[Tillylad]

How easy is it to remove bike decals? Recently bought a Focus Culebro and was looking to remove the green decals to leave the bike mainly black with white Focus decal on it and what do I need to do this task?

Topic

[jaysa]

I used acetone to remove the

I used acetone to remove the garish white logos from some 3T aero carbon bars.  Ordinary nail varnish remover works less well than the 50ml bottles sold as a solvent by a Chemist. Wear gloves and work outside to avoid the fumes. 

The bars came up well. No idea if acetone has an effect on the resin used but I washed them down thoroughly with water and detergent after and wrenched them heavily without breakage.

[Anonymous]

I have spent many hours

I have spent many hours removing all decals from my Litespeed. The ones under the lacquer such as on my Pro Stealth Evo bar-stem and Easton EA90SLX fork were the hardest. I had to use 1000 grit wet and dry (wet) and sand them out, sanding the whole item flat, then took to automotive refinisher for 2-pack lacquer. The 1-pack lacquers you can buy in a tin from the likes of Halfords are no good as they are not UV stable, so deteriorate quickly when exposed to a lot of sunlight (should be okay in the UK then!).

I had my saddle re-covered to get rid of the Selle Italia stuff, decals on wheels just peeled off with encouragement from a hairdryer as did the frame decals (Ti frame). I replaced the caps on the top of the 7800 shifters with carbon ones, ti seatpost decals peeled off, leaving just a couple of fairly subtle Dura Ace graphics on the mechs and calipers. I changed the crankset to a Middleburn as it was nicely low-key too. 

I ended up spending a lot of time and money to make my bike look non-descript, but I like it, so that is all that counts I suppose.

[struzzo]

There is a special spray for

There is a special spray for that available. You just spray it and then it gets peeled off easily. However, some decals are not that easy to get rid of, that’s why I bought some from these guys https://bikersstickers.com/en/pages/tips-faq.html .. in case I change my mind in the future, because they’re easily removeable.

[TheElectronKid]

Had a reasonable amount of
Had a reasonable amount of success removing decals using a hot air gun, sometimes used for paint stripping. Ok if the decals are stuck onto the paintwork with no clear coat ontop.

B-) B-) B-)

[mike the bike]

With my lack of both patience
With my lack of both patience and skill the minus points would include a horribly scratched surface and an obvious botch-up of a repair job.
You may have better luck.

[AmYerMan]

So what would be the plus and
So what would be the plus and minus points of using something like very fine grade wet and dry sandpaper to cut through the lacquer and the decal, then applying a clear coat after?

[roadbikequeen999]

I suppose it would depend on
I suppose it would depend on what type they are but I’ve used a hair dryer in the past to soften the adhesive on some stickers that were added to a bike, (not the manufacturers ones). Seemed to work ok for me, hope that helps 🙂

[mike the bike]

Like you, I am a keen remover
Like you, I am a keen remover of decals that offend good taste by being too large, too colourful, or repeated all over the bloody bike. Some are easy and respond immediately to a wipe with white spirit. Those on my Fulcrum wheels are an example.
Others, like the smaller frame stickers on my Boardman hybrid, need a dose of brake cleaner and a good deal of picking.
But most, I’m afraid to say, are impossible because they are sealed beneath one or more coats of lacquer. If you can’t find the edge with your fingernail, you are stuffed.
The craze for multiple, garish decals is now so prevalent that I won’t buy kit that’s plastered with them. My riding buddy’s Merida has, wait for it, fourteen horrible stickers on the frame alone and you have to wonder at the stupidity of the designer. Would you buy a car with seventy percent of the bodywork obscured by such nonsense? Me neither.

[fenix]

Are they under the lacquer ?
Are they under the lacquer ?

[Author]

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