Spray.Bike: Making Memories with a Surly Makeover

If you've ever considered giving your bike a fresh, personalized look, this is for you. I recently transformed my Surly Bridge Club with a custom bike paint job using Spray.Bike, turning it into a vibrant fluoro pink and white splatter head-turner. This wasn't just a cosmetic project. It was about breathing new life into a trusted bike, creating family memories, and making a meaningful gift for my wife Kate.

Why Repaint?

My Surly Bridge Club has always been a reliable workhorse. It's carried me on city rides, gravel adventures, and challenging bikepacking trips. Over the years, the factory black paint started showing its age. Scuffs and scratches dulled its appearance.

Beyond cosmetic wear, my riding needs have also changed. I now ride a Panorama Taiga much more—it's better suited for my current adventures and terrain. I'm also fortunate to be working with Panorama Cycles, which gives me opportunities to try out different bikes regularly.

Because of this, the Bridge Club was getting less use than it deserved. Rather than leave it collecting dust, I wanted to give it a second life. I decided to gift it to my wife, but not as a tired hand-me-down. It needed to be her bike with a fun, unique look.

A Bike with History & Memories

Before becoming a bright pink stunner, the Bridge Club had its own stories to tell. One of my most memorable trips was to Kakwa Falls. That ride taught me more about bikepacking than any other. I was heavily underbiked and overpacked, dragging way too much gear across challenging singletrack and rugged terrain that the bike wasn't exactly designed for.

Despite the struggle, the Bridge Club got me there and back. It wasn't pretty, but it was dependable. That trip was a turning point for me, forcing me to rethink how I pack, how I plan, and what really mattered to me on a long ride.

When I decided to repaint it, it wasn't about erasing those stories. It was about honouring the memories while making sure the bike continued its journey with someone else I care about.

Choosing the New Look

We didn't want subtle. We wanted something unmistakable, vibrant, and fun. My wife and I brainstormed options and landed on fluoro pink with white splatter—the goal to transform it from an old touring rig into something that stood out and screamed custom.

Making It a Family Project

One of the best parts of the entire repaint wasn't the final colour—it was the process. My girls helped me every step of the way, turning what could have been a long, lonely job into a fun family afternoon.

We started with full disassembly. Every bolt, cable, bearing, and component came off the frame. The girls loved helping with hex keys and carefully bagging and labelling parts so I wouldn't lose anything during reassembly.

For prep, they helped sand the old clear coat and scuff up the black finish to make sure the new paint would stick well. It was dusty, messy work, but we blasted music in the garage and had a great time.

This wasn't just about painting a bike. It was about making memories with my girls, teaching them hands-on skills, and sharing the value of reusing instead of buying new.

Why Spray.Bike paint?

I did plenty of research on Spray.Bike before I started. It's gained a reputation for being the best spray paint option for bicycles, and my experience matched the hype. Unlike regular paint you find in aerosol cans, Spray.Bike is specifically formulated for bicycle frames.

It's a powder-coating style paint in a can that sprays dry on contact, offering major advantages such as no drips or runs, easy layering and control, vivid matte finish, and it's designed to stick to metal without primer. Ideal for a DIY project I could do at home, even with help from my kids.

There are a few considerations when using Spray.Bike paints. You must thoroughly prep your bike for the best results. There are a few gloss options without a clear coat.

The Process

The first task is a complete teardown, removing all the components: wheels, drivetrain, headset, bottom bracket, and cables, making sure they were bagged and labelled for easy reassembly.

Then the real work begins. A good paint job starts with great preparation. We sanded the entire frame to dull the factory clear coat, spending extra time on old scratches and chips. You must thoroughly clean the surface with alcohol to remove any grease or dust.

Anyone who has painted knows there is a lot of masking (taping) required to cover all those things we don't want painted. A bike is no different. We carefully masked the bottom bracket shell, head tube interiors, and cable ports with painter's tape and plastic wrap.

Next, we applied four to five even coats of fluoro pink, waiting about 10-15 minutes between coats, and let it fully cure overnight.

We practiced the white splatter technique on scrap cardboard first, but essentially we used a stiff brush to flick white Spray.Bike paint onto the frame for a custom, artistic finish, and then let the frame sit undisturbed for several days to harden and cure completely.

You can apply a clear coat in matte or gloss for an extra layer of protection; however, we opted to skip this for a real raw matte look.

Reassembling the bike wasn't just putting the parts back on—it was a chance to give it a full service at the same time. I cleaned and re-greased the bottom bracket and headset, replaced the cables and housing, and tuned the shifting and brakes. It felt good knowing Kate would get a bike that looked amazing and performed flawlessly.

When it came to finishing touches, I offered her a few handlebar options. She chose to keep her Jones bars, and I completely understand why. They're supremely comfortable and perfect for the kind of riding she loves to do.

Was it Worth It?

If you're on the fence about doing your own DIY bike paint job, consider that it's a cost-effective way to make an old bike feel new, and you'll have total design freedom to match your style. It's a great opportunity to learn new skills. It's so easy, you can make some new memories by including the family in the process and teach your kids some handy skills along the way.

This project turned what was an underused, scuffed-up touring bike into a one-of-a-kind, personalized ride that my wife is proud to own and ride.

Ready to Transform Your Bike?

If you're looking to do a custom bike paint job at home, I can't recommend Spray.Bike enough, it's the perfect tool for this kind of project. It made the entire process accessible without sacrificing quality. The colours are incredibly vibrant, the finish is professional-grade even for beginners, and it opens the door to endless creative options.

Don't let that old frame sit in the garage unused. Bring it back to life with a custom paint job. Whether you want subtle, bright, vintage, or wild, Spray.Bike makes it possible for anyone to create a unique, head-turning finish at home.

Repainting the Surly Bridge Club wasn't about forgetting its past. It was about building on it. The bike that taught me valuable lessons and took me to amazing places is out there again, creating new stories with Kate.

It's the best possible fate for a bike with so much history.