Looking for a high-end frame painter

[Mr. Moose]

Folks:

I'm looking for a really high-end frame painter. I'm looking to get some custom fades and
airbrushing. Cost is not a real big object for me on this one.

I've had a frame already painted by Cycle Art last year. They do good work, but there were many
problems with them (months late-causing me to miss a vacation, cost overruns, surly attitudes
from staff, etc), so I can't go back to them, so for another bike, I'm looking for another
custom painter.

Anyone have any experiences that they would like to share?

Steven Brown [email protected]

 

[Alex Colvin]

>I'm looking for a really high-end frame painter. I'm looking to get some custom fades and
>airbrushing. Cost is not a real big object for me on this one.

Sorry, I just dropped in from comp.arch, and I thought you said a big-endian frame pointer.
%-)
--
mac the naïf

 

[Jon Isaacs]

>Anyone have any experiences that they would like to share?
>

Sounds to me like you are looking for Joe Bell (JB). Been doing highest quality paint for many years
and done some fantastic jobs over the years. One the most memorable I have ever seen was the paint
he did on a Bill Holland Titanium bike.

Joe is located in Spring Valley, California.

Cruise around the following link a bit, I did and learned a bit more about Joe.

http://www.campyonly.com/joebell.html

Joe's a nice fellow to work with and I am quite sure you would be pleased with the results.

Jon Isaacs

 

[Mike Jacoubowsk]

> Joe's a nice fellow to work with and I am quite sure you would be pleased
with
> the results.

But, the poster appeared annoyed that CycleArt took longer than they said it was, and it's been my
experience that that's true of virtually all frame painters (and, for that matter, most frame
builders as well). Is Joe known to give accurate time estimates?

When I refer a customer to a local frame painter or builder, I always warn them to pad the time
estimate, generally doubling it to be safe. If it comes sooner than that, great! They're happy.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReaction.com

"Jon Isaacs" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> >Anyone have any experiences that they would like to share?
> >
>
> Sounds to me like you are looking for Joe Bell (JB). Been doing highest quality paint for many
> years and done some fantastic jobs over the years.
One
> the most memorable I have ever seen was the paint he did on a Bill Holland Titanium bike.
>
> Joe is located in Spring Valley, California.
>
> Cruise around the following link a bit, I did and learned a bit more about
Joe.
>
> http://www.campyonly.com/joebell.html
>
> Joe's a nice fellow to work with and I am quite sure you would be pleased
with
> the results.
>
> Jon Isaacs

 

[Mr. Moose]

>But, the poster appeared annoyed that CycleArt took longer than they said it was...most frame
>builders as well

I'm the original poster and this was quite an extreme case. I sent the bike in before Thanksgiving
and was told it would be done around Christmas time. Didn't arrive, mid-January the same, keeps
going. When the start of March came, they hadn't even started it. I todl them I was going on
vacation in the start of April and they promised me it would be ready. I ended up missing my
vacation (it was a cycling vacation) because of this.

I've had other dealings with custom shops and it's never been on time. Good hearted, well
intentioned people, but...don't expect things to come on time.

There has been two times that when getting custom work that after several delays, I've said to them,
"If you can't guarantee it will be done by this time, that's ok, but tell me." They told me so and I
took my parts and went elsewhere with them.

In my case, I only own one high-end bike (go ahead, laugh at me), so when my bike is
non-operational, I only have my junker that I use to go to the store to ride. I have patience, but I
can't be without a bike for months.

I don't mind delays, just be open and realistic with me. In short, I'm agreeing with the other
posters at the vagaries of the custom work.

Given the nature of custom work it is very important to get references. In one case, where I didn't
get references, a guy didn't follow directions. It was very clear what I wanted and he admitted he
didn't even look at the drawings I gave him. He wouldn't fix it and short of going to court, there
was nothing to be done.

In another case, where I had several local references, the guy did totally **** work. The custom
airbrushing looked like a cartoon done by a high school art student. Even the people who made the
references agreed, one saying, "It certainly isn't the best work that he's done."

My few suggestions: Get references, be patient.

 

[Thomas Reynolds]

Speaking only from my own experience, I have had two bikes painted by JB. Both were late, a couple
of days. I still highly recommend him.

Tom

"Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > Joe's a nice fellow to work with and I am quite sure you would be pleased
> with
> > the results.
>
> But, the poster appeared annoyed that CycleArt took longer than they said it was, and it's been my
> experience that that's true of virtually all frame painters (and, for that matter, most frame
> builders as well). Is Joe known to give accurate time estimates?
>
> When I refer a customer to a local frame painter or builder, I always warn them to pad the time
> estimate, generally doubling it to be safe. If it comes sooner than that, great! They're happy.
>
> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReaction.com
>
> "Jon Isaacs" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > >Anyone have any experiences that they would like to share?
> > >
> >
> > Sounds to me like you are looking for Joe Bell (JB). Been doing highest quality paint for many
> > years and done some fantastic jobs over the years.
> One
> > the most memorable I have ever seen was the paint he did on a Bill Holland Titanium bike.
> >
> > Joe is located in Spring Valley, California.
> >
> > Cruise around the following link a bit, I did and learned a bit more about
> Joe.
> >
> > http://www.campyonly.com/joebell.html
> >
> > Joe's a nice fellow to work with and I am quite sure you would be pleased
> with
> > the results.
> >
> > Jon Isaacs

 

[Mike S.]

"Mr. Moose" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Folks:
>
> I'm looking for a really high-end frame painter. I'm looking to get some custom fades and
> airbrushing. Cost is not a real big object for me on
this
> one.
>
> I've had a frame already painted by Cycle Art last year. They do good
work,
> but there were many problems with them (months late-causing me to miss a vacation, cost overruns,
> surly attitudes from staff, etc), so I can't go
back
> to them, so for another bike, I'm looking for another custom painter.
>
> Anyone have any experiences that they would like to share?
>
> Steven Brown [email protected]
>

Grant Soma in the DC area does great work too. Don't know if he's still painting for the "other"
Hollands. I used to swing by his shop when I lived in Fairfax, all of his stuff was immaculate.

 

[Fred Roses]

JB painted my bike in three weeks and shipped it one day later than he promised. Of course, it's
gorgeous. And he's a genuinely nice guy as well.

Fred Roses, a member of the Joel Bell fan club