Cycling UK Forum

I have always used Argos to respray my frames as I have always thought they do the best job, of all the ones I have tried, and that’s most of them.
Someone told me recently that Atlantic Boulevard are really good, better than Argos these days. Has anyone experience of their work, and can compare please?

Don't know about Atlantic Boulevard but Ellis Briggs do a finish as good as any I've seen http://www.ellisbriggscycles.co.uk/resprays/

also try Bob Jackson, finish is V.good.

i have seen two tandem frames done by atlantic. both are 'okay' in terms of standard but nothing amazing. compared to solos done by c&g finishes in liverpool and whoever sprays for brian rourke (it wasn't in house at that time) i would prefer the finish on the solos.

Interesting, and thank you to those who replied.
I have used Ellis Brigg and Jacksons, both were ok but nothing special, and Brigg being less so.
C&G finishes don’t advertise much do they, so no idea as to their pricing or standard of work, it’s a pity they don’t have a picture gallery.
If Atlantic only produces just ok work, I guess that takes me back to Argos as they have never let me down with paint, though I did have a bad experience with whoever they send frames to for chrome plating…but that’s another story.
I guess on a good day they can all produce good work, but I suspect Argos are the most consistent.
That Jackson looks very nice though.

Chromaworks are without doubt the best painting finishers I've ever seen

Not cheap but worth every penny

Cromaworks.com

its funny really , but the paint finish is a subjective thing. A little tale

A few years back, I realised my dream and bought a lwb Landrover Defender ex -military reserve, 15 years old, with less than 2,500 miles on it. I had it sprayed 'camel trophy' sandglow yellow. I polished it every week, I was so proud of it, then I started using it for gentle green laning, and washed and polished after, Then one day it happened, I hit a tree with the roof rack, and took a few scrapes, and that was it, I didn't care any more, and drove it off road , like a Landrover should be, and it was battle scarred, and dirty and muddy. But the strange thing was, that it was more appealing and caused more people to stop and look at it, than ever it did in its polished, stick it in a cupboard , look.

Yes paint finish on a bike is important, and now with 'Blodwyn', the Bob Jackson, I'm at the landrover stage. Do I mothball it over winter, or use it every day come rail, hail or shine, and give it some lived in, 'patina'. The Perfect paint job, depends on what you want out of your steed, a show stopping summer prom queen, or a revamped but lived in hack thats been there, done that, and on its third coat of paint.

BEWARE PERFECTION !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it could lead to another N+1

The trouble with recommending painters is as mentioned above the consistency. I've seen good and bad jobs from a lot of painters, partly it must be down to the skill of the individual doing it, but I wonder what other factors contribute. Maybe some paints set harder than others? What else?

Cromaworks are consistently outstanding! Most of the local frame builders use them.

The professionals choice round my way.

Sheffield/Manchester

yostumpy wrote:The Perfect paint job, depends on what you want out of your steed, a show stopping summer prom queen, or a revamped but lived in hack thats been there, done that, and on its third coat of paint.

I'd choose option two, I'm precious about a newly painted until the first scratch and then forget about it other than not letting the weather in. I've just had my Hewitt resprayed and it's like getting a new bike at a fraction of the cost. Bikes are for life, paint isn't.

A really good paint finish, if looked after can last 15)20 years.

I have an original enamelled Holdsworth from 1954, still going strong and not a spot of rust!

Pandaz wrote:A really good paint finish, if looked after can last 15)20 years.

Not for me, trains at least a couple of times a month, piling bikes up outside the cafe, laying it down on some dodgy stealth campsites, locking to a variety of solid objects most days. That's without my riding misadventures, if I'm lucky it'll get through the first year in pristine condition.
One of the things that interest me about cromaworks is they do a water based paint with a urethane lacquer, I've had a bike painted like this and it scuffs rather than chips, I liked it.