Freshening up an Islabike
Discussion
With both my son and daughter outgrowing their bikes at around the same time, I didn’t fancy shelling out for two replacements. Equally, I felt a bit guilty that my daughter has always ended up with her brother’s cast-off bikes and has never had a new one of her own.
A big discount on a 2018 Kona Shred 24 meant one replacement was sorted. To avoid having to buy a second bike, I decided to pimp the boy’s outgrown Islabikes Beinn 20s and give it to his younger sister for her birthday.
It wasn’t in bad shape mechanically, but there were quite a few cosmetic chips and scratches. Having dismantled it, the next step was to strip the paint, a tedious business I’d rather forget.
Then it was a case of cleaning various components.
Some couldn’t be brought back to as-new condition, so the pedals were replaced, as were the tyres. It’s perhaps testament to Islabikes’ considered approach that, without spending silly money, I wasn’t able to find replacement tyres that came close to the weight of the 300g Kendas that came off the bike, which was disappointing.
When the bike was new, my son had initially found it tricky to operate the Sram gripshift, so I’ve swapped it for a Sram X3 thumbshifter, though I’m yet to be convinced it’s going to be any easier to use. Compared to the gripshift, it’s rather heavy too, which is perhaps why Islabikes fit them with gripshifts.
Adding weight was annoying but Grifters made of pig-iron never discouraged me from cycling, so I enlisted my dad’s help and we turned our attention to the bare frame and gave it a couple of coats of etch primer.
With my daughter’s favourite colours in mind, I started looking for pink and purple paints. Honda briefly offered the Jazz in a shade called Cool Rose that looked like it might do as a pink. Based on online images, I thought Fiat’s Rosa Incantesimo might do for the purple but when the rattle cans arrived it quickly became clear they were virtually identical.
Keeping an eye out on the roads, I saw a Peugeot 107 in Plum, which proved a better bet.
The initial colour coat was in pink but I was at a bit of a loss as to where to add some purple. Initial ideas about trying to replicate Klein’s linear fade paint jobs from the ‘90s went out the window when l realised there wasn’t enough room to wield a can or even an airbrush inside the little frame’s triangles. Well, that and being too nervous to give it a go!
All this was taking place in my parent’s unheated garage and it seemed that the cold was going to foil any attempt at fading - I experimented on a piece of pipe and the graduation from one shade to the other was splattery at best. Eventually we decided on a simple masked scheme, based loosely on designs offered by a US frame builder called Seven Cycles.
Decals next. For some frames there are all manner of aftermarket replica sets. For Islabikes, there’s a bloke in France offering a sheet of logos in assorted colours. I ordered a pink sheet and a purple sheet. Elsewhere, I also bought a roll of pink pinstriping tape in the hope it might match the decals. Amazingly, it did.
Hoping this luck continued, I ordered some ‘Beinn 20s’ vinyl lettering online. I couldn’t get the font I wanted in a small enough size, so had to compromise on that, but the colour was a decent match for the other decals. In the end though, they just looked too big so I didn’t fit them.
Then it was a case of applying the clear coat, which is where the luck ran out. I think it was simply too cold but, whatever the reason, the clear coat turned milky white, largely on the pink areas.
So then the decals had to be peeled off, the clear coat was sanded back and a further coat of colour was added as some of it came off when removing the clear coat.
With my daughter’s birthday drawing ever closer and no sign of the replacement pink decals, we had to use some spare purple ones. I don’t think they look as good so they’ve been applied them after the clear coat so that I can swap them for the pink ones when they arrive. Thankfully the clear coat went on as expected this time, so then it was just a case of cobbling everything back together and hoping there weren’t too many bits left over at the end.
Yes, it’s now marginally heavier, probably worthless, and will most likely get scratched to buggery in a month; but if my daughter likes it and she ends up with a bike to call her own then it won’t have been an entirely wasted effort. Fingers crossed she likes it!
A big discount on a 2018 Kona Shred 24 meant one replacement was sorted. To avoid having to buy a second bike, I decided to pimp the boy’s outgrown Islabikes Beinn 20s and give it to his younger sister for her birthday.
It wasn’t in bad shape mechanically, but there were quite a few cosmetic chips and scratches. Having dismantled it, the next step was to strip the paint, a tedious business I’d rather forget.
Then it was a case of cleaning various components.
Some couldn’t be brought back to as-new condition, so the pedals were replaced, as were the tyres. It’s perhaps testament to Islabikes’ considered approach that, without spending silly money, I wasn’t able to find replacement tyres that came close to the weight of the 300g Kendas that came off the bike, which was disappointing.
When the bike was new, my son had initially found it tricky to operate the Sram gripshift, so I’ve swapped it for a Sram X3 thumbshifter, though I’m yet to be convinced it’s going to be any easier to use. Compared to the gripshift, it’s rather heavy too, which is perhaps why Islabikes fit them with gripshifts.
Adding weight was annoying but Grifters made of pig-iron never discouraged me from cycling, so I enlisted my dad’s help and we turned our attention to the bare frame and gave it a couple of coats of etch primer.
With my daughter’s favourite colours in mind, I started looking for pink and purple paints. Honda briefly offered the Jazz in a shade called Cool Rose that looked like it might do as a pink. Based on online images, I thought Fiat’s Rosa Incantesimo might do for the purple but when the rattle cans arrived it quickly became clear they were virtually identical.
Keeping an eye out on the roads, I saw a Peugeot 107 in Plum, which proved a better bet.
The initial colour coat was in pink but I was at a bit of a loss as to where to add some purple. Initial ideas about trying to replicate Klein’s linear fade paint jobs from the ‘90s went out the window when l realised there wasn’t enough room to wield a can or even an airbrush inside the little frame’s triangles. Well, that and being too nervous to give it a go!
All this was taking place in my parent’s unheated garage and it seemed that the cold was going to foil any attempt at fading - I experimented on a piece of pipe and the graduation from one shade to the other was splattery at best. Eventually we decided on a simple masked scheme, based loosely on designs offered by a US frame builder called Seven Cycles.
Decals next. For some frames there are all manner of aftermarket replica sets. For Islabikes, there’s a bloke in France offering a sheet of logos in assorted colours. I ordered a pink sheet and a purple sheet. Elsewhere, I also bought a roll of pink pinstriping tape in the hope it might match the decals. Amazingly, it did.
Hoping this luck continued, I ordered some ‘Beinn 20s’ vinyl lettering online. I couldn’t get the font I wanted in a small enough size, so had to compromise on that, but the colour was a decent match for the other decals. In the end though, they just looked too big so I didn’t fit them.
Then it was a case of applying the clear coat, which is where the luck ran out. I think it was simply too cold but, whatever the reason, the clear coat turned milky white, largely on the pink areas.
So then the decals had to be peeled off, the clear coat was sanded back and a further coat of colour was added as some of it came off when removing the clear coat.
With my daughter’s birthday drawing ever closer and no sign of the replacement pink decals, we had to use some spare purple ones. I don’t think they look as good so they’ve been applied them after the clear coat so that I can swap them for the pink ones when they arrive. Thankfully the clear coat went on as expected this time, so then it was just a case of cobbling everything back together and hoping there weren’t too many bits left over at the end.
Yes, it’s now marginally heavier, probably worthless, and will most likely get scratched to buggery in a month; but if my daughter likes it and she ends up with a bike to call her own then it won’t have been an entirely wasted effort. Fingers crossed she likes it!
Edited by Risotto on Tuesday 11th December 02:00
Looks like a nice job and I hope your daughter gets lots of enjoyment from it.
Edinburgh cooperative cycles have the kenda's for £15 (listed as frog replacements). Isla seem to have removed their new range of own brand tyres from the web site, but might be worth a call.
Wouldn't worry about value, there still seems to be an islabike premium, even on repainted bikes and even old original, stored outside wrecks seem to still make good money. Although it does not seem quite as strong now, with exception of the newer 14 small.
Edinburgh cooperative cycles have the kenda's for £15 (listed as frog replacements). Isla seem to have removed their new range of own brand tyres from the web site, but might be worth a call.
Wouldn't worry about value, there still seems to be an islabike premium, even on repainted bikes and even old original, stored outside wrecks seem to still make good money. Although it does not seem quite as strong now, with exception of the newer 14 small.
Risotto said:
....my daughter has always ended up with her brother’s cast-off bikes and has never had a new one of her own.
That's exactly the situation we're in, my daughter gets my son's old Islabikes, we also buy new in red as it's sort of neutral colour-wise.You've done a great job there.
vwsurfbum said:
I have some of the Kenda small block 8's in the cave if you're still looking? came with our islabike when i bought it new.
Thanks for the kind offer but timescales meant I ended up with some Schwalbe CX Comp jobbies, which are heavier, but not massively so.lllnorrislll said:
Looks like a nice job and I hope your daughter gets lots of enjoyment from it.
Edinburgh cooperative cycles have the kenda's for £15 (listed as frog replacements).
Thanks, your Googling skills are clearly better than mine, I didn’t spot those Kendas!Edinburgh cooperative cycles have the kenda's for £15 (listed as frog replacements).
Good job. The bike looks fantastic.
You’re an early adopter of Isla’s Imagine Project.
https://www.islabikes.co.uk/imagine-project/
You’re an early adopter of Isla’s Imagine Project.
https://www.islabikes.co.uk/imagine-project/
craste said:
Just came across this link as I was searching for where you can get the Islabike Pink touch-up paint.
You have done an amazing job!
I have sold my daughters Islabike Beinn 20 last night on ebay for £350 - they don't half hold onto their value don't they!
Nail varnish comes in many different shades, it is what I use to touch up my bikes.You have done an amazing job!
I have sold my daughters Islabike Beinn 20 last night on ebay for £350 - they don't half hold onto their value don't they!
Funny that this thread came up yesterday. I spent most of yesterday sorting out my oldest son's Beinn 20L, as it was being handed down to the smaller one who's grown out of his Cnoc 16. Apart from cleaning off a couple of years of black goo and about 6 months of mud, all I needed was brakes all round (the fronts have gone onto the Cnoc 16, they weren't too bad.) Oh, and a new chain.
It looks like an almost new bike again.
The Cnoc 16 will be going up for sale. I ran out of daylight so have the front wheel to clean and replace, and the brakes to set up this evening.
It's really satisfying bringing them back to good health, but the number of posts on FB Marketplace wanting them suggests there may be quite a few people already doing it as a "side hustle".
It looks like an almost new bike again.
The Cnoc 16 will be going up for sale. I ran out of daylight so have the front wheel to clean and replace, and the brakes to set up this evening.
It's really satisfying bringing them back to good health, but the number of posts on FB Marketplace wanting them suggests there may be quite a few people already doing it as a "side hustle".
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