You don’t get rid of me that easily... the reason I took an interest in this thread is that I’m contemplating a custom repaint of one of my bikes as soon as my budget allows.. I will come to that shortly.
I’ve taken JohnJuly28’s advice to read more and I've been searching the net to see what I can find. First, though, I dug out my receipt for the Trek and realised that I've owned it longer than I thought. It's a 1993 model so it's about to enjoy a coming of age birthday! Anyway, a bit more research tells me that it was painted with DuPont Imron, which is a polyrethane enamel. The stuff is still available but I get the impression that it's no longer used for bicycles. My wife has a Trek of similar vintage, also painted with this stuff and they have both worn exceptionally well. A thorough wash and a touch of wax and they look almost new. Also, last year, I splashed out and bought a Pashley Moulton TSR 30. I've used it a lot for commuting and shorter Audax rides, so it's done around 8,000 kms. The paint is a dark burgundy and claims to be stove enamel. It is still pristine, but to be fair, the space frame construction doesn't present any great surface area to pick up chips or scratches.
Another bike in the stable is a circa 1986 Hillman (Small Australian manufacturer) made with Reynolds 531. I had it repainted 11 years ago by a local chap. It's been powder coated in a deep blue and the paint is still very good. As it should be , because as John points out in his earlier post ( a little shrilly I thought?)
ALL bike manufactures except tiddlers such as Mercian etc do the same with the same powder!
This being the case all powder coats should be pretty much equal, so I feel justified in my earlier statement that Thorn finishes are average. It wasn’t a criticism, just a statement of opinion.
The BIG disappointment is my pride and joy, a Bianchi Mega Pro SL. This was a 50th birthday present and has accordingly been coddled, bathed in ass's milk and blow dried after each Sunday ride. It's a lovely bike but the paint is reminiscent of a Fiat from the 60's. It's awfully thin and 10 years of use has made the bike look almost as old as me. I am guessing that the Bianchi is powder coated but can't be sure. The internet is distressingly silent on this.
Now... the point I need some help on is this: All my other bikes are relatively dark coloured but the Bianchi is the traditional Celeste and during my preliminary investigations I have been told that the pigment in the darker paints is more resilient and longer wearing than lighter colours. Does anyone out there have any knowledge on this? OR... is it that enamel is superior when it's good quality and applied properly?
It would be useful to hear your opinions on this before I commit my "Sunday" bike to the tender care of a painter as I am reluctant to depart from the 'celeste' paint but would do so if it meant a longer lasting finish..
Also, can someone is more ‘au fait’ with forum etiquette tell if I should start a new thread on this topic now I’ve moved away from a Thorn specific issue?
Thanks and Regards,
pj