Paint title: “Eyes of Jealousy” by Atelier Kinopio
Pretty expensive, right? Wouldn’t it make more sense to just buy a new frame?
Exactly.
A repaint can cost almost as much as buying a new frame.
That’s why only a small group of people actually go for a repaint.
Most people just buy a brand-new bike.
- They want a different ride feel.
- They think a more responsive frame will make them faster.
- They believe a modern bike with better vibration absorption will keep them less fatigued.
Those are the typical surface-level reasons.
But let’s dig a little deeper.
Maybe what you actually want to change isn’t the performance, but the design.
No matter how high-performance it is, an ugly bike won’t sell.
That makes design pretty important.
So if you could make the design exactly how you want, that would be the best option.
It took me decades to finally realize this.
Honestly, I can’t even tell the difference in ride quality.
What really matters is the motivation you feel on the day.
That affects your ride 100 times more.
The theory that “You’ll ride faster if you love the design of your bike” is pretty convincing.
So I decided to try it for myself and commissioned a repaint.
The workshop I chose was “Atelier Kinopio” in Minowa, Nagano.
Now I’m hooked on repainting.
Now going pop.
Why Repaint?
A plain single-color new bike doesn’t excite me.
Most bikes these days are black.
And when you factor in aero and stress calculations to optimize the frame shape, they all start to look the same.
Even though carbon gives designers so much freedom.
It’s just not exciting anymore.
Sure, hobby riders want speed too, but in the end, it’s still just a hobby.
The core reason is simple: because it’s fun.
So I want to maximize the fun.
But when buying a new frame, the options are often like, “choose between these two colors.”
That’s boring.
You end up buying a new bike that looks almost identical to what you already own.
Conclusion: I don’t need a new bike.
“Using Things Longer” Is the Cool New Trend
Instead of constantly buying new, keeping and using things for the long run has become cool.
Repainting fits perfectly with that trend.
If you buy a new bike, you have to redo your fit from scratch.
Some parts may not even transfer over.
But with repainting, there’s no such hassle.
Once the paint is done, you just reinstall the parts and you’re good to go.
It feels like a brand-new bike anyway.
It doesn’t get more convenient than that.
Don’t Chase Performance Too Hard
“What? Won’t a complex paint job make it heavier?”
That person probably doesn’t realize how much their body weight fluctuates daily.
Worrying about a few extra grams is missing the point.
Pro racers fine-tune their gear to the smallest margins because their fitness levels are razor-sharp and nearly identical.
That doesn’t apply to us.
Are you really having fun while chasing numbers and performance you don’t need?
Maybe it’s time to step back and reflect.
Repainting doesn’t boost performance at all.
But the mental boost is huge.
Related article >>> [Cantilever Brakes] Why put disc brakes on a chromoly bike? [For the true geeks] (in Japanese)
Design Consultation
Everything can be done online.
Most of the communication was just through text and images.
If needed, video calls were also available.
What a convenient era we live in.
It’s 100 times more effective than talking over the phone.
Adding your own words, and seeing the painter’s expressions through a screen, makes the connection deeper.
In a world of mass-produced goods, customizing your favorite hobby gear feels special.
Even the process itself is fun.
My design inspiration came from images online.
When you’re told “choose any design you like,” it can actually be overwhelming.
For people like that, just Google “bike custom paint design” and check image search.
If you’ve only ever seen catalog bikes, the variety will blow your mind.
There are endless ideas out there.
Just download the ones you like and share them with your painter for adaptation.
That alone massively widens your options.
That’s exactly what I did with Atelier Kinopio.
Of course, the more complex the design, the higher the cost, so we worked together to balance it with my budget.
The Excitement of Seeing an Image Sketch
Before painting begins, you’ll get a preview illustration of the design.
Seeing your own bike in that design makes you excited instantly.
They’ll suggest font placement, color balance, and more.
The joy is on a whole different level compared to buying something straight out of a catalog.
You get both single-tube sketches and a full-bike mockup to see the atmosphere.
It’s often better to lean on the painter’s sense of style rather than forcing your idea 100%.
Knowing when to trust them is part of the process.
Related article >>> [Don’t Be Fooled] What “equipment differences” really mean in cycling (in Japanese)
The Painting Process Was More Intense Than I Imagined
In total, seven layers of paint plus the logo.
If you try painting without proper knowledge, it’ll peel off easily.
The difference between a pro and an amateur is night and day.
I had no idea so many layers were involved.
And I’m not even sure mass-produced carbon frames get painted this carefully.
It makes me wonder whether their paint even properly protects the material underneath.
This time, I wanted something fun and pop, not a race look.
The “eyes” were actually proposed by Atelier Kinopio.
It came out exactly as I’d hoped—fun and unique.
There are 250 eyes in total!
Just making and applying the masking stickers was a huge job.
I originally thought they’d just use decals and clear coat on top.
I was clueless.
Instead, they sprayed blue paint, then peeled off the tape to reveal the orange.
It looked incredibly tedious.
Definitely not something I’d want to DIY.
The Difference From Mass Production Paint
Shiny, deep, and gorgeous.
When I had a custom chromoly frame made years ago, I noticed the same thing.
At first, I thought it was just thicker clear coat.
But I was wrong.
Mass production paint skips this step, which leaves tiny ridges between layers.
Those ridges scatter the light, which reduces the depth of the gloss.
But with a smooth surface before the final clear coat, the shine becomes rich and deep.
The difference is subtle, but the impression is huge.
Painting is deeper than I ever imagined.
Cost Breakdown
- Design fee:US$203
- Frame painting:US$305
- Art paint:US$203
- Paint stripping:US$68
- Anti-rust plating:US$68
Total: US$846（1 USD = ¥147.67）
Knowing all the work behind it, the price actually feels cheap.
You can’t buy a proper new bike for that price anyway.
And even if you could, it would probably be a boring one.
In that case, riding a bike designed exactly as you imagined is way more fun.
After this experience, I’ve already decided that I’ll eventually custom-paint my other bike too.
Related article >>> [Chromoly Frames] An even stronger presence than carbon [For those tired of carbon-only bikes] (in Japanese)
Conclusion
Why repaint?
Because I realized what I wanted wasn’t a new bike, but a new design.
Design consultation.
This part was a blast. Since we almost always buy finished products, the process felt refreshingly new.
Painting process.
Now that I know how much effort goes into it, I appreciate the artistry even more. The fun oozes right out of the frame.
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