You did it

If you have recently seen the new BlackBerry ad with the night bikes and thought, “WOW! I want one,” then this is for you. This is an easy to follow guide to making your very own NIGHT BIKE!

What you will need

• A bicycle.
• Bicycle disassembly tools.
• Y Allen wrench.
• Nylon string.
• Masking tape.
• Paint brush (20mm-30mm thick).
• Spray paint primer.
• White spray paint (Matt).
• Phosphorescent paint (at least 200ml)(Available from http://www.paint1.co.za).
• Clear spray paint (used for the coat) .

Step 1 – Disassembly

Seeing as how most bikes differ, there are no specific steps. Take it apart using the bike tools (this is where the Y Allen wrench comes in handy). If you aren’t sure of the exact way of reassembling your bike just take photos of everything you took apart and where it’s supposed to go (you’ll thank me later).

Step 2 – Taping and Priming

The next step is to cover all the areas you don’t want to paint (like the chain) with the masking tape. Also remember to cover all the threads with tape otherwise you won’t be able to reassemble the bike. After you’ve disassembled everything you will need to start priming.

The easiest way to ensure that don’t make a mess of the paint by touching it is to hang the part you want to paint with the nylon string. The best place to do this would be in your garage, preferably by hanging it from the rafters. You can now apply the primer to the parts; don’t worry if the primer isn’t evenly spread. Let the primer dry for 24 hours.

Step 3 – Paint it White

Now use the white spray paint and spray all the parts. Make sure that all of the parts are completely white; the phosphorescent paint only works on white or very light surfaces.

Give the paint at least 24 hours to dry and make sure there is proper ventilation in the room you are painting in.

Step 4 – The Glow Paint

The phosphorescent paint is very thick, so it won’t be possible to spray it on. The only way to apply the paint is with the paint brush. This is not a quick job. It will take many coats of paint to ensure you get a bright and even glow.

Leave the paint to dry for 72 hours after you applied the last coat.

Step 5 – Reassemble

After all the parts have dried you can start reassembling the bike. You can use the pictures to help you reassemble it (see, I said you’d be thankful).

Step 6 – Make it Glow

The phosphorescent paint only works after you have exposed it to a light source like a black light or the sun. Paint1 states that it only takes 1-3 minutes to ‘charge up’ the paint under UV light. Every time you charge up the glow can last between 10 and 12 hours. Green and Aqua Blue are very bright, but Violet is very weak and only glows for about four hours.

So now you can go out and ride your Night Bike. If you want you can even form your own Night Bike club, and have others join in on the fun.

Adapted from source http://www.instructables.com/id/Night-Bike/

(This is a post by our intern Kristian Meijer)

(Image by Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious, CC by- SA 2.0, via Flickr)