The reduced surface of a bike frame makes it possible to use special-effect paints costing several hundred euros per litre, since 250 ml is enough to paint an entire bike.
In addition, the tubular surfaces of a bike frame lend themselves particularly well to iridescent and colour-shifting effects depending on the viewing angle. Painting a bike with candy gloss red, Chameleon or holographic paints, for example, also remains accessible to the general public.
In the world of modern bikes, innovation, technology and prices are advancing — and the same is true for bike paint, which is keeping pace with the rise in high-end offerings. Unlike the automotive market, where traditional paints are applied to cars worth hundreds of thousands or even millions of euros, the world of bike paint clearly shows far more daring and creativity, with the use of exotic so-called special-effect paints.
How to paint a bike with special effects
The basic knowledge required to repaint a bike is relatively simple, but there are many pitfalls — such as reactions, stains, bubbles or peeling — for amateur or even professional applicators lacking care and patience.
The main stages for applying bike paint correctly are:
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Surface preparation (degreasing, sanding, washing and drying), followed, in certain cases only, by the application of a specific adhesion or levelling primer
- When painting a bike, it is not recommended to strip the frame completely. Sanding should be light, using 500-grit paper, and is only intended to allow proper adhesion.
- Painting the bike, or applying successive colours if superimposing shades, using specially designed Frisket masking adhesives for painting a bike.
- Clearcoating: this is the mandatory final stage, used to protect the paint and provide gloss (or a matt finish, depending on personal preference).
The main colour-shifting bike paints
These are called Chameleon paints: they create a visual effect where the colour changes depending on the angle of view. Some Chameleon bike colours show two colours, while others can reveal up to six.
There are different quality levels of Chameleon paint: a very affordable range giving excellent results, and an Extrem range offering very intense colours with dramatic shade changes.
Other special paints used on bike frames
One of the most popular special finishes — representing a huge technological leap in the paint world — is holographic paint.
This metallic grey paint produces, under direct light, iridescent rainbow-coloured effects by diffracting light.
There are many other effects as well, such as fluorescent and phosphorescent paints, or even Candy paints, which are transparent and luminous tinted coats.
