A custom paint job for your bike will cost on average between $200 and $750. The range is wide because it depends on the parts you want to paint, and the degree of customization you want.
For example, count between $200 and $700 for a frame alone, and between $100 and $200 for a fork. So prices can vary greatly.
In this article, we’ll cover the different ways to customize your bike, at what price, the different parts that can be customized and those that can’t.
Keep reading to learn all about customizing your bike!
Options and Cost for Doing a Custom MTB Paint Job
The price of a bike paint job can change depending on the method used to do it. Several solutions are possible, to be adapted according to the budget.
Do It Yourself
Painting your bike yourself is clearly the cheapest option available. A little bit of material, a paint can and you’re done. Count here a customization of your bike for less than 100$!
Unfortunately, this DIY custom mtb paint job option is rarely synonymous with a good quality finish and I can’t assure you that the final result will be up to your expectations, since it will depend on your spray painting skills. Clearly, the result will not be professional, but it will be fine for those who don’t want to invest too much money in a mountain bike customization or a road bike customization.
Bike Brand Custom Paint Job
Some bicycle brands offer customization options when you buy your new bike. Among these brands we can find Trek, Orbea, Orange, Propain and many others. This alternative ensures a very good quality of paint but the price will often be quite high (sometimes more than 1000$!).
Test on the different websites the possible customizations, you will see that they will enhance your bike with a lot of style!
Professional Custom Painters
The third way to customize your bike is of course through the professionals in the field. The painters specialized in bike and vehicle customization will explode the number of possibilities and really allow you to adapt your bike to your taste and personality. The work and process are very meticulous and the details are usually breathtaking, I’ll make a list of known painters later in this article, they are real artists.
Expert paint job prices are important because good work must be rewarded, so customizing your bike will cost between 200 and 750$ depending on the components to be painted and their number.
Top 9 Specialized Custom Bike Painters
Fat Creations
You can’t miss this name if you are interested in doing a custom mtb paint job. Fat Creations is I think the most talented and famous team in the custom world. Their production are real works of art and I can only encourage you to go and see their website to understand what it’s all about.
PaintHouse Customs
PaintHouse Customs will offer you frame painting but also helmet and equipment, even shoes!
Squid Bikes
Squid Bikes not only offers breathtaking spray renderings, but also provides you with painting supplies if you feel the artist’s soul stirring inside you.
Spectrum Paint Works
Spectrum Paint Works has only one word in mouth: Powder Coating. They will assure you a very qualitative rendering and beautiful finishes allowing the best protection against rust and corrosion.
VéloColour
Vélo Colour is a Toronto based company. It offers quality custom mtb paint jobs and ambitious designs, as well as cycling bags and accessories.
Flux Customs
Based in Colorado, Flux Customs offers incredible tailored paint and ceramic coat finishes
Kustomflow
If you want to customize your bike, helmet and shoes, Kustom flow is there for you! The Hull based workshop will know how to make your customization unique.
Ooey Custom Paint
Based in Surrey, the Ooey Custom Paint workshop offers models and designs that are really worth it! A good value for money that I recommend.
Doktorbobby
You will find at Doktorbobby unique and surprising designs, unfortunately the artist does not take orders, but it is always interesting to see what is done in his workshop.
What Bike Parts Can You Paint?
If the frame and the fork are the most common parts to paint and customize, it is almost possible to paint everything on a bike and on all materials like steel, aluminum or carbon fiber.
What Bike Parts Can You Not Paint?
The only parts that should not be painted are all the mechanical parts of transmissions, the chain, the cassette. All sprockets and small parts like cables, spokes, spacers, axles or bolts should be avoided. Because of the friction, the paint would not hold in all cases, and you will especially damage your bike and its parts.
What is the Best Type of Paint for a Custom Bicycle Paint Job?
If you want to do the painting yourself to customize your bike frame or other component, spay paint will do the trick, even if cheap, some cans allow to have an excellent result for their price, it’s sometimes impressive!
Professionals and bike brands use a powder coating. This type of paint allows you to get incredible results as if your bike was coming straight from the factory, with a glossy finish. To compete at home with this bike specific paint is almost impossible.
One thing is for sure, a work done by a painter will be done with the right paint and will assure you the best longevity for your custom mtb paint job. Each painter has his own working method, so before leaving your bike to one of them, make sure that the one suits your expectations and will be able to reflect your tastes and your personality in the customization.
Custom MTB Paint Job on Carbon vs Aluminum vs Steel
Regardless of the material of the parts to be painted, a professional will use a powder coating for the customization.
However, carbon fiber is the most difficult to work with and makes the painting process and its different steps more difficult. Stripping, painting and drying are more complicated to do on carbon because it is more sensitive and can deteriorate during handling. Professionals will generally ask a higher price for this material.
Is Your Paint Safe For Carbon Bicycle Frames?
Yes, there is no problem. But, as said above, the painting process on carbon fiber is more delicate and therefore often more expensive to do.
Moreover, as the painting process is done in several layers, the primer will protect the carbon from the shocks that can occur during a ride, but also from the sun and UV rays that could damage and weaken your carbon frame in the long run.
Is Painting a Bike Hard?
I remind you again that painting a bike is a long and meticulous process. It’s not for nothing that people do it for a living!
It is still possible to do this at home, but to get a quality result, with nice finishes, nice details and that is guaranteed to last on the long term, it becomes immediately more complicated.
To roughly summarize the painting process, there are 3 main steps:
- Stripping
- Painting
- Drying
During your custom mtb paint job and depending on the material of your bike, the stripping step can be tricky, it is about removing the first paint in order to have a correct surface to work on and apply the new paint. On a carbon frame for example, this step is difficult because the material can be damaged quickly, I would not recommend it at home.
The painting depends on your ability to handle a can of paint, and the result can be good or very bad.
How Much Paint Do I Need for my Bike?
You won’t need much paint for your custom mtb paint job if you use it correctly.
A 400mL can of spray paint should be more than enough to paint a custom frame for example. To do this, make sure you know how to apply the paint and how to use it properly.
Will the Cost of the Paint Job Depend on the Bicycle?
Of course, there are many factors that influence the price of a customization. The type of frame, the size of the bike, the materials that make it up are all elements to take into account when evaluating the price of the work to be done.
Take the time to see with the person you will contact all the details to make sure you are in agreement with your budget and desires.
What is Next?
The possibilities of custom mtb paint jobs are numerous, now that you know all about them, choose the one that best suits your budget and go for it! Having a unique bike is an incredible feeling and makes you enjoy your rides even more.
If you want to customize your new dream bike by ordering it directly from the manufacturer, make sure you know the right size for it with our guide.
