We've been in the bike business a while and we've listened. Our customers have been complaining about the lack of replacement bicycle frame decals for at least fifty years, maybe longer. So for a good many years we've kept an eye out for replacements. We have a smattering of styles from many of the bikes we've sold, and that's a lot! Life would be ever so much easier if that were the end of it, but of course it never is. Our world has complexity. Most bicycles use a film transfer lettering system. That's essentally a thin film of paint (at one time lacquer but nowadays synthetic) that's supplied on a carrier sheet very much like the decals you remember from model airplanes. Various systems exist for getting the things off the carrier without melting them, from water to butyl celusolv. And of course the film itself is quite fragile so they are difficult to apply, difficult to apply straight, and they need to be sealed inside a clear coat. That clear coat must bind the lettering into a fresh paint finish without melting the film letters. This is not a job for an amateur, although you are very welcome to try. If you want our advice, wait until you are doing a full repaint (we respray and we work with several paint shops) and let a pro deal with it.
There is a positive note. Some bicycles use stickers, a thin vinyl sheet with an adhesive backing. Manufacturers sometimes spray clear over stickers which makes replacement difficult. But usually, these peel right up with a hair dryer and the new ones may be stuck on without trauma, and successfully, without any prior experience.
At any rate, here are some of what we have:
So do write or call us and we'll do our best to help out.
Click to discuss or complain on the subject of decals
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