Ask Pinkbike - Plasti Dipping a Frame, Finding the Right Headset
Here at Pinkbike we get inundated with all kinds of questions, ranging from the basic "Can I have stickers" to more in-depth, soul searching types of queries like if you should pop the question or what to name your first child. Ask Pinkbike is an occasional column where we'll be hand picking and answering questions that have been keeping readers up at night, although we'll likely steer clear of those last two and keep it more tech oriented.
Pointless Plasti Dip?
Question: Pinkbike user chargerljl asked this question in the Freeride & Slopestyle forum: I don't really like my bike's paint but also don't want to spend the money to have it redone, so I was thinking about maybe trying to paint it with Plasti Dip. I've Plasti Dip'd the hood of a car before and it came out pretty well, but I was wondering if I would just be wasting my time if I used it on my frame?
 | Talk about good timing... I just spent three days painting my van with Plasti Dip, so I'm pretty familiar with the stuff. For those that don't know, Plasti Dip is a spray-on rubber-based paint that, after a number of coats, leaves you with a neat looking matte finish. The stuff is pretty clever in that the surface you're painting only requires minimal prep, and if you don't like how it looks you can literally peel it all off like a pudding skin. I've even seen people use Plasti Dip on their Audis and Porsches, which is way scarier to me than painting my $2,000 van, but there's minimal risk because it basically leaves no trace after you peel it off. Regardless, I don't think you'd catch me spraying my R8 with the stuff. What about a bike frame? Well, so long as you prep your frame properly - that means stripping it, masking off the important bits, and cleaning it thoroughly - you shouldn't have a problem. And like I said above, you can just peel it all off if you don't like the finished product. I do think that you'd be wasting your time, though, given that Plasti Dip isn't exactly the most scratch resistant stuff. Once you get an edge of the rubber coating exposed it can be peeled back quite easily, and it wouldn't take long until your frame is looking like it's been given a massage with a wire brush. - Mike Levy |
Plasti Dip paint comes in loads of colours and is easy to apply and remove, but it's not nearly as durable as a proper paint job.
What headset do I need?
Question: PB user benokk asked this question in the Mechanic's Lounge forum: I'm buying a new headset for my 2010 Scott Voltage FR20, which has a "1.5 Reducer to 11/8 semi-integrated FSA headset" as stock, but what does the "reducer to 11/8" actually mean? Will a 1.5 fit? I'm currently looking at a NukeProof Warhead 1.5, is it a good choice?
| Figuring out the correct headset can be a confusing, and at times overwhelming process due to the number of different options currently on the market. Between the different cup styles and steerer tube diameters there's a nearly endless variety of combinations out there. Luckily, most headset manufactures have fit guides on their websites that can make finding the correct replacement a relatively pain-free procedure. There are three key pieces of information necessary to determine which headset you'll need: head tube diameter, steerer tube dimensions, and headset type. It looks like your FR20 has a 1.5" straight head tube, which means it has an internal diameter of 49.57 - 49.61mm. Next, you need to know what type of steerer tube your fork has. There are three possibilities - a non-tapered 1.5", non-tapered 1 1/8", or tapered, with a 1.5" lower and 1 1/8" upper. If you still have the stock fork, then it's a non-tapered 1 1/8" steerer. That dimension is why the headset you're replacing is a "reducer" style headset - it's designed to allow the smaller 1 1/8" steerer to fit in the larger 1.5" head tube. The final thing to consider is the actual style of headset - is it a zero stack, where the cups press in and only extend a few millimeters above the frame; external, where the bearing are housed in cups outside the frame; or internal, where the bearings rest in cups built into the frame? I'd recommend going with a zero stack headset similar to what you already have. So, to distill all of that down, you're looking for a zero stack headset to fit a 1 1/8" steerer to a 1.5" head tube. Nukeproof does make a headset that will be a fine replacement, but you'll want to make sure to purchase the one for a 1 1/8" steerer (part #49IISS), and not the one for a fork with a 1.5" steerer. - Mike Kazimer |
Finding the correct headset can seem complicated at first, but with a little knowledge it should all start to make sense.
Have some unresolved tech questions? Jump in the Pinkbike Forum and we'll look to answer it for next time.
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Do 2-3 coats of plasti-dip, then at a coat of gloss finisher, an you're golden!
Dipyourcar.com advises using AT LEAST 3 coats, but they usually apply 6, sometimes 7. They say that using more layers will result in a thicker rubber finish; which is stronger and harder to remove. Your dip will never be as strong on a car as it would be on a bicycle, because you dip only one side of a panel on the car and the whole frame of the bike going around 360°. Ripping a coat of plastidip (6 layers and on) is hard... So just use enough of the stuff
The first 3 coats should be just quick ones and the ones following that should be slower, more covering ones to get an awesome satin look. You shouldn't use Plasti Dip in its pure form, but use thinner (from the same brand).
Even a perfectly done spray can job can be spotted from a powder coat a mile away. Don't try and fool yourself into thinking you're going to get a legit finished product with plasti dip.. To all those who say otherwise and that they've done countless spray paint makeovers that look "tits:" You're wrong. It looks like shit.
Anyone try that? Got to be way more durable that Plasti Dip.
Im the guy that will spot crank rub from 100 yards. Plastidip and rattle can jobs can look good if done properly with proper prep, otherwise they look like crap. Its easy to tell when some splattered some paint on something and when some time was put into it. On things like truck fender flares, thats exactly the legit finish you want, almost a duraliner look. On a bike, not usually so. You do realize that all automotive paint jobs are spray jobs, as are bike, and the fancier they are the more likely they were done by hand.
Yes, good prep will make for a BETTER finish. My only point is that a keen eye will know the difference. Plus, for me personally, I only want the best. Even if no one else would ever know, I would.
Side Note: I figured that most people would understand that by spray paint I meant from a can.
The guides on the CC website have everything you would want to know about headsets. Highly recommended.
The creaking noise was coming from the headset though, 100% sure. When adjusting the torque on the stem cap bolt, there was no creaking sound for a while, but a few kilometers later it popped up again. Retightened the stem cap, no more noise. A few crank revolutions further... Same story. Canyon was really just pushing the problem out of their hands and was not clear about what it could be. He bought a new headset, also CC, and the problem was still there. Perhaps a faulty headtube (PF cups)?
DO NOT strip your frame. As stated above... Just wash it well, dry it well and dip away.
I only want to use is on the places where I get chain and rock strikes ( ventral tube and chain stays ) of my M9.
but the primer is supposed to help the plasti-dip stick like crazy....
still on the fence.
But yes a great answer to one of the many confusing questions about "will this part fit?" in mtn biking
Or will every other bike company "realize" that the normal tapered steerers they've been using are just not stiff enough?
I've dipped a fork, bars and stem on a DJ bike that is thrown more often than landed and the dip is holding up really well, much better than I thought.
I also did my winter steel rims on my truck which sees a whole lot of spinning in deep snow, chunky ice, etc off road and around the farm and on woods roads getting firewood. 2 years, not a chip or tear in the dip, outer or inner rim. And I live on a gravel road, so it's about as harsh an environment you can out it through outside of straight up wheeling/crawling.
I figured it would require annual re-application, but not so far.
All that said, I wouldn't do it as a permanent colour change on a bike - it will get cut or torn eventually, it's susceptible to sharp edge nicks - but it's a great way to find out what colour you may want before going for a full strip/powder coat and it is effective at protecting the clear on your current paint job in areas like a down tube, back side of a seat tube, etc.
The fact you can peel it off is part of the attraction
Not a downside IMHO.
I can go for an enduro blue bike trip and then peel and repaint and deny it ever happened, perfect!
I never think about my paint job, the stuff holds up great blasting through brush, bamboo, anything at 50+ mph.
With 5 coats on a bike you would be fine for a long time until you really roughed it up on some rocks.
I hear u can get some realy good deals on new and used stuff if u look hard enough
Pros:
Stay well when pedaling.
Completely open construction, meaning you can put them on and off when you want without even unclipping.
removable D3O insert (great for washing).
Lateral padding.
Cons:
quite hot and not so light.
sometimes some chaffing behind the knee
RaceFace indy are nice also, but they are a slip fit type and D3O insert is not removable.
that is what i wanted to know pros and cons,
and thanks all of you guys for your opinion, really useful.
Also there are no "poor riders in need of paint jobs" there are "poor riders in need of better bikes"
By the way. 5 years ago I was riding a knackered old Santa Cruz Super Eight. Don't call me kid. It makes you sound silly.
We are talking about adding unnecessary weight. However large or small that amount may be, unnecessary is the important word...
I really do not understand what point (if any?) you are trying to make about BMW. They did indeed make the racelink as a lighter version of the rubber ducky. Cos lighter is better. Where is the flaw?
You misunderstand what I was saying if you think I was insulting "poor riders". I suggest you slow down a bit as you are hugely compromising your argument in your haste to shout me down. I meant poor as in not enough money to have the bike they want, not poor as in unskilled. It makes sense in context, but you were in too much of a rush to spot that...
My challenge to a race was kinda rhetorical. I was using it to suggest that a lighter bike would be an advantage to any racer.
P.s. one look at my profile will tell you nothing as I have not taken the time to fill it in. I have no idea where it suggests I am little? Once again you seem to be drawing conclusions from information you have essentially made up. You are making yourself look foolish. I suggest you stop.
I did a bar, fork stanchions and stem on my DJ bike and it added around 15g. That's equal to 15ml of water in your bottle. Or 0.1% weight increase on a 15kg bike. Or a few dried spots of mud on your seat tube.
If you're saying you could notice that kind of difference on a trail, I call BS.
Gabriel. You profile tells me all I need to know. You're not brave enough to fill it in... 'Not taken the time' doesn't cut it my friend... your activity is a long, time consuming list of pissy, pseudo-intellectual disagreements with any hapless fool, like me, who makes the mistake of engaging with you. Compromising my argument... christ, I wasn't aware I was having one
pseudo-intellectual? Woohoo. Half way there
hapless fool? no comment.
No we are not having an argument. Is English your first language? Argument, meaning, the point you are trying to make.
You clearly do have a want and need to shout me down. That'll be why you have moved away from factual "arguments" and moved on to personal attacks and rudeness. I am doing a great job on my own. Thank you. I work in a bike shop. It is great
Anyway, you have now dragged us well off the original topic of "whats the point in making your bike heavier with crappy paint that offers absolutely zero performance upgrade" If you have any further thoughts on that topic feel free to voice them. If you are just wanting to slag me off further, erm, feel free I guess. I'll be out on my bike....
It isn't about looking cool. It adds a layer of protection with less of a weight penalty than the peel-n-stick types like 3M protectant or comparable materials.
But whatever, let your uninformed assumptions and bias shape your judgement, why let facts and experience from someone who has used the product sway your ignorance?
the only one that's ignorant here is you throwing around assumptions about others on pinkbike hahah