Topics Covered
- Finishing & Refinishing
- Paint & Powdercoat
- Titanium Finishes
- Caring for Titanium
- Ti Cycles Logo Placement
What finishes can be applied to your frames, forks, and components?
A: Just about every option there is! Paint and powder coating are great options for both Steel and Titanium frames and components. Titanium finish options include a combination of polishing and bead-blasting to achieve different effects. Titanium can also be anodized to add color.
Repair & Retrofit Refinishing
If you’re sending us your frame for repair or retrofit work, please note that existing paint and decals in/around the work area must be removed in order to clean and prepare the work surface. When we work up a quote you can let us know if you’d like Ti Cycles, or one of our partners, to complete the refinishing.
Paint and Powder Coat
Powder coating works great on metal frames and components. It is meant as an industrial finish application and not for fine detail finish work. Customers choose powder coat because it is a sensible, durable, and economical coating.
Wet Paint is required if you’re looking for a perfect cosmetic finish.
Powder Coat
Black Magic Paint is the premiere custom bicycle painter in the United States.
Ti Cycles uses Black Magic for all wet paint, cerakote, and complex anodizing.
Rudi & Ben of Black Magic Paint
Examples of projects completed by Black Magic Paint for Ti Cycles:
Titanium Finish Options
Bright Brushed
The lustrous classic. Ti Cycles Fabrication standard finish. A light grain pattern and relatively “silver” coloration. The best at hiding small scuffs and scratches, and the easiest to maintain at home.
Anodized
Accent colors in shades of blue, purple, gold, bronze, pink, and green. Does not fade in UV light. Great for custom text and graphics.
Light Matte
Finer media etched matte finish with a slight texture. Relatively “light grey” coloration.
Very durable, great for contrasting text and graphics when paired with other surface treatments.
Standard surface treatment for repairs or retrofits on Moots matte finish frames.
Can be finish matched with titanium forks, stems, seatposts, handlebars, or other components.
Dark Matte
Coarser media etched matte finish with a slightly heavier texture than Light Matte. Relatively “charcoal grey” in coloration.
Very durable, great for contrasting text and graphics.
Can be finish matched with titanium forks, stems, seatposts, handlebars, or other components.
How should I maintain the cosmetic finish on my titanium gear?
A: Taking care of titanium is a breeze! Regular maintenance and anti-sieze lubrication of threads will cover it.
Home care guidance:
First thing is to thoroughly clean gunk and grime with Simple Green or similar no-residue environmentally safe cleaner. For best results, strip the frame completely of parts so you can get at every nook and cranny.
Use a 3M Scotch-Brite™ pad -- not steel wool -- that is clean and "sharp" (new or relatively fresh).
Brush the titanium with the Scotch-Brite pad firmly in the palm of your hand. It will take some elbow grease to get a good grain. We do not recommend using any type of power tool as the titanium can easily be compromised by too much concentrated abrasion.
Brush with the grain of the material -- laterally around the circumference of the tube, not longitudinally along the tube.
Use long continuous motions to create long smooth grains. Go around the entire tube with the pad, then lift and move to the next section. Avoid dragging the pad, even slightly, in any direction not with the grain of the material.
Spray and rinse with Simple Green again. It should be nice and bright, and will feel very squeaky clean to the touch. Some water stain shadows may appear as the frame dries, but these are only on the surface and will wipe away.
To keep fingerprints off of the titanium, spray the frame with a bike polish (Finish Line and Pedros both make one) or sealant like Pledge, let it soak for 8-24 hours until it spreads evenly and starts to congeal, then wipe off (again always go around the tube with wiping or abrasion to keep the grain).
CAUTION: Do not to spray any braking surfaces or components.
Standard Logo Markings
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Ti Cycles branded frames come with our standard finishes, a metal headbadge, and logo markings as shown below.
Standard logo markings may vary in size depending on specifics such as frame size, tubing diameter, or finish materials, and are consistent across various finish media be it raw/etched titanium, vinyl decal, or wet paint.
HEAD TUBE - Ti Cycles cast metal headbadge
DOWN TUBE - Ti Cycles logo text
SEAT TUBE - PDX ORE “Squiggle Bike” shield banner
MONO STAY - “Squiggle Bike” shield (when applicable)
CHAIN STAY - Ti Cycles logo text
