Martrac Budget Build

So I know this thread will get a few haters...meh. I bought the frame off Allister who informed me it was previously used by Debbie Wharton and the kids at Herne Hill. Having hunted for a shorta**e frame for a while it seemed a perfect example. I've slowly built up a budget bike to get fit - eBay finds, Varno wheelset, System Ex etc.:

Due to the nature of my job there is no way I can commute, so I am purely using the bike to get fit. I've been riding it as you see it, but I am in the process of purchasing decent pedals, clips and straps, grips, and plan to get in touch with Armourtex soon (decals already created as Ai.)

This is my third bike since childhood...first was a Create - terrible, costly mistake, second was a Raleigh Pro Tour conversion - equally as bad, and finally what you see here. Pretty bad pedal overlap, but extremely smooth and responsive, and ultimately - helping me to keep fit!

I love the garish paint.. Why repaint? Do have to say, those Varno wheels do look quite good..

Btw, closup of fork crown? Looks interesting..

don't re spray
spend the cash on bits instead

You'll need bar tape to use it at HH, or brakes to use it on the road.
Looks good though.

paint is epic

don't make it dull

Please don't paint it!!!

As for bar tape, I reckon some rad 90s cinelle tape would be awesome. Or if you want something more toned down:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cinelli-caleido-eva-handlebar-tape/

The paint isn't as good as it looks - a lot of it has flaked off and there is quite a bit of surface rust! I was hoping to get a similar finish but I think it is going to get really expensive with three colours, so I've been looking at a single garish colour as an alternative.

Photo as requested:

Thanks for the link Hugo. That tape looks great! Definitely like the sound of some 90's Cinelli tape though, I'll have a hunt on eBay.

Tom off Fitzrovia Bicycles has a Martrac 753 lo-pro with ridiculus snakeskin mottled paint. It's pretty 80s-tastic.

don't ever say "haters" again if you want to be taken seriously.
saying that, the bike is awesome. Plain black tape would work, but that caleido tape is awesome.

Tom off Fitzrovia Bicycles has a Martrac 753 lo-pro with ridiculus snakeskin mottled paint. It's pretty 80s-tastic.

I stumbled across that whilst researching Martrac, it looks great. I still have a few bits of snakeskin paint layered on top of the white. It's a shame they are no longer around, I would love to get the original paint redone with snakeskin pattern and flicked specks!

don't ever say "haters" again if you want to be taken seriously.
saying that, the bike is awesome. Plain black tape would work, but that caleido tape is awesome.

My apologies, it was meant as a joke, it isn't a word I would use in everyday life! Thanks! I agree that black tape would work and it was my original plan, but the thought of using some showy Cinelli tape has stuck with me!

Second hand pedals, clips and straps on the way.

Re: paint

I know I often bang on about it and role them out...but...here is my old mercian.

Before:

After:

Unless things are structurally fucked there is usually a way to touch-up or improve existing paint work.

...and those before pictures don't really show how bad it was in the flesh.

Re: paint

I know I often bang on about it and role them out...but...here is my old mercian.

Before:
http://static.lfgss.com/attachments/13699d1250238346-mercian.jpg
http://static.lfgss.com/attachments/13993d1250855445-mercian4.jpg

After:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3503/3976074735_f967eb9e98.jpg

Unless things are structurally fucked there is usually a way to touch-up or improve existing paint work.

...and those before pictures don't really show how bad it was in the flesh.

That is genuinely impressive! I wouldn't know where to start with mine - the white base coat would be easy enough to restore, but the blue and pink layers are beyond restoration (I think - I'm no expert!). As Danno said, there is a snakeskin pattern on the TT and fork, which would be very difficult to restore. I am coming round to the idea of getting it fully resprayed exactly as it should be, but I fear it will cost way too much as it would be a full custom job. There was a guy on here who sprayed frames as well as vehicle bodywork and his work looked amazing, I'll have a search and get in touch with him to weigh up my options.

You may as well give a restore a go if you're weighing up a full respray. What have got to loose? If the restore doesn't work and it looks rubbish, strip and respray!

Start by stripping it and cleaning it thoroughly. Then you can see where the worst bits are.

I can't quite tell from the pic, but I guess the whole frame is white with a multi-coloured lacquer-type spray, a bit like they do with those chrome candy Italian jobs???

If so you can't really get that back, but it you tidied it up I think it would look fine and more like patiner rather than chips.

For the skuffed bits like the dirty marks on the fork sections in your pic:

...you could probably get most of that out with some t-cut and elbow grease. If it's more stubborn then get some really, really fine sandpaper (I used a worn out sanding sponge) just to take the top layer off and polish and then t-cut.

Just doing that will probably brighten up the frame.

For any proper chips and rust... you're a bit stuck. Where it's white, you can just clean, sand *just *around the immediate but only to make sure there's no rust to creep under the paint. Then use a dab of jenolite (the gel is easier) and then touch up.

Because of the camo effect of the coloured paint I reckon that it won't really notice if you have a few spots of white.

Then wax the whole thing.

You've got nothing to loose other than a weekend, and the £15-20 you'll need for the bits I've mentioned... assuming you don't have half of it anyway... and if you don't then it's still useful stuff.

I'd also say that having a bit of 'history' on a frame is nice. This is the nth degree of that, but you get what I mean:

bringing this one back........did you clean up the paint? i really hope you did not re-spray, as it looks freaking awesome! like cosmic marbling.

Nice!

Loving that paint work, I wonder how difficult it would be to marble a frame?