Example of Bad Body Work On a Carbon Bicycle Repair

“Good Work Ain’t Cheap and Cheap Work Ain’t Good” — We live in a period where people want everything under the moon for the cheapest price and then blame someone else when it doesn’t perform to the same level as the more expensive option. We’re continuing to appreciate less and less quality work. We want the “quick fix” and throw …

Black Ops: “Moonlight” Jack Kane One-of-One

Would you believe that when Matt and I first started talking about his bike, he wanted bright colors?! He was gunning for serious flash. As if his neon cycling shoes and socks weren’t enough, he wanted something else to complement his style. So, how did we do a 180 and arrive at the most murdered out bike we’ve seen? As …

Our Bikes Have Stories: Virginia Tech Hokie Custom Paint

You hear this story all the time, a new cyclist spends $20 on a raffle ticket and wins a custom painted carbon road bike…. Yea right! But, that’s exactly what happened to one lucky rider. For most of us, there is an unwritten journey of getting into cycling. We borrowed a friend’s bike, rode our parent’s bike that was too …

sanding carbon fiber for bicycle painting

Sanding to Raw Carbon Fiber? Custom Bicycle Painting Tips

There’s no doubt carbon fiber is sexy. When companies leave it exposed on a frame, there’s a sleekness added to the bike. Thus, when riders come to us for their bicycle’s custom paint job, occasionally some inquire about sanding the paint down to raw carbon fiber, with the idea of leaving it exposed. However, it’s not as easy, cost effective, …

colnago paint work

Professional Bicycle Paint Chip Repair & Paint Touch Up

Bikes are meant to be ridden. It’s built to battle through the elements. It will take and give back what you throw at it. Barring a crash, most frames won’t let you down. All that wear and tear is expected, but we still dread…That.First.Chip. The first chip is always the worst. You tried your hardest to baby it, avoided the …

Matte Finish vs. Glossy Finish Paint

Matte is in. “Blacked out” or the “Murdered” look are drooled over. Put them together and you’ve struck bike lust gold. Matte finishes are being marketed by a few brands and are certainly sought-after by riders. So much so, most of the inquiries we’ve received lately have been for matte finishes. Riders are gung-ho for matte, especially matte black as …

My “Last” Bike & Setting a Record

You know those moments when you see something and instantaneously say “I’ve got to have one!”? That happened to John when he came into our shop a few years ago. His attention was captivated by a specific Jack Kane triathlon bike displayed on the wall. It was at that moment, John would later tell Jack and me, that he realized …

Should I Buy My Bike Locally or Online? Part 1

Congratulations, you’re in the market for a new road bike! It’s an exciting, but sometimes overwhelming time. There is a plethora of information out there and you don’t even know where to begin. Up until the last decade, you never had to figure out where you were going to buy your new bicycle. You would always go to your local …

Trek Opposes Carbon Repair | Read Why They’re Wrong

This past August, we were one of the companies interviewed by Bicycle Retailer and Industry News about our carbon fiber bicycle repair services. The full article (BRAIN, 8/15/2012, Vol. 21, #14) is located at (opens in a new window): http://www.bicycleretailer.com/2012/08/14/mag-crack-problem. In the next issue, Trek’s Vice President & General Counsel sent a letter stating Trek is against repairing carbon fiber. …

Shimano Di2 Road Bike – Internal Cable Routing, Hidden Battery, Custom Paint

We recently completed our first official Shimano Ultegra Di2 build with internal cable routing and a hidden battery. Being a bicycle company that custom paints every bike that leaves our headquarters, aesthetics are pretty important. Thus, hiding the electronic wiring and reducing wire clutter was a priority, while maintaining practicality. Plus, we wanted to hide the bulky battery! The removable …