Howdy. Wanted to share my first custom build that included painting. I've built many bikes up from frame and parts, but haven't tried painting till now. I went with the rattle can option for budget reasons but also because I wanted to be able to really claim this thing as my own creation. Eventually I'll make the leap into wheel building when I scrounge up the cash, but for now, I'm really happy with what I've accomplished with this project; not a new challenge to a lot of you, but big deal for my limited skills to date. Thanks for the look.

So here's my custom Pasadena "Crary Rouleur": (more photos in <a href="http://homepage.mac.com/tedrobledo/PhotoAlbum40.html">my gallery</a>)

<img src="http://homepage.mac.com/tedrobledo/.Pictures/Crary%20Rouleur/crary_rouleur_web_20.jpg">

And of course, shown here in it's native Pasadena, CA.

<img src="http://homepage.mac.com/tedrobledo/.Pictures/Crary%20Rouleur/crary_rouleur_web_19.jpg">

Two cans of paint, custom vinyl decals, one can of clear coat (should have done at least one more!) et voilá!

<img src="http://homepage.mac.com/tedrobledo/.Pictures/Crary%20Rouleur/crary_rouleur_web_14.jpg">

<img src="http://homepage.mac.com/tedrobledo/.Pictures/Crary%20Rouleur/crary_rouleur_web_12.jpg">

The build specs:
FRAME & FORK: 2001 Bianchi Pista, chromoly steel (yup, another one…)
WHEELS: whatever came with the Pista, Suzue hubs
CRANKS/CHAINRING: Sugino RD, 165mm, 48 tooth chainring
REAR SPROCKET: 17 tooth Shimano w/lockring
STEM: vintage Shimano Ultegra via eBay
SADDLE: Brooks Professional
BRAKE & BRAKE LEVER: Nashbar caliper and some $4 die-cast BMX lever via eBay (my favorite part of the whole bike)
SEATPOST: American Classic alloy
PEDALS: Performance Forté MTB platforms, Nashbar clips and leather straps
GRIPS: Nashbar leather MTB/Cruiser grips
CHAIN: SRAM single speed
MISC: Surly Tug Nut chain tensioner, Stronglight threaded headset, handlbars I swapped from my dad's mid 90s Gary Fisher city bike and some cheapo OEM bell that comes on Trek cruisers

This was a great project and it's a kickass ride—very smooth. Other than the missing second can of clear coat, I couldn't be happier. Like my town it's named after, it's modern but with a sense of history. I'm on fire to start the next project, a 70s or early 80s Schwinn 3-speed English tourer-type w/27" wheels I found on Craigslist for $60. If it ends up close to what I'm imagining it to be when it's done, it's gonna rock the casbah.

I hope.

<img src="http://homepage.mac.com/tedrobledo/.Pictures/Crary%20Rouleur/crary_rouleur_web_02.jpg">

This is one of the most beautiful bikes I have ever seen......

Seriously, OUTSTANDING job....A perfect combination of paint and colors....

That's fantastic!! I'm now itching to get mine painted. My girlfriend's company has sandblasters and paint guns, now I just need to get it done.

Beautiful job. Really nice!
Where did you get the cusom decals done, I have a friend (fellow Pasadena fixed rider) who just repainted his bike and is looking for a place to do his decals.

Again, really nice attention to detail

I can't believe that's a rattle can job! Amazing.

Beautiful job!!
I also have an older Bianchi Pista but have put off for a couple of years deciding what color to throw on it so it's been primered gray ever since and I've been using it primarily as an errand bike where I work. I live in the Silverlake area and usually ride my other fixed gear bikes in the So, Pasadena area often. I like brown as my Surly Steamroller is that color and have many times thought of spraying the Bianchi the same color.

This is an old photo but I've got bars similar to your's on this bike now. Saddle is an old Brooks B-15, butchered. I built the wheels over cheap Suzue Jr. hubs. Cranks are Superbe Pro's.....:)

Gorgeous! Beautiful paint job! Did you apply a ton of thin coats? Any specific paint, or just the generic kind?

This is one of the most beautiful bikes I have ever seen......

Seriously, OUTSTANDING job....A perfect combination of paint and colors....

Thanks, man. The secret to the color scheme is French snack food:

1. The deep red of the frame & fork: Wine (Pinot Noir or Merlot, depending on lighting conditions)
2. The mustardy-ochre tires: Cheese
3. The honey/brown leather saddle and grips: Bread

French snack = nice colors.

My girlfriend's company has sandblasters and paint guns, now I just need to get it done.

Awesome. Good tools make a difference. Someday…

Where did you get the cusom decals done, I have a friend (fellow Pasadena fixed rider) who just repainted his bike and is looking for a place to do his decals.

It's an interesting story, maybe. About 3 years ago I was still working in an office near the Fox Hills Mall in Culver City, CA. I first had the idea for this bike back then and was trying to figure out how I'd do the lettering and what not. Well, I used to walk through this mall daily for a Starbucks run and like every urban mall with a teenage population that puts those vinyl decals of Calvin pissing on something, "Powered by [car manufacturer name or Jesus]" or Superman logo (Shaq was still a Laker then) on their cars, there was a vendor who sold these things.

SO, I took a chance and asked if he did custom jobs and if so, what he'd need from me as far as source material. All he needed was a .eps graphic file, so I went back to the office, cranked up Adobe Illustrator and started knocking out the logotype and the 'P' on on the head tube and seat tube. Next day, I brought the file over on CD and while I had a sandwich at Subway he printed, cut and prep'd the decals, all in about a 1/2 hour. It wasn't cheap. At the time I think the two down tube decals, the top tube "Crary Rouleur" names and the two 'P's cost me $50. The crazier part is it that the decals were tucked away in a cabinet for almost 3 years before I actually used them. Yeah, this bike's coming is three years late.

I'd imagine that any sign shop that does cut vinyl graphics can do the job if you bring them some kind of vector art file like an .eps or a high-res .tif. The thing I like about the cut vinyl route is professional look and durability. Now I just have to figure out a way to do 2 color decals. The stripes are auto pinstriping and I cut the curved chevron shapes and triangles out by hand on some extra decal material that came with the pinstriping. That was an unforseen bonus and something I made up on the fly.

I'm actually going to stick to the "Pasadena bikes" idea with all my future custom builds. It's a nice differentiator and means something to me.

Anyway, thanks all. Much appreciated.

Gorgeous! Beautiful paint job! Did you apply a ton of thin coats? Any specific paint, or just the generic kind?

Thanks. I'd say "yes" about the thin coats, but I seemed to get the smoothest results if I let the paint build up just a little thick and smooth itself out with gravity and lots of luck. It's by no means an even "smoothness" across the frame, but overall, a decent job. Same goes for the clear coat. Believe me, it got a little scary at certain points in the process, but I guess there's no better way to learn than just "going for it" with the most info & prep you can gather.

Oh, courage and patience helps as well. I was limited to doing this part of the project during my son's nap times on the weekends, so I was forced to take it slow and in several sessions. NEVER paint if you're in a hurry.

The paint and clear coat was just the rattle can stuff you buy at auto parts stores. I'd imagine you could find some really nice colors at hobby stores too. The hardware store selection was dismal. Don't bother.

Awesome job, definitely has the designers touch. I think the tires are a great touch.


If you haven't already you should check out LAFixed.com if you're ever looking for group rides.

Beautiful job!!I also have an older Bianchi Pista but have put off for a couple of years deciding what color to throw on it so it's been primered gray ever since and I've been using it primarily as an errand bike where I work. I live in the Silverlake area and usually ride my other fixed gear bikes in the So, Pasadena area often. I like brown as my Surly Steamroller is that color and have many times thought of spraying the Bianchi the same color.

Great thing about the Pista is you can't feel too bad for messing with it since it's on the cheaper side and pretty common. That said, I'm still smitten with the chrome model. I wouldn't kick it out of bed. ;)

Maybe I'll see you around South Pas one of these days.

Great thing about the Pista is you can't feel too bad for messing with it since it's on the cheaper side and pretty common. That said, I'm still smitten with the chrome model. I wouldn't kick it out of bed. ;)

Maybe I'll see you around South Pas one of these days.

Yeah, I found the frameset on Ebay about 4 years ago. Looked like it belonged to a messenger......the original matt black paint had scuff marks all over and the frame had a bunch of stickers. The first thing I did was strip it down to the bare metal, plugged up the brake hole in the rear bridge and simply applied several coats of primer and left it at that.

Your paint job almost looks like it's been powercoated and I love the graphics. It looks as clean as a custom Vanilla.
Most all my bikes are void of decals so I will paint my Bianchi one of these days and leave at that. Thanks for the inspiration! :)

Nice work on your bike. I can't believe thats a rattle can job. And the photos are great as well. Well done.

Ok, that's a GREAT rattlecan job. Makes me want to strip mine down to bare metal and start over. The attention to detail is really nice.

Second, the photography is fantastic. Composition, lighting (especially the last one at the light pole), is beyond. Were you carrying around remote flashes and lightbanks? The quality is good enough to submit to a magazine, heck even one of the ultra picky photo hobbyist websites.

Nice work all around!

Nice detail work there. I sprayed my carbon Kestrel from a can and it looked pretty passable but i never clear coated. Really helps in the finish. So you clear coated over the decals?
Off topic a bit but how do you find the comfort of the saddle? Being quite a bit higher than the bars that is. II always find the narrow bit of the saddle a bit too tough for my vitals. Any secrets in breaking in that saddle or is it just steel balls?

Your paint job almost looks like it's been powercoated and I love the graphics. It looks as clean as a custom Vanilla.
Most all my bikes are void of decals so I will paint my Bianchi one of these days and leave at that. Thanks for the inspiration! :)

Thanks. Don't know if the Vanilla comparison is deserved. Those things are modern day Michelangelo sculptures with wheels and a handlebar. One day, when the cash gods look favorably down upon me, I will own a Vanilla. Oh yes…

Ok, that's a GREAT rattlecan job. Makes me want to strip mine down to bare metal and start over. The attention to detail is really nice.

Second, the photography is fantastic. Composition, lighting (especially the last one at the light pole), is beyond. Were you carrying around remote flashes and lightbanks? The quality is good enough to submit to a magazine, heck even one of the ultra picky photo hobbyist websites.

Nice work all around!

Thanks. My rattle can experience taught that me patience and going slow is key. Oh, and a very good mask with a filter or respirator helps if you wanna stay lucid. We'll see if I really learned anything when I get to the next project. One thing's for sure, TWO CANS OF CLEARCOAT from now on. Seriously, I think I'm gonna tear this one down a little and do another can of the clear. If you go a little thick, you could probably smooth out some rough paint. Then again, one should probably lightly sand after each coat of paint. Oops. Next project.

Thanks also for the photography compliment. LOL. I've never even touched a remote flash and don't know what a lightbank is. I'm an ignorant amateur. It was a lot of good natural light, a GREAT camera with lots of exposure control (Sony DSC-R1) and lots and lots of LUCK. Oh, and a little Photoshop. I basically rode the bike around with the camera in my backpack near dusk and hit as many interesting places around Pasadena that I'd feel OK about slinging a nice camera around out in the open without getting jacked.

As for the photo mag submissions, hmmm… thanks for the idea…

Nice detail work there. I sprayed my carbon Kestrel from a can and it looked pretty passable but i never clear coated. Really helps in the finish. So you clear coated over the decals?
Off topic a bit but how do you find the comfort of the saddle? Being quite a bit higher than the bars that is. II always find the narrow bit of the saddle a bit too tough for my vitals. Any secrets in breaking in that saddle or is it just steel balls?

DEFINITELY clear OVER the decals. It gives them a layer of protection and really polishes the look. As for the leather Brooks saddle and the comfort/discomfort, when I was in junior high in the early 80s we rode BMX bikes with those hard, thick plastic seats for hours on end. Maybe I built up my balls of steel back then. It's like those Shaolin monks who hit buckets full of gravel everyday to toughen up their fists. Hah.

Seriously though, for whatever reason (and yes, I can still function just fine down there) the leather saddle actually is comfortable. I rode it around for a couple hours in jeans without problems. They say the leather breaks in after awhile, but to be honest, this being my first Brooks, I have no idea what that really means.

Very, very nice.

Simply Beautiful. Job well done.

My thoughts too (re: rattle can job)! Really a groovy bike. GREAT job!!

That is by far the best rattle-can job Ive seen
VERY nice

Your next project sounds very interesting. Are you planning on a gentleman's fixie?

One of these days, I'm going to build a 26" full fendered Raleigh..British racing green, Honey Brooks. Honey leather grips,........

Your next project sounds very interesting. Are you planning on a gentleman's fixie?

One of these days, I'm going to build a 26" full fendered Raleigh..British racing green, Honey Brooks. Honey leather grips,........

Man, I've been wrestling with that question for 2 weeks. Here's the main thing working against the fixed idea: the bike is a boat anchor. It's a 19" steel frame with old school steel fenders and 27" wheels. I can comfortably push a 48:17 Pista up 2-5º inclines for a certain distance and period of time, but this new bike has got to be at least 8-9 pounds heavier. How high a gear/cog combo could I go before it just doesn't make sense? I could lose some weight off the bike, but I can't imagine this thing weighing any less than 30 lbs even without the fenders which I DON'T want to lose. Anyway, who knows? Like I said, I go back and forth, between fixed and having a new rear wheel built with a Shimano Nexus 3-speed internal hub.

Then again, a fixed rear hub has got to have significant savings over a Nexus hub and shifter. What to do… what to do…

Ironically, you're description of the "gentleman's fixie" isn't too far off from my idea for this bike.

Really sweet build.