How to get garish stickers off rims

[Psamathe]

They're two rears of 65mm Bluemels...

I used to have Bluemels on my Croix de Fer (narrower ones !). Just on country lanes I found they rattled around quite a bit so I changed them to Chromoplastics (same size) and these are much better (don't rattle around).

The front Bluemels were worse and I had to have bent stays on one side to get round the disc calipers, so maybe that made them worse. But the same (probably more) bend in the Chromoplastics does not make them rattle around so I'm unsure and suspect the stronger stays is the reason Chromoplastics are better.

Ian

[kylecycler]

.......... next question is, how to we get tyre stickers off? I'm thinking Conti Gatorskins - I actually like the Conti logo, but Gatorskins just look gross...

The GATORSKIN logos are quite big for small tyres I agree but they don't bother me too much(32mm Gators' on one of the tandems)
The only thing I can think of to remove logos would be a permanent marker pen in the right colour.

Yup. Cover rather than remove - I think that would be the best option, right enough. It's with a view to building up the frame in the avatar - a Carlton 531 TEN. I've got a 'donor bike' - an old Falcon - with 27" Weinmann wheels, etc, and Gatorskins seem to be about the best 27 x 1 1/4 tyres available. When it was 'born' it looked like this, and Gatorskin logos just wouldn't look right (even if they do correspond with the colour! ) Might be better with tan sidewalls, though...

Not mine, but identical - it just showed up recently on the CycleChat forum. 100 per cent original, and beautiful. Short of nicking the keys to the Tardis and going back to 1977 I doubt if I'll ever restore mine to that kind of level, but reproducing the livery or even just the colours would be cool. I really like your bikes, but I think that one ^ also has 'presence'. The old Bluemels mudflaps were a bit vulnerable IIRC, but they were highly effective and quite elegant. I'll try to reproduce that too.

[reohn2]

They're two rears of 65mm Bluemels...

I used to have Bluemels on my Croix de Fer (narrower ones !). Just on country lanes I found they rattled around quite a bit so I changed them to Chromoplastics (same size) and these are much better (don't rattle around).

The front Bluemels were worse and I had to have bent stays on one side to get round the disc calipers, so maybe that made them worse. But the same (probably more) bend in the Chromoplastics does not make them rattle around so I'm unsure and suspect the stronger stays is the reason Chromoplastics are better.

Ian

I've never had problems with either,I've four bikes with front disc calipers that needed the stays bending to fit,three of those have Bluemels(the blue Vaya has SKS longboards fitted) and the Kona I've just sold also had Bluemels,no problems with any of them.

[CREPELLO]

What are the mudguards on your GL R2? The front is very long. At least as long (well, longer at the front of the front guard) as my home made Longboards on my Spa audax.

They're two rears of 65mm Bluemels (£20 a pair from Spa,thanks to Bikerwaser of this parish for the heads up )a front one on the front would be woefully short.I stole one of the stay brackets of one of the fronts and riveted for the front stays.The extra length both behind and in front of the wheel helps enormously in keeping shins,feet and bike clean and dry.

BTW Longboards,fitted to the blue Vaya in the picture above are also great mudguards IMO.

Ahh, snap! That would be twice in two days that we appear to be doing the same thing, but independantly. Except I didn't extend the front edge quite as far (and I wouldn't have a convenient facility to add the third pair of stays)

Have you included your mud mod in the 'something better' thread? I think you should if you haven't already. Well I might have too include mine then

[reohn2]

kylecycler
The Carlton in the photo looks very nice,and it has the original Bluemels fitted too,though I'm not sure about the m/flap.
Those 'guards come up on Ebay NOS occasionally,if you keep your eye out for them.

[Redvee]

.......... next question is, how to we get tyre stickers off? I'm thinking Conti Gatorskins - I actually like the Conti logo, but Gatorskins just look gross...

Ride the bike and the tyre walls will soon get dirty from brake dust and road spray. I do the valve thing with the tyre logo, even if the tyre logo is dirty. I didn't though on Monday night when I cleared the road of a sharp piece of glass that could have punctured a car tyre.

[kylecycler]

kylecycler
The Carlton in the photo looks very nice,and it has the original Bluemels fitted too,though I'm not sure about the m/flap.
Those 'guards come up on Ebay NOS occasionally,if you keep your eye out for them.

The mudflap was the same on mine when it was new, so the one in the photo is original, right enough. I just remember it got creased easily. Green NOS guards would be a real find, but that might be too much to hope for. Suppose I could use plastic primer then paint new mudguards though.

Don't ask why I no longer have the components, just the frame and fork. Ok ask - the Carlton sat in a wet, as opposed to just damp, garage for years and at some point I stripped it and threw the components out (although the frame and fork are still perfectly fine). Yeah, I can't believe I did that either, although I suppose if I'd ridden it for all those years I'd have worn the components out by now anyway. I only went back to cycling just over five years ago and my dream is to build the Carlton back up, somehow. I've got the knowledge, experience and ability now (I hadn't a clue back then), but no doubt I'll still need help from you folks. That bicycle means more to me than anything else.

Redvee - I need to 'do the valve thing with the tyre logo' myself' - that p***ture fairy is a wee besom*.

*That should confuse the censoring software - the first attempt was the Scots word for excrement but previewed as [inappropriate word removed] - you'd probably have to be Scottish to know what a besom is...

[freeflow]

You should have convinced yourself that the logos were the pride and joy of feature of your bike. Then they would have fallen off on the next ride.

[reohn2]

The mudflap was the same on mine when it was new, so the one in the photo is original, right enough. I just remember it got creased easily.

Yeah the mudflap is original I agree,I had on on similar Bluemels on my Carlton way back when,though mine were ruby red ones

[reohn2]

Have you included your mud mod in the 'something better' thread? I think you should if you haven't already. Well I might have too include mine then

I thought the long front guard was public knowledge on here from when I did the same thing on the Kona Dew Drop.I'll give it a mention .

[Des49]

It softened the glue enough to rub it off with any residual bits gently scraped off with the edge of a credit card.

Well done, I wouldn't have wanted those decals on my rims either. Some modern flash racing bikes may suit this but not a smart tourer.

With sticky glue residues I have had good success with flour. Rub with your fingers and flour and this coats the sticky glue which then rolls into little lumps. Apply more flour as more sticky glue is revealed and soon all residue is gone. Just some dusty mess with flour around. Avoids the risk of scratches.

Haven't found any difference between self raising or plain.

[reohn2]

It softened the glue enough to rub it off with any residual bits gently scraped off with the edge of a credit card.

Well done, I wouldn't have wanted those decals on my rims either. Some modern flash racing bikes may suit this but not a smart tourer.

With sticky glue residues I have had good success with flour. Rub with your fingers and flour and this coats the sticky glue which then rolls into little lumps. Apply more flour as more sticky glue is revealed and soon all residue is gone. Just some dusty mess with flour around. Avoids the risk of scratches.

It was that kind of glue,this stuff was very hard to remove the thinner,similar to cellulose thinner,only softened it and needed a fair bit of elbow grease to get off even with two or three applications.

Haven't found any difference between self raising or plain.

Really?
I'd have thought self raising would have been better

[Gower]

The chief cleaner in our household swears by WD40 (or similar) to remove adhesive from jam jars, plastic containers etc. I've just acquired a 1980's trike with very modern stickers on the rims. I'll let you know how she gets on

[Bish]

Hairdryer, and WD40/TF2 is very good for removing sticky residue.

[Farawayvisions]

I see you've removed them already, but in case you have future plans, a tiny drop of oil on a piece of cloth, rubbed along the edge will unglue most stickers/decals.