as soon as possible. Fortunately they seem to be designed for
this to happen.

"Steve" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

....

Quoted message said:

Only if it says on the tin " Dries to a thickness of 17.75 microns" otherwise it could spell
"Dangner".

And there's not a lot of tins know how to spell "dangner".

hmm seems like unless i get the proper micron paint stuff it aint worth it- and i bet that costs a bit aswell, as to the spokes disintergrating thats worrying, think ill keep my spokes cleaner from now on and put that reflector that fell off back on

cheers for the advice

Ben wrote in message ...

Quoted message said:

And there's not a lot of tins know how to spell "dangner".

which is why I wrote ...

Quoted message said:

otherwise it could **spell** "Dangner" (sic).

I still keep worrying about those spokes though :~(

Isn't red paint heavier than white paint, in which case there should be a British Standard for
advising of colour paints relative weights, to prevent disintegration of wheels due to incorrectly
coloured-in spokes.

"chris French" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

No, this is extremely dangerous. A bicycle wheel is a carefully balanced object, meddling with it
like this can cause untold problems. The extra weight of the paint on the spokes, can, in extreme
cases cause the wheel to disintegrate.

Can you still get those little bead things that slid over your spokes and slid up and down as the
wheel went round or were they discontinued for safety reasons when it was discovered the poor kids
who couldn't afford a full set kept falling off their unbalanced bikes?

"Steve" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Also there have been cases where the colours on the spokes once the wheel was rotating have
caused strange effects on observers.

That can happen with new shiny spokes in low sunlight too, so it's best to let them get dirty and
stay dirty.

Only if the dirt forms itself in a 17.75 micron layer. Better to blind a few pedestrians than have
your wheel fall apart.

In article said:

Can you still get those little bead things that slid over your spokes and slid up and down as the
wheel went round or were they discontinued for safety reasons when it was discovered the poor kids
who couldn't afford a full set kept falling off their unbalanced bikes?

They are readily available - I have them ex stock and whilst I don't like them they do keep the
spokes clean.

--
A T (Sandy) Morton on the Bicycle Island In the Global Village sandymillport.fsnet.co.uksandymillport.fsnet.co.ukOpen ↗

In article said:

Quoted message said:

That can happen with new shiny spokes in low sunlight too, so it's best to let them get dirty
and stay dirty.

Quoted message said:

Only if the dirt forms itself in a 17.75 micron layer. Better to blind a few pedestrians than have
your wheel fall apart.

Dirt appears to come in severeal sizes - Horse, cow, dog, seaweed and sand come to mind - I haven't
yet seen a 17.5 micron piece of horse s--t:-) but they are all a pita to remove.

In article <[email hidden]>, Steve

Quoted message said:

Isn't red paint heavier than white paint, in which case there should be a British Standard for
advising of colour paints relative weights, to prevent disintegration of wheels due to incorrectly
coloured-in spokes.

Red spokes will absorb heat and will expand making for a looser wheel. White spokes will stay cooler
and will keep a more rigid wheel. To counteract for the imbalance caused by the valve it may be
necessary to use a metallic undercoat on the group of spokes diametrically opposite the valve.
However when the valve cap is lost ?

All IMVHO:-)

--
T h e - e x t e n d e r ! ! ! !

"Andy P" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"chris French" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

No, this is extremely dangerous. A bicycle wheel is a carefully balanced object, meddling with
it like this can cause untold problems. The extra weight of the paint on the spokes, can, in
extreme cases cause the wheel to disintegrate.

Can you still get those little bead things that slid over your spokes and slid up and down as the
wheel went round or were they discontinued for safety reasons when it was discovered the poor kids
who couldn't afford a full set kept falling off their unbalanced bikes?

Ah!! maybe this explains the lad involved in the cycle race in Greece who fell off for 'no reason'
and is now facing court....? ;-) Dave.

In article said:

"chris French" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

No, this is extremely dangerous. A bicycle wheel is a carefully balanced object, meddling with it
like this can cause untold problems. The extra weight of the paint on the spokes, can, in extreme
cases cause the wheel to disintegrate.

Can you still get those little bead things that slid over your spokes and slid up and down as the
wheel went round

My five year old has some. But they only slide up and down starting off and stopping, at full speed
they just stay at the rim end of the spoke all the way around.