How to build a bicycle - part 3.

I know most of you are bored by this, but I put the last sticker on my frame last night, so if anyone is interested, here is how it works.

I bought my stickers from Cyclomondo on eBay, and they really are great. I made the mistake of putting the top tube sticker on first, and in the process got a big wrinkle at the seam that I couldn't staighten out, so I had to order a new sticker from New Zealand to fix my mistake. I will say that Cyclomondo makes great stickers, and is a great guy to deal with. The stickers are very robust, in fact they are very hard to remove - it took me quite some time to take the one that I wrinkled off.

Falcon without top tube sticker - here you can see the bicycle is starting to come together - The bottom brakcet and crankset are installed, as are the brakes and cable hangers. I'd prefer a nice shiny set of silver wheels and crankset, but I have these, they work, and will allow me to ride and save my pennies for a nicer group.

Once removed, my frame was ready for re-application. I chose the "wet" application again, as I did with the others, so I thought I'd show you how it works.

First, you have to clean the area with soap and water, then you take your soapy water and re wet the top tube. On the letter that Cyclomondo sends with the decals, he says to use a drop or two of soap in a cup of water - I'd actually recommend using more soap than that, as the more dilute mixture will dry too quickly - which is why I screwed up the first application.



Here you can see the soap bubbles on the top tube, waiting for the sticker. Once it's soapy enough, put the sticker on and carefully align it as you please. Mine went on fairly well this time, and I was able to do a much better job of lining up. This time I have no wrinkles, and maybe one bubble that I'll be able to remove with a tiny pinprick - I had to do it on one of the other stickers, and I know it will end up just fine.



Here is the sticker on the top tube. If you have sharp eyes you will notice that the stickers are positioned differently from the original stickers. I had to do that because my frame ended up with a chip that needed to be covered by the sticker. I am ordering a second complete set, and I took measurements from the original stickers, so when I reapint (not re-powder) the frame I can put them back in their proper places, should I choose to do so.