Gold frame

I
I took this photo at the 2007 cycle show.

Like these

Yes, that is them. None of this 'lightweight' nylon Skyway rubbish :-)

This is a gold bike:

Claud Butler once built a gold plated track bike. Not only the frame, but the barrels on the Airlite hubs, the Chater Lea chainset, pedals and the metal parts of the Brooks saddle - all GOLD. He advertised that it had been built for the son of an oil shiek, and then had the bike photographed with a Pakistani kid who lived in the neighbourhood dressed up for the part . It's a true story, and the bike is now owned by a guy called Bob Ross, who bought it when it was advertised in Sporting Cyclist. Nobody else believed the story, so he got the whole bike for £150 in about 1990.

i think with gold theres a fine line between it looking really dope and really untasteful. i quite like gold things, but most bikes i see with gold componants look crap and tacky.

the chrome-laquer way seems to be the best option, but i dont have a chrome frame :\ from what i gather its pretty expensive to get a frame chromed. any experience?

you might be able to find a powdercoat powder that can replicate that look - there are several very metallic powercoats that look like chrome. I doubt that tiger or dupont will carry such powders. you'll have to google around and bring the jar of powder to your powdercoater.

or you could have your frame plated with copper. probably cheaper than chrome plating.

There's a place on kingsland rd called "blingin" or something. The do chrome/gold plating. I do not condone this though.

Alternatively, you could contact X-zibit.

Also, I love olos idea on the copper. When it corrodes of goes the most amazing green!

http://www.caswellplating.com/powder/powder_colors2.html

My mates cousin runs a metal refinement company, he can do 24ct gold plating, check it out..

http://www.liquidmetalrefinement.co.uk

I took a frame down to him yesterday for a customer who wants it copper plated.